Mind Like a Child

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
-John Wooden

My Thoughts
When you want to try something new do you think of all the reasons you can't do it? Or do you think of the reasons why you can? Many people tend to think of why something won't work and then usually give up before ever trying. Yet we weren't always this way. Most people when they were younger believed anything was possible.

I'll share a story with you.

Over the past week, I was fortunate enough to work with a lot of children. They were aged between 6-13. I've never really worked with children before so it was a new experience for me. Most of the younger children were so full of energy and enthusiasm. So many of them were smiling and laughing. It was so great to see. They were curious and asked a lot of questions. They freely shared their dreams of wanting to be athletes, astronauts, doctors, lawyers, etc.. and nobody in the room laughed at them. It was beautiful.

We often forget that we were all once like them. We could be anything we wanted. Then somewhere along the way, we ended up becoming conditioned. People start judging us and we start judging others, we may even make fun of their hopes and dreams.

Imagine if you had the fearlessness of a child. Imagine if you had the curiosity of a child. What would you be doing differently?

I encourage everyone this week to try and open your mind. Attempt to experience life as though you were a child.

Have a phenomenal week.

Studying Harder?

News
No new updates for this week.

Instead of a quote and my thoughts I wanted to share a story for you to think about.

Story

A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, "I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it." The teacher's reply was casual, "Ten years." Impatiently, the student answered, "But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?" The teacher thought for a moment, "20 years."

Have an awesome week.

Banishing a Ghost

News
No new updates for this week.

Instead of a quote and my thoughts this week, I wanted to share this Zen story with you. I suggest you spend some time this week pondering it's meaning.

Story
The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come back to haunt you."

For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they were engaged to be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.

Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village. "This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story. "It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do. It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost, but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."

That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my hand."

At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.

Have an excellent week.

Uncertainty

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity.”
-Gilda Radner

My Thoughts
Have you ever tried something over and over again and no matter what you do it doesn't work? It may feel like you are banging your head against the wall. It can happen in any or all areas of your life: relationships, finances, education, work, etc...

Sometimes life doesn't cooperate like we want. It doesn't always work out according to our plan. We think we may have something figured out and life surprises us. I've learned that having a vision of the future with goals is great, but being able to adjust to the flow of life is also essential. I recently have experienced some huge changes in my life which I'll write about in detail sometime in the future.

How can you handle the uncertainties that pop up in life?

I know I've said this before, but meditation. This is what has helped me tremendously. Just sitting there alone with your thoughts and feelings can help you become more aware. Eventually with practice you will be able to become more present. If you are more present you have less fear. With less fear comes more clarity.

It doesn't really matter if you sit for five minutes, ten minutes, or one hour. Especially in the beginning, just spending some time meditating everyday will help you develop it into a habit.

I encourage everyone this week to spend a few minutes each day meditating.

Have an excellent week.

Caring

News
No new updates for this week.

Story
I read this on Paulo Coelho's blog and wanted to share it with you.

The writer Leo Buscaglia was once invited to be on the jury of a school competition to find ‘the child who cared most for others’.

The winner was a boy whose neighbour, a gentleman of over eighty, had just been widowed.
When he saw the old man sitting in his garden crying, the boy jumped over the fence, sat on the man’s lap and stayed there for a long time.

When he went back home, his mother asked him what he had said to the poor man.

‘Nothing,’ said the boy. ‘He’s lost his wife and that must have really hurt.

“I just went over to help him to cry.”

Have a wonderful week.

Facing Challenges

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"If only you could see the whole picture, if you knew the whole story, you would realize that no problem ever comes to you that does not have a purpose in your life, that cannot contribute to your inner growth. When you perceive this, you will recognize that problems are opportunities in disguise. If you did not face problems, you would just drift through life. It is through solving problems in accordance with the highest light we have that inner growth is attained."
-Peace Pilgrim

My Thoughts
Life sometimes throws unexpected challenges your way. No matter how much we try to control what happens to us, ultimately we can not. The only thing we can control is our reaction to the situation.

In my own life I have faced numerous challenges and most of them I didn't expect. I have dealt with my mother's death, my father attempting suicide, being robbed, injuries, almost bankrupt, etc.. In that moment sometimes life can seem overwhelming, but through every challenge I have faced up until now, I have learned something...usually numerous things.

People often try to plan every little detail about the future. Even six months ago I could have never predicted what my life would be like now. I am not suggesting that you shouldn't plan or have an idea regarding your future, but be careful getting too attached to that one particular path.

So, when life presents you with challenges realize that they are opportunities to grow. You may not fully learn the lesson right away, it could come to you months later. Also, do your best to stay in the present moment. Life happens now but most people miss it because of fears and worries.

Have an awesome week.

Fears

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Who sees all beings in his own self, and his own self in all beings, loses all fear."
Isa Upanishad, Hindu Scripture

My Thoughts
A small dose of fear can be a good thing because it can temporarily heighten your awareness and also allow you to learn things about yourself. However, when the fear is constant it can produce many negative consequences.

Fears cause us to act irrational. It blocks our ability to reason properly. A simple example of this is when someone has a phobia. I have (although it's become much better recently) a fear of spiders. It doesn't matter the size of the spider or if it's poisonous or not. So if a spider started crawling on me as I was typing this I would act very irrational. In the past I'd probably jump up and run around screaming even though logically I know the spider poses no harm to me.

We can see fear causing problems in every area of life: relationships, business, financial, health, etc..

Another example of this is someone that absolutely hates their job. The person complains every chance they get about how bad their job is. Yet, they take no action to either resolve their perception of the situation and/or move on. Why don't they move on? It stems from fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of judgment, etc..

Three years ago when I started my own business I too had to face all those fears. However, I can tell you that all my experiences over the last three years have made me grow tremendously. Has it been easy? Not at all. But it's definitely been worth it.

I encourage all of you to use this week to become more aware of your fears and see what steps you can take in order to start overcoming them. I also recommend spending some time reflecting on the quote above.

Have an amazing week.

The Littlest Firefighter

News
No new updates for this week.

Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I found this story.

Story

The Littlest Firefighter

The 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But, she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life? "

"Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true. "

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six year old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat- not a toy one, but one with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program.

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window and 5 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?" "Yes, Billy, you are a fireman now," the chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and closed his eyes one last time. He passed away later that evening.

Have an incredible week.

Serenity

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.
Care about other people's approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.
-Lao Tzu

My Thoughts
No thoughts from me this week. I'd like you to reflect on the above quote and see how you can apply it in your life.

Have an amazing week.

Why Are You Crying?

News
The October discount on coaching programs is almost over. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity please contact:
bob@oneamazinglife.com

Story
I found this on story on Paulo Coelho's blog and wanted to share it with you.

Why Are You Crying?
A man knocked at his Bedouin friend’s door to ask him a favor:

“I want you to lend me four thousand dinars because I have a debt to pay. Can you do that for me?”

The friend asked his wife to gather together everything they had of value, but even so it was not enough. They had to go out and borrow money from the neighbors until they managed to get the full amount.

When the man left, the woman noticed that her husband was crying.

“Why are you sad? Now that we’ve got ourselves in debt with our neighbors, are you afraid we won’t be able to repay them?”

“Nothing of the sort! I’m crying because he is someone I love so much, but even so I had no idea he was in need.
“I only remembered him when he had to knock on my door to ask me for a loan.”

Have an outstanding week.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

News
All of our take home coaching programs are still discounted 50% for the month of October.

For more information, contact: bob@oneamazinglife.com

Quote
"Well done is better than well said."
~Benjamin Franklin

My Thoughts
Do you have someone around you that is great at talking, but maybe not so great at doing? I am sure most of us do. And from time to time we all have been guilty of saying we would do something and then not following through. I am not talking about the occasional slip up. I am talking about those for whom much talk and little to no action has become a habit.

There are certain people that are great talkers, so great in fact that they may fool you numerous times. Sometimes you may really want to believe them. In the end the best way to tell someone's character is in what they do, not what they say.

This of course can apply to all areas of our lives, but I'd like to talk about relationships for a moment. I am not just referring to husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend, but friends and family as well.

In coaching the topic of relationships comes up quite often. People so often want to believe that their husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/friend, etc.. is honest, trustworthy, caring, etc.. They want to believe in the person so much that they impair their intuition and reasoning ability. It's true all people are inherently good, but sometimes their actions can hurt you, and may actually be harmful to you.

Here is an example: A very close friend becomes seriously ill (not on their deathbed, but more than a common cold). You say that you will always be there for them, but that night you made plans to go out with some other friends to party. Your seriously ill friend messages you that they would like some support. Now they don't directly ask you to come over, so the question is, would you go visit your sick friend or still go out and party?

Just think about that scenario for a minute. Of course there are numerous other scenarios that end with a similar question; will you really be there when someone needs you, or do you just say that you'll be there?

How can you tell if someone does truly care about you, or value you? Look at their actions. Try and take yourself out of the situation by asking, "If another person (or the wisest person you know) looked at (husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/friend) actions, what would they say?". Do the actions match up with the words? If not, how many times has this occurred? If the answer is often or always then it is probably a safe bet that that person doesn't value you as much as they say they do.

The reason this is important to figure out is because it can put you on an emotional roller coaster. If you are the one that is always there for the other person and they don't return it (assuming they say they will), then it can be harmful to your growth. It may be time to reevaluate that relationship.

I encourage all of you to take a look at your relationships this week. Are you the one that is all talk and no action? Or are those closest to you like that? Or maybe it's a little of both?

If you are the one that is talking more than doing, I suggest you find ways in which you can do more. What action can you take to improve the situation?

Have a phenomenal week.

Buying Salt

News
All of our packaged coaching programs are still discounted at 50% until the end of October.

All of the programs are great, but the one that completely changed my life was a program called 'Success Puzzle'. It allowed me to become much more aware of my thoughts and emotions. It is the reason I started meditating and the reason I made a trip to India. It ultimately allowed me to let go of many judgments and to start seeing people as they truly are. I would highly recommend the program to anyone.

For more information please email me at: bob@oneamazinglife.com

I decided to share a story I found with you this week.

Story
Nixivan had invited his friends to supper and was cooking a succulent piece of meat for them. Suddenly, he realised that he had run out of salt. So Nixivan called to his son.

‘Go to the village and buy some salt, but pay a fair price for it: neither too much nor too little.’

His son was surprised.

‘I can understand why I shouldn’t pay too much for it, Father, but if I can bargain them down, why not save a bit of money?’

‘That would be the sensible thing to do in a big city, but it could destroy a small village like ours.’


When Nixivan’s guests, who had overheard their conversation, wanted to know why they should not buy salt more cheaply if they could, Nixivan replied:
‘The only reason a man would sell salt more cheaply than usual would be because he was desperate for money. And anyone who took advantage of that situation would be showing a lack of respect for the sweat and struggle of the man who laboured to produce it.’

‘But such a small thing couldn’t possibly destroy a village.’

‘In the beginning, there was only a small amount of injustice abroad in the world, but everyone who came afterwards added their portion, always thinking that it was only very small and unimportant, and look where we have ended up today.’


Have an awesome week.

The Way You See Things

News
I've received numerous emails recently of people in search of coaching. Unfortunately some of them live too far away to meet in person, or they can not meet due to scheduling conflicts.

The solution for this situation is to use our packaged coaching programs. These programs are based on Bob Proctor's 50 years of research and work coaching people all over the world.

The great news is because of the numerous emails I've decided to offer the programs at a discounted rate in October. All of our packaged programs are discounted 50% for the month of October.

You can visit www.oneamazinglife.com to view more information on each program.

Please contact me at bob@oneamazinglife.com if you have any questions.

Quote
"It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are in themselves."
-Carl Jung

My Thoughts
Many people tend to look at the world in black and white, or right and wrong. There are at least two problems with this way of thinking:
1. It can put you into a box so you don't see opportunities.
2. It can lead you to judge others.

I discussed judgments a few weeks ago, so I'll share a story about opportunities.

When I was 16 years old everyone assumed that I would go to college and find a "good" job. I would work at the "good" job, get married, have kids, and retire.
I decided to not go that route.
I ended up joining the Army at 18, got out after five years, worked as a defense contractor for six years, and then started this business about three years ago.

Had I taken the traditional route I seriously doubt I would have lived in Korea. I doubt I would have done some of the interesting work I did while in the Army and as a defense contractor. I also don't think I would have found my passion as early.

By not following the traditional route, I was able to:
- Live in Korea for 11 years so far.
- Earn a 6-figure salary by the time I was 25.
- Work on special government projects.
- Start a business.
- Find my passion <---the most important thing

Usually, most people think I have to go to university. Then I have to go to graduate school. Then I have to go work for a large company. Then I have to get married. etc... The thing is when you only think in that one way, you don't see other opportunities that are around you.

When I was deciding what I would do after high school, I rejected the notion that I must go to university. Instead I asked "What other options are available?". I did the same when I decided to finish up my time in the Army. And many of you know the story of how I ended up becoming a personal development coach and starting my own business.

Don't get me wrong I am not suggesting that the traditional path is wrong. I am just saying that is not for everyone nor should it be forced upon someone.

I encourage you to see where your views are rigid and see if you can start opening them up a bit.

Have an awesome week.

Let it Be

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Let it be."
-The Beatles

My Thoughts
Those three words are perhaps probably the hardest to live by. It can be very difficult in times of struggle and heartache to just let it be. And yet the struggles we go through are what we need to become stronger and wiser. They shape us.

In the midst of struggling it can be very hard to accept that this what is needed for our growth. Many people may not want to learn the lesson from that struggle at that moment in time so they turn away and try to find something to ease their pain. Of course in coaching, we would say something like stop using the word struggle and replace it with something positive like growth opportunity. And that is sound advice for most of life's challenges. But what about when something hurts so deep it cuts through to the core of your being? Simply trying to rephrase it as a growth opportunity is not so easy.

For example: When my Mom died at 13 it changed my world view and I felt very lost for some time. Trying to shift perception from struggle to opportunity would have been incredibly difficult in the few days following her death. Not impossible of course just difficult. Just letting it be, letting time go by helped. It eventually made me stronger and helped me deal with the numerous challenges I faced as I grew older.

For all of you struggling with life's challenges at the moment, I suggest you do your best to let it be. Eventually you will see light at the end of the tunnel. Later you will realize it was beneficial for your growth and be grateful for it.

Have an outstanding week.

Muddy Water

News
No new updates for this week.

Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I wanted to share a story.

Story
Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers.. While they were traveling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid.

The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!”
So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake.

This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same. After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back. The disciple reached the lake to find the lake absolutely clean and clear with pure water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,” See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water. Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be.

Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.

Have an incredible week.

True Listening

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Perfect health, sincerity, honesty, straightforwardness, courage, disinterestedness, unselfishness, patience, endurance, perseverance, peace, calm, self control are all things that are taught infinitely better by example than by beautiful speeches"
-Sri Aurobindo

My Thoughts
Many people have opinions on almost every subject and are willing to share those opinions with anyone they meet. Oftentimes people have opinions on things that they have little or no experience with. Don't get me wrong sitting around and having deep discussions or positive conversations can be great, but I believe developing listening skills is far more important.

Most people don't really listen. True listening is when you listen without forming any thought as to what your response will be. Many people appear to listen but the whole time they are just waiting for their turn to talk. True listening takes practice, but it can be developed over time.

Becoming a true listener can help you connect with humanity more as well because now you are actually listening to what the other person is saying. Usually people judge the other person (and/or what the other person is saying) almost immediately and then start forming their reply. So by truly listening you will start to have less judgments.

I didn't become a better listener until about three years ago. I am much better now than I was before, but of course I can still develop my listening skills further.

This all ties in with the idea of changing yourself before trying to change the world. If you want people to be more kind, first you must be more kind. If you want people to do more, first you must do more. If you want peace, first you must start bringing peace to where you are.

I suggest that this week that you try to truly listen to someone.

Have a great Chuseok.

Driving Out Hate

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
— Martin Luther King Jr.

My Thoughts
Many people have causes or positions that they love to defend. Republican, Democrat, Global Warming, Anti-War, etc... The list goes on and on. The very act of choosing and saying this way is right can oftentimes cut you off from even being able to consider another position or option. This can be dangerous because you start judging the other side as wrong and also anyone that believes in the other side as wrong. If the other side is wrong then you may start disliking them, and if you continue down that path you can actually start to hate them.

I'll share a story that may help illustrate this point. As many of you are aware I grew up in Philadelphia. I managed to stay out of gangs, but had numerous fights with them when I was in high school and sometimes after that. My younger brother on the other hand got involved in gangs early on and eventually started selling drugs, stealing, etc.. This lead him to prison.

Gangs. Obviously the people that belong to a particular gang think that their way is the right way. All the other gangs are wrong and in many cases the other gang should be eliminated or forced out. My younger brother would hate someone just because they were from a rival gang. He didn't know the person at all but he still hated them. Occasionally the gang he was involved with would fight other gangs, sometimes they would be victorious (although in reality there is no real winner) and other times members of his gang would be hospitalized or killed.

Now it may be easy for you to sit here and judge this. It's easy to sit here and say that's stupid or I would never do that. Or they are all scum and should end up in prison or dead. These are all things that I've heard at one time or another. The problem with that line of thinking is that it doesn't solve anything. Hating them will only create more hate. Instead trying to look at them with compassion can help you to understand them better.

How can you look at them with compassion?

People always choose what they assume to be the best option at the time. Unfortunately due to perception most people can't really see what the best option is at the time. Realizing this can help all of us to stop judging others.

Why should you look at them with compassion?

Well besides all of the most important spiritual reasons, looking at them with compassion can allow you to create loving solutions. Solutions that can actually help to change the situation for the better.

I challenge you this week to consider someone's viewpoint that differs from your own.

Have a beautiful week.

Feeling Alive

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
-Gandhi

My Thoughts
When was the last time you really felt alive? When was the last time you were truly excited, or you walked around with a genuine smile on your face? For most people the answer to those questions is "I don't remember.".

The traditional advice for feeling alive again is to do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Live on the edge and take risks. All of that is great advice. That is what I did and I can't even remotely describe all the changes that have occurred in my life since then. But perhaps this advice isn't best for everyone.....or at least not the best course of action at this time in their life.

So what is another way to feel alive?

Focus on the present moment. Why? Because when you focus on the present you will begin to notice more sights, sounds, smells, etc.. Eventually you will start to see more and more beauty in all things. That sounds too simple though, right? Well it may sound simple but it certainly isn't easy. Most people live in regretting the past, fearing the future, or both. Focusing on the present takes practice, but over time will develop into a habit.

Personally, I feel it's easier to stay present during meditation and from there you can do it in daily activity, but perhaps you don't meditate. Here is another way that may help you during your day: Become aware of your breathing. Notice your inhaling and exhaling. Thoughts will occur, but just let them come and go as they please. Then try really looking and listening to what is going on around you. Look at the trees, buildings, people, signs, etc... Listen to nature, cars, voices, construction, etc.. Just be in the present moment. Even in seemingly mundane tasks you can be present. Ex: Washing the dishes. Usually your thoughts are someplace else when washing the dishes. Instead, focus on listening to the sound of the running water, focus on feeling the water and the texture of the sponge, etc...

When you are present you will notice that not only will you start to enjoy whatever task you are doing but you will perform the task much better.

I encourage you to make an effort to be present at least three times this week.

Have an awesome week.

Orginal Perfection

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations.
You are originally unlimited and perfect.
Later you take on limitations and become the mind."
-Ramana Maharshi

My Thoughts
No thoughts from me this week. I would like you to spend some time reflecting on the meaning of this quote.

Have an amazing week.

The Ego

News
We still have our programs priced at a 60% discount. You can find details about the programs at www.oneamazinglife.com

If you would like more information please email: bob@oneamazinglife.com

Quotes
"You must learn to see men and women…as perfect beings advancing to become complete."
-Wallace Wattles

"The consciousness in you and the consciousness in me, apparently two, really
one, seek unity and that is love."
-Nisargadatta Maharaj

"All troubles come to an end when the ego dies."
- Ramakrishna

My Thoughts
In last week's message I talked about loving all people unconditionally. This week I'd like to discuss the ego.

All people are innately perfect. We can not see this perfection in others because of our own egos. The ego does not like true love. The ego seeks to control, it lashes out at the Truth. The tools of the ego are anger, violence, jealousy, judgment, hatred, etc... Because of the ego we think that we are better than others. We think that our way is the right way. This also causes the illusion of separation. We are all connected, we are all one.

When we understand that all of this anger, violence, and hatred is the ego acting out, we may catch a glimpse of people as they truly are. We will notice this perfection. We will notice a beauty that we never saw before. However, it has always been there. Once we see this, even if it is for only a second, then we can start to feel compassion for all of humanity. We can see why judging others is a mistake of our perception. What is there to judge if all people are perfect?

I encourage all of us to try and view people as they truly are. Let us transcend the limitations of the ego and start to see the world as it really exists.

Have an incredible week.

Loving All

News
We have decided to discount all of our at-home coaching programs. These programs are great if you don't have time to make it to a structured coaching session. If you purchase a program by Sunday, August 21st you will receive a 60% discount.

Please check out www.oneamazinglife.com for more information on these programs. If you have any questions please email me: bob@oneamazinglife.com

Quote
“Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love”
-Mother Teresa

My Thoughts
Do you love yourself? I don't mean in some narcissistic sense. Do you respect yourself? Have you forgiven yourself for wrongs you may have committed in the past? You must love yourself before you can begin to truly love others.

Speaking of truly loving others, do you think you could love all people, regardless of their perceived imperfections? Do you think you could love someone without expecting anything in return? For many people loving unconditionally is near impossible. People say they do but their actions don't match their words.

All people are doing what they perceive is the best course of action to take at any given time. So we could say people are ignorant of what is the best course of action because of their perception. Therefore they should be forgiven (or literally you are forgiving yourself for judging them as wrong in the first place). If you start to forgive others, then you can start to let go of judgments. If you can grasp this concept then you can begin to love all of humanity unconditionally. The more people that are able to love unconditionally the better off humanity will become.

All people seek happiness, but only a few truly understand that happiness is internal and does not need to be sought but merely realized. This is hard for people to understand because so many of us were conditioned to believe that if we get something (higher degree, nice car, house, etc...) then we will be happy. But that happiness is an illusion. It fades away after time....usually after a short time.

I suppose their are multiple ways of realizing that happiness is internal. My way was to stretch way outside my comfort zone and follow my dream. So you could say my realization occurred after much struggle. I realized that you could literally have no money, no car, a tiny apartment, etc... and still be perfectly happy. Once you have this realization it stays with you forever. So no matter what situation you are in, no matter what the external stresses are, you can still remain happy.

My suggestion for this week: Forgive someone, and make an honest attempt at loving someone unconditionally.

Have a glorious week.

The Important Things in Life

I hope you had a great weekend.

News
No new updates for this week.

I decided to share this story I found with all of you.

Story
The Important Things in Life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

Have an outstanding week.

Spiritual Journey

News
No new updates for this week.

Quotes
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
-Buddha

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?
-Jesus Christ

"God dwells in you, as you, and you don't have to 'do' anything to be God-realized or Self-realized, it is already your true and natural state." Just drop all seeking, turn your attention inward, and sacrifice your mind to the One Self radiating in the Heart of your very being. For this to be your own presently lived experience, Self-Inquiry is the one direct and immediate way."
-Ramana Maharshi

My Thoughts
Spirituality is a touchy subject for most people, however it is incredibly important. So, I wanted to share my own story of spiritual growth this week. I am not saying the following is right, it is simply my journey up until this point.

I was raised Catholic. Went to church on Sundays, a better way to put it was forced to go to church on Sundays, until I was about 13. I went to a Catholic high school and when I was 16 I decided to turn my back on Catholicism and Christianity. There were many things that lead up to that point but, basically a priest and I got into a heated discussion in religion class over some teachings.

For the next 11 years I would categorize myself as agnostic. I supposed their could be some sort of higher power but I wasn't sure.

About 3-4 years ago I was starting to get involved in coaching and one of Bob Proctor's core components of coaching is spirituality. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about that whole part. But I kept going forward and just put off thinking about the whole spiritual side of things. One part of our coaching program included a recommended reading list. I guess there are about 40-50 books on the list. Some of them get deep into spirituality. I decided I better start reading some of those.

As I started reading some of the books I realized something. I had made an error in judgement when I was 16. I turned my back on everything but it wasn't that all of Christianity's teachings were flawed just certain people's interpretations of those teachings were flawed. Also, I didn't need to claim a specific religion to have a relationship with a higher power.

Time went on and I read more and more. I eventually started reading teachings from: Buddha, Huang Po, the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, Yoganada, Ramana Maharshi, David Hawkins, etc..
Eventually I realized that all of them were essentially saying the same thing.

This lead me on a journey to northern India. I spent almost two weeks at an ashram. I witnessed a man there speak to a crowd of one million people. The man spoke for 90 minutes and no one in the audience said a word. Some people were crying but no one said a thing. Remarkable considering we were sitting on the ground outside in 110F/44C heat. Eventually my view of the world was drastically altered.

I know now that a higher power exists. Is this God necessarily the same exact one found in the Bible? Not exactly. It would take me way too long to explain this fully here.

I am also starting to view the entire world from a place of love. I am beginning to see the inherent beauty that exists in all things. I also realize that everything happens exactly when it is supposed to so there really is no need to worry. Finally, I am able to focus more and more on the present moment.

I am not finished on this journey. I still have much spiritual growing to do. It is not easy but once you realize that God is both internal and external your entire view of the world will change. It is simply awesome.

Have an amazing week.

The Stone Cutter

News
No new updates for this week.

I decided I wanted to share a story with you this week.

Story

The Stone Cutter

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.


To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"


Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"


Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"


Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"


Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"


Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought.


He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.

-----------------------

Have a phenomenal week.

Love

News
The start date for the 6-Week mastermind course has been moved to Monday, July 18th at 7:00pm.

Group size: 5-10 people

Who would benefit:
- People that are seeking some sort of change but feel stuck.
- People that want to change but keep falling back into their old habits.
- People that would like to meet others that want to grow.
- People that are curious about coaching but aren't ready to make a longer time and/or financial commitment.
- People that have questions relating to dealing with fear, failure, negativity, etc...

If you are interested in joining, or have any questions, please email: bob@oneamazinglife.com

Quote
“Trying to make someone fall in love with you is about as pointless as trying to control who you fall in love with.”
-Unknown

My Thoughts
There are many things in life that are out of our control. Trying to stop love once it takes a hold of you is the equivalent of trying to stop a speeding train by standing in front of it with your hands out in front of you. That wouldn't be the wisest of decisions.

Love can move you to do incredible things. People seem to have extra energy when they are in love. They function on less sleep and will often go to great lengths to see the person they love, even if it's only for a brief moment. When people in love are separated they long to be together.

Why am I mentioning this?

All of us have had brilliant ideas but very few of us take action on those ideas and even fewer hang on and see the idea through until completion. People often get an idea and talk themselves out of it before they even get started.

If you would like to make serious change in your life then that idea will have to become your burning desire. You will fall in love with that idea. Because you are in love you will do what needs to be done to see the idea through until it is complete.

If there is some idea, or someone, that you know you love but you keep making excuses for not pursuing it then I suggest you stop denying your feelings and release control. Let love wash over you. Is it 100% guaranteed to work out? No, but the thought of never knowing can make you go mad.

Have an amazing week.

Inspiration

News
Two things to share this week:

1. There will be a 6-Week Mastermind course starting on Monday, July 11th at 7:00pm. Each meeting lasts around 2 hours.

This course is perfect for those that are curious about coaching or personal growth. It is also a great way to meet like minded people that are seeking some sort of change in their own lives.

If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in this course please email me for further details.
bob@oneamazinglife.com

2. I have also decided to offer one on one coaching over the phone for those that can not make it in person. If you would like more information on this service please email me at the email address above.

Quote
“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
-Patanjali

My Thoughts
What inspires you? What are you passionate about? If you answered I don't know to those questions, I would recommend spending some serious time thinking it over.

Most people wander through life as if they are on autopilot, mindlessly going through the motions and never truly living life. When was the last time you felt really excited about something?

Life is full of risk and uncertainty. There are no guarantees that pursuing your passion will turn out exactly like you had hoped. As a matter of fact it could turn out to be the opposite of what you had planned. There is no guarantee that after finding what you believe is your ideal person that everything will be perfect. Life is complicated and at times can get messy. But, that is what makes it worth living. Having to experience all of the stress, failure, heartache, loneliness, etc.. makes feeling happiness, excitement, joy, peace, etc.. that much more enjoyable.

Life really is all about the journey and not the final destination. Sometimes life will smack you around but instead of getting depressed by it, try to find the learning experience. Sometimes life's lessons are hard to swallow but they will make you grow if you let them.

I encourage you to seize every opportunity to really live life. Will you make mistakes? Definitely. Will you experience setbacks? Indeed. Will you encounter stress that makes it feel like you are going to break? Probably.
However, as you keep going and learning from those experiences you will one day learn the meaning that true happiness comes from within and you will find inner peace. Once you really experience that your life will be changed forever.

Have an excellent week.

Living in the Moment

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Live each moment completely and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each moment."
- Paramahansa Yogananda

My Thoughts
Living in the present can certainly be a challenge. Most people are either stuck in the past or worrying about the future.....or both. But the more you live in the present moment you will find your stress levels drop and you will realize true happiness.

A common question I get asked is how can I live in the present moment and still set goals? A few years ago this was a question that I struggled with myself. I'll share my current understanding with you.

I have goals in different areas of my life but I'll use a financial one as an example. As a business owner my only source of income comes from my business. With that being said the burden of responsibility is on me to generate my own income every month. If, for whatever reason, I fail to generate income for that month then I don't receive any money. Think about that for a moment I could put in 60-80 hours a week for a month and I may not receive any monetary compensation. I tell you this to illustrate the point that it could be a source of serious stress.

So, every month I have a financial goal that I work towards and I have an overall yearly financial goal. I do all the goal setting techniques that I've mentioned before: I set the goal and date it, I read it aloud at least twice a day with emotion (saying it in the present tense), etc..But I do my best to live in the present moment. How? I just keep taking action and I don't worry about the goal. If I can truly be in the moment then I will be devoting myself 100% to whatever action I happen to be taking at that moment. If I am devoting myself 100% to that action then the action will be much more effective. If I can continue to take much more effective action then it will have a much greater impact on my future.

Of course it is not always easy to remain in the present moment and I have certainly not mastered it yet. Meditation is what really helped me with this.

I encourage you this week to try to live in the moment, even if you can only do it for a few minutes each day. Like all things this is a habit that will take time to develop.

Have a great week.

Do You Have a Dream?

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Martin Luther King gave the I have a dream speech, not the I have a plan speech."
-Simon Sinek

My Thoughts
The above quote comes from a TED talk given by Simon Sinek. It's an excellent talk and I highly recommend watching it. It's called "How Great Leaders Inspire Action"

It can be found here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

How many times have you told yourself I can't do it because I don't know how? Maybe you get all excited about an idea, but then you start thinking I don't know how to do it, or you think of all the obstacles you will have to deal with and you are not sure how you will overcome them.

No one has ever achieved anything great by knowing each and every step on how to get there. But we often think we need to have this brilliant plan in place before we start something. The truth is you often will try and fail, try and fail, try again and maybe see some success. This is why passion is essential if you want to be successful in any area of your life. Martin Luther King Jr. was incredibly passionate about civil rights and he believed in his cause; so much so that he died for it. Think about that for a moment, he traded his life for something he believed in.

As I write this to you I am sitting in my office and the time is 2:30am. Am I sitting here right now for the money? Or in hopes of becoming famous? Or both? No, not at all. The reason I am sitting here is because I truly believe that these weekly messages will touch at least one person and inspire that one person to rise above mediocrity and live to their fullest potential. Maybe that one person will then inspire someone else to do the same, and so on, creating a ripple effect.

It's the passion for doing what I do that drives me. For example, I practice a minimum of 20 times before delivering a speech, seminar, or workshop. If that is a one hour seminar that means at least 20 hours of practice before I deliver it. While I am practicing I usually have no idea how many people will attend. There could be 50 people the day I deliver it or there could be 5, but I know that I've put in my best. It comes from passion.

Everyone of us has something that we would love to achieve. Most people may not immediately recognize what it is because it may seem ridiculous. There is a saying that if the why is big enough the how doesn't matter. So if you have a big enough reason for doing something you will overcome any obstacle. If you're pursuing your passion you know you will know why you are doing it. Because you love it.

Imagine telling Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix, when he was alive, to stop playing guitar. How about telling Pavarotti while he was living to stop singing, or JK Rowling to give up writing.
The idea is ludicrous. Why? Because they all love what they do.

As I mentioned before it is not always easy to pursue your passion. Most likely you will meet with many setbacks before you start to see some success. But I can tell you that it is all worth it.

I too have a dream and so do you. The question is what is preventing you from living your dream?

Have a wonderful week.

Important Question

Hello Everyone,

I hope you had a great weekend.

News
No new updates for this week.

I wanted to share this story I read earlier in the week with all of you.

Story

Important Question

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. Absolutely, said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello". I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Have an amazing week.

Bob

Taking Action

News
We will be having a Mastermind course in Korean starting Saturday, June 11th.
The sessions are from 1:30pm - 3:30pm and will last for five weeks.

For more information on the course, please visit:
http://cafe.naver.com/oneamazinglife

If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in this please email: sunghee@oneamazinglife.com

Quote
"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."
-Rabindranath Tagore

My Thoughts
It's great to visualize what it is that you want to be/do/have in your life. It's great to write your goals down and read them out loud twice daily. However, if you don't take action then both of those exercises are fairly useless.

Back in early January before I started dropping in on CEOs and cold calling companies I made up a sales pitch. I practiced it a bunch of times and rewrote it a few more times. Then I went out and tried it out. You know what? It didn't work very well. After about two weeks I changed it around a bit and finally I had it to where it wasn't even really a pitch; it was more of a conversation. It worked extremely well.

The point is I had to go through the planning stage and the reevaluating stage (in those two weeks there were some embarrassing situations/upset people) in order to find the sales technique that worked.

How can you use this in your life?

Assuming you know what you want, then I recommend that you sit down and write out three action steps that you can take this week to move you closer to your goal. Ideally, those steps would be proactive in nature (ex: meeting someone, calling someone, etc...). If you can't think of any proactive steps right now then your action steps could be related to research or reading.

Finally if you know what you want, then I highly recommend you read 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill and implement the steps in the book. If you have already read it, then I suggest you read it again.

Have an excellent week.

Struggles

News
No new updates for this week.

I had a sudden change in my schedule so unfortunately, I am not able to share my thoughts with you this week.

Instead, I'll leave you with a story:

Life Struggles
A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shriveled. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to and able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets, and don't forget the power in the struggle.

-Author Unknown

Have an outstanding week.

Judgements

Hello Everyone,

I hope that you had an amazing weekend.

News
I received an email early last week asking me if I could help out a worthy cause. I checked it out and decided that I would.

Here is the info:
The Westfall Foundation has launched a new campaign titled “Commit To Your
Health”. With the release of a series of fitness and exercise DVDs,
the campaign is geared towards raising awareness for those who suffer
from Friedreich’s Ataxia, which is a rare inherited disease

Kerry Westfall himself performs all exercises while in his
wheelchair; however he made it a solid point to produce a DVD where
people who are not in need of a wheelchair may also perform all
exercises. The video absolutely amazing and the foundation sells them
in order to raise funds to cure Friedreich’s Ataxia.

Kerry Westfall was diagnosed at a young age with the debilitating
disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia. Friedreich's Ataxia (also
called FA or FRDA) is a rare inherited disease that causes nervous
system damage and movement problems. Symptoms of FA include pain,
shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Though impaired by this
disease and wheelchair bound, having FA did not discourage Kerry from
trying to lead a normal life.

For more information on the “Commit to your health” campaign, to
obtain a DVD or donate to the Westfall Foundation cause please visit:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BeautifulPlanningMar/46dd0f3791/057e9e387f/a565894953
You can also view a 5 minute trailer for the DVD at the link above.

About the Westfall Foundation
The Westfall Foundation is a national 501(C)(3) tax-deductible
charity. The Westfall Foundation is dedicated to the pursuit of
funding medical research leading to treatments, cures and an overall
better understanding of neuromuscular and Central Nervous System
(CNS) diseases, such as Friedreich’s Ataxia, Multiple Scleroses and
Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s diseases. The Westfall Foundation`s
mission is to award grants which contribute to finding cures and
effective treatments for the mentioned diseases. The Westfall
Foundation understands the power of people, thus our second objective
is to fund other 501(C)(3) organizations who are actively sponsoring
research initiatives to find effective treatments for diseases
classified as neuromuscular and neurodegenerative, as well as CNS
diseases, such as Alzheimer`s and Parkinson’s disease.

Why am I sharing this?
Well a very close friend of my family has muscular dystrophy and when I was growing up I saw first hand at what it did to him. Over the last 25 years he went from being able to walk to not being able to do anything on his own. Doctors say that he will die soon.

If you purchase the DVD, your money will go to charity. You can also donate your time and/or money to the Westfall Foundation.

Quote
"Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances."
-Wayne Dyer

My Thoughts
It is so easy sometimes for us to judge others. We look at people and determine good/bad, right/wrong, beautiful/ugly, smart/stupid, etc... Oftentimes we do this to people that we've never met. We hear a rumor or a news story and judge them.

Recently, this has happened with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tiger Woods. I heard someone say recently how idiotic they both are and that they would never do that. Really? I asked this individual if he had ever been put in a similar situation as them and he said no. I wondered how would he respond if placed in even a remotely similar situation. Would he hold the moral high ground? Or would he give in to temptation?
Now don't get me wrong I am not condoning their actions, but there is always more to the story. We will never know 100% what lead them to their current situation.

Of course I haven't mentioned about not placing people on pedestals. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has their own challenges to face. But that is for another week.

I'd like to share a story with you.

My younger brother was shot in the chest last week. He managed to survive and somehow wasn't seriously injured. I don't have all the details yet, but apparently it was a set up to steal his drugs and cash. One guy approached him to buy drugs and he went somewhere with him. As the transaction took place the guy attempted to fight with my brother and another guy stepped out from behind a wall and shot my brother in the chest.

This happened minutes away from where we grew up in Philadelphia. Besides getting shot in the chest the other disappointing news is that evidently my brother is back to dealing again. He will turn 27 this year and if he lives to be 30 I would be amazed. Remember 2 months ago he had his faced smashed in with a club. Assuming he doesn't get killed first, I have a feeling he will end up in prison again soon.

Now it would be very easy for me to judge him. Call him a moron and point out reasons why he is a moron. This is the approach the rest of my family has taken. This approach hasn't worked in the past and it won't work now.
What he needs is:
1. A program that can show him with real world examples that their is a different way out and tools which will enable him to have lasting change.
2. A strong support group
3. He needs to relocate.

When he got out of prison in 2009, I called him everyday and provided him some basic coaching plus I was the real world example for him. However, I couldn't provide the other two factors that he would need to have a serious shot at getting better.

He hit bottom in 2009, but now that shock has worn off and he is back to his old ways so before a program like I mentioned above would be effective he would need to hit bottom again. For most people getting shot in the chest would do that, but unfortunately for him I don't think it has.

The point of this is that somewhere inside of him he still has goodness left. By judging him we are not able to come up with potential ways to benefit him and society. Judging others clouds our thinking and pushes us apart.

I encourage all of you to try and understand others instead of judging them. In doing this you will also learn a great deal about yourself.

Have an incredible week.

Bob

The Other Side

News
No new updates for this week.

Due to my schedule today, I've decided just to share a short story for you to think about. I recommend that you spend some time contemplating the meaning of this story.

Story

The Other Side
One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, "Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river"?

The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, "My son, you are on the other side".

Have an outstanding week.

Know your Darkness

News
The message below is from a group that gets together and watches documentaries once a month. It sounded interesting so I wanted to share it with all of you.

What: Let's watch a film!
When: Sunday, May 29th, 2011 6:30 PM


Where: Roofers
Itaewon 132-5
Seoul
02-749-2970

Why: This is a very interesting and informative film about where
our food comes from. It'll leave you in awe, with some

answers and even some questions! A fantastic film to watch with
friends. Website of the film- http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Hey guys, Me and two of my friends have started a documentary
screening club in Seoul. We'll be showing one film every month
at Roofers in Itaewon, following a group discussion. These
films are social/political/cultural in nature. They're really
well made, and have won various awards, from Academy award for
best documentary to best directing/writing in famous film
festivals. Come join us for our second film screening of the year, on
Sunday the 29th of May. For more information you can check out
the following site as well-

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=206304752724259


Hope to see some of you guys at the screening. :-)

Zenith Bose
010 4996 5939

Quote
"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people."
-Carl Jung

My Thoughts
Each of us has our own problems to overcome. For some it is addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, etc... For some it is anger, judgement, guilt, etc.. All of us have something or multiple things that we must deal with as we go through life.

All people are born inherently good. It can be difficult for people to accept this. The problem arises when we do not keep our ego in check. If we do not keep our ego in check then darkness can overtake us. We see egos gone seriously out of control in people that cause mass destruction in the world.

Interestingly those that cheered Osama Bin Laden's death are catering to the egos need for revenge, for a feeling of justice. If they continue feeding that side of their personalty, they will slowly start going down a slope that is hard to come back from. If they really keep feeding their ego, then they will be just as bad as the terrorists they wanted to stop.

The good news is that for most people their is a system of check and balances in place so your ego won't take complete control of you.

I would like to share a story with you. One of the things that I had to overcome was anger. The thing was I didn't recognize it as anger, I saw it more as being realistic. I'll tell you what I mean.

As many of you know I grew up in a not so nice area of Philadelphia. I was surrounded by violence. I saw my first murder victim at just 6 years old. Somebody killed the guy up the street and wrapped his body up in toilet tissue and shoved him into the trunk of his car. I was there when the cops opened the trunk. The smell was horrendous.

The thing was I thought all of this was normal. When I left Philadelphia I took my conditioning with me. It was this idea that people are always looking to fight, steal, and possible murder you so you should be on guard for any possible attack because it's better to go down fighting then get shot in the back.

Of course that idea can help you at times when others are naive. But generally speaking it causes more harm than good because you will always be on the lookout for a fight and sure enough you will find one.

In the late 90's when I came to Korea a lot of people stared. It doesn't happen these days (or maybe I don't notice it anymore). I didn't mind so much when it was a person much older than me, but when it was a guy around my own age it made me upset. Why? Well in Philadelphia if someone is staring at you it generally means something bad will happen.

So intellectually I was thinking "Look this is a foreign country, maybe they just want to talk.". However, my conditioning told me "Nope, they don't like something about you and they are a threat.". By the way, your conditioning which is in your subconscious mind will win out in a battle with your conscious or intellectual mind.

Many years ago I was standing in line at an ATM with a fair amount of drunk people. There were two guys around my age standing behind me that were going on about how stupid Americans are. Incidentally, I didn't care about the fact that were making fun of Americans, having lived outside of the US for so long I've lost a strong sense of national pride. However, I thought maybe they should be careful because other Americans may not be so nice. So I turned around a politely mentioned that they may want to be more careful about how loud they are complaining about Americans (and foreigners in general). This whole thing happened in Korean.

After I said that I turned around and waited in line. Then they started saying things like "This stupid American can speak Korean", "I wonder if he understands............".
Basically calling me every not nice thing under the sun. Now of course the easiest thing would have been for me to step out of the line and walk away. But I didn't do that.

So as I get to the front of the line I stared getting money and the guys behind me step forward and grab my hand....with the money I just got in it. Now conditioning told me, they were trying to steal my money. Were they? Probably not.

So I pulled my hand away and put my money away, while they were yelling at me and grabbing me. Suddenly some guy comes up and breaks everything up. I realized this guy is right I should walk away, not to mention fighting two people at once is never a good idea.

I started walking away when one of the guys that was behind me runs up and punches me in the back (he should have punched me in the head). Now, my conditioning was back in control. I'll spare you the details but he was not looking so good when I left. His friend tried hitting me a few times, but I threw him on the ground (not too hard, just enough to make him think twice).

The whole point of this story is that I could have walked away from the very beginning. It was not my job to worry about if they offended someone else and got into a fight.

A similar situation happened when I saw a guy hitting a woman. Now you may say well in that case you did the right thing. Perhaps, but I didn't fully know the story and I didn't need to use the amount of force that I did to stop the situation. There was probably a better way of handling the situation.

Eventually I was able to overcome this anger with a change in perception.

So what is the take away from all of this?

1. Realize that all of us have our own inner demons to overcome. This can help you understand others better.

2. If you are pissed off at someone that bumps into you, or cuts you off driving, or is staring at you, remember, you never know the full story of what is going on. Perhaps they cut you off because they found out that their wife/husband was in an accident and now they are at the hospital. Perhaps the person is staring at you because they want to talk but they don't know how or they are shy/nervous. Ask yourself is there another way of looking at this situation.

There is also a technique of imagining everyone as your mother (or some loved one) and treat them as you would treat her.

3. Meditate. This has really helped me with handling emotions. Start with just five minutes every day. After a few weeks bump it up to 10 minutes every day. After another few weeks raise it to 20 minutes every day.

Have an outstanding week.

Blind Men and an Elephant

News
No new updates this week.

Instead of giving you a quote and my thoughts I wanted to share a story for you to ponder.

Blind Men and an Elephant

Several citizens ran into a hot argument about God and different religions, and each one could not agree to a common answer. So they came to the Buddha to find out what exactly God looks like.

The Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to find out what the elephant would "look" like.

The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the "appearance" of an elephant.

The Buddha asked the citizens: "Each blind man had touched the elephant but each of them gives a different description of the animal. Which answer is right?"

Have an incredible week.

Workout Updates

Here are some of my recent workouts.

Age 30. Height 6'(183cm). Weight 215lbs (98kgs)

4-12-11
Week 3
Military Press: 105x5, 115x3, 140x5*(PR?), 105x10, 105x10, 85x10, 85x10, 75x16(PR?)
Pullups: 6, 6, 6(+22lb plate), 6(+33lbs), 10
Incline CGBP (3-4 sec negatives): 85x10, 85x10, 85x10<--just testing this out...haven't done it in ages
Rope Pulldown: 85x10, 115x10, 145x5-drop set-100x8
*I had to push press 2 reps

4-13-11
Week 3
Rack Pull (1st pin): 265x5, 310x3, 355x10(PR), 310x10, 310x10, 290x10, 265x10, 220x15
Hanging Leg Raise (Wendler Style): 6, 5, 5, 4, 4

4-16-11
Chest Week 3
Flat Barbell Bench Press: 175x5, 205x3, 230x1, 260x1*, 130 (+20-40lbs of chains) x 10, 185x8, 165x10, 165x10, 130x20
DB Row: 75x6, 90x6, 100x6, 120x4, 65x25(PR)<--speed reps on last set
DB Curl: 35x10, 40x8, 50x6
21's (EZ Curl): 80x21 (PR?)
Rope Hammer Curl: 85x10, 100x10, 115x13

*I lowered it way too slow. I needed a spot at the very bottom of the rep, after 3-4 inches I was able to press it myself.

4-17-11
Squats Week 3
ATG Squat: 180x5, 210x3, 265x1, 290x1*, 310 (quarter squats x I don't remember), 220x11(PR?), 200x10, 135x25(PR)
Cybex Prone Leg Curl: 90x6, 110x6, 130x6, 180x6(PR?), 110x20
Neutral Grip Pullups: 12
Towel Pullups: 4, 4

*I don't think I went ATG.

------Switched back to a bodybuilding-style routine------------
4-23-11
Military Press Week 1
Military Press: 100x5, 110x5, 120x10(PR?)
Seated Barbell Overhead Press: 65x12<--felt a little funny on the shoulder
Military Press: 100x10, 90x10, 90x10, 90x15(PR)
Smith Machine Overhead Press (assumed bar weight of 15lbs): 105x8, 130x6, 150x3
DB Lateral Raise: 25x12
Cable Rear Delt Flye: 10x12
Cable Tricep Extension (close grip EZ): 85x12, 100x12, 145x12, 145x12-drop set-100x12
EZ Curl Overhead Tricep Extension: 80x12, 80x10, 80x10

4-25-11
Deadlift Week 1
Deadlift: 245x5, 275x5, 310x10, 265x14(PR)
DB Row: 55x10, 65x10, 80x10, 80x10, 90x10
Pullups: 10, 10, 7, 10(with 30lbs assistance), 10(with 50lbs assistance)
Hanging Leg Raise (Wendler style): 5, 5, 5, 5, 4

Everything is going great with the workouts. My strength is almost back to where it was before I injured my shoulder. My body weight isn't as high as I would like but that's fine.

I will start a cutting diet the first week of May.

Imagine

News
No new updates for this week

Poem
Youth

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of sixty more than a body of twenty. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what's next, and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.

When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at twenty, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch the waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at eighty.

-Samuel Ullman

Thoughts
Do you remember when you were younger and you used your imagination? How often do you use your imagination now to produce positive results? Or do you often imagine the worst case scenario?

Let me relate a story to you:
When I go to the gym to perform my heaviest lifts I always imagine myself doing the lift the night before and also before I start the exercise. I did the same thing when I fought in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Mixed Martial Arts competitions. When I used to run I also used this technique. The other thing is that I don't say things like "I'll try", or "Maybe", or even "I'll do my best". Instead I use "I will".

This allowed me to achieve much greater results than just going and attempting something without thinking about it. I've also used this technique outside of the gym. Before I cold call or just show up to companies, I'll imagine things going great. Without doing this I am sure I would not have even started dropping in on companies.

The point here is that for most people their imagination faculty is rusty. It hasn't been used positively in so long that many have forgotten how to use it. So people just tend to creep through life without ever living. They let things like society, family, friends, or their age tell them what to do.

How can you start to use your imagination more and break this cycle?

Answer this question: What do you want to be, do, or have?

Don't answer that question quickly (unless you already know the answer). Spend some time on it. Really think about it. Don't allow your past results to cloud your thinking.

Of course the next step would be taking action.

Have an excellent week.





Doing

News
There are still some seats available for the Mastermind course based on the classic book 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill.

We start this Wednesday at 7pm.

If you are thinking about joining the course, here are some questions that you may find helpful:

1. Are you completely satisfied with everything in your life?
If the answer is no, continue to question 2. If the answer is yes, then you can stop reading.

2. Have you made a serious attempt at changing whatever you are not satisfied about?
If the answer is no, continue to question 3. If the answer is yes, then you can stop reading.

3. Would you be interested in a group that could help you start creating the life you would love to live?
If the answer is yes, continue to question 4. If the answer is no, then you can stop reading.

4. Why haven't you joined the Mastermind course?

To reserve your seat, please email: bob@oneamazinglife.com


Quote
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
-Leonardo da Vinci

My Thoughts
How many books on average do you read a year? How many of those are non-fiction? How many of those give advice? How often do you act on that advice?

As for me, I generally read one book a week. Now of course this varies greatly depending on the book. Right now I am working my way through the Bhagavad-Gita. I've been reading it for the past month or so. Almost all of the books that I read these days are non-fiction. Not that there is anything wrong with a great fiction book, but due to my chosen profession I want (and need) to read a lot of non-fiction. To the best of my ability I apply the things I read.

I hope this story illustrates the point better.

Many people often ask me why I became a coach. It's a great question and the short answer is that I wanted to somehow help people. But that doesn't really hit the point home.

Back in 2008 I had stumbled across the book 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill. As I read the book I was stunned. Why? Because I had used the principles in the book my whole life without really knowing it. I had gone from being dead broke in 2003 to earning 150 million won a year in just three years by using those principles. I had gone from a horribly skinny man at 130lbs (59kgs) to a healthy 220lbs (100kgs) by using those principles. So I knew they worked.

I wanted to share the principles in 'Think and Grow Rich' with the world, but I didn't think anyone would listen. About a month or so later, I was watching a DVD with Bob Proctor speaking at an event in Canada. As he was talking he pulled out a copy of 'Think and Grow Rich' and explained how he read the book everyday since the early 1960's. At that moment I realized I needed to talk to Bob Proctor.

I got in touch with him and found out about getting certified as a coach. It was a massive time and money commitment. However, intuitively I knew it was the right choice to make so I went with it. Then in 2009 I had another decision to make. Do I stay with the comfort, safety, and security of my previous job, or do I risk everything and pursue my dream? Well I already knew the answer, so the choice was simple. Of course I risked everything.

Has it been easy? Not at all. The past two years of my life have been the most challenging I have ever experienced. But I learned more than I could have ever imagined in that time, and I've grown tremendously. I wouldn't change a thing.

This week I challenge all of you to jump the knowing-doing gap. Do the thing you know you want to do. Step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

Have an amazing week.

Wishing

News
The 6-Week Mastermind Course will be delayed one week due to scheduling conflicts.

It will start Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00pm. Because of this the 25% discount will be extended until Friday, April 15th.

If you are interested in making some changes in your life, and would like to interact with others that are seeking changes in their lives, then this is the group to join.

Full details about the course, as well as testimonials, go to:

www.oneamazinglife.com

If you have any questions, or would like to register, please email me:
bob@oneamazinglife.com

Poem

Wishing

Do you wish the world were better?
Let me tell you what to do:
Set a watch upon your actions,
Keep them always straight and true;
Rid your mind of selfish motives;
Let your thoughts be clean and high.
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.

Do you wish the world were wiser?
Well, suppose you made a start,
By accumulating wisdom
In the scrapbook of your heart:
Do not waste one page on folly;
Live to learn, and learn to live.
If you want to give men knowledge
You must get it, 'ere you give.

Do you wish the world were happy?
Then remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness
As you pass along the way;
For the pleasures of the many
May be ofttimes traced to one,
As the hand that plants an acorn
Shelters armies from the sun.

-Ella Wheeler Wilcox


My Thoughts
No thoughts from me this week. I recommend you read the above poem daily and put it's wisdom into practice.

Have a phenomenal week.





Taking Responsibilty

News
Many people have inquired about when I will be doing another Mastermind Course. The great news is that I've decided to start one on Wednesday, April 13th.

This course is a great way to get introduced into coaching.

You should seriously consider joining if you've struggled with areas such as:
Goal Setting & Achieving
Decision Making
Procrastination
Fear
Persistence
Self-Confidence

We meet once a week for about two hours and discuss the above topics as well as many others in detail. The meetings typically last two hours and are held in a group discussion format.

The course is based on Napoleon Hill's classic book 'Think and Grow Rich'.

Details
When: Wednesday, April 13th - Wednesday, May 18th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm
Location: One Amazing Life (2 minutes away from Sinsa station)
Participants: 6-10

As I mentioned before my normal fee for corporate coaching is 300,000 - 600,000 per hour, however I want to make this as affordable as possible to individuals.
Price: 200,000 won for the entire 12-14 hour course.

With that being said, I've also decided that if you register for the course by Sunday, April 10th you will receive 25% off. That means the entire course can be had for a small investment of 150,000 won.

We also offer flexible payment plans.

To register for the course, or if you have any questions, please email me:
bob@oneamazinglife.com

You can download the course outline by going to:
www.oneamazinglife.com-->English-->Menu-->How-->Mastermind Groups
Then click on .pdf at the bottom of the page.

Quote
“Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.”
-Voltaire

Thoughts
Life isn't fair. Some people were born into wealthy families, others into extreme poverty. Some people were born healthy, able to use all of their mental faculties and limbs, others were born blind/deaf/handicapped. Some people were born stereotypically good looking, others were not.
I am sure all of you realize this.

The question is what are you going to do about it?

I'll share a story with you.

After my mother died when I was 13 my father remarried less than a year later. That marriage meant I now had two stepbrothers and one stepsister. All of them were 7-10 years older than me.

My stepsister was an alcoholic and a drug addict. She had a daughter that was born in 1990. However my stepsister continued to do cocaine (along with other things) during much of her pregnancy so when her daughter was born she was very small and doctors said she would have serious mental problems.

So when I first met my stepsister's daughter she was almost 4 years old. She had autism. Up until that point she had never spoken a single word. Doctors said that she would never be able to put sentences together and she would be stuck mentally at age 3 her whole life. Over the next year my father and stepmother adopted my stepsister's daughter which made her my stepsister. I was almost 15 years old at this point and time.

Now the thing was my father was a very busy guy. He was a truck driver and he worked a ton of hours, so he didn't have time to really give his new stepdaughter the amount of attention she needed. My stepmother was preoccupied with other things in life. The other thing was we didn't have enough money to send her to a school that would have really helped her.

So, I decided that maybe I could help my new stepsister somehow. Don't get me wrong I was not some kind of saint. It was more out of wanting to help another human being plus curiosity. I read a lot when I was a teenager (I still do). In all the reading I had done I came across stories of people that overcame great adversities.
I refused to believe that it was impossible for her not to be able to grow.

Every night I would talk to her. I would help her do her homework. I taught her how to tie her shoes (which was no easy task). Eventually she started speaking coherent words. Then she started stringing sentences together. It was an incredible experience.

By the time I left for the military when I was 18 she was able to do many normal things on her own. She was almost 9 years old at the time and according to doctors mentally she was around 6-7. Today she is 21 years old, mentally around 12. Unfortunately, when I left people didn't work with her as closely as I was able to so her progress slowed dramatically. However, it is still quite impressive considering doctors just wrote her off in the beginning.

Obviously, there are numerous points to the story above.
I would like you to take away two things from this:
1. Just because people say something is impossible doesn't mean it is true.
2. Regardless of the circumstances that you were born with, or that have happened to you, you can rise above them and achieve whatever you truly desire.

Have a phenomenal week.