A Life Transforming Machine

The mind is a marvelously powerful piece of equipment! It is most certainly and undoubtedly A Life Transforming Machine. It is an elaborate power tool that can take you from where you are to where you would like to go. The mind is sort of like a copy machine, spitting out copies of whatever you put in to photocopy. And this great secret can either be used graciously and consciously as a gift, or unappreciatively, unconsciously with very mixed results. It is up to you! The mind is like the lens of a camera. Whatever you focus the lens on, is exactly what shows up in the photograph. Likewise, whatever you focus on in life, is oftentimes what you get. However, unlike a camera, whatever you focus on in your mind, gets bigger. The more we place our focus, our attention on something, the more that object, or event dominates and even controls our lives, and the bigger it grows.

I have learned through the school of hard knocks and life experience, that I have the power to direct my focus, regardless of what may be going on in my life. And that gives me great power to control my experience of life, from moment to moment. One of the first things I do every morning is ask myself positive questions to mentally get myself in a positive, resourceful, optimal state for the day. Some examples of these questions are:

1. What am I happy about and grateful for today?


2. How am I gonna make today a great day?


3. What is great about me?


4. What can I do to transform my life in every area (mentally, physically, spiritually and socially) right now?


5. What do I NOW choose to create and experience in my life?
   

Now don't get me wrong, things still go wrong in my life. I'm not positive 100% of the time. And Life still throws unexpected curve balls at me from time to time, but I get to decide how to interpret these events by the power of my focus, as do you in your own life as well. It is not the events themselves though that determine how your life is shaped, but how you interpret the events. The emphasis you place on them and the meaning you give them determines just how much events will affect you. Literally our focus becomes our experience of life.

I am convinced most depression, unhappiness is only a state of mind. We often create the conditions in our lives by our focus. This life transforming machine-the mind, can either be our best friend, or our worst enemy. I believe we don't often utilize the power of our mind and mental focus to our benefit enough. If I go around with a pessimistic attitude, saying everything sucks, nobody likes me, nothing in my life ever is gonna work out, blah, blah, blah, then I am actually using this life transforming machine in a negative, or destructive way. And I am actually drawing more of the conditions into my life that I am trying to avoid.

There are powerful metaphysical things happening all around us, and unseen force fields that we are affecting, even though we may not see it with our physical eyes. Deepak Chopra said, "Quantum physics is not only stranger than you think, it is stranger than you can think." We are operating inside an energy sensitive, energy dynamic matrix. Everything you think, feel, say and picture in your mind is pulled to you either consciously or unconsciously by the focus of your mind. Just like in the law of the harvest, you reap what you sow. Whatever you put into the mind, is what comes out.

Understanding and using the power of focus gives you enormous self power and life transforming capability. Use your power, this life transforming machine as your friend. The #1 reason that prevents people from getting what they want in life is, a lack of focus and lack of using and harnessing the powers inherent in the mind. People who learn how to focus and harness their energies, prosper and excel, while those who don't, struggle. There is great power in knowing what you want and where you are going, and in using the powers of the mind, or A Life Transforming Machine to assist you. And once you wholeheartedly put these forces into play, the dreams of yesterday will soon become the reality of today.

Take Out the Trash

We all have a little junk in the trunk, so to speak. We all have areas in our lives we need to clean up, rearrange, or sometimes even overhaul. Sometimes a little spring cleaning on ourselves is very uplifting, revitalizing and can even be healthy and necessary. It is empowering to realize that we are in charge of ourselves and the things we store in our trunks, metaphorically speaking though. And at anytime, we can Take Out the Trash, or take out the old and bring in the new.

So let me take a moment and define the type of trash I am referring to here. Basically, it can be all the things in our personal lives we lug around that interfere with us enjoying the present moment, our present relationships, the stuff that keeps us from experiencing inner peace and happiness! Come on, you know the stuff I am referring to-BAGGAGE! This could include emotional hurt, resentment toward someone we feel has wronged us, unresolved anger, fear, stress, worry about the future, feelings of inadequacy, slavery to addictions, negative or pessimistic attitudes, or thought patterns. This type of trash, if we carry it around too long, poisons our lives. It also prevents us from achieving the lives of our dreams. It keeps us stuck in a rut. So take it out before it rots a hole in your soul. You must take this stuff out if you wanna make room for new treasures in your life. Face it, you wouldn't put new wine in an old, dirty bottle.

There are many reasons why we hold onto our junk though. Sometimes it may feed a need in us, or even allow us to play the victim role, or act helpless, or powerless in any given situation. Other times though, it can be healthy and be us actually feeling our pain, hurt, loneliness, or whatever, so we can move on from it. Sometimes we have to allow ourselves to feel this stuff, to carry a little baggage, before we can release some of this junk, put it down and move on. But the key here is to not allow yourself to drown in this filth, stench and toxicity. If you need to carry some baggage and garbage with you, do it for a while and allow yourself to feel the weight, to smell its raunchy smell. But, then put it down. The key here is not to drown in this toxic waste, not to allow the weight of your life to weigh you down into the dumps. It is too easy to fall victim to depression and despair if you get stuck in this place.

I recently divorced from my wife of 9 years and I will admit, divorce has been especially hard for me. I have had to face an immense amount of rejection from my spouse, as well as a lot of hurt, anger, emotional pain, insecurity, and fear of being alone. This is something I am still working on releasing and moving on from. It has been a year now since the divorce was final. I have fully allowed myself to go through the grieving process and to feel my pain, hurt and insecurity. Now, I am ready to put this stuff down and move on. But, I could just as easily get sunk into depression and despair and feeling sorry for myself. But I choose not to. That point of recognition is the key to healthy self care and preservation. You have to be willing to let your garbage go at some point, in order to live a healthy and productive life.

Once you Take Out the Trash, and cultivate positive energy and emotions, you can begin to step into your glorious new shoes, new life and even your new self. You lighten up spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. You prepare your self for a better quality experience of life. You also become more receptive to the creative mind that attunes you to all the possibilities the universe has in store for you. So think of me right now as a gardener helping you prepare your inner soil for an abundant harvest. If you wanna manifest, or grow great things in your life, and experience the dance of the universe more powerfully, you've gotta get all the junk out of your trunk. I challenge you once and for all, to free yourself from the slime, muck and filth that have only been weighing you down and Take Out the Trash...

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

The Power of a Positive Attitude

There is a Great power in attitude. It is an extraordinarily, gigantic force in shaping your life and destiny. Never underestimate The Power of a Positive Attitude! It can either stage your life for a cornucopia of success, or plague you with imminent failure and disaster. Attitude is a supercharged, magnetic force, drawing circumstances towards you that will either make or break your life, your relationships, and ultimately your success and happiness in life. And the wonderful thing about it is, it is a power YOU have control of EVERYDAY of your life. Sure, you can't always control all the circumstances of your life. Life happens as it happens! You can however, certainly control your attitude about how you choose to handle the situations that arise in your life and the challenges you may have to face. Many people say "Life is a bitch." I say, "Life is habitual." And whatever attitudes you continuously put out there to the universe, reap a material and spiritual harvest of some type, either good or bad.

Attitude is a momentary and daily choice, just like choosing what you are gonna have for breakfast, or what clothes to put on for the day. And the difference between a mediocre life and a great one, is oftentimes just a slight attitudinal adjustment. I have come to the conclusion that people that are happy and successful work hard at keeping a positive attitude. I have observed this trait in many of my mentors and role models. I believe full heartedly that a positive attitude is a precursor to life success and life mastery. Maintaining a positive attitude is something you have to commit to and take full responsibility for. A positive attitude doesn't just happen to anyone spontaneously. It comes from constant self cultivation. It is constantly deciding that, "I will make the most of this and everyday. I will find a way to succeed. I will stay positive no matter what happens today. Today is gonna be a great day because I will make it a great day!

When you truly understand The Power of a Positive Attitude, you will begin to realize and understand that whatever you are focusing on becomes your reality each day. Earl Nightingale said this: "Stay positive, you become what you think about." And Buddha said, "All that we are arises with our thoughts, with our thoughts we make our world." That's why you must guard your thoughts and focus, because positive or negative, they bring astonishing results into your existence. We are more powerful than we realize! The power of focus is nothing to be taken for granted.

Something I have learned though, is that it is easier for me to have a positive attitude and outlook on life, when I feel connected to my soul. It seems positive energy originates from the source, or "the force." I have noticed a rather strong correlation here. Inner peace/spiritual fulfillment and a great attitude are closely related. In fact they are brothers and sisters in the matrix of the universe. So, when you make time to nourish your soul, it becomes easier to maintain positive energy and a positive attitude for longer periods of time. I came across a great quote by Vince Lombardi Jr. just the other day, "The will to win... the will to achieve... goes dry and arid without continuous renewal." To me continuous renewal refers to feeding your mind, body and soul often. Nourish your soul, cultivate a positive awareness and attitude, and you will plant seeds in your mind and soul that will one day blossom into ripe, delicious and luscious fruits! That is The Power of a Positive Attitude!

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

Staying in the Flow

We have all had days where it seems everything is going our way. The heavens open up and the universe seems to be conspiring for us. It feels like we are on fire, totally in sync with the universal flow. It's as if there were some kind of magic fairy flying a few paces in front of us, sprinkling pixie dust ahead of us at every step, magically transforming circumstances so that everything goes our way. It's as if everything we touch seems to turn to gold, and everything falls into place just as it should. And the astonishing thing is, we don't even have to try so hard in this state of grace, the flow is just there and you are a part of it, just flowing with it. Like a river, life is flowing smoothly, powerfully and purposefully.

I am sure everyone has experienced moments such as these from time to time. They are moments to be treasured. You know the moments I am referring to? where you don't have to try so hard, or force any thing to happen, where things just happened. And in this place, this state of being in the flow, it feels good, natural, you feel refreshed, light and in tune with all creation, totally alive and on purpose. That's because, being in the flow is our natural state. We were meant to live this way, feeling good, calm, relaxed, peaceful and happy, in a place of non-resistance. When we are in this state, everything seems to work better, more efficient, more precisely. Even our relationships run smoother and more harmonious. It is a buoyant state of being.

And then, on the contrary, there are days when nothing feels right, when it seems we are out of touch with our higher selves and the rhythms of life. Nothing goes right and we just kinda feel off. It is a strange phenomena too. And sometimes it has nothing to do with your routine, or outer circumstances. I practice yoga and meditation pretty much daily, and sometimes, even after all I do, I just don't feel it. I may have a harder time relaxing and feeling inner peace, bliss and connected. At times, it seems we can lose the flow. We may feel blocked, irritated, anxious, confused and exasperated. It can also be very difficult to get back into the flow. One thing I know for absolute certain though, is we were not meant to live with so much stress and tension. And a lot of times, we blame our outer circumstances for the lack of balance and peace we may be feeling. That is oftentimes not the case. Being in and Staying in the Flow starts on the inside.

An important point I'd like to make here is that I have found it is much easier to stay in and maintain the flow, when I am connected to the source of flow-spirit. Being in the flow comes from within you, when you experience brief moments when you heart, body and soul are all aligned, or connected. You can increase the moments of being in the flow by raising your spiritual frequency and doing things to encourage more inner peace, such as tai chi, yoga, meditation, art and deep breathing. Being out of the flow usually indicates we are out of flow, or sync with spirit. In a nutshell, Staying in the Flow is as simple as staying connected to the source of the flow. If you work to stay close to your source, you will experience more moments of being in the flow and Staying in the Flow!

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

Awaken The Genie Within (Re-Claim Your Personal Power)

Don't seek it any longer, just call it forth-the life that you desire! Your power is so much greater than you realize, far greater... Infinite possibilities, infinite abundance and infinite power are at your fingertips right this very moment. Exercise the God given power at your disposal. The creator infused you with massive creative potential and unfathomable, unlimited resources with which to shape your life. It is part of your royal birthright. He made you rich. You are wealthy and resourceful beyond your imagination, beyond your ability to comprehend. All you have to do is just believe, just accept the creators offering to you as a free gift to his beloved and then, exercise your imagination & visualization faculties and your personal power to act.

The genie is in the magic lamp, within you, slumbering restlessly, waiting to be summoned by you. He is ready at any given moment to be called forth, waiting for the chance to show forth his astonishing powers. Believe in him, awaken him, let him out and watch your life transform. You are not weak and powerless by any means. You are much greater than you might know yourself, or think, or believe yourself to be. Take a few chances, exercise your God given gifts. The only grow stronger with use.

Life was really meant to be magical, enchanting, full of passion, adventure, satisfaction and delight! It is only us who keep ourselves from experiencing these things. What if you could have, do, or be anything you really desired? What if you really had the power, the tools and the magic at your beckon call, inside you right now, with which to create a magical reality, a magical life, a life beyond your wildest dreams? Would you seize the opportunity and use this power and these tools, or would you just waste these highly precious things and play the victim card? You are not a victim. You are a glorious creation, and you do have phenomenal, extraordinary, and enormous power, but first, you have to find it within yourself!

A creator puts a bit of him/herself into all of his or her creations. The gift is in you. The creators magic is in you. The tools needed to build and construct a glorious, new life are in your reach now. Use them, they are a priceless, matchless gift from the Great Spirit. Let the magic flow, waste it no longer. Awaken the Genie Within and Re-Claim Your Personal Power...

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

The Power of Surrender

Sometimes you find yourself at a crossroads, or a turning point. You know the place? where you can either go one way, or the other, and in this place, you may need to seek counsel and advice. Other times, all you can do is fully surrender. This happens when you are faced with a circumstance so big, like a enormous boulder in your path that you cannot see literally any way around on the narrow path you may be walking. You have tried EVERY possible way around the boulder, or challenge, but nothing seems to be working. It is during moments such as these, when it seems all you can do is fully surrender to a situation, or challenge you may be faced with. There is power in surrender though, because the creator, or Great Spirit knows our every need and concern. And sometimes I believe, he is just waiting for us to quit trying so hard to fix everything, or to fix a situation we have very little control of anyways and just give it over to him. He waits, he glories in those opportunities to show himself, to reveal his power, and his unfailing love for us all. He yearns for us to call upon him for everything. It is just in these moments of surrender that he can really show forth his glory and power, usually because we are so humbled and so broken down and open.

A perfect example of this type of surrender was the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt in their exodus (or migration), when pharaoh decided to take revenge. In the moment when all the Israelites were surrounded by the Sea on one side and by the army of pharaoh on the other, coming to literally destroy them, all Moses could do as their leader was surrender, because in his limited perspective they were trapped. So that is exactly what he did was surrender to a higher power. And look what happened? God revealed marvelous power and delivered the people in a miraculous way.

I remember well a very trying time such as this in my own families lives. It was few years ago. I had lost the best paying job of my entire life just a few months before Christmas. My wife and I at the time and I were praying for a miracle, not knowing where to turn. We couldn't pay rent, and we had absolutely no money for Christmas. On top of that, we were several thousand dollars past due on all of our most basic bills. In that moment and situation, all we could do was surrender, as we were in way over our heads. So, that is what we did. We surrendered everything to God. You see The Power of Surrender is that it pulls you to your knees, to the ground, where you realize your own humility and limited power compared to the power of the universe and you humbly and sincerely ask for help and surrender your situation to a much greater entity.

Needless to say, our prayers were answered, but in a completely bizarre way. We were praying for a miracle for things to turn around. I guess the old saying is true, "be careful what you pray for," because just a few weeks later, our house caught on fire in the middle of the night, due to a wood burning stove. We lost pretty much everything. But, then an amazing thing started to happen. The community responded to our loss. Money, gifts, clothing, food, furniture and etc. began flooding in from everywhere in an avalanche of abundance. We lost our home, but in our surrender, God gave us a fresh new start with a ton of resources and we were able to totally start over with a clean slate financially.

That is The Power of Surrender. It is not weakness. It is not about giving up, but rather giving in to a power and force that is much greater and wiser than you and me. This lesson was a great lesson in surrender for me and my family. In surrender lies great strength and power because you are saying, God I can't fix this. All I can do is all I can do, the rest now God is up to you. I can't get out of this jam alone. And you are turning your problem/challenge over to God, or the Great spirit, or Allah to help you resolve it. You are reaching, or turning to him for help. And I am here to testify that in that moment of surrender comes some of life's greatest blessings and gifts!

Extraordinary Leadership

I have been intensely studying what makes people with extraordinary leadership quality and ability tick for much of my life. And through this pursuit to unravel and dissect the art of personal greatness, I have read countless books and listened to countless audiotape programs as well. I have a passion for studying about Extraordinary Leadership. I am truly inspired by boldness, greatness, and honorable, noble character wherever I come across it. I believe we are all inspired by those who demonstrate extraordinary qualities of the human spirit. It is hard not to look up to and admire someone of remarkable caliber, just like it is impossible to stand beneath a 300 foot redwood tree, or next to a towering mountain, or the ocean, and not admire their beauty, strength, presence and power.

Some of the key role models who have undoubtedly influenced my life in a remarkably, positive way and whom I feel have demonstrated, or who currently demonstrate Extraordinary Leadership are: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Vince Lombardi, Nelson Mandela, Zig Ziglar, Anthony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey. Through studying these remarkable souls lives, beliefs and teachings, I have come across a lot of similar core traits they all seem to possess and demonstrate. I believe all of these great leaders and all other extraordinary leaders for that matter, possess these core traits and habits, which we can all model and incorporate. I will call them:

11 Traits for Personal Greatness and Extraordinary Leadership


1) Personal Responsibility and Self Discipline

-Taking responsibility for yourself in all areas (mind,body, spirit), being assertive, taking charge for what is in your realm to accomplish and being disciplined in thoughts, actions and beliefs

2) Inner Motivation

-Finding within yourself the will to achieve, to stay positive, the strength and desire to keep improving, to keep challenging yourself to grow and become better day by day

3) A Vision For Life

-Having a vision for where you're going and holding to that vision even when it is stormy outside, or when others may be trying to discourage you, or put out your fire

4) Service Mentality

-Understanding that being service minded is a key value, a strong asset to any team, corporation, or organization and truly giving of yourself and your talents whenever possible

5) Passion and Love for What You are Doing

-Following your bliss, exercising your authentic gifts and passions, radiating joy in your work and your dharma, spreading a little sunshine from your soul

6) Respect and Compassion for others

-Giving recognition and praise where it is due, truly operating for the good of all, understanding the interconnected web of all existence, the value of all life, and coming from a place of love in all you say and do

7) Priority Driven Mentality

-Ability to stay in focus, see the job or task through to completion, taking care of first things first, ability to start and finish tasks begun in a timely manner

8) Commitment to Excellence

-Constantly improving yourself and holding yourself and others around you to a higher standard (more of an attitude than anything), maintaining absolute commitment and dedication to self mastery and life mastery

9) Trustworthiness and Integrity

-Always being dependable, demonstrating predictable behavior, promoting trust to peers, family and friends, and demonstrating true character in EVERY possible situation

10) Action Oriented With an Assertive Will

-Getting the job done, taking responsibility for creating the life you want to create and experience, exercising total self confidence and self belief, and not being afraid to walk your own path, or blaze your own trail

11) Optimistic and Have a Winners Mentality

-Keeping yourself in resourceful states at all times, always finding a way to stand out, excel in any crowd, in any group, ability to stay positive through any situation, and practicing positive mind conditioning

Vince Lombardi once said, "Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." Leadership is not just about ability, but always taking responsibility, always exceeding others expectations and coming from a true place of service, always looking for ways to give more of yourself. A true leader doesn't glory in making followers out of others, he or she glories in making leaders out of everyone around them. That is the true mark of greatness. Aristotle said, " Excellence is not an act, but a habit." Our habits either make or break our lives. Great habits can and will establish great character. Exemplifying all of the 11 Traits for Personal Greatness and Extraordinary Leadership, you are sure to be well on your way up toward Extraordinary Leadership.


Copyright Justin Topik 2009