Prologue

"Following our dreams is NEVER going to be smooth sailing. If we want it to happen, we must monitor thoughts and feelings that hinder us, such as unworthiness, fear, doubt and embarrassment; that’s the difference between those who live their passions and those who find excuses." Barry Nicolaou

The Personal Journey: Brazil

“We’re going in March next year” Lana declared over dinner on November 17. She continued, “I don’t want to make this journey without you, because when I come back I know I won’t be the same and if you come with me, we’ll change together”. Before I knew it, Christmas rolled around, along with the festivities, love, and gratitude that goes hand-in-hand with the birth of our Lord Jesus. Christmas was followed by a brief rest period of reflection and appreciation of how far we’ve come, and it was also a time to ponder how we would climb to the next mountain peak. March seemed to arrive just a few weekends later and anticipation set in. What was Brazil going to reveal, and was I prepared to hear it?

As it turned out, the trip was an experience I won’t forget any time soon. The negative and pessimistic thoughts I was  harbouring accompanied me on the plane. My negative thoughts were populated with all the lessons, heartache and battle scars that most of us accumulate throughout life.

It was time to examine what made me into the person I was and to re-evaluate my strengths and weaknesses.

This was also a good time to shed a good portion of excess mental baggage that was no longer of service, but was sticking around under the mantra of 'I’ve always lived here'. It was the right moment to examine the health of my mental paradigms  that had served me thus far. I felt a calling to uncover and understand an entirely new level of thinking. I also examined friendships and relationships that were possibly unhealthy, outgrown or no longer meaningful. I quickly came to terms with what I expected out of a healthy relationship or friendship, and I cut ties accordingly. I was discovering what it meant to have OQP (Only Quality People) in my life and the mutual benefits that come from positive mentors, colleagues and friends who wanted more out of life, and in turn, would encourage me to take similar risks towards personal growth.

Nevertheless, I was aware that if I were to build a new future, I also needed new tools to create the future I wanted—a future that is abundant in both the laws of spiritual understanding and successful living. This is a practice that most of us are too busy to pursue because of other, seemingly pressing obligations. Personal fulfillment tied in with business success was now an exciting new area I wanted to grow in and inspire others to explore.

What was to happen next changed my consciousness forever. Providence was knocking. Hard.

Upon returning from Brazil, I discovered there’s not a great many of us who make a conscience effort to examine the unhelpful paradigms in our daily thinking. Most of us stumble or cruise through life doing mainly what everyone else does for no greater reason other than sheer habit and a sense of belonging through conformity. Yesterday’s thought process and patterns were carried into today unconsciously. I discovered that if we are indeed passionate about seeing and exploring new horizons, we need a way to break out of apathy, and a way to separate creative thought patterns from mainstream thinking. We need to break independent thought and consequent actions out of a society - driven cage.

I was now looking for new tools to live my dreams. I realised that although each of us is unique, the euphoria we experience from achieving our desires is exactly the same. It’s just soul-satisfyingly wonderful. Wealth does not bring this state of mind alone; rather, it comes from being of service to others and knowing how our unique gifts, skills and passions can assist in this cause.

I  began exploring a set of principles that anyone could follow, regardless of situation, circumstance, experience, or state of mind. I’ve since discovered the only reason my negative paradigms remained in my consciousness was due to a concentrated form of inherited thinking, along with the company I kept. Inherited thinking is the beliefs, ideas, dogma and attitudes of those family members closest to us, which have a direct impact on our state of mind and our consequent actions. These beliefs ultimately exist to assist us on our journey. However, the practice of discerning the helpful from the toxic is not as easy as it appears and the lines tend to blur under the banner of 'assistance'. For example, a close friend of mine (now in his late 30s) had enormous potential to be a musician when he was still at school. He learned to play the guitar very well, and on top of that, he had a natural ability to pick up chords and notes rather quickly. He would perform at school halls and he would be cheered on by friends and family. He was then approached by his career adviser. Lets look at two different alternatives of the encounter:

1. "Hello, young man. How are you this morning?" "Well" he said, "How are you Sir?" "Very well" the teacher replied. "So, young man, have you given any thought to what you want to pursue once you leave school?" "I want to be a rock star Sir!" "That's not a real job, young man, now seriously, what do you really want to do?" "Sir, I want to be a rock star! I love playing the guitar and inspiring people through my music!" The career adviser decided the conversation wasn't going the way he had planned in his mind. He wanted the young man to make a 'sensible choice', and according to him, a musician was illogical. The young man lost heart and decided to pursue a role in sales management.

Let's look at how this conversation may have differed had the career adviser taken an alternative approach.

2. "Hello, young man. How are you this morning?" "Well" he said, "How are you Sir?" "Very well" the teacher replied. "So, young man, have you given any thought to what you want to pursue once you leave school?" "I want to be a rock star Sir!" "Wow, that sounds like an exciting career choice!" "Didn't I see you playing at the school concert hall last week?" "Yes Sir that was me!" "Where did you learn to play guitar like that?" "I have been practicing ever since I was 10 years old, Sir, and I am inspired by some of the greats, including, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix and even Diesel! I love playing the guitar; sometimes my friends and I get together to form a band; We've named our band and have started playing at parties on weekends." "Well done" the career adviser said, "Let me know if you need any guidance on career advice and I'll reach out to my friends in the music world to see if I can help you on your way." "Wow, thanks Sir!"

Having the right mentors and career advisers in place from an early stage can help us expose any talent we have buried inside us. It's important as we enter adulthood that we don't lose the passion and excitement of what inspires us and what's actually possible. Having the right people around us to encourage us and help us grow is a key necessity to fulfill our true potential.

Can you imagine if the great Italian tenor, Pavarotti, had decided to pursue a career as a soccer player instead of a career in music?

To live our vision the first thing we need is a change of consciousness. I believe we accumulate incredible loads of mental baggage as we walk through life and this baggage weighs us down. A constant battle for all of us, lies in separating the useful growth areas from common distractions and understanding the difference.

This new way of thinking may seem odd to others who do not know, understand or believe you. Many won't be in favour of this new you. It’s important for us to know that’s OK. Friends and family and everyone in between will either agree or start to question your new way of thinking and its relevance to what’s best for you. What they’re really saying is, “Is it best for me and my relationship with you”. These are very important first steps in changing our consciousness to the new "real" you, which means embracing your talents to reach your passion and dream.

Ultimately, those who love you will understand your need to reach your dream, and those who don't may come around in time, or they might stay on the outer rim forever. It is of little consequence, as supporters will stay in your inner circle and non-supporters will be on the outer. It's just the way it should be. Remember, the aim here is to live your own personal truth and not waiver or pander to the immediate needs of the somewhat supportive status - quo - driven crowd. Once this is clear in your mind, you will have the mind-set to carry you through the initial stages of steering your ship towards your new chosen direction.

It's also great knowing that living your dreams is not a secret club. There’s no secret handshake, knock or password. Anyone can do it, provided you apply yourself and don’t give up. A great way to begin is to be observant and learn from situations, people, great books, your own experiences and others whom you admire and are living a similar life to the life you want for yourself. Success and failure always leaves clues, so look at who’s doing what you want and find out how they did it. 

By looking at what's involved in reaching and living your dream, you must ask yourself some serious questions. The primary question before you begin is: How much do I really want this? Am I just interested in changing my life, or am I committed to doing so? If you're committed, read on. If not, expect more of the same.  

This book is for people who want a road map to change their immediate destiny. Some people would rather a couple of hours of extra sleep in the morning, some would rather attend a barbecue, others may want to watch their favourite television program, and others would rather have a long lunch. Just know that as you’re watching it, seeing it, or living these activities, someone else in the world is relentlessly working towards their dream. They’re developing new skills and learning new tools to make their vision a reality. And their reality may just make you wonder how they did it. A famous quote by Guy Kawasaki is: "The difference between a rich man and a poor man is how they spend their time". So, how do you spend your time?

Are you willing to sacrifice your time and do whatever it takes to achieve a reality much larger than the one you're living now?

Can you utilise every spare minute of your time in pursuit of a larger vision? Is this you? Or are you happy with the status quo?