James Smith’s Info Serv

By Michael Lee

Our mind is a complex mass, made up of components that may seem discrete, or different from each other, but are actually connected. Unlocking your hidden mind power is a matter of learning how to enhance the connections between these areas in your mind. Unlocking your hidden mind power, contrary to the common impression, is not brain surgery. It is actually a simple process. All it takes is your willingness, and these three driving forces.

1) Identify what would be the “underlining paradigm” to your life. This would mean defining the reason why you will be working hard. This would be what would drive everything you do. Do keep in mind that without defining your paradigm, you would be like a newly beheaded chicken running around without a purpose.

Whatever paradigm you have designed for your life, it would be what you would go back to when tough times come. In life, there would be several setbacks. What would then keep you going when everything seems to be crumbling like brittle limestone in your hands? Your paradigm would keep you going.

Say for example, you aim to be a “man for others”. You would then build your life around helping people. If you choose to climb up the corporate ladder, then your moves would be defined by your paradigm of being a man for others. This means that despite deals being a little disadvantageous to you, you would choose to remain honest or committed because it is for the greater good, and it would help your fellow man. Then whatever you would do, when people approach you for help, despite being chin-deep in a deadline, you would take the time out to help, because you set in your mid to be a “man for others”.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Matthew B. James

Many of us are looking to ancient or traditional teachings to guide us in today’s ever changing world. One topic that often comes up is that of forgiveness. On a Dr. Phil show I recently viewed while channel surfing, I saw a guest on the show telling Dr. Phil, “I’ll forgive him, but I’ll never forget.” And as she said it, she was clearly hanging on to negative emotions. Does that sound like true forgiveness to you?

Like all of us, I’ve experienced painful relationships or situations in my life that made me question whether I should forgive the other person or not. But one truth I learned from my lineage of Huna is that there is only one person that you hurt by holding onto feelings of unforgiveness — and that is you.

My kumu (teacher) explained to me that there were three types of “wrongs” in ancient times in Hawai`i. These three wrongs– hala, hewa and ino –were a part of the code of forgiveness practiced in many parts of the islands. Hala is to miss the path, or err by omission. Haven’t we all missed the path at some time or other? I have. Often it was crossing a boundary without understanding that I had done so, or neglecting to do something out of ignorance. The wrong called hewa is to go overboard or to do to in excess. I’ve certainly been guilty here as well, especially when I become passionate about a topic and express my enthusiasm without considering others. Ino, the third wrong, is to do harm intentionally to either self or others. Most of us would claim that we’ve never intentionally hurt another, but what about ourselves? Personally, I know that I’ve judged and criticized myself, saying cruel things to myself that I would never say to another.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Drs. Charles and Elizabeth Schmitz

In case you didn’t know it, there is a character element in love and loving relationships. People who say they love each other and then cheat on their spouse or lover, or lie to them on a regular basis, aren’t really in love. Oh, many think they are, but they really are not. People who love each other have character when it comes to their marriage or relationship.

In our interviews over the past 25+ years with couples that had a successful marriage we are always struck by their undying trust in each other. They literally trust each other with their lives, their fortune, and their sacred honor. The words they use to describe the one they love more often than not include words and expressions like trust, honesty, loyalty, respects me, admires me, always there for me, never lets me down, truthful, and never lies to me. Their trust for each other is about as complete as you can get. And when we ask couples in love during our interviews to place, in an overall sense, where their relationship is on a 10-point scale with 10 being “Absolute Trust,” without exception, they say “10!” Isn’t that wonderful? Remarkable? These are the couples that will celebrate their golden anniversaries together!

Trust is not something all loving relationships start with. For some couples the trust becomes complete in a few years. For others, it takes awhile. But one thing is for sure; happy and successful marriages and relationships survive and thrive on the basis of this trust. Trust is so pervasive in their relationship that they never give it a second thought. They expect it. It’s always there. It is part of the fabric of their marriage.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Mercer

Making real changes in your life requires more than “positive thinking.” It requires “extreme repetition.” Affirmation programs can dramatically improve the process of change by “submerging” the user in a sea of relentless, positive information.
As a personal development coach, I do a lot of talking about positive thinking, and I know very well how important it is in changing your habitual way of thinking (and the results you are getting in life). But real change requires more than positive thinking. It requires “extreme repetition.”

I’ve spoken before about going ‘beyond positive thinking” and many people have emailed to ask about the best methods of staying in a positive state of mind, and how they can best help the process along.

One method that is very effective is to use affirmation programs that shift your state of mind and provide you with massive amounts of positive suggestion and commands. These definitely make a difference–I’ve used one for over two years now with great results.
Read the rest of this entry »

There are two ways to improve the good luck / bad luck ratio in your life. One is to take steps to do those things that lead to more good luck. The other is to stop doing the things that cause bad luck. This lesson is about the latter. It is an examination of the actions, habits and thinking of unlucky people, so that you can learn what to avoid.

Six Things That Cause Bad Luck

1. Blaming. Blaming others - even when it is justified - is one of the most de-motivating things you can do. It puts things outside of your control and so things tend to “happen” to you even more - and sometimes these are bad things. It is fine to acknowledge that someone shares some blame for a situation, but then follow that immediately by asking yourself, “What can I do differently next time?” Put the control back in your hands.

2. Making Excuses. Really just another type of blaming, this bad-luck habit is often more subtle. For example, a real estate agent says, “I can’t sell enough homes because I don’t have the contacts that others have.” This might be 100% accurate. The solution, though - developing more contacts - is then ignored, because the real reason to say this was to justify his unsuccessful habits. Saying, “I know I can sell more homes by meeting more people and making more contacts,” is certainly more likely to lead to good luck (success) than the first statement, right?

3. Waiting For Luck. This is perhaps one of the worst bad-luck habits. Work invites luck, not waiting. While one man waits for his “ship to come in,” others are building ships. Unlucky people just wait, and let things happen - for better and worse - and so miss out on the many opportunities that are out there waiting to be seized.
Read the rest of this entry »