Archive for the 'Articles' Category

The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson Review

Published by Stefan on September 2, 2008 in Articles and Reviews. 1 Comment

I’ve been hammering through books like no tomorrow lately.

Up for review is The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.  Incredible book.  A total MUST for any business owner who works with a team or with a group of people.

What was a defining factor in buying this book is how successful it’s been and how it’s contributed to many well-known businesses and organizations around the world.  Apple, Chevron, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Holiday Inns, Hewlett-Packard, Pepsi-Cola, KFC, Harvard University, US Army, Navy & Air Force, etc, etc…

If this little book has contributed to the successes of all these amazing organizations, then something is up.  I wanted to find out what that is and I did.

The essence of the book is based on “People Who Feel Good About Themselves Produce Results.”

When do you work your best?  It’s when you feel good about yourself.

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Ayahuasca — Spirit Medicine

Published by Stefan on August 29, 2008 in Articles, Miscellaneous and Self Improvement. 1 Comment

The other day I had an intense experience.

My friend and life coach invited me to a spiritual ceremony that was taking place here in Vancouver, which I decided to check out.  A shaman from Peru by the name Diego was in town for a few days hosting this event.

The ceremony was based around the use of a ancient medicine called “Ayahuasca”, also known as the “teacher plant”, which has been used for thousands of years by the indigenous people of the Amazon for holistic healing, empowerment, and spiritual insight.

An active ingredient of the Ayahuasca brew is DMT, which is naturally produced in the human brain, known for causing psychological and neurological states.  DMT is believed to play a role in the visual effects of natural dreaming, and also near-death experiences and other mystical states.

And so the purpose of Ayahuasca is to induce you into a full state of consciousness — a state where you lose total control, and every fear, insecurity, and your “inner demons” arise.

The experience can be so intense, as a lot of childhood traumas and past experiences which have been suppressed for years come up and you’re faced to confront them.  The process of “letting go” and surrendering to what you’re facing has been proven to be transformative. 

The taking of Ayahuasca has been associated with the cures of depression, addictions, cancers, and is known for many other spontaneous remissions.  For others, it is used to clear emotional blocks and to gain a sense of peace.

It is said that many notable celebrities have publicly discussed their use of Ayahuasca, such as Sting, Tori Amos, and Paul Simon.

For myself, I don’t have anything serious going on in my life or anything needing to “cure.”  My intent with Ayahuasca was to destroy any fear, anxiety or limitations that have been holding me back — and to take the level of love I have for myself and others to another level.  And in my ceremony, I feel I accomplished that.

The experience I went through is impossible to describe.

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Be The Shiny Man

Published by Cheyenne on August 21, 2008 in Articles, Dating & Relationships and Self Improvement. 0 Comments

I am about to share with you a universal truth, the content of which will skyrocket your level of attractiveness.

Ready? Women love shiny things.

From a very early age women are conditioned to be drawn to things that are sparkly and shiny: lip gloss, glitter, diamonds. An ad I saw not to long ago on TV sums it up nicely: “Diamonds – they take a woman’s breath away. Not sometimes, but always.”

I call that breath-taking moment, where everything else fades away and the woman is completely tuned in, the “Oooo Shiny Moment”.

Instead of going into a long thing, let me cut to the chase: You need to BE THE SHINY MAN.

http://www.floridamarine.org/images/articles/2513/2513_5102.gif

The woman of your dreams could be out during the day shopping, running errands, on the phone, and then you roll up – Oooo Shiny Moment.

Or she could be out at the nightclub, loud music, lights, surrounded by a barrage of guys, and then she sees you – Oooo Shiny Moment.

Let me explain what this looks like in practice. Imagine any public gathering. In the distance you see a man. He’s having a blast. People around him are having a blast. In his eyes you see the sparkle that comes from knowing exactly what kind of woman he wants, and what he has to offer to create relationships that are mutually fulfilling. As you keep watching him, you notice he loves challenges – Whether its pushing to make the ordinary extraordinary, or rolling up to a girl surrounded by 12 unusually oversized men, he’s the man to do it.

1) The Word “Be”
If think you can trick or fool a woman by ‘doing’ a series of things, you’re dead wrong. You have to eat, breath, sleep the essence of what it means to be the shiny man. With that goes a laundry-list of bullet-proof beliefs and attitudes.

2) The Word “The”
This is your reality and world. You are the one, the only, Shiny Man.

3) The Word “Shiny”
You’re letting your gut-level honesty shine, and your sense of fun and creativity, and your love of people and women shine.

4) The Word “Man”
I didn’t say entertainer, who looks for a reaction. I also didn’t say boy, who hides behind excuses and stories. But a MAN. All the fun, energy, creativity comes from a place of being firmly grounded in who he is.

People often mistake being The Shiny Man with being high-energy… Nothing could be farther from the truth. You can be the shiny man, have fun, and when you roll up to that woman of your dream be very calm and relaxed, look her straight in the eye. You know you’re the man, and you’re letting every part of the REAL YOU shine. She will feel it. And just like a deer staring straight into the headlights, she won’t be able to look away.

Cheyenne
Executive Coach
Lifestyle Transformations

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You’re Telling Her The Biggest Load of Crap With Your Words

Published by Heidi Naomi on July 27, 2008 in Articles and Dating & Relationships. 0 Comments

I just had a very interesting meeting with a gorgeous and intelligent gentleman, however he had the worst attitude and mannerisms that I have ever witnessed in any social setting – and Lord knows that I have seen some horrific habits!

Being the curious and outspoken individual that I am – I deliberately steered the topic of discussion away from business and directed it towards his personal life. It turned out that he owned some very nice toys, a closet full of designer labels and a mansion in the British Properties, but he’d probably only been on three meaningful dates in his entire 32 years of existence! I couldn’t believe that a man with a face like THAT was unable to attract females of all sorts. My question to him was, “What do you think your problem is?” His answer: “I have no idea – maybe you could tell me.” Of course he thought I was flirting with him, until I happened to mention that I am a perception coach. This is when the light bulb finally went on in his head, and he caught on to the motives behind my questions. It had never occurred to him that his handshake, body posture, facial expressions, hand gestures and lack of eye contact were the cause of all his troubles with the female race.

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The Secret To Life… sort of

Published by Cheyenne on July 18, 2008 in Articles, Miscellaneous and Self Improvement. 1 Comment

Are you an achiever? Are you constantly pushing yourself to grow and evolve?

If you’re like me, then the answer to the above is a resounding yes. Let’s continue…

Do you often find yourself stressed or exhausted?

Be completely honest…

When was the last time you did absolutely nothing?

Now when I say absolutely nothing I don’t mean procrastinating on facebook, but consciously not doing anything and being 100% ok with it. If I lost you, I ask that you bear with me as I take you through a secret of life that wasn’t clear to me until recently.

Think about what makes life worth living. It’s not the achievements and trophies or the number of girls you slept with, but rather the moments where you felt on top of the world, where you felt fulfilled, where you felt loved and were giving love to those around you. That’s what life is about!

If your journey is one of constant go-go-go and pushing yourself hard, you’ll have a dampened experienced when those moments arrive. Or worse, you don’t even recognize it because you’re so caught up. STOP

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Get Out Of Your Head

Published by Stefan on July 15, 2008 in Articles and Dating & Relationships. 2 Comments

Hey, I haven’t updated here in a while.  The entire Lifestyle Transformations crew has been super busy with a billion other things going on.  But, don’t worry — we haven’t forgot our loyal readers!

I want to quickly talk about a topic that is super common amongst guys that go out to meet people and socialize.

We just recently finished a kick ass 3-day immersion Transformations Bootcamp weekend and the result was incredible.  It was a total transformation for each individual that attended.  It really is remarkable to witness this stuff and to be responsible for creating such a radical change in someones life.

Anyway, one of the most common sticking points that guys face is getting too logical and stuck inside their heads.

It’s that compulsive thinking that prevents you from flowing and being completely spontaneous, in the moment.

People are too busy getting caught up inside their heads — THINKING. 

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The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey

Published by Stefan on May 4, 2008 in Articles, Reviews and Self Improvement. 0 Comments

I picked up this book while I was in Los Angeles at a bookstore near the hotel I was staying at.  I heard about this book from David DeAngelo, because apparently Timothy Gallwey is the one who created this whole concept of “Inner Game.” 

Since then, the Inner Game concept is well-known (especially throughout the community) and it’s something that fascinates me.  I decided to read the book itself and see what I could learn.

I wasn’t disappointed.  Timothy Gallwey talks about the idea of Inner Game, but in this books case in the area of tennis.  However, the concepts and principles basically apply to all aspects of life.  There are major comparisons of the Inner Game of sports and when it comes to approaching and meeting women. 

In the introduction, Tim talks about how every game is composed of two parts: Inner Game and Outer Game.  Or, in the area of meeting and dating women, there is the composition of Inner and Outer Game.  I also like to think of it as Psychology and the Mechanics.

The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome external obstacles, and to reach an external goal.  Mastering this game is the subject of many books offering instructions on how to swing a racket, club or bat, and how to position arms, legs or torso to achieve the best results.  But for some reason most of us find these instructions easier to remember than to execute.

It is the thesis of this book that neither mastery nor satisfaction can be found in the playing of any game without giving some attention to the relatively neglected skills of the inner game.  This is the game that takes place in the mind of the player, and it is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.  In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance.

We often wonder why we play so well one day and so poorly the best, or why we clutch during competition, or blow easy shots.  And why does it take so long to break a bad habit and learn a new one?  Victories in the inner game may provide no additions to the trophy case, but they bring valuable rewards which are more permanent and which can contribute significantly to one’s success, off the court as well as on.

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Drinking

Published by Jason on April 30, 2008 in Articles and Miscellaneous. 1 Comment

I used to be a heavy drinker (and I mean lots!). I would go out to a party and bring a 26 oz bottle of rum if I wanted to take it easy, and a 40 oz bottle if I wanted to get drunk. Yup, I had a talent for drinking.

People loved me when I drank because I was a fun, stupid guy who did whatever and didn’t care. Having said that though, I could never get women to take me seriously or be interested in me. They knew I was drunk and probably thought I was just talking to them because I wanted to get laid (and there was probably some truth to that). Obviously, that’s not a good mindset for women to have when you’re trying to get to know them.

What I realize now is that I was covering up for something when I drank. Like most men, I thought it made me more social and I didn’t get as nervous about approaching women. In my head, I thought drinking was good because it made me more comfortable.

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Timothy Ferriss - The 4 Hour Work Week Review

Published by Stefan on April 17, 2008 in Articles, Miscellaneous, Reviews and Self Improvement. 2 Comments

The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

The book I just finished reading for my 8 Week Book Reading Challenge is called The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.

I originally learned about it from my roommate and then later by people I’ve met. It’s been getting a lot of hype and publicity, being a New York Times bestseller. I had heard a lot of great things about the book, so I decided to check it out.

And after thoroughly going through the book, I am happy to say that it is an amazing book and I’m glad I picked it up. It really opened my eyes to a lot of great ideas and a new way of looking at things in life.

The book is all about how to “escape the 9 to 5, live anywhere, and join the new rich.”

Most people spend their entire lives WORKING and looking forward to retirement, which is when they’ll finally get the opportunity to travel and be free to do the things they really want in life. Whereas Timothy believes that retirement isn’t the goal, but rather we should LIVE and ENJOY our lives today.

That’d be great, except most people live in the cultural hypnosis that we need to work 40+ hours per week to be successful and wealthy. Or that we need to go to college or university and then afterwards find a job and work until we’re 60 until retirement.

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It’s the Journey, Not the Destination

Published by Stefan on April 15, 2008 in Articles, Miscellaneous, Motivation and Self Improvement. 1 Comment

I’ve been reading the book The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss (book review coming soon) and on the last chapter there is a poem that I really liked.  I thought I’d share it with you guys.

It’s called SLOW DANCE by David L. Weatherford.

        SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say, “Hi”?

You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It’s like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.

Hear the music
Before the song is over.

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