(Ladies, it will seem silly to you, but it’s going to make sense to most any guy.)

But what?

What can I be?

And what can I have? And what can I do?

And … what do I want?

Actually, if you’re not immediately in touch with what you want, then you’ve just covered it over with old hurts, old failures, old disappointments, old … something. Because when you were a child, you knew what you wanted. And it’s still in there.

The sellers of Manifestation Marvels! will tell you that you can be, do, or have anything that you want. And, most likely, you can.

But some people, faced with this radical idea, usually their lifetime of experience and their past decisions and perceptions have given them a more mechanical view of life, just can’t immediately think of anything they’d like to have. “Huh?” one fellow said. The lady sitting next to him, I think it was his wife, just shook her head.

“Not a thing,” she said, “I’ve got just everything I need.”

Do you believe that?

HOW TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH

There are actually several ways to open the door and see what it is that you’d like to do, have, or be.

1. Think back to when you were a teen, just past puberty. What interested you at that time is often something that is near to your heart. At that age, you’re adult enough to perceive things in the adult world, and you’re still child enough to tune into what interests you rather than what is practical, what is reasonable, what is mature, what is sensible, or what you think might be attainable.
2. Sit and close your eyes and relax, and imagine that some relative you never knew has departed this plane and left you immensely wealthy. You don’t have to work. You don’t have to worry. You can buy anything you want. You can spend your time any way you wish. And now, wealthy and idle as you are, just let your thoughts drift and dream up some things that you might do just for the heck of it. And keep these thoughts going for a few days, because when you open this flood gate, a lot may pour out.
3. Get some paper and pencil and start writing down possibilities, no matter how crazy or stupid they sound. Do not allow your habitual focusing squelch the idea factory; every single crazy idea gets put down on the page. Just by the practice of admitting all crazy ideas, you’ll find that you can begin to see possibilities in these ideas, once you get out of the habit of throwing them out automatically.
4. Take three pieces of paper, and on one of them write “People are …”, and on the next one “People can …”, and on the third one write “People have …” and then, over a couple of days, just jot down all the various things you think that people, other people, might be able to be, do, and have. Now on this list you may discover some of your self-limiting thoughts becoming exposed, and if you suddenly realize that you have the belief in this or that limiting factor, then ask yourself “Why not?” and “What if …” And of course on these pieces of paper you may find yourself listing things that other people could be, do, and have. And if they can have them, why not you? What if …

A half hour on these things will start turning up useful ideas.

A few days will work even more powerfully.

And then, when you start becoming more clear on what you want, then you can start thinking about how you might be able to be, do, and have these things.

It’s a good start.

Weed, California, November 16, 2010 — Last night I was reading “Use Your Brain for a Change: by Richard Bandler, and he was describing how people motivate themselves to do things … such as how we wake up in the morning.

In the book, one fellow described using anxiety (how he’d be late, etc) to get himself up, but then this woman described how she thought about the pleasant things she would be doing. And when there were no pleasant things she liked doing, she thought about how pleasant it would be to have them *done*.

So this morning, I tried to think of things I’d enjoy doing today, but found little joy in the doingness of most items on today’s priority list: the Jackson Wellsprings booking followup, writing up listings to place ZenTappers on EBay, and some administrative things.

Rats! I didn’t really want to do them! Oh, what to do?

So, I decided to try what was described in Bandler’s book. Here’s what I mean …

That is, I decided to think about the pleasure of having those things *done*. For example, it was pleasant to think of having the Jackson Wellsprings booking confirmed and done, the ZenTapper listings complete and up on EBay, and the administrative tasks done and filed away and bugging me no longer!

And it felt great! I wanted to get up! I felt great pleasure thinking how those things would have been *done*!

This is a good strategy! Thank you Richard Bandler! Thank you Universe!

At breakfast time, I resisted doing my Five Rites. I wanted to just eat some toast and coffee. But again I thought how good I’d feel when the exercises were *done*!

And this made it fairly easy to start, which I’ve not done for several days. And as I did each one, I thought how pleasant it will be in my body when they’re done. Cool!

To celebrate, in the Champion juicer, I grated sweet potato with fresh ginger, which I fried in olive oil as potato cakes, crispy, with coffee. Yumbo! What a treat!

—

So I learned two things early today –

1. I can look forward to my to-do activities, some for the doing, and others for the pleasure of having them *done*. I can do the same within the little steps of these activities.
   xxx
2. I can look forward to the pleasure I feel after my exercise is *done*.

Did quick self-hypnosis session, and programmed these actions to be my new strategies for getting up in the morning, for processing my to-do list, and for doing/enjoying my exercise! That is –

• When it’s time to wake up, my unconscious mind (Roger) will bring to my mind the pleasure I’ll feel at doing the to-do items I enjoy doing, and also will bring to my mind the awareness and experience of pleasure I’ll feel when my to-do items are *done*.
  xxx
• When it’s time to do my to-do items, my unconscious mind (Roger) will bring to my mind the pleasure I’ll feel at doing the to-do items I enjoy doing, and also will bring to my mind the awareness and experience of pleasure I’ll feel when my to-do items are *done*.
  xxx
• When it’s time to do my exercise, my unconscious mind (Roger) will bring to my mind the pleasure I’ll feel experiencing the exercise that I enjoy, and also will bring to my mind the awareness and experience of pleasure I’ll feel when my exercise is *done*.

Thank you Richard Bandler! Thank you Roger! Thank you Universe!

[reprinted, with permission, from Shyguy's How To Get A Girlfriend Blog.]

All too often, in our lives we find ourselves being manipulated or influenced by other men, by women, and sometimes even by the damned television.

Of course, as a kid against a schoolyard bully, perhaps the only options are the Charles Atlas course, karate classes, or a tactful withdrawal. But in later life usually we’re not influenced by physical threat.

HOW DO ‘THEY’ MANIPULATE US?

It’s done with worths, with images, and with social pressure.

If you’re being influenced this way … what that tells you is that you DO NOT actually understand how it’s happening. Oh, you may have theories and opinions about those bad people.

But if you’re still being manipulated, either “having” to go along, or even resisting but feeling upset or angry about it .. then you DO NOT fully understand how it works.

But here’s how to change that …

HERE IS THE KEY:

If you wish to invest time to understand how it all works, then *you* can learn to influence people around you. You can control nearly every situation. You can attract people to you, and they will listen to what you have to say.

If you don’t wish to invest time to understand how it all works?

<!–more–>Well, then you will simply go on with the same life you now have — being manipulated by women, by men, by situations. All seeming out of your control.

So unless you wish to continue the life of a helpless pawn … then the question becomes simply … WHERE and HOW can I learn how ‘Influence’ works?

And luckily, in recent years, this is no longer mysterious.

There is a body of knowledge that reveals all of this. It requires some time investment and some study, but it actually does deliver this kind of power, this kind of skill, into your hands.

It is the rightful study of Hypnosis.

WHAT?

Now before you start thinking about guys on stage with wild eyes, and people in chairs acting like chickens, please be aware that there have been radical developments in recent years, and for the first time, these INSIDE techniques are being presented to the public.

In the past, we sometimes have described certain politicians, certain charismatic individuals, certain evangelical preachers, and certain actors as “almost hypnotic.”

Well … it’s not “almost” … they are using modern, secret hypnotic methods.

Hypnosis is all around you, being used successfully, and profitably … by business, by politicians, by television.

Why do housewives pay $2-$3 more for a bottle of name-brand laundry soap? The stuff in the other bottle works just the same. So why do her eyes go to the more expensive bottle? Why does her hand reach out and pick it up? Why does she stand at the check-out stand and pay extra?

Hypnosis is simpler than you imagine, more common that you imagine, and easy to understand … IF it’s presented simply.

I FOUND A MASTER WHO MAKES IT SIMPLE

Though I’ve known of this field since about forever, I recently stumbled across an up-to-date report and was delighted to discover an outstanding hypnotist — perhaps the best hypnotist in the world — who has the true gift of a master and a teacher …

He has a way of making it simple.

GET THE FACTS

Your life can transform itself.

You can have a body of knowledge that sets you apart, that gives you freedom from being manipulated by women, by men, by situations.

You can .. be in control.

Get the facts. The full story is revealed here –

http://learn-conversational-hypnosis.org

You’ll be happy you did.

Mobius Megatar ToneWeaver Guitar.

I make and sell guitars. Unusual guitars that you can play without strumming or picking, and this lets you play strings with both hands, so you can play bass strings and guitar strings at the same time. The name of this instrument is the Mobius Megatar.

Recently, a college student had inquired because he wanted to get one of our instruments. We wrote back and forth, and he was all set to go, but then he sent me this email –

“I’m sorry but the Megatar is not in the picture any more. I was coerced into buying a 2700 dollar classical guitar from a company that gives referral bonuses to the teacher who I was coerced by, so I’m left broke and on crappy terms with my main teacher for the next 3 years.

“I really wish I had the cash and time to delve into a tapstyle instrument right now, and if I could, it’d be a Mobius with Bartolini pickups, but it seems like that won’t be available for a while. With student loans and a no emergency funds (thanks to the aforementioned jerk of a teacher) I’ll be lucky if my car makes it without scheduled servicing for the next 6 months.”

What is really odd is that I got another email from another college student, in a similar situation who told me something of a similar story, that he’d been required (or perhaps urged) to get a nylon-string guitar for some upcoming course work. However, the second student seemed much less bitter.

And it got me to thinking. I can understand the disappointment he must feel.

And actually, it does sound kind of crappy behavior for the college music instructor, to push the student toward an instrument that pays the instructor a commission.

On the other hand …

On the other hand, that’s the past, and I’m guessing that it’s a pretty good guitar, and I expect that the young man will get quite a bit of good out of it. So I suggested that he might as well see if he could let some of the bitterness go.

If somebody makes you angry, it’s as if they have given you a heavy rock to carry around. You can go into the other room, but you’re still carrying the rock. Over time, it seems like the rock grows heavier and heavier and heavier.

The person who triggered the unhappiness, perhaps they are good perhaps they are bad, but in any event most of the time these other humans are doing about the best that they can with the training and insight that they possess; most people are like you and me. Sometimes we are good people. Sometimes we are bad people, but generally we are doing the best that we can. Because, if you knew how to do better, you would do better, wouldn’t you?

Even the fools and jerks are about the same.

Generally speaking, you cannot do too much about the ignorance or wrong choices of other people, but you do make your own choices.

At this point, might you be able to consider this idea? … Throw down the rock. Let it roll away. Someone else can pick it up, if  they want to. Might that make your passage through the days … lighter?

You’re young or you’re old. Either way, there are lots of adventures ahead.

Time enough for things that are important.

For example, if you think you want a Megatar, start picturing it, allow yourself to think of it as something you *already possess*. Something you already have, in the fullness of time. Perhaps you don’t see the way right this minute, but that’s the way of all life. You don’t see all life right now. And the first step is to see it, decided that it’s on the way, picture it, enjoy that you have it … and generally it will show up, often sooner than you’d have thought, just because that’s the future you are creating.

You create your life as you go, moment by moment, with your thoughts and with your perceptions.

Perceive tragedy and all around you tragedy abounds, and with your thoughts, future tragedies begin to take form.

Perceive what you want, and the good things you enjoy, and all round you, good things exist, and you create more good things a-coming.

Your Megatar is just one of the good things coming to you. You have a wonderful life unfolding.

As you may recall from the movie, that young man started out hating the pirates, and yet, in the course of his adventures, he’s become bolder and he has dared great things, and by golly he has become a pirate. And that’s a good thing.

And so … why is it a good thing to be a pirate?

Here’s an idea to consider –

“Personal growth only takes place outside your comfort zone.”
– Tony Robbins

Think about it. Think about moments when you’ve attained major personal growth. Think about the moments just before you attained this personal growth. Would you say those moments were “comfortable?”

Probably not. We grow the most when we’re challenged. Funerals. Difficult contests. A breakthrough moment. When you go beyond what you know. That’s when it happens.

While it’s not always street-smart to “live on the edge,” it is usually exciting. And while the path of wisdom does not lead us to endanger our lives, our loved ones, or that which we hold dear, it is also a fact that living a life in which there is no challenge, no “danger,” no spice, nothing new, the same every day … well, I suppose it’s good for some folks, but I question whether it’s good for you.

Wouldn’t you rather be a pirate?

There. Didn’t that feel good, just thinking about being a pirate?

Why is that?

DILEMMA OF THE DAY

Mankind, and men (and women) have it in them to both (a) seek safety, and (b) seek novelty. I suppose evolution built that into us. I mean, some folks living way back when who didn’t seek safety left no descendants! And other folks who avoided anything new couldn’t adapt to the first change and they didn’t leave any descendants either!

So you and me, and all the rest of humankind, are the descendants of those humans who did both (a) seek safety, and (b) seek novelty.

So that means it’s a natural fact. We’re built that way. That’s just the way it is.

Go with the flow, and live well. Rebel and become like those way-back folks who left no descendants.

HOW DOES IT PLAY TODAY?

How does it play out? Look around you. One common scenario is a guy who works at a boring job, doing something he finds less than inspiring — it never occurred to him to create something inspiring, because his attention was fixed on renting an apartment and he needed some cash each month — and he’s seeking safety.

He’s a human, so he’s also seeking novelty.

How will he find it?

Television, I reckon.

Synthetic adventures. Stuff that happened to everybody else but him.

When he gets to the end of his life, lying on his deathbed, and maybe he’s thinking back, and he’s saying to himself, “Man, what a great life. I watched me some really good TV!”

So if that’s the obvious outcome of that behavior pattern, then why did he follow that pattern of behavior for 40 years? I can think of only one answer. He just didn’t know any better. He never looked. He never examined the path, and the outcome. He was too busy seeking safety, and finding his novelty cheap and easy.

Personal growth only occurs when you’re outside your comfort zone.

HOW TO HAVE PERSONAL GROWTH

It’s simple: Just operate regularly outside your comfort zone. Make it your habit to do so.

In other words, be a pirate.

You know you want to.

Perhaps you are now asking yourself, “But how?”

Well, you’re a grown person. Figure it out. That’s your first assignment.

There. You’re outside of your comfort zone right now.

Keep it up.