Having a destination is the absolute secret to all self development, it is impossible to arrive somewhere if you have no idea where you are going.

Many people I work with THINK that they have a destination or goal, but on closer investigation, it is a very flexible arrangement and not at all clear.

Over the years teaching this stuff I find that most people don't have goals because they think that they are unachievable. A lot of teachings say it does not matter what your goal is however large or outrageous just focus on it and you will achieve it. I think this is where most people collapse and wander off. Whatever your goal, unless you have total faith and belief in achieving it, you will not make it. That is a fact and I say that as soon as any doubt creeps in, you actually activate the reset button and go back to the start.

How do we combat this problem? Well I like to get people to create a goal that is a stretch but not something that will seem impossible. You must have faith and belief in achieving it, but it must be something that you cannot say for sure will happen. Whatever it is you must now start feeling that it is happening, and enjoy the benefits now as to what your goal will give you. For example if your goal is to increase your business turnover by 50%, you should start imagining what you will do with the extra income and start acting as if the goal is reached. Start treating yourself to little extras that you envisage having, feeling is such an important part to achieving your goals. If you do not feel good about yourself, you can only rise to the level you are thinking. Once you start feeling better, that gives you more confidence and the whole scenario starts lifting you to the next level.

By bringing your goals closer and achieving them quicker, you will see that the world is in perfect order and provided that you follow the guidelines, you can really achieve anything that you desire. You will notice I said desire, that is because want is not a strong enough emotion to drive a goal. A desire is something that you will do more to achieve than a simple want, a want is neither here or there and has no passion or energy attached to it. You must desire your goal, as that is the focus mechanism. As you see your short term goals happening with regularity, just by following these simple rules, you can then start focusing on more long term visions. It will be the knowledge that the universe delivered on your short term goals that will give you the faith and belief to go for the biggy.

When you actually start preparing your long term vision, you will have lots of voices and limiting beliefs popping up to give you guidance and information, 99.9% of this internal advice from the past will be there specifically to derail you. That is not what the people who programmed you meant to do, because they gave you the advice to help you, by teaching you to believe that you would amount to nothing and not expect anything, and then you would not be disapponted. You have to ignore these demons. You will actually have conquered a few by getting your earlier results, and each time you prove them wrong, you must firmly clear that particular piece, of incorrect information, out.

A great thing that we also do when we plan our goal is to start imagining what MIGHT or COULD happen along our journey. How clever is that, as if life is not complex enough, we now want to start solving problems that at this point in time, do not even exist. Our fertile mind, then adds other imagined problems, that arise out of the imagined solution, to a problem, that did not exist in the first place. No wonder we get headaches.

I call this state of mind circular thought, because as in a circle, it has no beginning and has no end. You cannot possibly solve a problem that does not actually exist. So to help you combat this problem, I will make a statement that you can bank on. When a real situation arises, you will be equipped to deal with it, and because it is a real situation you will be able to solve it. I have heard so many stories, where people have overcome adversity, or got superhuman strength and many other amazing things, and when asked how they coped they all say they do not know where the solution came from it just seemed to happen.

That shows you that when something exists you can cope with it, so why do we insist on inventing hurdles and problems to prevent us from achieving our goals. Just set your vision and know that what ever happens, you will get the ability to solve it, if it transpires, and once it is real.

Croz, this is great!! Thanks so much for continuing to contribute to this forum. You truly are an "awesome contributor."

Love and blessings,
Rachel

quote:

When you actually start preparing your long term vision, you will have lots of voices and limiting beliefs popping up to give you guidance and information, 99.9% of this internal advice from the past will be there specifically to derail you.

This made me giggle. Whenever I hear a statistic like this I remember this: " 99.9 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot."

You're right that there is a lot of unhelpful programing we encounter in our lives. Still, if you don't know actual statistics, it's okay to just say "most."

Love and blessings,
Rachel

Great post, croz!

What I take from this is reminding myself of the many successes I have accomplished in the past. Sure there were hurdles. But you know what? I am a great Hurdle Climber. And one of my best memories was climbing Yamnuska Hurdle

And the reasons why this particular one was so joyful. Going down memory lane, might as well take a closer look. I did not climb it alone but with a great team. And I never - ok well maybe for one split second when I looked up before I started - thought of it as a hurdle.

This memory keeps on coming back every time I need to remind myself that I have way more power inside of me than I sometimes give myself credit for.

Off to climb my current hurdle and find a team partner so I can have fun while climbing.

God bless you,

Caroline
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Hi Croz,
Upon reflection, I disagree that simply having doubt resets everything to start. If that were true, I wouldn't be where I am today. If you GIVE IN TO IT and act on doubt and stop doing what you're doing... then yes it does. I think that this is an important distinction that I would add. I was plagued with doubt and fear when my house was almost up for auction, but because of taking action to deal with the doubt and fear (see below) the $$ to pay the back taxes came just the same.

So to deal with fear and doubt, I did whole lot of EFT to stay on track/stay on the horse as well as One Command. (I continue to do this whenever doubt or fear crops up). I use subliminal CD's. I have also found that you can disarm doubt by ignoring it; by dismissing the doubt as simply noise or "Monkey Mind" chatter and just keep going about your business in the Certain Way.

I like how you explain the "why" of it (the doubt)-that it's the old programming resurfacing. I fully concur there.

I also like the fact that in the article you offer a solution. I like your suggestion of setting a believable goal, and going from there.

I would also add the importance of FEELING the goal too, and if you can't FEEL it, to try some EFT or other energy modality to get you there.
For me the FEELING part is critical-nothing was happening until my emotions were in on it.

Wally says it in CHPT 8, Thinking in the Certain Way ,

quote:

"In the mental realm, enter at once into FULL ENJOYMENT of the things you want."

For me, this is a really important point, and one that I stress with my mentees.

Hope this helps,
Julia

"Having a destination.......how can you possibly arrive somewhere if you have no idea where you are going". i agree that they key is here, i am experiencing the flexible arrangemant at the moment. i do know that when i desire with a fullness the manifestation becomes my "reality". there are times when i know not what i truly desire and then i go round and round. before i moved into my current apartment, i desired the second floor , corner unit, with close access to the highway. i felt i had the down payment and i saw myself living in it, and here i am. what happens for me is this, now what? what do i truly want? i experience a pause you could say and just go about the daily life stuff. thank you Croz and Ancient Soul for posting this, i want to set some goals and rise to that level of thought. as yet i haven't set any long term visions. i may be stuck at the moment but i beleive i can begin my plan.

namaste`
dwinnemmen

This is the ah ha post of the year!

Thank you for all your lovely comments.

I am sorry Julia, but I still believe that doubt sets you back. It is only with a strong desire that you start again as you have stated.

This part as Wally says is the hardest thing and that is to believe the truth rather than appearances.

Rachel, many thanks, I am amending the master copy to read most.

Caroline, even Sir Edmond Hilary took three attempts at Everest, what would have happened if he had thought of what MIGHT happen?

Dwinnemmen There is nothing that can stop your journey as long as the goal is clear and you know where you are going. Even if you have to detour, as long as you know where you are going, it is easy to get back on track. It is always going to be a problem arriving if you have not got a clear vision of the destination.

Junoelle. Thank you.

Abundance to All

Croz

Julia and Croz, looks to me like your "disagreement" on the subject of doubt is just a matter of defining your terms.

Wally says:

"Doubt or unbelief is as certain to start a
movement away from you as faith and purpose are to start one toward you. It is by not understanding this that most people make their failure.

"Every hour and moment you spend in giving heed to doubts and fears, every hour you spend in worry, every hour in which your soul is possessed by unbelief, sets a current away from you in the whole domain of intelligent substance.

"All the promises are unto them that believe, and unto them only."

So to me, "having" doubt means you're simply not choosing to release it or shift your thinking to some more pleasant and useful subject. "Having" it means that you ARE "giving in" to it.

I don't mean to imply that you should RESIST it because that just focuses your mind more keenly on whatever it is you're feeling doubtful or fearful about. But Julia, you chose to shift. You chose NOT to have the doubt.

(You used EFT, One Command, and so on to shift. I usually prefer to simply take a mental step back and "watch" the thought until it dissolves of its own accord. But sometimes I use fast EFT or listen to Abe or just get out and ride my bike or something just for the express purpose of clearing my mind and shifting my thinking so that I get that sense of relief. Whatever works!)

Sure, we all "have" doubts -- just the way we all have negative thoughts. They just fly in from nowhere it seems. It's what WE choose to do with them once we NOTICE how we feel and the thoughts that are generating those feelings that make the difference.

A little while ago I read Barbara Kingsolver's most recent DELICIOUS novel, The Lacuna, and made a note of this line:

"Mr. Shepherd, ye cannot stop a bad thought from coming into your head. But ye need not pull up a chair and bide it sit down."

That pretty much sums it up!

So you're really agreeing, I think. The sooner we let go of doubt or any other thinking that we can FEEL is taking us in the opposite direction of our desires, the better.

quote:

You must have faith and belief in achieving it, but it must be something that you cannot say for sure will happen.

Hey, Croz, how can you have faith in something and at the same time be unsure it will happen?

Your post reminds me of when I was taking flying lessons back when I lived in NYC and my delightful German instructor said to me, as we were planning a particular flight, that "If you don't know where you are going, you will end up someplace else."

Well, hmm ... yeah.

(On the other hand, sometimes even when we THINK we know where we are going, we end up someplace else and it's WONDERFUL, even better than the place we thought we wanted to go.)

quote:

Whenever I hear a statistic like this I remember this: " 99.9 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Rachel, I love that. Reminds me of Mark Twain's famous opinion of statistics. He said there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics."

Hi Rebecca

I think that Thomas Edison had faith and belief in every test he did on the light bulb, but I am sure he did not know for sure what was going to happen. He just had a goal and was prepared for the apparent failures along the way.

It is the faith that you will eventually achieve your goal that is important.

I may work on the sentence anyway.

Abundance to All

Croz

Rebecca said

quote:

Julia and Croz, looks to me like your "disagreement" on the subject of doubt is just a matter of defining your terms.

...So to me, "having" doubt means you're simply not choosing to release it or shift your thinking to some more pleasant and useful subject. "Having" it means that you ARE "giving in" to it.

Now I see what you're saying, Croz. So if I take "having" doubt to mean "giving into it" then you are perfectly correct and I completely agree that it is indeed a reset point.

quote:

So you're really agreeing, I think. The sooner we let go of doubt or any other thinking that we can FEEL is taking us in the opposite direction of our desires, the better.

YES!!!

quote:

A little while ago I read Barbara Kingsolver's most recent DELICIOUS novel, The Lacuna, and made a note of this line:

"Mr. Shepherd, ye cannot stop a bad thought from coming into your head. But ye need not pull up a chair and bide it sit down."

That pretty much sums it up! Big Grin

LOVE this! Thanks for the clarification Rebecca!

quote:

Caroline, even Sir Edmond Hilary took three attempts at Everest, what would have happened if he had thought of what MIGHT happen?

Ha! I succeeded at my first attempt!
And after careful study (LOL I read one book), decided I am never ever going to go into the snow and cold that some mountains provide.

With great respect for all mountain climbers, and for the ones who stay below to tend to the roses.

God bless you,

Caroline
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quote:

I say that as soon as any doubt creeps in, you actually activate the reset button and go back to the start.

I'm very grateful for the clarifying statements posted by Julia and Rebecca, because this statement was stressing me out. It's clear that we "can not stop a bad thought from coming into our head." So the idea that it completely erases all the effective, deliberate management of thoughts and feelings -- the good work -- we have done before is a bit extreme.

I like the idea of the "current" that Wally writes about. We simply have to move more toward our goal than we move away from our goal. Certainly, doubt and fear move us away from our goals, but simply returning to our CMI, being grateful, and feeling good again will resume moving us in the right direction.

Is that what you meant by "going back to the start?" Surely you weren't suggesting that every single negative thought requires us to go back to the very beginning of the SOGR process. For some of us, that was before Life Lab 1! If by "going back to the start" you mean simply returning your focus, faith, and feeling to your CMI, then that is not so hard.

CRoz, thanks again for your very enlightening post!
Julia and Rebecca, thanks for bringing up and clarifying that point!

Love and blessings,
Rachel

quote:

Certainly, doubt and fear move us away from our goals,...

It seems to me that doubt or fear (or any bad feeling) are not indications I’m moving me away from my goal. I see it instead as an indication I’m making PROGRESS towards some goal, and this fear, doubt or other bad feeling is just showing me a self-made OBSTACLE I need to remove or resolve, in order to keep progressing towards or allowing my goal. (Hence the value of techniques like ‘The Sedona Method, forgiveness, Ho’oponopono, EFT, ‘The One Command’ and ‘The Release Technique’ etc.)

If I were NOT making any progress towards at least some of my goals, it seems it would be more likely that I would NOT feel any fears or other bad feelings. In other words, with some of my goals, it seems they would already be easily manifesting, or I’d be happily taking joyful action towards it, if I were not harboring some fear, doubt, etc., And so, when I make progress towards a goal – even if that progress is simply making a decision about it – I may encounter some bad feeling that may have been dormant, so long as I wasn’t pursuing a goal.

For example, one makes the decision they want to be rich. But then, this decision may stir up dormant feelings like, “Rich people are bad,” or, ‘I don’t deserve wealth,” etc. So, it’s in the decision-making – which is an act of making progress – that may bring to light a belief that otherwise would have remained hidden or dormant. ~ In other words, a bad feeling may be an indication of progress, not of going back to square one.

It seems to me, feelings like doubt, fear, resentment, guilt, etc., are adversities, to be dealt with constructively, as proposed in the quote below:

“Every adversity contains within it the seed of an equal or greater opportunity.” W. Clement Stone – amassed a $500 million personal fortune in the 1960’s.

Phil

quote:

I see it instead as an indication I’m making PROGRESS towards some goal, and this fear, doubt or other bad feeling is just showing me a self-made OBSTACLE I need to remove or resolve, in order to keep progressing towards or allowing my goal.

Thank you, Phil. I LOVE this!!!

It's also wonderful to remember that those obstacles or adversities are all not only self-made, but completely self-made-up! They're fantasies, so they have NO power except what I give them.

Thanks again for showing us that everything is a gift.

Love and blessings,
Rachel

quote:

I see it instead as an indication I’m making PROGRESS towards some goal, and this fear, doubt or other bad feeling is just showing me a self-made OBSTACLE I need to remove or resolve, in order to keep progressing towards or allowing my goal.

Hi all
Great thread and great replies.

I also happen to like the clarification made here on aspects of the so called "reset" button. The idea that constant positive feelings have to be maintained at all times, I don't believe is practical/possible, unless perhaps you are a monk.

But the idea of halting any advancing benefits from the formless, because one cannot maintain positive thoughts and feelings, that then requires starting over again, didn't quite agree with me, and yet more or less coincided with my own interpretation of what Wally wrote. Obviously, Rachel and probably many others had already resolved the matter to their satisfaction, until another viewpoint was raised, but it was still a point that I hadn't quite resolved up till now.

But I like the perspective presented here, and whats more, this perspective happens to agree with the practical side of me.

So, I guess if you think about the question long enough, ye shall be answered!

Thank you all for your sharing.

Blessings
Anaru

Hi

Thank you all for your comments.

I have rewritten two paragraphs to clarify statements. What do you think?

Over the years teaching this stuff I find that most people don't have goals because they think that they are unachievable. A lot of teachings say it does not matter what your goal is however large or outrageous just focus on it and you will achieve it. I think this is where most people collapse and wander off. Whatever your goal, unless you have total faith and belief in achieving it, you will not make it. That is a fact and I say that as soon as any doubt creeps in, you actually activate the stop button and all the momentum ceases until you put your mind back on track. How much of your progress gets eroded, is entirely dependent on how long you harbour the doubts.Remember that these doubts are of your making and only exist as thoughts in your mind at this point

How do we combat this problem? Well I like to get people to create a goal that is a stretch but not something that will seem impossible. You must have faith and belief in achieving it, but it must be something that is really stretching your belief and faith. Whatever it is you must now start feeling that it is happening, and enjoy the benefits now as to what your goal will give you.

Once again thanks for the discussion

Abundance to All

Croz

PS Rachel I have substituted 99.9% with 'most' lol

quote:

By Caroline; With great respect for all mountain climbers, and for the ones who stay below to tend to the roses.

How about those of us who enjoy climbing mountains and also enjoy tending roses? One of my CMI's is to get on top of mountains or bottom of canynons. I also have 160 rose bushs on my 60X100 ft lot.