Meaningless opinions!

I must say this spiritual awakening is working out pretty well for me. Looking back on the past few months, I’ve come a long way. When at first, I was just reading, listening and discussing about it, now it’s clear I’ve been living it. I feel such peace and contentment. I’m just so grateful and blissful…just really FULL. Full of life and love and light. After all the meditating, reading, thinking and learning, I’m able to keep myself on the high flying disc. Not in need of anything or anyone, just being in the flow of life. I love every little bit of who I’m becoming.

So, I’ve been playing this fun little game lately and it blew me away. I was paying attention to what other people talk about most, including myself. Here’s what I’ve found.

People who are not happy and don’t really love themselves or their lives, and sadly that’s the majority of people, talk mostly about 2 things: their problems (complaining) and other people (judging). I’ve been listening to complete strangers on the bus, on the beach, in the bar… you name it. 90% of those people talked about one or the other.

I can’t say I was surprised, but it was definitely an eye opening. Actually a mind opening. I used to care what people thought of me. Things I said, things I did. Would I hurt anyone? Would someone get mad at me? But as I was listening to these people, I realized: most of you don’t even like yourselves. You have this need to judge so you’d feel better. Your happiness relies completely on other people’s behavior. They have to act, behave and think a certain way for you to be happy. How sad is that really? If other people don’t meet your expectations, you’ll be mad and sad and not sleep and worry and hate and judge and be bitter and upset… If you have nothing else in your life to focus on, be thankful for, be happy about, be proud of, celebrate…wow! How could I possibly care about what such person thinks of me?

So I just stopped. I didn’t feel guilty anymore for having fun. For dancing and singing and drinking and laughing and painting and writing and being silly and immature and crazy and lazy. Because I’m living! Fully and completely. Not relying on anyone. Not attached to anything. Taking those steps towards all of my dreams, without fear and regret. Being mindful of my conversation with others and myself, but very well aware of my own ego popping up for a fix. It’s all a part of this beautiful journey towards your true self.

And now, after all this soul searching, aha-moments and light bulbs, this is what I know for sure:

The truth as a fact doesn’t exist. Two people can be looking at the same thing, but see completely two different things. They’re both right in their own reality, in their own truth. That’s because NOTHING has any meaning until someone gives it a meaning. Your meaning doesn’t have to be someone else’s and vice versa. Thank God for that, because that means that YOU get to choose the meaning of EVERYTHING in your life. If that’s not a gift of creating your own life, I don’t know what is.
An opinion is just a perspective, built on personal experiences, programs, trauma’s, thoughts and feelings. That means that an opinion is NEVER objective. Including your own. When you truly realize this, you will talk, listen and live in a completely new way... and you will love it! And as for me: oh, sweet freedom of other people’s opinions!

Love,

Art <3

Signs on the road!

Someone once told me: “The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you’re the pilot.” In the midst of maintaining my sanity, although I heard that, I wasn’t ready to truly live it. I flew to the wrong direction, navigated by fear. Universe has a funny way of creating situations and sending signs on our way to deliver us important messages. Sadly, we’re not always ready to receive it or we simply miss it by thinking that everything is a coincidence. It’s not and you need to pay attention.

We now know that there’s no such thing as ‘negative’ emotions, just emotions of low vibration. We call them contrasts. When you reach a deeper understanding of this, you’ll realize that contrast is a part of creation. It’s just information. It’s an alarm going off for you to pay attention. It’s an arrow pointing to the opposite direction, because if you feel bad, you’re going the wrong way. It’s a sign that you are not in an alignment with who you truly are. Unfortunately, the ego will always try to convince you otherwise. Anytime you find an excuse or an explanation of why you feel bad, it’s your ego speaking. When you learn to silence your ego and just follow the directions your emotions are showing you, the right path will unfold and it will lead you where you want to be.

The universe is sending us signs all the time. Everything you see, hear, touch, sense, taste and feel is telling you something. It’s always information you need, to get where you want to be. Whenever something “bad” happens, you can have an opinion about it, judge it, reject it, be upset or sad about it, but what you really need to ask yourself instead is: what is this here to teach me? What sign, what message, what information is this providing for me to get ahead? When you train your mind to think like this, all “bad” things will disappear. You’ll change your perspective on it and realize there is no such thing as a “bad thing”, just information you ALWAYS benefit from.

People will do anything to avoid bad stuff from happening. We’ve been trained and warned from birth that bad things happen and we should be afraid. All the things that could possibly go wrong, it’s all we think about and trying to avoid. Not realizing 2 things: we think about “bad” things, therefore we attract them and “bad” things are not really bad. We’re more afraid of the fear itself, than the very thing we think we’re afraid of. We’re not afraid of ‘the thing’, we’re afraid of what comes next: judgment, disappointment, rejection, FAILURE!  

You really have a simple job in this life: relax, feel good and follow the signs given to you. Fear is an illusion. Just like reality. Reality is in the eye of the beholder. Choose yours!

Have a great weekend!

Art <3

New kids on the block!

Ok, so maybe I’m not the one with the best parenting advice. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. On the other hand, I’m admitting something that A LOT of parents wouldn’t dare. Sure, we all do the best we can and the best we know how, but what I’ve come to realize is that there’s just no ‘right way’. There is, however, the wrong way.

We get these creatures, with no manual and no instructions. They’re all so unique and different. How in the world can there be the right way? Or the only way? And almost every ‘right way’ has its cons. If you compliment them too much, they’ll be arrogant and lazy. If you don’t, they’ll be insecure and afraid. This goes pretty much for everything. So how do you create balance and where do you draw the line?

They’re expected to perform as soon as they’re born. Every development has to be bigger, faster, better. They have to learn everything fast and yesterday is not soon enough. They have to behave and shut up. They’re expected to act, think, feel, talk, behave and be how society wants them to. Don’t question authority, follow the rules, do what you’re told and become this robot we all are.  

Children are the closest to the source. They’re more awake than we are. They know that this society we live in just won’t cut it. They protest and they challenge us to change the game. I don’t think today’s kids are bad. It’s parents who try to relive their lives through their kids. They push them to fight the battles they lost. They let them compete and measure their worth by accomplishments. They go to school, play sports, have trainings, dance, play an instrument, swim… because, if you want to be accepted and feel worthy, you have to do it all and know it all. Let people see how involved of a parent I am and let my kids show off their prizes, cups, medals and reports. Failure is not an option and second best is just not good enough. We’re killing them with stress and pressure, so we can feel proud and have a sense of accomplishment. Of course we created depressed monsters! Of course the boys are on drugs and the girls prostitute themselves for a little bit of attention by the time they’re 14.

I hear people nagging all the time: “Oh these kids today! This youth is impossible!” Really?  Like they’re all these monsters that we need to get under control. But it’s us. It’s us that need to get ourselves under control. It’s our uncontrollable ego that holds our kids responsible for our happiness. They become the reason for our existence and that’s an unfair burden for them to carry. It should never ever be our intention to turn them into some version of ourselves we wish we could be. They already know who they are and don’t need us to define them. We are merely there to help them become the best they can be, by being the best we can be.

Let them play, let them breathe, let them ask and question and debate and feel and grow! Let them speak their minds and make mistakes. Let them learn how to cope with emotions and other people and themselves. Let them learn how to be happy, compassionate and kind. Let them learn how to love and support and appreciate. Don’t push your fears upon them. Those are your own doubts and insecurities and past experiences and everything you think it’s wrong with the world. What’s really wrong with the world are fake standards and wrong priorities. It’s how we define beauty, happiness and success. We have to redefine these things and demonstrate the good and the positive and the happy. Teach them to be good people, because that’s the only thing worth any pride. Just be the best example you can be and for God’s sake, let them be who they are. They’ll be just fine!

Have a great week!

Art <3

Believe it. It's coming!

Listening to Abraham Hicks almost every day, I now get that our only job is to keep our vibrations high as often as possible. That takes a lot of practice and understanding. We’re here merely to experience, so even if you’re going through some tough times, the best thing to do is to sit with it and realize it’s just a contrast that you can turn into something valuable. At times of contrast, you rocket a desire for something better. Without it, we wouldn’t really know what we want. It’s there to serve you.

When you’re aware of this, it all begins to make much more sense. Some time ago, I experienced a situation where I was yelled at, but I was so aware of the moment that I handled it much differently than I normally would. At that moment, instead of yelling back or defending myself, an image popped in my head: someone was talking to me in the most calm and respectful way and made me laugh. I couldn’t help but smile. I realized that this was the whole point of “bad” situations. It’s not a lessen or a punishment. It’s just a chance to ask for something different.

You can use pleasant memories or imagine anything you’d like, as long as it gives you a sensation of joy. You become aware of how you want to feel and what kind of situations and people you want to be surrounded by. The moment you realize this, it will change your life. You’ll start to see every contrast as a tool and feel differently about it. It will get you to the next level and closer to where you want to be.

Do whatever you can to keep your vibrations high. Practice this on a daily basis and each time, the feeling will last longer. Focus on the good. Be aware of everything you’re grateful for. Think about it. Be happy about it. Do things that make you feel good, whatever that might be to you. From listening to music and dancing to simply enjoying a delicious lunch. Be proud of everything you’ve accomplished so far. Appreciate things and people you have. Laugh.    

So here's a quick rampage to get your vibes up, at least for today:

You’re safe. You’re always on the right path. There are no mistakes and no coincidences. Universe is always working out for you. You’re the one giving it all the directions. Everything you ever asked for is already there. You already have all of it. You just have to tune in. Don’t doubt, don’t second guess, don’t obsess about it. If it’s not coming, it means you’re focused on the lack of it. Let it go and trust that it’s coming. Because it is. It’s done and it’s coming. You’re pregnant with all of your desires. You just have to give birth. Don’t let your mind and logic stand in the way. You don’t have to know HOW something will happen, just believe that it will. HOW is not you concern. The Universe will always find a way and put everything into order to serve you. It will create situations, “coincidences” and perfect timings. It will send you the signs, the right people and co-creators to get you exactly where you want to be. It can’t be other way. There are no exceptions. If you get in tune with a feeling of anticipation and get excited about it with a conviction that it’s coming, you’ll witness it in your physical reality. Believe it. It’s coming!

Have a great week!

Art <3

Six human needs

Every day, we make choices based on our thoughts, feelings and habits we’ve created along the way. Every second, we’re following certain paths that create our destiny. What drives us to do or not do certain things? What is the deeper motivation for all of our decisions that shape our lives?

There are 6 human needs, we all long for. These are not just wishes or desires, but psychological needs, which we all, mostly unconsciously, try to satisfy all the time. They’re the deepest motivations for our daily choices. If these needs are being fulfilled on a higher level, we feel overall happy and content and if they’re not, well, we feel the opposite. Because this process usually happens unconsciously, sometimes you don’t even know why you feel the way you feel. On the surface, your life can seem perfectly fine, but you can still feel some unease or restlessness. It’s hard to satisfy all of these needs all the time, but if you know what they are, you can be more aware of the things you’re doing and why. Maybe you can find other, more practical ways to satisfy those needs or simply change your view on them.

So what are these 6 needs we all crave to fulfill?

 

1. Certainty: we need comfort and certainty, to reduce the stress of uncertainty. We need to feel safe.
2. Uncertainty: we need variety and a bit of uncertainty, to escape the daily routine and boredom. We need excitement.
3. Significance: we need to feel important and meaningful. We need a sense of identity and uniqueness. We need to feel special.
4. Connection: we need to make and have a deeper connection with people. We need to love and to be loved.
5. Growth: We need knowledge, experience and mental, emotional and spiritual growth in different aspects of our lives. We need progress.
6. Contribution: we need to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. We need to add worth to other people’s lives. We need to give.

 

So there you go. These are the 6 human needs that all of your decisions are based upon. Every time you make a decision, your intention is to fulfill one of these needs.

Now let me get back to the Law of Attraction, so we can make an important point. Most people are focused on the lack of these needs. They’re alarmed when they’re not getting something. What’s maybe even more important is that we often expect to get these things from other people and when we don’t, we feel even worse.

 

On the other hand, we take for granted and forget about the needs that ARE fulfilled. That creates a lack of gratitude, which is the fastest killer of your high vibrations and therefore the biggest obstacle on your way of creating. When you truly understand this pattern, you can change it. Redirect your focus on things that are going well and get your attention off the things that are not going so well. Believe that everything will fall into place, as soon as you get your vibes high and keep them there.

It’s not about faking your feelings by any means, nor is it neglecting your issues. It’s understanding that your emotions, therefore the way you feel, determine your outcome. Focusing on the things that are good in your life and things you’re grateful for will provide those emotions, resolving the things that are not so good. When you feel good, you’ll come up with ideas and solutions, you’ll meet the right people, create the right situations and see opportunities, you’d not see otherwise. Problems and solutions have different frequency, so you can’t find a solution, if you’re on the frequency of a problem.

I’m gonna wrap it up by reminding you to think about things you’re grateful for and just feel good about that for a while. You’ll witness miracles!

 

Have a great week!

 

Art <3

Fill your cup!

Two days ago I saw a 72 year old lady who didn’t look a day older than 50. She still hasn’t left my mind. Honestly, the first thing I thought was: “Well hello there, my future self!” I couldn’t help but smile at her, thinking: ”Wow, you look so fabulous and my respect is deep!” She smiled back as if she heard my thoughts. I was impressed with the way she carried herself. She was very well dressed, her make-up was spotless and you could see that she was taking care of herself. You can’t fake that kind of commitment.

There’s no one that can convince me that looks don’t matter, simply because you can see people’s habits on the outside. So it’s not really about looks, it’s exactly opposite. I can see if you’re working out 5 times a week, once a week or never. I can see if you’re smoking and eating junk. People are reflecting on the outside who they are on the inside. It’s really not about judgment or being superficial. I’m often misunderstood when I talk about this. It just says a lot about who you are and what your priorities are. You communicate that with your whole being. I don't have to know you to see if you're athletic, depressed, successful or stressed. It really shows all of it without you saying a word.

I’m a strong believer that if you don’t take care of yourself FIRST, you have absolutely nothing to give to someone else. So if you think that you’re being the best caregiver that God has ever made, because you’re always taking care of other people, you’re anything but that. It’s really true when they say: “You can’t pour from an empty cup!”

So, let’s talk about what most of you are thinking right now: “But I don’t have time!” The most used excuse of all times and the most untrue of course. See, all people in the world have exactly the same amount of hours in one day. The difference in their lives is how they choose to spend them. People say: “You don’t understand, I have a job and 2 kids and really, really, really no time left!” Well, I say: “There are people working 2 jobs, have 4 kids and still find the time!” Again, it’s not about having time, it’s about making time.

I juggle between my job, housekeeping, my son, gym and studying. Besides that, I always try to look my best and I still get to watch movies, listen to music, write, paint, read and spend time with friends. Of course I don’t always get everything done perfectly, but I still try to find balance between making time for myself and everything else. Of course, I have it easy because I ‘only’ have one kid and that’s so much different than having 2. Sure, I know, because that fact somehow makes you a ‘real’ full-time parent and I’m just a part-time parent. Excuses make me sarcastic, I’m sorry... :D So anyway, when people tell you they don’t have time for something or for you, just know that you’re simply not on their priority list. No bad feelings, just always know the difference between those who check on you in their free time and those who free their time to check on you.

Set your priorities straight! Write them down, make a plan and smash them. It’s really that simple. My priorities are personal growth, taking care of myself, being healthy physically and mentally, simply because I’m planning to stick around for quite some time. I want to be an example to my one and only son, leaving some importance in his life and possibly others I get to meet on this journey of existence and all of this looking fabulous and in heels!

I’ll leave you now to take a moment and think about what your priorities are and why. Do you wanna feel and look 50 when you’re 72? I do!

 

Have a great rest of the week!

 

Art <3    

Unapologetically YOU!

Working on yourself and becoming who you truly are is a lifelong process. New knowledge and new experiences change you every day. You’re not the same person you were yesterday and you will not be the same tomorrow. If you use your growth right, this is a good thing. Becoming better, stronger and smarter is a choice. Change is inevitable, but progress is up to you. It’s how you deal with change and it’s the meaning you give it that will determine your progress.

 

People don’t like change. They want what they’re used to, even if it’s bad for them. They want that comfort of certainty and familiarity. I know this, because I lived like this for years and I still battle these challenges to this day. Although I’ve grown so much and I’m trying to become my full, true, authentic self, there’s still that ego and fear that stand strong together to fight me. Too often, they’re also being empowered by people around us. What I’ve learned is that people don’t want you to change either. It’s not comfortable for them. They’ll make you doubt yourself; they’ll make you feel guilty. If you set boundaries, if you say “no”, if you stand up for yourself, if you choose your own happiness before their own, they will battle you and try to knock you down. You have to prepare for the fact that sometimes finding yourself means losing others and that’s ok. You are not responsible for other people’s happiness. People who truly love you will let you grow, they’ll let you be who you really are, they will celebrate your victories and be happy for your happiness. I’m still learning this…

When I was 18 years old, I reached the best possible state of mind I ever had. Due to earlier life struggles, I had just enough life experience to feel invincible, but still not even close enough life experience to be afraid. I felt unstoppable and wasn’t afraid or ashamed to make that very well known. Soon after, people happened, relationships happened, responsibilities happened…life happened. The fire within me was slowly put out. I learned to talk, behave and be the way other people expected me to. I’d do basically anything to avoid any kind of criticism. I didn’t go through with things I wanted, so others would be at peace. I see a lot of people, especially women, do the same thing, but they’re comfortably in denial. I got strong enough to acknowledge this and do something about it. Your own truth and vulnerability is a gift you own to yourself. It will set you free. Don’t let the ego fool you.

So, eventually, the fire in me was too strong to be put out. I'm basically becoming my 18 year old self again, but with a lot of life experience. I won’t behave, talk and be a certain way; I won’t be silent and hide my feelings, so people will be comfortable. I won’t let people determine who I should or shouldn’t be, say or not say, think or not think and feel or not feel. I won’t be expecting others to do so either. When I don’t like something about someone, I will simply avoid their presence. Let people be who they are at all times. If they’re bringing you good vibes, celebrate them, appreciate them and support them. If not, distance yourself, but let them be. You are responsible for your own personal space and the energy in it. Don’t blame others for bad energy if it’s you who allows it.

Be your true self and you will attract people who are comfortable around you and won’t have the need to change you. Compromise is sometimes necessary, sure, but not if you have to compromise who you really are. Relationships are about freedom of individual growth. It’s not about molding yourself into someone else’s vision of you. Don’t be afraid to disappoint other people, because you’ll pay the price of disappointing yourself. Don’t take life so serious, because it’s really not. We’re here to play and be happy. Don’t wake up at 80 yrs old, wishing you did and said things you wanted. Wishing you weren’t afraid to be who you really are.

So who is the true, raw, pure YOU? Without your job, without your status, without your partner, without your kids, without any external things you identify with. Ask yourself and be honest: are you really happy or are you just really comfortable?

Have a great week!

<3 Art

Get your vibration on!

Lately, I’m all about happiness. When I truly understood that happiness has NOTHING to do with external events, situations, circumstances, people and things, I could feel true happiness. It’s so liberating that I want to share this with people. If everyone could feel this way, what a world would we live in? This doesn’t mean that I never get sad, angry or frustrated. It just means that I’ve gotten better in not staying in that state. When you realize that emotions are just low and high vibrations that are helping you on the way to get what you want, my God, the whole universe opens up to serve you.

So let me break this down for you real quick. There are no negative and positive emotions, although we call them that to give them a meaning. Emotions are energy. It’s the way the Universe (higher self, God, whatever you want to call it) speaks to us. It’s really simple. When you experience emotions of high vibrations (happy, excited, grateful, kind, giving, caring), the Universe is telling you that you’re on the right path. Keep going and I’ll send you more things to be happy about, to feel grateful for and so on.

When you experience emotions of low vibration (anger, sadness, frustration, hate, resentment), theUniverse is telling you that you’re not on the right path. Turn around, you’re going the wrong way! If you keep going, I will send you more things to be angry about, sad about and so on. Eventually, I’ll even make you sick to wake you up.

This is not Universe being bad, this is not Universe punishing us. Universe doesn’t know good or bad, it doesn’t know what you want or don’t want. All that it’s doing is sending you back what you’re vibrating. It only knows answer YES. If you vibrate happiness and love, it will respond: “YES, so will it be! Here’s more of it!” If you vibrate sadness and anger, it will also respond: “YES, so will it be! Here’s more of it!”

So there is your superpower. You get to decide what you vibrate. Again, you see how powerful your thoughts are, for they produce your emotions, that produce vibration, that attracts more of that. If you worry, because you don’t have money, and your focus is on the lack of money, you vibrate frequency of ‘no money’, guess what you’ll get? No money!

So, can you attract specific things into your life? Yes, you can! You have to think about what you want, but FEEL as if you already have it. That way, you will align your vibration with the vibration of the reality that you want. Every doubt, uncertainty and fear will block this vibration (lower it). So it’s not really thoughts that create our reality, but our emotions. Thoughts are just tools to help you get specific emotions and you want them to be of high frequency. If you think about what you want, but your vibration is a ‘lack of it’, the universe will respond: “YES, here is lack of that what you want.”

Your ‘logical’ mind and your ego will try to prevent you from feeling like this. They’ll say: HOW? How are you going to get this, accomplish this, make this happen? They can’t think beyond logic and that’s what makes them limited. They’ll pull you to the lower vibration of fear and doubt and they’ll block you from getting what you want. Your spirit, your vibration has unlimited power, because it goes beyond logic. So this is kind of a “Fake it, ‘till you make it” method and it really works. Don’t wonder HOW something will happen, because I promise you, the Universe will respond to your vibration and it will perfectly align situations, people and ways to get you there. The most unexpected things will fall into place to serve you. All you have to do is believe and hold your vibration high!

 

This state of high vibration, where all of your dreams already are reality, is called Vortex. You can’t be in the Vortex all the time, but if you reach a momentum of that state on a regular basis, your dreams and wishes will manifest in your physical reality.

Focus on the good things in your life. Be grateful. Give attention only to good things, because energy flows where attention goes. Keep your vibes high and watch your life change!

Try this! It’s a game of life and it’s fun to play!

Have a great week!

Art <3

You are creators!

 

After about million hours of watching the best video’s, listening to the best teachers of our time, it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about this life and how the universe works. Looking back on my life and all the experiences I’ve been blessed with, especially the awful ones, I realize how many questions I can answer now, thanks to the knowledge that these people are providing.


The thing I most want to share, the one thing that everyone should know about and truly understand is the Law of Attraction. It’s controversial and ridiculed by many, but that entire skeptic outlook on this subject is just a lack of knowledge about it and misunderstanding its true function. You need to understand it and then you need to test it. Otherwise, you just can’t have an objective opinion about it and you shouldn’t talk about it. I’ve seen many explanations, discussions and attacks on this subject on the internet and it makes me scream, because people are talking about something they really don’t understand. They’re spreading the wrong information and trying to convince people that this is just a bunch of crap and you’re simply crazy if you believe something like this, obviously not knowing that this has nothing to do with crazy and has everything to do with science. It’s something that the biggest scientists of the world have been talking about for centuries.   


What I’ve learned and what I know for sure is that your belief will determine your life. Your thoughts will shape your reality. Your emotions are your guidance and the universe is always working for you, whether you believe this or not. We are the creators of our reality.
On the surface, this sounds easy to understand, but the meaning behind this is so much deeper than you could ever grasp from just these few sentences. You have to educate yourself about this on a deeper and more profound level.


So what is this Law of Attraction really and how can you use it so it will serve you. You can start by watching ‘The Secret’ first, but believe me, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. It’s just some basis info to basically introduce you to the Law of Attraction. After that, I strongly recommend you watch some video’s of Abraham Hicks (yes, it’s a woman), Brian Tracy, Bob Proctor, Louise Hay, Jack Canfield, Jim Rohn and Wayne Dyer (just to name a few)… Don’t believe ANYTHING, just be open to it and test it yourself! I have and still am every day.


I want to be perfectly clear about one thing. I don’t want to convince people of the Law of Attraction or debate this in any way. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone has their own perspective. I am here to talk about how the Law of Attraction works, to inspire people and spread the good vibes!


So, I’ll leave you with this for now and of course I’ll be writing about this a lot in my next blogs.


Have a great week!


Art <3

Hello 2017!

New Year, new resolutions!


I can imagine that the calendar gives a lot of people a sense of a new beginning, so it seems like the perfect time to start something new, quit bad habits and change something you've been wanting, but it just wasn't a convenient time (it never really is!) 


Too bad that 95% of people flush their resolutions down the toilet after 2 weeks. About January 15th, it's over and done with the resolutions. Why is that and what does it take to make it through?


First, you have to realize that change is not what we strive for. Change is constant and inevitable. What we really strive for is progress. So when you make a resolution, it has to provide you some progress. It has to be so exciting, so compelling, so attractive that it will PULL you towards it, instead of that you have to PUSH yourself to reach it. PUSH requires willpower and sooner or later, willpower will fail you. PULL is energy that will get you through times when you want to give up.


So let me take you through 3 steps you'll need to reach your goals.


Step 1 is VISION: You have to have vision of what you want. Not what you "kind of" or "maybe" want. What do you really want?? What makes you get up in the morning? What keeps you awake at night? Be as specific as you can and write it down! For example, instead of "I want to lose some weight", write: "I want to lose 10 kg by March 31st". Set an exact number and give yourself a deadline. See yourself already there. Envision yourself in that state. Feel what it would feel like at that finish line!


Step 2 is REASON: You have to have strong enough reason why you want this. What is the REAL reason? It's never the goal itself. It's always the FEELING that it will give you. People don't want a house; they want a feeling of security. People don't want a fast car; they want status. People don't want to lose weight; they want to feel attractive or healthy. There is some feeling you're after. People try to fill their void with things, but that works only for a moment. Be honest! What is the real reason and will it pull you?

Step 3 is REVIEW: You got to review it and feel it every day! You need to think about it and you have to already be there in your mind. Turn your 'should' into 'must'. People don't do what they 'should', but they always do what they 'must'. Raise your standards! Change the story you're telling yourself that keeps you from getting what you want. If you want to quit smoking, but your story is "I've been a smoker my whole life", you will never quit. If you want to lose weight, but your story is "I've tried everything, I'm just big-boned", you'll never lose weight. You're not big-boned, you're fat and lazy! Your story should be: I'm athletic, attractive and healthy! If that's your story and your standard, you'll find a way to make it happen.

So, there you go! Have a vision that's compelling, strong enough reason and tell a story that will get you there, but feel as if you're already there!

May this year be full of success and happiness!

Art <3