loa

 Wayyyyy back in 1996 or so I wrote a fiery article about trying to buy a particular guitar. I was frustrated and maybe angry at the time. I wrote the article to rant, and to reveal a few marketing lessons.

But apparently I also planted a seed that today, thirteen years later, grew fruit.

In short, back in 1996 or so I saw an egnaging ad for the Tacoma Chief guitar. I wanted it.

But the ad lacked a phone, fax, email, or even an Internet website. There was no contact info at all.

And when I tried to find the guitar in music stores, there weren’t any Tacoma Chiefs in sight. When I called the Tacoma company, they shooed me off.

It was a great lesson in how not to do advertising or marketing.

I wrote up that lesson and posted it on my website.* It was also printed in a few business magazines. It became a great teaching tale. If you Google “Tacoma Chief guitar” right now my article is usually one of the first five search returns.

Over the years people would sometimes thank me for the article, and sometimes complain about it.

One time the new president of the Tacoma guitar company called me. This was probably five years after my article came out. He said my writing was unfair to the company.

I was surpirsed.

I explained that the article was a marketing lesson for him. I did it for free. I usually charge to teach people how to market their business. I suggested he thank me by sending me a guitar.

He declined.

I forgave him, though.

I forgot all about the Tacoma Chief guitar, as well as my article, until a sweet lady wrote me a week ago.

As I wrote in my early book on Internet marketing, CyberWriting (long out of print), you can sense the nature of people right from their email.

I liked this lady. She had a cool sense of humor. She said she had an original Tacoma Chief from arond 1997 and wanted to know if I wanted to buy it.

I have more than enough guitars. But I felt I had attracted this woman and her offer because of my article thirteen years ago. It seemed having it would bring closure to a wound of long ago.

I asked the lady to make an offer. She did. It was fair. I didn’t negotiate or squabble. I bought it.

It arrived today.

I wonder what you may have unfinished in your past, too.

Let go, forgive, and one day you, too, may receive a Tacoma Chief guitar — or something even better.

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

* You can see the 1996 article that caused all this at www.mrfire.com/article-archives/ancient-articles/tacoma-chief.html 

Note: Top photo by master photographer Rodney Bursiel. Bottom two by my Blackberry Curve. Last one is of Pat O’Bryan playing the Tacoma Chief. He made it sing.

 You can make a “word cloud” from your blog or website by going to http://wordle.net/create and following the directions. The above image is a word cloud of this blog. Seems like a cool way to make a right-brain “essence image” of a blog or site.  (Thanks to Nerissa for this tip.)

Mindy Audlin is one of my favorite people.

She’s charming, smart, upbeat, and a remarkable speaker and teacher. We held an event together two years ago where I first learned about her What If Up game.

It was life changing.

The best way to understand how it works is to realize the favorite question of the mind is “What if?”

But for most of us that question is asked in a negative, or down, way.

We ask “What if this doesn’t work out?” or “What if I lose my job?” or “What if I’m wrong?”

Obviously, that negative seeking question doesn’t feel good, and leads to attracting the fears it focuses on.

But Mindy asks you to do a what if UP.

You might ask, “What if this works out beautifully?” or “What if there was never a problem in the first place?” or “What if I get a raise?” or “What if my idea makes me a millionaire?”

This single adjustment in how you ask a question transforms you, your energy, and the very answers you get.

The idea is to look for new possibilities by letting your mind be free. When you do this, you feel fantastic. You also send this new energy into the Universe as an order or request.

I recently attended one of Mindy’s local (Wimberley, Texas) What If Up parties. That’s where people break into groups of five or so and take turns What If Up-ing each other. It’s very juicy and even addictive (in a positive way).

For example, when it was my turn, I said I want the infomercial coming out this week for The Awakening Course to be a top seller in the self-help market.

When you state your goal or problem, you’re not allowed to explain it or tell your story around it. It’s not needed. You simply state your desire and let the magic begin.

So I stated mine about wanting my infomercial to be a hit.

Someone instantly said, “What if it is the number one bestseller in all categories?”

Someone else said, “What if it is the number one bestseller of this century?”

Another said, “What if it is the number one bestselling infomercial in all of history!?”

At this point I was feeling electricity pumping through my veins.

Mindy explains that the exercise isn’t to create a to-do list. You don’t make notes or how-tos or to-dos.

The point is to raise your energy, get into the feeling of what you want, and let that experience attract the end result to you.

You still take action, of course, but it’s inspired action. 

It comes from that place within you that feels great and naturally unfolds. You don’t have to make yourself do it; you want to do it.

A beautiful side benefit of doing the what if up exercise a few times is it changes your thinking.

Suddenly you start asking what if up questions in your head rather than what if down questions.

Check this out at www.whatifup.com You’ll find more information there, including how to host your own What If Up dinner party.

What if the site is the coolest thing you saw today?

What if it changed your life for the better instantly?

What if?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS — The seminar Mindy and I conducted was called The Secret of Money. See www.mindyaudlin.com/secretofmoney.htm 

Note: This Tuesday will be the release of the all new edition of The Attractor Factor. What if it becomes the book of the year for you? For Oprah? For the world? What if???

You’ve been hearing about my new audioprogram The Awakening Course for a month or more. And you’ve been hearing that I have an infomercial for it, which begins testing on television in select markets this weekend. Well, you can see the infomercial right now, by going to http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7709418618355520198
or by clicking on the below image. It’s 29 minutes. It’s high energy and informative. It may change your life forever. Enjoy.

ABC, CBS, Fox and many national television news shows are interested in my movement to stop homelessness, called Operation YES.

They want to hand me a family that has lost their home, or is about to, and have me work with them as they televise the process.

I’m game. I want to prove that any situation can be changed by handling your belief system, focusing on what you want, consciously implementing the law of attraction, and taking action.

But while I’m eager to make this happen and help millions of people, I also know the people I talk to have to be ready to change.

For example, one news station found a woman who had lost her voice box due to cancer, and then her job.

She has four kids and no way to talk to them. She now writes to them on a white board.

Her husband quit his job to help her, and now they may lose their home.

I asked for more details. I could see from the video footage the news station sent me that the woman is strong. She wrote “I am a fighter” on her white board and showed the camera. I’m convinced she can find new income and save her home with some direction and support.

But I wanted to know more about the husband.

As I wrote in my book The Attractor Factor, if two people are involved in a project, both have to be clear for them to achieve their intended result. If one isn’t, he or she could hold up progress.

So I asked about the husband.

The reporter was impressed at my “astuteness,” as she said the husband was the weak link.

He quit his job when he didn’t have to. Neighbors were willing to drive the woman to her doctor appointments, and help with her children.

If I worked with this couple, I’d have to see that the husband was open to change. Apparently he isn’t, as the news reporters themselves told me so. (The husband later wrecked the car.)

If I worked with the woman, but the husband resisted my help, there would be little if any permanent change.

But this isn’t an excuse to blame other people.

If you’re in a situation where you are struggling, ask yourself how you can get clear of the inner issues in you causing the struggle.

As I’ve explained in my book Zero Limits, and in The Key, the issues aren’t with other people or outer circumstances: they are with you.

Get clear within you and those people will either change or move on.

I’m working on my own inner blocks so I can help anyone, even the husband who may be resistant.

Still, your “circle of support” (as I wrote about the other day) will uplift you or deflate you, depending on their mindset. 

If that woman got inspired because of my personal help, but then went home to her husband who ridiculed her or me, she’d have less energy to make a change. She could still make a change, but it’d be much tougher.

If you want to stop struggling, you need at least these things —

1. The decision to have something better.

2. Support to take new actions.

3. Clearing of your beliefs.

With those three steps you can change any situation. Again, it’s not the situation at issue. It’s your inner state.

And you can change that – with help.

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS – One way to get the uplifting support you need is with a coach. Check out my Miracles Coaches at www.miraclescoaching.com 

Note: I wrote about “circles of support” here: http://blog.mrfire.com/loa/circles-of-support/