Earlier today I received a message from Tom, who thanked me for my previous email, Exposing the Massive Action Myth.
Tom relayed how he bought everything in regard to changing your self-image. He bought every book, every audio program, every everything he could locate.
He set upon a course of MASSIVE ACTION and guess what happened? He overloaded his nervous system and ended up doing NOTHING for a couple months. Unintentionally, Tom became the proverbial rabbit in the tortoise and hare story.
If Tom would have known that the myth of massive action would run him into the ground, he would have chosen a different course of action. And now that he DOES get it, he is beginning again, this time, though, with a systemized approach of taking one step at a time so that you can be on your journey for your entire life instead of only for a couple weeks.
Previously, I covered the analogy of the 1,000-mile journey. If you walk as far as you can each day (massive action) and I walk five miles a day, at first glance it may appear that you will arrive first, but the reality is that you’ll do exactly what Tom did. You’ll push too hard, too soon, and you’ll be forced to rest because your nervous system is fried from the effort, and it is forcing you to shut down.
Meanwhile, I appear to be lazy. My goal is ONLY five miles per day.
Yes, I can go beyond five miles when I’m in a state of momentum, but I don’t have to. It’s up to me.
Everyday I begin again with the same old boring five-mile goal – and as a result, I kick butt.
In the end, my five-miles per day system removes the resistance from the equation, and I crush the massive action model, exposing it to be a myth, sham and outright lie.
Keep in mind, you only get one breath at a time. Even if you want to take five breaths at once, you cannot. This is all the proof you need that hurrying and scurrying cannot be the key to success.
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
P.S. I’m meeting with a client in a half-hour. He’s been with me for more than 15 years. He can do the unthinkable, so it seems. But I will stump him today. When he leaves he will want to take massive action to get better FAST – but, thank goodness, he is aware of this tendency and will over-ride it. Why? Because every time he’s taken massive action, it backfired. Now he eliminates the angst and the resistance and the feelings of overwhelm by doing what I teach.
Start small and you can have it all.
Start too big and you stumble on every twig.
Recommended resources:
Psycho-Cybernetics – Updated and Expanded
Zero Resistance Living – for advanced players only
Theatre of the Mind – for those who love my stories and enjoy the sound of my voice
The “Don’t Bet Against Me” Mindset
Let’s mentally pretend that the people of a certain town have a success rate of 99 percent whenever they face adversity of any kind.
These people conquer anything and everything that comes their way. They beat invading marauders, they overcome adverse weather conditions and they cure themselves of diseases.
But these facts are never reported to outsiders. All the outside world ever hears about these people is their failures.
Gradually, the thinking from the outside world reaches this town. Most in the area shake their heads and wonder what the outsiders are talking about.
But a few people within the town begin to lament the one percent failure rate, completing blocking out any mental imagery of the 99 percent success rate. They spread doom and gloom everywhere they go, and oddly enough, they attract many followers. Within a short period of time, the town with the 99 percent success rate begins to lose more and more often. And as the people begin to lose, more and more focus is placed upon the losses, and their success rate drops to one percent.
My friend, the above is what many people do to themselves on a daily basis. They block out and ignore their successes and focus solely on their mistakes and failures. And then they can’t figure out why they are in a slump, why things are never turning up rosy.
A basic key to acquiring mind power is realizing that you get more of what you focus on.
When you focus on your successful experiences, you get more of them. When you focus on your losses, you lose more often.
The good news is that no matter how far a person sinks, he or she can begin to rise again by recalling courageous, confident, victorious moments.
Instead of betting against yourself, you take on the mindset of the person who says, “Don’t bet against me.”
Or even better, be the person who when doubted by others, looks them in the eyes and says, “Oh yeah? Watch me!”
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
P.S. If you already own a copy of the classic, Psycho-Cybernetics, then look into upgrading your skills with the advanced courses, Zero Resistance Living and Theatre of the Mind. You’ll be ecstatic when you are holding these courses in your hands.
When to Be Positive
Here’s a thought I began to ponder a few weeks ago:
”I will remain positive and productive during the best and the worst of times.”
You may find it helpful in keeping your mind clear and your days productive.
Never tell yourself, “There’s nothing I can do.”
There is always something you can do, especially when you understand the power of prayer, visualization and the positive energy that comes through you with each and every breath.
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
Overcoming obstacles
Here’s my Monday memo:
“Overcoming obstacles is infinitely easier when you change your mental images from impossibility to probability; from there is no way to here’s the way.”
Matt Furey
Eliminates Pre-Election Anxiety
The main stream media wants everyone in panic-mode. All the time.
If it’s not something in the United States, it’s France, Germany or Russia.
If it’s not the first wave, then it’s the second, or the third. It’s its not this bug, then it’s the next one.
Everyone is out to get you and it’s not even Halloween yet. Makes you wonder who the real spooks, ghosts and goblins are.
Where’s the positive reporting on all the good going on in the world? Where’s the positive spin on what is truly positive?
Anyone can be negative. It’s as easy as chomping down a slice of pie or gorging on chocolate. But to give up negativity, that takes some thought, some imagination, some mind power.
Giving up bad habits begins with small steps. We only get one moment at a time, so I believe in giving up a bad habit for a short while (a day), then I keep extending the time frame.
For example, back on July 13, I decided to give up coffee. No particular reason other than to see how life would be without it.
I started with one day. And then, I added a day, and another. I kept adding days until I got to 108.
On day 108, I decided to have a cup of Turkish coffee. I enjoyed breaking the streak but I didn’t enjoy the coffee as much as I thought I would. What a letdown.
The next day I was back to starting another streak. How many days will I go? I don’t know. I don’t have a set agenda, other than to be conscious each day of what I am giving up and what I am adding to fill the void. [Yes, it’s important to replace a habit you don’t want to own anymore with another that you would rather embody.]
I’ve done the same with fasting. I start with a small commitment, then I add on. This approach has helped me to extend an 18-hour fast into 8 days, 5 hours and 15 minutes.
One of the greatest habits I have ever uncovered, one that makes it much easier to give up unwanted habits, or extend good ones, is the daily practice of Dao Zou – a type of moving meditation/visualization that the longest-lived people in China believe extends your life by reducing negative emotions such as grief, anger, angst and so on. It also gives your brain and nervous system a well-deserved feeling of relaxation.
It’s amazing how the program works. You don’t make any attempt whatsoever to be less negative or to feel good. You just follow the program and voila – peace of mind cometh.
Here’s an email I received recently about how much the program helps you:
Dear Matt,
I wanted to thank you for making the Dao Zou videos available. I only actually made it through the first video before starting to practice. I have now completed over 30 days and have so much more clarity, focus, better balance, inner happiness and peace than I had before. I never miss a day now…30 mins., simple breathing and a smile in my heart, as you taught. This practice has made all the difference for me in many ways.
Thanks again,
Donna
P.S. Do you do any certification to allow people to teach Dao Zou? I believe people my age (I’m 67) could really benefit.
M.F. Hi Donna. So great to hear about your results. It truly is remarkable, isn’t it? Yet… it is totally predictable. As you’ve discovered, you feel it the first day, and when you work the program regularly, the results accumulate. The idea of having a certification has entered my mind numerous times this year. I will definitely look into having one as it would be HUGE.
All for now, my friend.
Best,
Matt Furey
The Strongest Force Within You
The Creator gave us a potent and powerful force that we use to build ourselves up, tear ourselves down… or to try to remain relatively neutral.
Although this force is within us and we use it every day of our lives, it is also hidden. It’s not deliberately hidden. It’s hidden only because we haven’t been taught how to recognize it.
We don’t see it, yet it is there at all times, in every waking and dreaming moment.
This force is encoded in every mental image we form.
What we repeatedly view in our mind’s eye, what we imagine to be true about ourselves, begins to move into our lives.
Most people use this force randomly. They picture one goal today and another one tomorrow. Because so many people are inconsistent with what they picture, they get average and/or inconsistent results. But the person who consistently pictures the same idea or goal in his or her mind, this person appears to make quantum leaps.
Yet, the leaps this person makes aren’t quantum. They are predictable.
Changing your life isn’t a matter of changing your words, your beliefs or self-talk, although these ideas can help a bit.
But the biggest key to turning your life around is changing the mental imagery playing inside your mind. If the imagery doesn’t change, no amount of positive self-talk or belief changing will make a difference.
Many people have been erroneously taught that they are not “visual.” Not true. If you’ve struggled with the idea of visualization in the past, it’s not because you’re not visual. It’s because you were taught a one-size-fits-all approach to it that only works for some people.
As my clients have found, there is an easier and faster way to get started with mental imagery, one that brings results quickly, and no, it’s not closing your eyes and seeing everything in high-definition.
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
P.S. For more insights and information on visualization, take a gander at my products, Theatre of the Mind and Dao Zou.
P.P.S. Interesting in coaching, then click here.
Why Changing Your Beliefs is Unnatural
Here’s how a lot of self-development people tell you to change your beliefs.
First, you figure out what your negative self-talk is on any number of subjects. Perhaps you think you’re not good at math. Or you tell yourself you can’t write, draw or make money.
Second, you set out to change what you think of yourself. Gotta get rid of those negative beliefs.
Third, you record your negative thoughts/beliefs on paper, analyze them and figure out the opposite, which you then record as your NEW beliefs.
“I can’t play the piano” is changed to “I can play the piano.”
“I weigh 390 pounds” is changed to “I am now at my ideal weight.”
“I’m broke” is changed to “I am a millionaire.”
Tell me the truth when I ask, “How’s that working out for you?”
Chances are excellent that all the “work” you’re doing to change your beliefs isn’t bearing fruit. And there are plenty of reasons. The biggest of all is that words are not mental images.
The reason positive thinking doesn’t work is because you are only dealing with words. If your words do not match the mental images you have in your mind, positive changes will not take place.
The same goes with prayer. If you pray in a state of fear, your imagery doesn’t match your request. But if you pray in a state of confidence and faith, the power is out of this world.
Positive affirmations, for many people, are band-aids. They cover up the wound, the scar, the infection, but they do not fix anything.
The same goes for all those attempts to change your beliefs. If the image you have in your mind doesn’t shift to something much more appetizing, your beliefs will remain the same.
This is why I teach you to make no conscious effort to change your beliefs. Most of your beliefs took hold in your mind unconsciously and effortlessly, therefore, attempts to upgrade them should also be effortless and spontaneous, not forced or rehearsed.
This is where Dao Zou comes in. This program is designed to be used without effort or will power. This means it puts you into a “feel good” state without “trying.” And it doesn’t matter whether or not you believe this feel good state will happen. It just does.
Effortless effort is the idea you want to allow into your mind. Stop trying so hard to make changes in your life. Start with small stuff and build momentum; build a sense of flow. Once you have momentum, anything becomes not only possible, but doable.
Feeling good is much easier to accomplish when you engage your physical body along with your mind. The practice of Dao Zou grabs hold of your brain and nervous system and reorganizes your emotions to be much more positive and productive, naturally, without pressure or angst.
Dao Zou accelerates the practices of Psycho-Cybernetics and Theatre of the Mind substantially. That’s why I recommend it to you so often.
See it. Feel it. Become it.
Matt Furey
The Biggest Self-Help Lies
One of the four biggest lies of the self-development industry is the idea that you… must get out of your comfort zone.
In stark contrast, the book, Psycho-Cybernetics, teaches you how to GET INTO the comfort zone – not out of it.
Yesterday I spoke with a man who received poor grades in school. He had a bad experience early on that made him uncomfortable, and this experience haunted him for years.
The man was a C-student as a youth, yet when you look at what he’s accomplished since then, you’ll see that he’s a different person today.
What happened that led to his shift?
Well, in short, he FOUND his comfort zone. He studied what he wanted to learn, not what was forced upon him. Also, being he was no longer surrounded by other students and teachers that reminded him of being a C-student, he was free to grow.
Years later, in his first attempt to pass a professional exam that most people fail more than once, he aced it. A-students failed while he succeeded.
Think about it this way: Whenever you attempt to study a subject while under psychological stress, you’ll find it isn’t so easy. But if the stress is turned into comfort, the speed at which you can learn is staggering.
Children naturally and easily can learn three or more languages, simultaneously, when they grow up in a comfortable environment where more than one language is spoken.
I saw this take place in our own home. When my son was only three years of age, he could hold court in the living room, going from person to person, telling a story in English, Mandarin, Shanghainese and Sichuanese (three Chinese dialects that are only called dialects because the written characters match – even though what comes out of your mouth sounds like a different language).
Our minds are sponges. We can absorb information and learn with ease, when we are comfortable. Learning is stymied or stifled when unnecessary stress is applied.
This is why every visualization/meditation technique I teach is designed to PUT YOU INTO YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
Once you get into your comfort zone, the limits on what you can accomplish are shattered.
Yes, you can deliberately push yourself into an uncomfortable situation, but ONLY if you are INTERNALLY comfortable with the idea.
That’s how it works, my friends.
Why are some people willing to pour a five-gallon bucket of ice water over their heads while others are not willing to do so?
Why do some people travel the world while others won’t leave their hometown?
Why do some people stay up late at night, working on creating a new career, while others sleep?
The answer isn’t that they’re pushing themselves OUT of their comfort zones.
The answer is that they are comfortable with the idea of doing what others refuse to do.
This is one of many reasons I tell people to practice Dao Zou, a moving visualization/meditation that eliminates all the emotional stresses of the day, puts you into your comfort zone, and allows you to create the life you wish to live.
If you visualize when you’re NOT in your comfort zone, don’t expect anything good to come from it.
On the contrary, when you visualize while INSIDE your comfort zone, big, BIG, BIIIIIG changes take place in your life – for the better.
Dao Zou puts you into the zone, the comfort zone, without even trying. Just follow my instructions and you’ll be amazed.
See it. Feel it. Do it.
Matt Furey
Are You Alright?
One of my subscribers wrote to tell me he was outdoors, practicing Dao Zou, feeling the bliss of the moving meditation/visualization program he got from me.
A lady reported him. She didn’t understand what the man was doing.
The police showed up and asked the man if he was “alright.”
Without a shred of panic or fear, he told the cops that he was doing better than ever. They picked up on his smiling energy, smiled back and left him alone.
15 years ago I was staying at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. Each night I would practice this moving meditation in front of the hotel/casino. I don’t recall anyone looking at me funny. And if they were, I was oblivious and immune to it.
Until the final night, when someone pulled to the curb, rolled down her windows and asked, “Are you alright?”
Funny, isn’t it?
When we take time to be silent, to go within, to regroup, most people will leave you alone, but there’s always that one person who doesn’t have a clue of what to do. The person is concerned about you – and it’s good to have people who care.
The greatness of Dao Zou is it makes you so peaceful and powerful, you don’t care if people don’t understand what you’re doing. You’re in the Zone – and ain’t no better feeling than that.
Mastering your mind isn’t only sitting and thinking positive thoughts when everything is going grand. It’s getting up and moving into the Zone when things aren’t necessarily perfect, when you’re in an agitated, anxious or downtrodden state.
Sometimes when we’re sitting, if we’re filled with angst and anxiety, stress and strain, it feels much more difficult to get back into balance. But when you move, the world inside of you changes – and thus, the world outside of you, provided you do so with a meditative mindset.
As my friend, Dr. Tom Hanson, author of Play Big, put it in a recent conversation, “It gives you a different lens to look at the world.”
What lens are you using?
One that puts everything in front of you with a fear, fight or freeze response?
Or one that allows you to put the stresses of the day miles away?
Yes, it’s easy to get sucked into the negativity in the news. But it’s even easier to back away from it.
The bonus for walking away from the negativity is that you get to feel positively blissful for no reason whatsoever, the way you were as a young child.
When you were young, you didn’t need a reason to be happy. You just were.
That’s what happens when you practice Dao Zou and Theatre of the Mind.
Happy, for no explainable reason.
Ah, the joy of practice.
See it. Feel it. Live it.
Matt Furey
Fastest Way to End Overwhelm
It’s almost too simple to be believed, yet it’s true.
Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious, you are mentally picturing the wrong thing.
Most of the time, the “thing” you are picturing is yourself and the corresponding erroneous notions of not being good enough, smart enough, talented enough, and so on.
In short, you don’t believe in yourself – and you think you should.
Why?
Because that’s what everyone has told you.
“You need to believe in yourself. If you would just believe in yourself, you could do so much better.”
Today, I’m here to tell you that there’s a way out of the maze. And it’s not sitting around working on your personal beliefs.
This is a realization I arrived at one day when I watched my son and daughter accomplish feats that neither of them believed they could accomplish, beforehand. Yet, both of them did.
My son batted .506 his junior year in high school with a 24-game hitting streak. Did he believe he was going to do this ahead of time? Absolutely not.
My daughter’s involvement in ballet grew to the point where she wanted to learn pointe toe and eventually showcase her skills in The Nutcracker, even though she doesn’t have your typical ballet body.
How did the two of them accomplish these objectives if they didn’t believe they were going to?
It’s simple: They suspended their personal beliefs on the matter. They did not focus on whether or not they could or could not do it. Instead, they put their focus on the mental pictures that lead to the finish line. In short, they visualized and imagined being where they wanted to be.
I’m sure that if my son and daughter sat around thinking about their personal beliefs about their goals, they would have felt a sense of overwhelm.
Why do I say this? I say it because of all the people I have seen who are focused on themselves instead of the objective. And guess what happens to them? They get overwhelmed with negative emotions.
Their focus is on whether they are good enough, likable enough, credible enough, tall enough, fit enough, well-dressed enough, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
Meanwhile, someone who never thinks about any of the above, someone who is far less talented, good looking, etc. focuses on the objective and nails it.
Funny, eh?
Well then, what’s the way out of this mess?
It begins by reversing the erroneous notions you were taught. And the way to begin reversing them is by practicing Dao Zou – a moving meditation technique I learned over 15 years ago that I use to eliminate negative emotions of every kind.
Why do I recommend this program? I recommend it because it combines movement with visualization and deep breathing.
In short, you’re practicing what I wrote about in Theatre of the Mind, while you’re on the go. This means you’re nailing two objectives with one arrow.
One of my coaching members has been practicing Dao Zou for nearly ninety straight days, without a miss. To say his life has been transformed would be underplaying the reality of the situation.
As you move, suspend your beliefs about can or cannot, about believe or believe not. Just follow the program and you will make your own discoveries.
See it. Feel it. Live it.
Matt Furey
Psycho-Cybernetics.com
P.S. Looking for coaching on how to succeed without worrying or belly-aching over your limiting beliefs? Drop me a line and I’ll get back with you.
