I was watching this program on TV last night about a drug that helps people to wake up. Apparently it’s a $billion dollar industry with more and more people taking it every day. So this program had scientists test it out to see how it compared with caffeine! Result, it has no more waking up power than a cup of coffee. So it had me thinking.
What the heck is wrong with us?! That we can’t wake up. I remember reading once about Elvis, that he ended up taking drugs to wake him up, and drugs to make him fall asleep and look what happened to him. I mean I love Elvis and his music–but I don’t think the waking up and falling asleep drugs helped him much.
So if you are tempted to get a drug to help you wake up, stop for a moment. Here is a simple way to do it. It takes a small amount of preparation, but then what doesn’t if you want to live an amazing life? Step One: Go to bed, close your eyes and go to sleep. Step Two: Wake up in the morning and open your eyes. Step Three: Leap out of bed, excited and ready to start the day. Step Four: If you can’t get in touch with the wonderfulness of being alive–grab yourself a cup of coffee.
If none of that works, go grab a copy of Super Service. I remember when I wrote that book I kept having this recurring theme which runs throughout the book, “Wake Up!” The first time it is mentioned is at the bottom of page 4: “…the secret weapon is to wake up.. in the Super Service definition, ‘waking up’ means being conscious of the fact that we are all in the soup of life together. It means opening our eyes wide in the morning and saying, ‘Yippee, I’m still on the planet!’”
Let’s wake up and have a great time in our life. Because remember, it doesn’t get any easier or better later on–we just get older for goodness sake. I am also saying this to me, so although I sound a little bit like a school teacher or a parent–I think that is what you and I need to hear. It’s Saturday today, and if you are at work or at home, let’s make it the best Saturday we have ever had! Rock N Roll Val
February 17th, 2007
I’ve noticed that the jobs I put off get bigger and bigger in my mind until they are overwhelming. Whereas if I do them as soon as I get them–they get done and I can get on to other things. Like my office space. I was feeling for a while that I needed to get more organized. I have a filing system, but it was outdated. I had folders for things I didn’t use anymore, and no folders for things I did use. So yesterday I took action.
Today I feel great because my desk is clean and organized. Everything is in it’s place and everything has a place. The thing of it is…it didn’t even take me very long to do it. I just got a big plastic bag to throw away all the stuff I didn’t need–a magic marker to make new labels–and I turned old folders inside out to reuse them–after all why not save a tree or two!?
I also realized that I don’t actually need to keep as much stuff in paper format–I have all my book eidts, proposals and contracts on the computer, so I only need one small filing cabinet.
So with a clean desk, a clean space I now have an uncluttered mind. Today, I can begin new tasks and projects knowing that everything else is taken care of….well, not exactly. There are closets to do, but then again there is always something to do–that’s the wonderful thing about life. I am just making my mind up to do it sooner rather than later., after all everything starts with a thought. Have great thoughts today! Rock N Roll Val
February 16th, 2007
What I love so much about this life is that there is so much going on. Round the corner from where we live in Chicago is this huge park district which has an ice-rink, tennis courts, keep-fit, yoga, swimming and on and on. So I was there last night playing tennis and after it was over I sat down on the bench and noticed this little old lady bending over, putting on a pair of ice-skates. She was tiny and frail and I had the thought, My God! Surely she can’t be going on the ice!?
Then I noticed other people putting on skates…young and old, big and small all preparing for the ice–ordinary people out skating on a week night. So I waited to see how my little old lady would fare. She was obviously a happy person who had lived it seemed to me a happy life. She knew some of the other skaters and was chatting and smiling so I guessed she must come here often.
Walking on skates across the hard floor is a wobbly event and again, I thought, wow, this is like a kind of miracle. And what was so amazing to me, was that as soon as she got on the ice–she sailed off as graceful, smooth and fast as any ice skater I have seen on TV. There she was, doing twirls and figures of eight with arms outstretched and her red woollen scarf streaming behind her like a banner saying, ‘You Can Do Anything You Want.’
I love it! At any moment there are people enjoying life and living it to the full. So that’s going to be my focus for today, live life to the full. Enjoy the richness and diversity that it has to offer. Look for the good in people and good people will show up. Love the life you lead and you will lead a loving life! Rock N Roll Val
February 15th, 2007
I sometimes wish I was the kind of person who woke up every morning full of happiness and joy. That I could open my eyes and think, “Wow! It’s a new day–how lucky am I to be on the planet! I am going to leap out of bed and have the best day I have ever had!” No..for me, I have to work at it. Like this morning I woke up worrying. I don’t ask for the worry, I don’t want the worry, it just happens. Pop, my eyes open and the first thing that comes into my head is worry.
Thank goodness I know about the brains. I know that when I am worrying I am in my animal brain and that I have to reach for a thought that makes me feel better. So that I can switch to my human brain and let all the good feelings flood into my mind. And the great thing is that it works. Once I start reaching for a thought that feels better, then that thought triggers more thoughts that make me feel better. It’s really quite simple, the thing is what triggers these two brains in the first place, and why cant I wake up already in my human brain.
I don’t have an answer. I suppose it could be that I watched the news before I went to bed, and that kind of infiltrated my mind while I was asleep. Or it could be that I am still in class 101 when it comes to switching from my animal to my human brain. The great thing is that at least I am in the class! I do know how to switch. I know that when I think about something good, like being hugged by my beautiful grandchildren, or playing a good game of tennis, or reading an uplifting book, then I feel better, happier, more full of joy.
And I believe that this feeling of joy is the natural way we are all meant to be. To wake up and smell the coffe or the roses or whatever makes you feel good. So what makes you happy? What gives you joy? What brings you passion and fullfillment? These are all the things that will help you switch to your human brain. Think good thoughts and let the Law of Attraction take over–that which is likened to itself is drawn. Good thoughts attract more good thoughts which attract more good thoughts, and now you are in your human brain, now you can operate from love, joy, peace, happiness and acceptance. Rock N Roll Val
February 14th, 2007
Have you heard those people who talk about the weather like it’s something that’s out to make their life a misery? “Oh No–it’s snowing!” Only to hear those same people in the summer say, “It’s too hot!” I think it’s called being a victim to the weather. Well this morning, I was almost one myself. I woke up and it was indeed snowing and I thought, “Oh No–it’s snowing. I’m going to have to shovel. Will I get stuck again getting out of the garage like I did last year? I should move to Arizona.”
Then I remembered when I was a kid I had a completely different point of view about snow “It’s snowing–can I go out and build a snowman? Can I sledging after school? Can I wear my snow boots?”
It got me to thinking about my point of view. I can be miserable and a victim about the weather–which by the way–always affects every other aspect of my life so that I end up being unhappy with every sitatuation and event that comes my way, or I can be happy and joyfilled about the weather and have an amazing life. I decided in that moment to ’switch’ to my human brain and let go of my ‘what can go wrong in the snow’ thoughts, and bring in ‘how beautiful the snow is’ thoughts.
It all comes back to that Law of Attraction. That which is likened to itself is drawn. I can draw having an amazing day to mayself, or I can draw having a miserable day to mayself. It’s my day. My thoughts. And today is going to be the best day of my life! Rock N Roll Val
February 13th, 2007
To move or not to move? We were talking about moving our office and moving our home and it was getting such a difflicult decision whether to do it or not. Looking at the pros and cons etc., etc. Then I remembered what we teach about decision making. How does it make you feel? Are you struggling or are you going with the flow of life? For me I realized I was definately struggling.
Once I took a breath and connected with my feelings, I realized that I love the creative process of writing books, writing outlines for our radio broadcasts and doing keynotes. I do not like the thought process of whether to move or not. So right then and there I decided to put my energies into doing the things I love and all the other stuff will naturally fall into place.
Whether we move or do not move is of little importance. It’s just something we thought about doing. We can stay in our home and keep the office where it is. Everything is working very well. What I want to do is put my focus and energy into writing our next book which is about team building. Getting sponsors for our radio show, and launching our latest book OPEN Question Selling. So do what makes you happy. Give up the struggle of life and go with the flow.
It doesn’t make sense to paddle upstream and struggle with life. Do the things that make you happy. Do the things that bring joy into your life. Yes, of course we have to do some things we don’t necessarily want to….like for me paying bills. And even that I can turn around by thinking, “I am keeping the economy going. I am working and giving a contribution to society. I am caring for my friends, family and coworkers.” It doesn’t get much better than that!
Rock N Roll Val
February 12th, 2007