Dear friends and clients,
This week I am continuing with the twenty strategies I think are key to having a life filled with joy and satisfaction. They are part of my upcoming book "Wake up, Jump into your life."  Let's start...

Wake up, Jump into your life - A Journey into Self Observation

By Steve Lentini
 

 Twenty Strategies for a Life of Joy, Satisfaction and Success

So let's take a look at Strategy Nine and Ten this week.

Strategy 9 - Give what you want to get.

This is a challenging concept to live by. We have been brought up in a competitive society that says it's "dog eat dog out there," "survival of the fittest," "compete or die," "take what you want" or "get the business before someone else does." All of these old sayings are based on the idea that there is "not enough to go around" and yet is that really our experience? It wasn't all that long ago that the whole world's population was less than that of China's today and yet we continue to feed more and more people. In the sixties, I remember (I'm dating myself here) when the newspapers had stories weekly fretting about "how were the baby boomers going to find jobs? Where were they all going to come from?" and yet today over 95% of the US population is employed. (and that does not count those with two jobs or those who work under the table). The Universe is abundant. The sooner that we realize that there is plenty of everything, the sooner we are able to give without worrying how it will return. Giving what you want to get is about more than money. Money is certainly a big factor in most people's lives. You could experiment with giving what you want to get without using money to prove this Universal Law for yourself and in the process "Wake up" to one factor that is blocking your success, joy and happiness.

Whatever you want to get in life, give it first. Start with the end in mind. Think about anything you would like to get. You could start with your spouse or significant other for example. Let's say you wanted to feel understood then you would start by giving your spouse more understanding. Let's say you wanted "to be heard" at work, you would listen more, giving your undivided attention to all those around you at work. Let's say you wanted more friends, you would become more of a friend to others. Let's say you wanted more money, you would start giving more money. By giving more of all of the above, you would be changing and things change when you change. You could prove this concept to yourself in a short time without giving more money and then you could experiment with money in the same way. Give more, get more. Give without expecting a return, especially from who or where you give it. Just know that "what goes around, comes around" (remember that old saying?). Cause and Effect. What kind of harvest can someone who plants the seed of a "taker" expect in the long term? What would the eulogy of a "taker" sound like? Now that is truly starting with the end in mind.

If you died tonight, what would your eulogy sound like? Giver or taker? Which one sounds more powerful?

Giving what you want to get is more powerful because you cannot give what you do not have. Giving something has the power of faith behind it. You give something because you believe you have plenty to spare and share. The Universe assumes that you have plenty and this faith assures that you will get more. How do you feel when you give? People share in my seminars that when they give they feel great. Why is that? It is because that is how we are hard wired. Deep down we know the power of giving. Over time we are taught by a "lack mentality" that surrounds us that we have to "hang onto what we have worked hard for." Really now, do you know anyone who died and took it with them? How did hanging onto it help them? Everything in this world expands with giving. If we all started to hang on to everything we had tomorrow, what would the world look like? In a very short period of time, we would see super contraction. Imagine everyone holding on to everything that came their way, no giving. See how absurd? Get the picture?  Relax, have some fun, loosen your grip, give what you want to get.

Unless, that is, you do not want more of anything.

Strategy 10 - Tithing

Most people are very uncomfortable by this subject. Too spiritual or religious. Really? Have you ever done research on who has tithed?

Let me give you some examples. John D. Rockefeller, Robert Allen,  Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Mellon, Carnegie... Are you seeing a pattern here? I had been tithing 10% of my income to my source of spiritual guidance for three years when I had a serious health challenge that put me out of work for six months. After one month in the hospital, checks started to flow in. Over the next four months I received over $24,000 in the mail. Now mind you, it was not money owed to me, it was money that came to me while I rested. Some of the wonderfully generous people that heard of my challenge mailed checks of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 and even a few $1000.00 dollar checks.

You do not have to give 10% of what you earn. You can start by giving a small amount of what you have left after all your bills are paid and you have saved. Experiment. Give to the person or organizations that support your spiritual growth. Be patient. You are planting the seeds of a giver. Don't plant the seeds of a giver and stand over the seeds shouting "Ok, I gave, where is my harvest?" You wouldn't plant a tomato seed and stand over it, shouting for a tomato, would you? The cycle of tithing takes longer than the cycle of a tomato. Just keep planting and do it whenever money comes in. In that way you are "tending to the field." That kind of giving takes faith. Your giving honors your Source, whatever Source is for you. Tithing helps you to acknowledge that there is a power in the Universe that is greater than you. (there is a power greater than you, just look around at the miracles in nature, if you don't believe me) Occasionally I think, "let me hang onto this money and pay a bill," and then I immediately send out the tithe. Typically, very soon afterwards, a new client shows up or some unexpected money surprise arrives. My business continues to grow by word of mouth. I do no advertising. Since August, I got phone calls from three clients who worked with me one, two and three years ago and they either signed on with new programs or referred someone else to work with me for a total of over $12,000 plus potential for much, much more.

Today, I know that my job is to see the big picture and let the Universe fill in the details. Tithing helps me stay focused on my job and to stay off of "worrying how it will get done." Do you know what? It gets done and it's getting done. Tithing removes the feeling of resistance in my body and keeps me open to receive all of the energy of the Universe. I have a power to create like never before. But don't take my word for it. Read about the people I have mentioned above. Get the "One Minute Millionaire" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. They also wrote the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. Does that sound familiar? Or perhaps you like feeling resistance, feeling joyless? Maybe you like the feeling of "having to do it all" by yourself?

By the way, John D Rockefeller's first tithe was $9.00. Over his lifetime he tithed over $560,000,000.00 (that's $560 million dollars!).

Probably just dumb luck.

Be well,

Steve

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 The class looks like this:

1. Guided visualization and meditation. (1/2 hour)

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3. Communicating for Success, based on my book, "Easy Selling." (45 mins.)

4. Goals. Each person states what they are willing to be held accountable to accomplish during the two week period between classes or pay a fine to their goals partner. (15 mins.)

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