Riding the exercise bike at the gym.

Even with sweat coming down profusely, I am intensely focused on the book that lays in the tray, covering my heart rate, mileage, and calorie burn report.

The book, Wealth Mentality, published in 2002 is reeeaaalllly good. 

It gets my attention with stats right out of the gate.

In 1999, Americans spent 36 billion dollars buying lottery tickets.

The television program Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was a worldwide sensation as we turned the century. Originally created in the United Kingdom in 1998, it debuted in the United States the next year, averaging a whopping 29 million viewers per night during the 1999-2000 season.

The show has become a worldwide success, with editions in the U.S., United Kingdom, India, Greece, Germany, Portugal, and Russia, as well as dozens of other countries. When a version of the program was announced in Singapore, more than 10,000 people called during the first few days in an effort to win a chance at the jackpot.

As the introduction goes on, I realize that I will NOT be putting this book down until I absorb every single word.

The Reality Check

The first chapter begins asking the question, Why Seek a Wealth Mentality? The author, Sherrin Ross Ingram, once again draws me in with facts:

• MC Hammer earned $33 million by 1990 and by 1996 was broke. (Yowsa!)

• William “Bud” Post of Oil City, Pennsylvania won a $16.2 million Pennsylvania lottery jackpot in 1988 and was broke by 1993. (My, my, my)

• Harry and Blanche Mandelbaum lost $100,000 after investing it in The Bennett Funding Group, Inc. which was involved in one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history.

Whew!

Sherrin explains that all of these individuals “acquired money without developing their minds to deal with wealth.” She then reveals the characteristics of a wealth mentality and why it is a necessity.

Okay, so I move on to chapter two.

Sherrin then poses the question– Why Seek Wealth? She defines what it means to be wealthy and then lays out the reasons why one should desire wealth. They include–

1. To be of assistance to others.

2. To give your family every opportunity to develop their full potential.

3. To experience the benefits of having the goods and services that money can buy.

4. To have some insulation from the havoc that illness, disability, and economic downturns can wreak on your personal finances and the quality of life for you and  your family.

5. To really enjoy retirement.

Needless to say, chapter two was a heavy hitter–very thought-provoking, very “Hello, I am here to shake some senses into you.” But, the chapter that almost made me get off the bike and go sit in a corner and read until the manager of the gym put me OUT was chapter three–

Why Aren’t You Wealthy Already?

Ooooo, Sherrin!

I kept thinking, I love this woman! She does not play.

She actually pinpointed the specific reasons why I, YOU, ME, WE are not wealthy at this point in time.

OUCH!

That’s all I could say.

She broke down 8 possible reasons and even though deep down inside I already knew them, somehow they were much more enlightening coming from her.

In that moment as I neared the end of my 45-minute spin, I made a decision. I decided that nothing would stop me from creating a “lasting behavioral change” as I conditioned my mind to ACT. 

It was deep.

It  still is deep.

And, I believe it will forever be deep to me….because there are so many of us who are hustling, working hard or even hardly working, who will never experience the benefits that living in a state of wealth provides in this earth realm for very simple reasons.

We will continue to justify and rationalize our struggle, our survival mentality (as Sherrin calls it), our lack. We will continue to “wing it” and hope things work out in the end.

We will console ourselves  by programming our minds to believe that wealthy people are evil, selfish, money-hungry folks who are more concerned with riches than their relationship with God.

Or, perhaps we will continue to sing, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver and gold”–refusing to accept the fact that we can have Jesus AND an evolving state of mind that produces thoughts and behaviors directed towards achieving wealth.

As Sherrin clearly explains–

A Wealth Mentality is the opposite of being consumed with thoughts about wealth. Once programmed, a Wealth Mentality allows your thoughts and behavior to work toward building and maintaining wealth automatically (i.e. without conscious thought). Your mind is left free to seek and maintain balance in other areas of your life and enjoy the fruits of your efforts. p. 11

The Question Remains

So, in this 21st Century when so much information is available on how to increase personal wealth,

Why Aren’t You Wealthy Already? 

Sherrin Ross Ingram, America’s Leading Power Strategist on BTT

 Join us on Books That Transform with Kellie Gardner & Friends, this   Thursday, January 24th at 11:oo a.m. when Sherrin Ross Ingram will spend 45 minutes schooling us on the Wealth Mentality. I have so much I want to ask her. I can hardly wait!

For more information on the Wealth Mentality, click here.

To learn more about Sherrin, click here.

Show’s Topic: The Faster and Easier Way to Achieve Wealth

I have to understand EVERYTHING.

This has been my vice ever since I could remember. One of my favorite childhood memories is riding in the car with my daddy, irritating him to death, by bombarding him with a barrage of questions. 

Every time he would answer me, it was as if the answer wasn’t good enough. So, I would ponder more and more and more. With my pondering the question, “But, why?” would always follow.

After about two or three “But Why’s?”, my dad would respond to me, gritting his teeth, trying to keep from yelling out expletives, “So, you can ask d%$@ questions!”

Oooo! That would shut me up every time.

I would sit in the passenger’s seat with a smirk on my face, knowing that I must be on to something since either he did not know the answer or he just did not think I could comprehend or handle it.

I could never understand why he was so annoyed. He was my father, my personal encyclopedia. What was his problem? Did he not know his role in my life?

Did we really need to play the Quiet Game to every stoplight?

The bottom line was that when I did not know, I asked until the answer sat well with me. And, yes, it had to sit well with me. That was something that could not be helped….like an ingrained code in my DNA.

Nevertheless, his reaction always made me laugh.

It makes me laugh even still.

Getting a Grip on Obsessive Thoughts

Unfortunately, the pondering that I did (and I am sorry to say that I still do) developed into what is commonly called obsessing. It is a strong contrast to the more positively viewed character trait of being curious.

Obsessing can be debilitating.

It is the constant replay of thoughts in your mind about a situation, an event, a puzzling behavior or reaction, or the like. Not only do you think about it over and over and over again, you analyze it to the nth degree.

Recently, while reading Living Life As An Exclamation Point by Remy Chausse, I learned that obsessive thoughts have a purpose. According to Remy, “They provide you with an opportunity to re-align with personal truths and values and find out what truly resonates with you.”  She further explains, “The key is to use the obsessive thought as a launching pad for growth….and then actually launch.”

The funny thing is I have been working on getting a grip on obsessing for some time, so when I opened her book and read the very first chapter, it was as if God had placed this book in my lap to help me see myself, understand myself, and then equip myself with strategies to make the necessary changes.

Remy spoke directly to me. How in the world did she do that?

She helped me immensely. In fact, I was in the midst of obsessing about something as I read chapter one:

Obsessive thoughts happen when your mind tries to take an irrational situation and make it rational; when you are trying to control a situation that you really can’t control. But you can accept what is, and turn those obsessive thoughts toward your vision of the life you want to create instead. When you know you are fixating on the problem, by consciously re-directing your thoughts to what you want instead of obsessing about what you don’t want, it’s easier to be calm and free of doubt.

While obsessive thoughts and doubts aren’t truth, they’re a clue to something important that’s struggling to come to the surface. What do you need to learn about you? (p.31)

Yikes!!!

I cannot tell you how those words just opened up the heavens for me. It was like being caged up in a room without windows for years and suddenly released to go outside to get some fresh air.

So, how about you?

What are you obsessing over?

• Do you have obsessive thoughts about things that you cannot control like what somebody else has done or said?

• Do you have obsessive thoughts about your own shortcomings?

•  Perhaps, you have obsessive thoughts about things you just cannot comprehend, rationalize, or explain.

The good news is at the end of the day, Remy’s advice is right on point.

You can redirect your thoughts.

In fact, God has given you and I control over our thoughts. You can actually “train your brain” to obsess on things that are beneficial for you:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. Proverbs 23:7

Flipping the Script

So, instead of obsessing over things that cause stress and uneasiness, flip the script. Obsess over those things that build you up and support you as you walk in your divine personal brand. And since you cannot have positive and negative thoughts or emotions at the very same time, choose to occupy your mind with the positive.

Hearing From You

What has been your experience with obsessing? Have you mastered the ability to obsess over “those things” the Word has told you to think about?

Interested in reading Living Life As An Exclamation Point? Head over to www.remychausse.com.

What a wonderful time we had on Blog Talk Radio, today!

Bernadette Martin, Founder of Visibility Branding, LLC, Career Transition Brand Strategist, Speaker and Author of “Storytelling About Your Brand Online and Offline” graced our ears with her branding expertise and creative power.

She called in all the way from Paris, France to teach us how important it is to “build a body of stories that will reveal your values, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills.”

Well, I learned so much from her, but importantly, really enjoyed our discussion! It’s just great to be in the company of fun, energetic, engaging individuals–even if it’s online.

Listed below are some of the questions I asked her:

1. Bernadette, you are a certified Reach Personal Brand Strategist, an amazing program created by William Arruda, the Personal Branding Guru. How did this program equip you with what you needed to help people create distinct personal brands?

2. On page 7, you state that “Storytelling has been around since the beginning of time. It was the primary medium for passing along culture, history, lore and lessons learned. Even today, anthropologists claim that 70% of everything we learn is through stories.” So, Bernadette, why is storytelling still so powerful?

3. Bernadette, one of the interesting concepts you talk about in the book is the importance of having brand ambassadors. What do brand ambassadors do and how can we ensure that we have as many as possible in our target audience?

4. Bernadette, I love the way you have managed to fuse personal branding and storytelling through The Visibility Branding Storytelling Process. Please share with us how this process works.

5. One of my favorite parts of your book is the activity called Storytelling  Inspiring Questions because 1) it reminded me of the journal prompts I would give my students when I taught elementary school to get their minds working in the morning and practice their writing skills and 2) you made me reflect and dig deep into my own experiences.

What I would like to do is show the listeners how the activity works by asking you one of the thirty-five questions you list in the book. That way, they can see the art of storytelling in action. How does that sound?

• So tell me a story about  where you developed, created, designed or invented something.

(On pages 24 and 25 of the book, Bernadette provides 35 “story prompts” that can be used to help you extract your own stories.)

 

6. Now, that you shared that story so wonderfully, I think we are now ready to learn how to use your Visibility Branding Storytelling Tool (VBST). What is the VBST and when should we use it?

7. Bernadette, today’s show is entitled Storytelling About Your Brand Online and Offline, so I would love for you to take the remainder of our time to share 2-3 ways we can tell our stories on the internet as well as 2-3 ways we can tell our stories on land and sea.

8. I  have truly enjoyed our time this morning and I am sure I’m not the only one. What kinds of products, services, or programs do you offer for those who would like to learn more from you?

The Engaging Interview

Your Time to Share

• What kinds of stories do you have in your back pocket that communicate your personal brand?
• Who might you share this interview with, today? Go ahead and do it. Here is the actual link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kelliegardner/2012/10/16/storytelling-about-your-brand-online-and-offline.
• Leave a comment about the show on iTunes at www.booksthattransform.com.

Our Next Show

Join us on Blog Talk Radio on Thursday, November 8^th at 10:00 a.m. where we will build ever so nicely on this storytelling conversation when we talk to Christine Janke, expert speech coach and author of The Well-Spoken Woman: Your Guide to Looking and Sounding Your Best. See you there!

Walt Disney.

Pioneer of animated cartoon films. Most successful industrialist in history.

Steve Jobs.

Creative genius. Inspiring mentor of our generation.

If you read the biographies of these visionaries, you will find that even as young children, they were moving towards the vision. It was as if they just knew they were destined for greatness from the very beginning; and as a result, almost everything they did served a useful purpose.

For example, at a very young age, Walt Disney demonstrated great skill with drawing and painting using crayons and watercolors. While as a young boy, Steve Jobs worked with his father in their family garage, constructing and deconstructing electronics. Early on, both youngsters unknowingly spent time setting the foundation for pursuits that before their birth could only be imagined.

Actually, when you take a look at their lives, the irony in how similar they are is chilling. Both gentlemen consistently and steadily accomplished amazing firsts; overcame extreme setbacks; founded profitable companies; established iconic brands; demonstrated a level of creativity that others would at best, imitate and try to duplicate; and, both left this world still in pursuit of even a higher dimension of excellence.

I actually get goose bumps when I think about it.

Walt Disney Valued His Time

According to all records on Disney, at an early age, he aspired to be a newspaper cartoonist. So, he studied cartooning in a correspondence school, took classes at Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design, and even served as a photographer and artist for his high school newspaper. His other jobs included being a draftsman and inker in commercial art studios, from time to time.

You see?

He was always participating in activities that improved upon his skillset, preparing him for the next level; and, when he decided that he would rather be a cinematographer, he kept it moving. He took up residence in California and began producing various series of short animated films amongst other things.

His commitment to his craft gave us Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy, and so much more.

Get The Full Commentary

To read more of this post, click here:  Lessons From Walt Disney and Steve Jobs-2

Watch the Video on Marketing Metamorphosis, My YouTube Channel.

Before you go….

• Do you consider yourself a visionary? If so, have you always known what it is you were called to do?
• Are you a good steward of your time? Why or why not?
• Who do you have in your life who is assisting you towards the fulfillment of the vision?

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