Month: March 2012

The Difference Between Paying Attention

Garth Beyer
Quoted from: http://vi.sualize.us/oj/

There is one huge difference between a person who pays attention and one that does not.

  • The one who does not pay attention has the excuse that it’s there first time trying something new.
  • The one who does pay attention succeeds the first time trying something new and get’s labeled as a natural.

When it comes down to it, getting labeled as a natural is rather, unnatural. People fail to see that you worked hard to pay attention so that you could fulfill the task without having to be told how to do it correctly.

Successful people do not fail to pay attention.

Successful people do not give the excuse that it is their first time.

Successful people take every opportunity to watch and learn how to do something the right way before even getting their hands dirty.

Most importantly, successful people don’t give a damn that their hard work goes unnoticed.

Stay Positive and Emulate Yourself To Success

Garth E. Beyer

The Seven Step Technique To Getting Everything You Want, Literally.

Garth Beyer

If you can, I’d love to read any evidence you may have that disclaims the statement that what you focus on expands. Of course, there are various ways to say it: Where your attention goes, energy flows. What you think, so shall it be. However you say it, this is the key to acquiring absolutely anything you want, but too many people only get half of the technique. They believe that by only focusing on something that they will attract it. Contrary to belief, to truly follow through with the technique to get everything you want you have to think about what you want in thousands of different ways. Simply focusing on it in one way will not get you what you desire. The preceding actions are the seven steps you can take to focus in on what you want in different ways. We will use a new Mac computer for the example.

“action is just another way to focus on what you want”

1. Research

Don’t only think about the item you want, get specific with it! What details do you want?  How would you describe the item to someone who specializes in creating  it? How do you want it? Research the type of Mac you want, gain knowledge of the computers spec’s, operation system, software, graphics card, screen dimensions, amount of RAM, what battery it uses, how much the charging device is, what extras can you buy for it… and on and on and on.

2. Visualize

Let go of that image you have of the Mac at the Apple store. Why visualize it being there? You don’t want it there! You want it on your lap right? Or on your desk? Do you have a desk for it? To use the step of visualization, you have to picture having the item in a 24 hour period. Before going to sleep, visualize in the morning where that Mac is going to be when you wake up, when will you get on it, when are you going to bring it in to the living room, how are you going to take it to work, who else will use it throughout the day, what do you need it for, what outlet will you use to charge it? Visualize, frame by frame, where and how the Mac is going to be used. Speak and act as if you already have what you want.

3. Materialize

Also known as the action step. There are two factors in the materializing step. The first is going to the Apple store and getting your hands on the Mac. Get to know it, treat it to a date, type on those keys like you are trying to serenade it. This will also help with step two since you can visualize the real thing, not just a picture of it. The second factor of materialization is to begin taking action on what you can do to get the Mac. Do you need to work over time? Do you have money saved? This is not only when you need to ask how you are going to get the Mac, but to actually take the action steps to materialize it.

4. Ask questions

This is likely the easiest step. Begin going into the Apple store and asking about the Mac. Ask what others think about it. Surround yourself with questions and answers about what you desire.

5. Communicate

Talk with your loved ones and announce your desire. Share with everyone you meet that you will soon be getting a Mac. You will be surprised, that no matter what item it is you want, there will always be someone who has something to talk to you about it. They say actions speak louder than words, but actions still mean little without words to back them up. A person who goes and buys the Mac may be viewed as an impulse consumer, one that doesn’t think things through. A person who talks about going to buy a Mac and how they have asked questions about it, took action steps, visualized it, and researched it can only be envied and respected.

6. Plan

This step is simply put in for you to get excited. After attaining the first 5 steps, the 7th follows instinctively. But it’s worth shaking things up and creating for yourself the most happiness possible. Get yourself worked up that you will go get your Mac next Saturday at 6:30pm with your best friend. Hold out on yourself for a couple days to get yourself truly worked up and ecstatic about acquiring the Mac.

7.  Attain

Most often, you will not have to take this step. It takes itself for you because you have already taken every thought and action possible to get yourself a Mac.

Now that you got your Mac, what’s next? 1981 Corvette T-Top? That lake-view home you noticed last week? There is nothing too big or too small that this 7 step process of manifesting can’t give you. Possibilities are endless

 

Stay Positive and I Always Like To Follow Up With A 2-step. Who Says You Can’t Celebrate With A Little Private Dance?

Garth E. Beyer

How To Utilize The Hammer(s) Of Confidence To Nail The Interview

Garth Beyer

I recently got a promotion at work after interviewing for the Grants Specialist position. Ironically, I was already doing the majority of the tasks for that position since the previous Grants Specialist left. At the same time, a friend was preparing for her interview to be hired as a personal trainer.

Nervousness.

That was the basis of our conversations about the interviews we were going to have. A friend explained how hard she was studying the fitness assessment routines. She would repeatedly practice them, over and over and over. Not to mention, I was the victim. She went over the routines so many times because she was nervous that she would be judged. She feared getting criticized and told she was doing it wrong. It was destroying her confidence.

Persistence and practice though, will not cure you of your nervousness no matter how greatly you have the routine down. The lesson learned with her interview: Interviews are not meant to critique you or to point out the negatives. They are performed to see what you got, to see your personality and your skills and what you have to bring.

Going in with the attitude that you will be interviewed by a critic destroys the confidence necessary to show you are perfect for the job. In order to nail the interview, use this mindset as a tool – a hammer of confidence, if you will.

On the other hand, I learned in my interview that I should have rehearsed more and practiced. While I still got the job, I did not feel ready enough for the interview. I forgot that we were given two hands to hold two kinds of hammers.

1st Hammer: Her lesson taught you how to correctly and positively view an interview so that your confidence is at its peak and the interview goes smoothly.

2nd Hammer: While I was trying to teach her that lesson, I failed to learn hers and I did not prepare enough (to my own standards) for the interview.

By wielding these two hammers of confidence, you will without a doubt, Nail the interview.

Stay Positive and Hammer On

Garth E. Beyer

A Symbol Of Good Fortune

Garth Beyer

The Four-Leaf Clover

History and Origin

The symbolic meaning of the four-leaf clover has a definite origin. It is most commonly associated to the holiday of St. Patrick’s Day. Though, many celebrate it, few know of the true relationship between Patrick and the clover. “Patricius, better known as Patrick, is remembered today as the saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland, the teacher who used the shamrock to explain the trinity, and the namesake of annual parades in New York and Boston” (Cagney). Now, one can see that this explained the symbolic meaning of a regular three-leaf clover. Patrick attached each leaf of the clover to God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When the fourth leaf is found, it represents god’s grace (Clover Specialty Company). Not only does the significance of the clover relate to Saint Patrick’s analogy, but it also references the bible. “When Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden, Eve snatched a four-leaf clover as a remembrance of her days in Paradise” (Wallechinsky). This, in a way, agrees with St. Patrick’s representation of the clover in regards to its association with religion. “The clovers also occupied a position in the cultural life of early peoples. White clover in particular was held in high esteem by the early Celts of Wales as a charm against evil spirits” according to N.L. Taylor of Clover Science and Technology (Clovers Specialty Company). Also, Druids held the 4 leaf clover in high esteem and considered them a sign of luck. In 1620, Sir John Melton wrote: “If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.” (Clovers Specialty Company).

Cultural Transfer and Transformation

If one decides to credit St. Patrick for giving the meaning to the four leaf clover, one will often have arguments with those who believe its meaning was derived from the bible. This occurs because St. Patrick was known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, as stated before. This event by St. Patrick gives a background meaning to the clover through St. Patrick’s accomplishments. That meaning can be argued with common knowledge of the bible that Satan took the form of a snake in order to deceive Eve. So, those who believe that the clover has relevance to St. Patrick’s ability to drive away the snakes of Ireland, are shut down by saying the clovers in the Garden of Eden did not drive the snake away.

“The shamrock and its kin may actually turn out to be a much more practical than magical harvest. Cattle eat it, bee’s use its nectar and soil grows richer in its presence” (Sohn). The realistic perspective of the four-leaf clover, connected with the rarity of the plant, makes it a symbol of good luck. “The rarity of the plant (at one time) contributed to its value, although seeds which grow only four-leaf clovers are now available (Wallechinsky). According to Yoke and Zoom, The four leaf clover is a mythical symbol of good fortune, caused by a rare genetic mutation produced in an average of 1 in 10,000 clovers (Yoke). Though the overall meaning of “luck” is still universal, it has also been added to. Each leaf now symbolizes something different. One leaf is for faith, the second for hope, the third for love, and the fourth for luck (Clovers Specialty Company).

As it is clear, the symbol and its significance originated in Ireland by St. Patrick, and was introduced to the U.S. when Irish immigration to New York City took place during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s (Beau). When symbols are shared between cultures, it is natural for them to change slightly. While the original significance of each clover was faith, hope, love and luck, American culture invited the symbolism of the four-leaf clover into one of their sayings on the luck of the clover. “One leaf for fame, one leaf for wealth, and one leaf for a faithful lover, and one leaf to bring glorious health, are all in a four-leaf clover” (Wallechinsky).

Contemporary Cultural Meaning

The mystique of the four leaf clover persists today, since discovering a real four leaf clover is still a rare event and sign of good luck. Today, most commonly each leaf of the clover still represents the four meanings of faith, hope, love and luck. There are those still who perceive it in a religious sense of the trinity and god’s grace. This symbol is used in a variety of ways, from being tattooed on one’s body, to molded into good luck coins, to being displayed on post cards wishing others good fortune.  The symbolic meaning of the four-leaf clover is the same throughout the world. The clover is found across the globe, most species are found in the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but many also occur in South America and Africa, particularly at high altitudes in the tropics (Bradley). It is clear that the way American culture was introduced to the four-leaf clover and its significance, is the same way that all of these other locations have come to have the same opinion of the clover. Now, there may not be a different meaning between cultures, but rather, some may find no meaning out of a four leaf clover. Pete Hamill, writer for the Wall Street Journal says,

“For many Irish-Americans (I’m one of them), the shamrock is part of the green-beer-kiss-me-I’m-Irish nonsense that engulfs us all on St. Patrick’s Day and causes some of us to stay home,lock the door and watch a Fellini movie. When we see a plastic shamrock, our hearts don’t swell with pride or defiance; we don’t inflate with a rush of self-importance; we don’t cheer or weep. We are indifferent. Usually, the pasting of a shamrock upon the signboard of some bogus Irish pub is a symbol of only one thing: a complete and utter failure of imagination.”

One would surely agree with Hamill. Though, there are others that have the same attitude for other symbols as well. There will always be someone that disagrees with something. Part of what Hamill is saying is true. Do you remember the last time you remembered the origin of the four-leaf clover and the greatness and luck it offers you when you sat in McDonalds drinking your shamrock shake?

 

 

 

Works Cited

Beau, Dure. “Words heat up for colossal Shamrock-Slice showdown.” USA Today n.d.: Academic Search                Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Feb. 2011

Bradley, David. “Where to Find a Four-leaf Clover.” Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David      Bradley. 31 Oct. 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/five-leaf-             clovers.html>.

Cagney, Mary. “Patrick The Saint.” Christian History 17.4 (1998): 10. Academic Search Premier.    EBSCO. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.

Clover Specialty Company. “Facts about Four-leaf Clovers.” Clovers Online / Buy Lucky 4 Leaf Clover        and Shamrock Gifts, Plants and More! 2001. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.             <http://www.fourleafclover.com/vshop/facts_about_4-leaf_clovers.html>.

Hamill, Pete. “Diversity Blarney.” Wall Street Journal – Eastern Edition 12 Aug. 1999: A22. Academic        Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.

Sohn, Emily. “The roots of good luck.” U.S. News & World Report 130.11 (2001): 51. Academic Search     Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.

Wallechinsky, David, and Irving Wallace. “Trivia on Origins of Good Luck Charms Four-Leaf Clovers |      Trivia Library.” Trivia on Movies, Music, TV, Sports, Science & More | Trivia-Library.com.            1975. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <http://www.trivia-library.com/a/origins-of-good-luck-charms-four-   leaf-clovers.htm>.

Yoke, and Zoom. “Cell, London Zeigt N55  / Yoke and Zoom in London – Ausstellungen in Kunstaspekte.”               Künstler Kuratoren Galerien Museen Ausstellungen in Kunstaspekte. 25 June 2005. Web. 18 Feb.                2011. <http://www.kunstaspekte.de/index.php?tid=25685&action=termin>.

Business Development: How To Handle Construction & Improvements

Garth Beyer

When you are doing construction on your business, blog or yourself you need to remember that construction is the biggest event that goes viral with word of mouth.

Do you notice that when there are road construction workers starting, you get notified by someone or you notify someone. Wait…

it’s not just one person who tells you or you tell, its everyone you see. Everyone at work, everyone that you think it may have the slightest effect on.

The same happens with your life and business, when you are under construction, not only can every see it, not only will everyone spread the word, but the worst…they will all detour.

The biggest difference between road construction and business/self construction? After the road is repaired, people go back to driving on it. After you finish your construction, very few will come back. Just like you have to plan when you are going to launch new products, you have to plan your construction periods. There are two times when you need to do construction and there are proper ways to handle both. After following through, you will not only see all your old customers and friends come back, but they will bring back with them other friends and prospects.

1. When you have a mishap that needs to be correct immediately.

You have to beat the word of mouth spreading that there has been a hiccup. Not only that, but the word of mouth you want to be spreading is that you were quick to make the correction and in doing so, used the opportunity to also make an improvement for all to benefit from. You can’t expect no one to notice the small bump in the road and the thing about small bumps is that the more people that notice it, the bigger it gets. It’s much more cost + time efficient to correct and improve the little matters immediately than having them lead to the second type of construction.

2. When it’s time to fix pot holes and make new improvements.

These construction events need to be planned and sometimes, even promoted. But you can’t stop there, on top of promoting the construction, to win the customers over, you have to provide the perfect detour plan for them while offering them rewards for their patience and for breaking their routine. Shame on you for letting it get that bad! Or… rather not. When you hear a business making huge improvements or incorporating a large update, not only do you get excited yourself for the new improvements, but you share that excitement. Of course, if the business follows through with the steps mentioned above, not only will you keep a connection with the business, not only will the people you tell and share the excitement with go and connect with the business but most importantly, with the new update the business will have more than doubled the word of mouth viral effect which promotes itself.

In the end, it does not matter what people read, it does not matter what people write – what does matter is what they say to each other. Are they telling each other to detour your business because you didn’t respond quickly enough to an accident (Customer service)? Or are they complaining to each other about the new update that took place that they didn’t hear about or get an incentive for (anyone still getting mad at all the Facebook updates)?

I mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again, there is no greater cause and effect than announcing, preparing, providing and rewarding people when you go under construction which results with the reverse domino affect; One overly-positive correction and improvement made by the business (you) will make all the other domino’s (people) find their way to you.

Stay Positive and Turn Your “Under Construction” Moments Into Tipping Points

Garth E. Beyer

Reverse Domino Effect

 

The Success Journey With Views That Never Cease

Garth Beyer

I constantly strive for success, whatever “success” may be. I typically leave it up to the reader to decide what “success” means since we all have a different personal definition for it. Although, I bet that we can all agree that success is a journey, it’s never a destination we will reach.

Unfortunately, just as you would burn out repeatedly going after the same thing in life, the “same thing” in this case is the success journey.

So why would you go after something so universal that can never be achieved and that clearly is not oblivious to frequent spasms of exhaustion?

Happiness.

Too often people ask what happiness is and think that as soon as one feels truly happy, that happiness disappears. Well, let me share with you a little secret, or rather a big secret… actually it’s the biggest secret about the success journey and happiness.

Happiness is the periodic result of your journey to success. The more you succeed in the journey of success, the longer the happiness lasts. That realization you have that you are happy and after, when you no longer are, that is the universe telling you to get going on your success journey again.

My Personal Story: I strive for success, constantly, and I go as hard as I can at it. I’m often criticized for it too because (and I agree with) the word success is too broad. It has no definition. What exactly do you want to succeed in? Regardless, I go at it, whatever “success” is to me. Well, after I go on my success journey for a long enough period, instead of continuing and burning out, I pull back and reap the reward for my work: happiness. And when my true happiness expires, the success journey begins again.

 

Stay Positive and Take The Long Road, You’ll Be More Happy You Did

Garth E. Beyer

Why The Most Famous Writers, Thinkers and Artists Were All Hypnagogia Hallucinators, Narcoleptics and Crack Addicts

Garth Beyer

No, really they just knew how to create legendary ideas in their Hypnopomic, lucid dreaming, state. They were tired but wired to great ideas. (Often thought of being crack addicts and narcoleptic because of their outlandish behaviors, out-worldly ideas and out-of-mind-into-mouth slander of which they eventually became famous for)

I will bet that you have had this sensation as well. Let me explain further,

Have you ever stayed up really late in order to accomplish a task, possibly an essay and quickly dominated it with creativity? or it was just extremely late and you decided you would draw before bed and turned out you were in the body of Van Gogh? Or even more simply, you just stayed up really late and started thinking about random genius ideas? You were likely hallucinating in your hypnagogia state: The other hallucinogenic state that no one knows about – which will still make you famous.

“It’s fun staying up late. It makes your mind all funky. Some things just can’t be perceived unless we’re mentally and physically exhausted”

When you get to that degree of sleepiness, your subconscious begins to elevate as if you were on the verge of sleep. By writing, painting, and creating when you are this tired, you are letting information about preposterous concepts, that are typically blocked by conscious thoughts and distractions, become manifestations. That is why the state is also called the borderland of sleep.

In real time, you are actually contemplating, mulling over and creating a synapses of ideas that, deep down, you truly want to consider, but were previously blocked from consideration by the conscious. In this sense, you are letting your mind to revert back to its original state of limitless possibilities.

Another example to help you connect with this irrational idea (it’s irrational right now because you are most likely not reading this at 1:00 am in the morning. Please read again and participate in the activity at the end of this post at 1:00 am tomorrow)

The Tetris Affect:  I am sure you can remember when you went to sleep and your dreams were consumed with the events that most recently occurred. The Tetris Affect occurs when you go to sleep and begin dreaming of the subject that was of the greatest intensity and focus; both throughout the day and more importantly right before sleep. I had this happen to me the other day when I finally played Basketball outside (Spring has Sprung). It was the highlight of my day and the event that took place near bedtime. The combination of the two lead to the Tetris Affect. Guess what my dreams were of?

I found this resource to be very communicative at describing steps to induce yourself into the lucid state of dreaming, but in more honesty, nothing beats simply staying up late and letting it happen naturally.

There is no greater process than breaking the night time-sleep version of a runners high. No greater feeling then losing your ego, feeling a reverse black hole in your brain, feeling heightened sensitivity and stimulation, feeling an internal detachment from the physical and mental environment turning into a fast paced sin wave of psych and unbounded subjectivity.

Below you will find a free writing session I had after I stayed up past 2:30am writing an essay. What works for me with hypnagogia and may work for you, is that in addition to thinking of genius ideas for the world, our lives and more often then naught, essays – I also end up creating a flow of unorthodox free writing segments which I later refer to as a resource to add quirkiness, randomness and brilliance to my prose and poetry when I am not writing in the sleep state. I hope you enjoy and I would love to read the Hypnagogia stories you write.

If I climbed a tower for every bottle of wine I’ve broken, I’d be 24 Eiffel towers high, i would make the sky seem low making time feel slow, so i wrote this note and this is how it goes .. sunshine is racing to the green terrace my mind is pacing, slanted trees, thoughts slow as a breeze, caught in every intricate corner of my frame, wicked webs holding me in- sane. Causing me to smirk, at my mighty fine work, As i dance on the dust of wishes being whispered and lost, pleading for the arrival of this out worldly superstitious survival, oh. just watch me walk across this river, as the children turn the world upside down on the monkey bars and snicker, this life just a faithful conception of a falsely figured illusion.

soaring to the outskirts of the demands, being made in this world by suffocating gentlemen hand-shaken, the relevance of what lies below makes no sense to them, if any the transcendence to the most fathomable possibilities is slow, yet the camera can take snapshot after snapshot. the blank canvas creeps to such an alternative degree that even if the light above your head flashed you could not see. the depravities of the selfless inner case, can not be transferred unless a whole is cut through the base, the prescribed perception only lies, and some people dance and some people die.

the tsunami castled the overlord under sheets of white, just to caress the current – lover, only for the moon to rise, and wish forever, more pleasant constellations each night, the wash could not have came in closer contact with one another. for you have my heart forever, forever my heart has you, entwined more intricately then the labyrinth of your crystal eyes, the wave covered in a shade of immortality, the deepest sense of passionate disguise, the curtains curtsied in pleasant surprise, and so the story fin’s. end of the nigh.

Stay Positive and Dead On One’s Feet, But Alive In One’s Mind

Garth E. Beyer

I claim the free-writing portion I shared as mine since I have used and will still refer back to it for additional writings. If you wish to use any part of the hypnagogia free-writing, please email me at TheGarthBox@gmail.com to obtain confirmation of information sharing. Thank you for your acknowledgment of copyrights.