Ready, Set, Go! (Special Edition)

by Rafael Badziag

  Love unfolds and reveals.

  For love we live and die.

  Love is God and God is Love.

  This force explains everything and gives meaning to life. This is the variable that we have ignored for too long, maybe because we are afraid of love because it is the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will.

  To give visibility to love, I made a simple substitution in my most famous equation.

  If instead of E = mc2, we accept that the energy to heal the world can be obtained through love multiplied by the speed of light squared, we arrive at the conclusion that love is the most powerful force there is, because it has no limits.

  After the failure of humanity in the use and control of the other forces of the universe that have turned against us, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with another kind of energy…

  If we want our species to survive … if we are to find meaning in life … if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer.

  Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a bomb of love, a device powerful enough to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness and greed that devastate the planet.

  However, each individual carries within them a small but powerful generator of love whose energy is waiting to be released. When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Lieserl, we will have affirmed that love conquers all and is able to transcend everything and anything, because love is the quintessence of life.

  I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, which has quietly beaten for you all my life. Maybe it’s too late to apologize, but as time is relative, I need to tell you that I love you and thanks to you, I have reached the ultimate answer!

  Your father,

  Albert Einstein

  Thanks for sharing this path with us. You are a bright ray of sunshine.

  Please indulge me and let me return the sentiment with these words from Sigmund Freud that woke me up - “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, surrounded by assholes.”

  Hope is a good thing.

  If you are not evolving you are just revolving.

  ~ Glen J Mandalinic

  About Glen

  Things happen to us whether we are conscious or not, but when we are unconscious, life has no meaning, so many people come to me without any idea of what it all means. People need an understanding of things, of why they live. . ~ CG Jung

  These “things” mentioned above are ubiquitous. They form ‘the norm’. When we consistently question life, sooner or later we arrive at the perimeter of the awakening process born from the repetition of these four words “Why am I here?” ~ GJM

  Glen Jakob Mandalinic’s formal education in the university environment triggered an avalanche for further inquiry into what Star Trek coined “the new frontier.”

  Glen sought out masters of their craft, both home and abroad, in the field of human potential, including Bob Proctor, Brian Tracy, Dr. John DeMartini, Gregg Braden, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Esther Hicks, Louise Hay, NASA Astronaut Chris Hadfield, NRL legend Tommy Raudonikis, Dennis Waitley and Francis Pilchesky, to grasp a deeper intimacy into the universe of the mind that rests between his ears.

  Glen is no guru, healer, preacher or teacher, just an awakened breather. If just for once, you really - STOP - BREATHE - LISTEN – RINSE - REPEAT - you will come to the road less travelled. And you will know that you are on that road when you come to a sign that reads:

  Things don’t have to be this way.

  The resolution lies in the illusion. ~ GJM

  Website:

  www.youknowmorethanyouthink.com

  CHAPTER 19

  PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE – THE ABCs OF WINNING

  BY WYNETT ISLEY

  “Flight attendants, prepare for departure.” It was the 1980s, many years before the tragic events of 9/11. I was traveling the northeastern United States for the National Disaster Medical System, serving as a contingency planner. Flying out of Chicago O’Hare airport heading to New England, I settled into my seat in the rear of the packed plane. The soothing voice of the flight attendant began telling us the expected flight time and the weather at our destination before beginning the pre-departure safety briefing. Suddenly a passenger near the front of the plane jumped up from his seat and yelled. “Portland, Maine? I want to go to Portland, Oregon !”

  What a kerfuffle! Of course, the flight attendants helped the passenger off the plane. Our east-bound flight was only slightly delayed while they removed his luggage from the belly of the aircraft, and re-directed them to the west coast. After the excitement settled down, I made it to my destination with no more surprises.

  As a planner, I wondered how that guy’s preparations went wrong. What were the decision points, the action steps, the choices made that nearly led to his traveling to exactly the wrong destination? Had he prepared well? He thought he was ready, all set, on his way. Then he heard a voice telling him in a single syllable ( Maine ) that he needed to take immediate action. And, what about you? Where are you headed? Are you sure? Are you going where you intend to go? Are you prepared? Do you need a gentle voice clearly revealing the end point of your current path? Are you prepared to change your plans and take action to get on the right track?

  For many years as a coach/consultant, I have had the privilege of helping individuals and organizations decide with clarity where they want to go, and create action plans to achieve their clearly-stated goals. Sometimes the process seems complicated, complex and confusing. That’s why individuals and organizations hire someone like me, to facilitate their journey through the improvement process. A good coach knows that success starts with a goal, a plan, and knowledge and skill in the fundamentals. There are many techniques and tactics in the coaching toolbox; we work to make the complex understandable and actionable.

  In my practice, I use a simple formula to explain and reinforce the fundamentals of success: A -> B -> C.

  The “A” stands for Attitude, the mindset and invisible aspects we bring to each situation. The “B” stands for Behavior, the observable actions we take, the things we do. The “C” stands for Consequences, the results, whether by design or by default. It’s an axiom that your current process is exquisitely designed to give you exactly the results you’re currently getting. Thinking you can continue to do the same things and get a different result is the definition of insanity. If you’re not getting the results you want, you need to apply the ABCs of Winning, the formula for success:

  A —> B —> C

  Let’s work our way backwards from the “C” as we explore this success formula. What consequences do you desire? Where do you want to go?

  What do you want to achieve? Can you see it clearly enough to create a picture in someone else’s mind? Do you have a vivid Vision? Sometimes the most difficult decision is to decide what you want, to determine your next goal as you discover your life’s purpose, your calling, your passion, your Vision.

  If you decline to choose the consequences you desire, you’ll end up living by default instead of design. Make a deliberate decision. Choose a compelling future. In my practice, I teach my clients the tools, techniques and tactics for success. The success technology is like electricity.

  Electricity doesn’t care what appliance is connected; when you flip the switch, the energy flows. Committing to a goal, any goal, provides the switch that activates the formula.

  After you choose a desired consequence, shift left from the “C” to the “B” in the success formula. With your chosen goal in mind, review whether your current behaviors are effective to achieve that goal. Commit to becoming your best. The knowledge about “how” to move from the current state to the desired future state is available in the universe. A mentor, teacher or coach can help determine which strategies, tactics and techniques will get you to the goal. Gathering data helps avoid self-deception.

>   We need to be honest and clear about where we currently are, with facts and data as well as feelings and thoughts. Like the traveler on the plane, we know we got on a plane in the middle of the continent, and we might think we’re headed in the right direction only to discover, when we gain objective clarity, just how far off target our current course of action will take us. Acknowledging the distance between where we are and where we want to be, we can design our path, and make adjustments when we discover we’re off course. We can set milestones to measure our progress and we can prepare for contingencies.

  The Consequences you are experiencing, the conditions, circumstances and situations in which you find yourself today are the result of processes, systems, behaviors and habits. The result you have is the result of what you’ve done, what you’ve allowed, where you’ve been. So where do you find yourself just now? Do you find yourself on a plane headed to the wrong coast, 3,000 miles in the opposite direction from what you desire?

  That’s a long way off from the goal. Without a willingness to receive honest data, we continue to do what we’re doing, to behave like we’re used to behaving. Will your current habits and patterns of behavior result in your chosen goal? Are your actions by design or by default? Are you willing to change?

  The idea that where you are today is the result of the things you’ve done yesterday and previously, that the consequences are the result of your behavior, might be a new concept. Where you are right now as you listen to this, as you read this, as you watch this, is the result of a set of behaviors, of habits. You clicked a link. You opened the book. You did something to get something. Believe in your ideal self. We achieve intentional success when we choose our consequences and change our behavior to take action that moves toward the chosen goal. Begin now.

  As a life coach, a business performance improvement facilitator, a management consultant and as an organizational coach, I invite my clients to explore, to dream, to discover this simple formula: A –> B –> C .

  The results, the “what you have right now” consequences or the “C” in the formula is the result of habits, patterns and behaviors, the “B” factor; and behind the behavior action or inaction is the “A” factor, the Attitudes underlying our behavior. Why do we do what we do? Why do you do what you do? What are the underlying factors for the behavior that created the consequence? Using techniques like storytelling and values clarification, we can explore the question beyond “what are you doing?” to the deeper question “why do you that?”

  Sometimes our behaviors and actions are effective and functional and clearly support progress toward the chosen goal. Sometimes our actions seem like self-sabotage. We know what would be effective, we know what we should do, but we don’t do it. We don’t behave in a manner that supports progress toward our goal. Instead our action or inaction blocks our progress. We don’t make that call. We miss the deadline. We eat the junk food. We go on a spending spree. The formula for success invites us to explore three factors – Consequences, Behaviors, and Attitudes.

  The formula invites us to explore the “A” factor through honest self-examination, into what is hidden, into the mindset behind the behaviors.

  Honestly acknowledge your attitudes, and accept yourself. Often hidden from ourselves are our attitudes, beliefs, paradigms, perspectives, and unconscious patterns of how we see the world, the mindset that creates the frame for what we expect. These attitudes are the “A” factor in our formula. All of us hold within ourselves thought patterns in which we believe we know how the world ought to be, what should be, how it works. It takes effort to reveal the attitudes, the beliefs, the emotions and feelings that shape your interaction with the external world.

  Sometimes it is helpful when an objective person serves as a mirror to reveal what we can’t see for ourselves. With the help of another, we can explore together and discover the “A” – attitudes – that create the “B” – behaviors – that create the “C” – consequences. When our attitudes are revealed, we can decide if we want to change them. We can challenge our beliefs. Some of the typical blocking beliefs are: “I’m too young.”

  “I’m too old.” “They won’t let me.” “It’s too hard.” “That’s how they are.” By exposing our beliefs, we can decide if they serve us well, or if they are erroneous and need to be changed. The American psychologist William James revealed, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.”

  What do you believe? How do you behave? What is the life you would love living? What are the consequences you want? You want to win. You want to succeed. You want to be successful. Advocate for your growth and development. Start by stating explicitly the desired consequence. To minimize the chance that we’ll get a rude awakening like our hapless traveler, we need to clearly state that we want Portland in Maine or we want Portland in Oregon, or maybe we want to visit both and we clarify the desired sequence and length of time in each wonderful location.

  Saying we want to win or saying we want more is insufficient clarity.

  We must define what it means to “win” in objective terms, so there is no misunderstanding, no ambiguity, no buying a ticket to the wrong destination. Do you want to go east or west? North or south? Start simple.

  The four cardinal points on the compass are a good starting point. Maybe you don’t want to go north, maybe you want to go South-by-Southwest.

  You can choose any direction, any destination. Begin with the end in mind, the “C” in the formula. Set a target, a desired destination, define your dream. Begin by defining the desired consequence, the “C” in the ABCs of Winning.

  In business, the desired consequence is to increase revenue, to increase profits. The specific target might be to increase revenue by 10% or the target might be a specific revenue or profit number. The financial consequence goal is specific, measurable and objective. In business, there are accountants and financial officers and chief executives who know the numbers. By clearly defining the desired future state, we can objectively measure our current situation so we can plan the journey from where we are to where we want to be.

  The ABCs of Winning formula applies in the business environment very well. Start with the end in mind, the “C” consequence, then investigate the “B” behaviors, the processes, the systems, the operations that create the product or service that the customer buys to generate revenue, then develop the company culture, the “A” attitudes that are revealed in the behaviors that create the desired consequence.

  For an individual, the formula works the same. Begin by defining the “C” state. Perhaps you have a financial target, a desired future state, a money consequence. Be specific. If you say you want “more,” I will hand you a penny, and you will immediately have more than you had a moment earlier. Congratulations, you’re a winner! Was that what you meant? Was that what you had in mind? Be specific.

  Many people begin their exploration of the success formula with a desire for financial freedom. Refine that into a specific, objective, clearly defined goal, in both external measures like dollars, and internal measures like the feeling that accompanies achieving that desired state. Would having a million dollars make you feel safe and secure? What do you believe about money? Attitude drives behavior which creates consequences. If you learn what to do, will you do it? The “C” consequence we want is the result of a pattern of “B” behaviors, a sequence of events, habits and patterns of performance based on what we are willing and capable of doing.

  Knowledge and skill can be learned to bridge the capability gap from where we are to where we want to be. Before you leap into action, ponder the possible consequences. Imagine having achieved the goal, and consider whether it is what you truly desire. As human beings, we have the capacity for imagination. When you are a millionaire, what specifically happens during your ideal day? What time do you wake up? What does your bedroom look like? How does it feel? How does it smell? What do you eat for breakfast? How do you spend your d
ay?

  What are the daily behaviors of you, the millionaire? Are you prepared to be a millionaire? What do you need to know? Where can you gain that knowledge? What might hold you back? What conditions require attention? Is your goal crystal clear and unambiguous?

  When the goal was vague, such as “more money” and one penny was added, was that what you had in mind? What did you have “in mind” when you were forming the goal in your thoughts, in your beliefs, in your emotions? It’s important to discover what you have in your mind because your attitudes, beliefs, emotions, paradigms and thoughts drive you to particular behaviors. Those behaviors become habits when they are repeated often enough with sufficient emotional intensity. Be intentional about your behavior and the consequence is assured.

  So, I invite you to explore the ABCs of your current situation, the ABCs of Winning. If you’re ready, let’s go. If you need support, ask. Get ready.

  Discover your dream. Set your destination. Decide for the consequence you desire. Becoming self-aware of attitudes, beliefs and paradigms is a skill that requires practice. Being intentional about behavior and building good habits that create desired results is a skill that requires practice.

  Learning to navigate the ABC s of Winning is achievable.

  A:

  • Accept yourself.

  • Acknowledge your attitudes.

  • Advocate for your growth and development.

  B:

  • Believe in your ideal self.

  • Book calendar time for improvement activities.

  • Begin now.

  C:

  • Create a vivid Vision.

  • Choose a compelling future.

  • Commit to becoming your best.

  The fundamental factors in the formula for success are Attitudes, Behaviors, Consequences. Now you know the ABCs of Winning. Now is your time.

  Get ready. Prepare for departure. Let’s go!