Goal: Creating Mental Emotional States
January 21, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
I was just talking with a guy who is absolutely amazing when it comes to attracting attention, highly influential, creating results for himself and others, and is inspiring to watch. The list of his areas of influence is long and includes, entrepreneur, business owner, author, artist, athlete, among others. All high intensity, high impact areas of life. And what is truly incredible, is that you would never know because he is soft spoken, relaxed, almost shy (apologies if you’re reading 
.
I had to know, How does he do it? What does he focus on? What does he think?
His main goal is to: always start by creating mental emotional states.
What does that mean?
It means that what is happening is only a small part of the reality of the situation. It’s more important to know what you’re focusing on, why you’re focusing on it, & how you feel about it. Then to create any result, start by changing that state of what you focus on and how you feel.
Might sound trivial, but let me ask you this:
What makes the difference for you when you feel “in the zone” and everything you touch turns to gold vs when you have a ton of things to do and feel like you accomplished nothing?
Well, his approach is to start by getting himself (and others) “in the zone” and then producing results. Versus what most people do (I’m just as guilty) by starting a task, training, project, whatever, and then try to focus and get in the zone.
Tip – Try this out, you’ll be amazed!
Before you take any action today with anything, reading a book, talking to a friend/family, working out, checking email, hell even cooking food, start by taking a few minutes and put yourself in a more powerful state, before you do it. Get to the point where you can feel it. Feel the emotion, make it as intense as you can, compelling you to action. Then go for it!
Examples of powerful states:
reading – hunger for knowledge and growth, open mind & critical thinking.
talking to a friend – deep compassion, trust, empathy, inspire them to bring out their best
working out – vibrant, strong, confident, abundant energy
checking email – high value of your time and attention, efficiency prioritizing.
cooking – wild creativity, adventurous, fun, social,
What others can you come up with?
Theoretically Related:
Always Start With The Intention
Directing Attention Focus & Results
The Performance Zone – Flow
The Alpha Project
January 19, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · 2 Comments
What is The Alpha Project?
There is a place in the human psyche, a small place that everyone has. It is the place that dreams are real, potential is unlimited, achievement is only secondary to passion. It is the place where ideas & creativity flow and vision is born.
It is the place you can feel in every part of your being, that knows you have a purpose, to contribute and change the world. It’s where seeds can be planted, cultivated, grown, to produce unbelievable results. It is the fruit of human spirit that does not buy into the limiting beliefs that surround us. It will never settle for less.
Most people, ignore it, deny it, escape it. Some realize it and breakthrough to become innovators, leaders, and champions. And every so often, someone will use it to change the world.
The Alpha Project, is my quest, my mission, to find the best of the best, when it comes to realizing and developing that ability in the people that dare to dream, including myself. Those who know what’s possible, what might be possible and are willing to go for it.
“Alpha” has some very powerful meanings attached to it including:
Definitions of “Alpha” from Google
the brain wave frequency range from 8 – 14 Hz. in which there is focus and the beginnings of a state of balance. Alpha is the frequency range of light level meditation.
www.synchronicity.org/Glossaryp.html
Slow brainwave activity state of hypnosis (resting but awake). Also known as hypnoidal. Alpha is slower (deeper) than Beta, the awake state, and faster than Theta, a deep hypnotic state.
www.hypnosis.edu/glossary/a.asp
An alpha male or alpha female is the individual in the community to whom the others follow and defer. Humans and their nearest species-relatives, the chimpanzees, show deference to the alpha of the community by ritualized gestures such as bowing, allowing the alpha to walk first in a procession, or standing aside when the alpha challenges. Canines also show deference to the alpha male in their pack, by allowing him to be the first to eat and the first to mate. …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_(biology)
A measure of performance on a risk adjusted basis.
www.investinginoptions.com/glossary_A.html
A measure of selection risk (also known as residual risk) of a mutual fund in relation to the market. A positive alpha is the extra return awarded to the investor for taking a risk, instead of accepting the market return. For example, an alpha of 0.4 means the fund outperformed the market-based return estimate by 0.4 %. -0.6 means a fund’s monthly return was 0.6 % less than would have been predicted from the change in the market alone.
www.vss2000.com/glossary/a.asp
The first testing stage of a new program. The alpha stage occurs before a program becomes a beta version.
www.7designavenue.com/glossary.htm
A measure of the difference between a portfolio’s actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of risk as measured by beta. A positive alpha figure indicates the portfolio has performed better than its beta would predict. In contrast, a negative alpha indicates the fund’s under performance, given the expectations established by the fund’s beta.
www.brandywine-online.com/Glossary.asp
What about your dreams? Where did they go?
30 Days To Success – Trial Period
January 17, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
What to try out a new life? Why not take it for a test drive? Steve Pavlina has a great article on 30 Days To Success; a fantastic analogy to trial period similar to software.
Everybody has things they want to change in their life. Areas to improve, skills to develop, ideas and experience to gain and use, lose weight, quit smoking….. Just think about it. What are 2 important things you’ve been putting off? Procrastinating for whatever reason, maybe 
because you think you aren’t ready to dive in yet? The greater the change the higher the mountain can seem to climb looking at the whole thing from the bottom. What’s the secret?
Break it down into bite size pieces.
Making any change for 30 days feels much more reasonable than a permanent one, even though you know it takes the same effort and focus. It’s more manageable, able to be boxed, labeled, finalized, you can see the end at all times. Like climbing a hill where you can see the top. Just trying it out, what do you have to lose?
There’s a ton of cliches for this:
- How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. African Proverb
- “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
- And my favorite in response to the question, “How did you bike all the way up here?” – One pedal stroke at a time of course!
The hardest part being the decision and commitment to take those first few steps and build momentum. It’s pretty much a rule of thumb, that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit.
What would it take to commit for only 21 days towards taking steps in the direction of what you really want? Write it down, post some pictures on your walls bathroom mirror, talk to friends, relatives, attend a seminar, call him, call her. It only takes one step.
Related:
Steve Jobs: Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
“Our Greatest Fear Is Not…..”
Secrets Of Greatness
Cheap vs. Frugal – Fear vs Anticipation
January 9, 2007 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
What’s the difference? A lot. Take a look at it from human behavior and psychology, it has everything to do with intention and motivation.
Cheap comes from fear. Fear of not having enough, having to conserve, hold on to. This creates tension, doubt, and lack of trust. The more anyone thinks of lack the more they will see it as a reality in their life. Lack of money, lack of time, lack of love. Etc. What do you focus your time, energy and emotions into?
Frugal comes from sacrificing money, time & attention from areas that do not contribute to the things that create the biggest impact in your quality of life, and then redirecting and focusing it to the things that do.
The way I see it, cheap is looking down seeing how far you could fall. Frugal means understanding that you can fall but would instead rather take the time to figure out how to climb.
Where do you fall? Would your friends/family agree?
Chances are you’re like most people and act differently when spending is concerned with the wide variety of things, people and time. Might be interesting to think about where some of it comes from. I know it is for me.
Some good links I’ve found.
Frugal vs. Cheap - “Truly frugal people are generous”
Choosing Quality Over Price
I will teach you to be rich
FrugalVillage – Live Simply
"I Am The Greatest" – Muhammad Ali
December 30, 2006 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
What would it take to make a statement like this about yourself? Total confidence in your worth and ability to rise above, create results.
Take a look at Muhammad Ali. Everyone is captivated by Muhammad Ali not only as a champion but also as one of the most cocky, outspoken, trash talkers of all time. Could you be a champion like Ali in your area of passion? Of course.
CBS just did a special on a new book by George Lois, “Ali Rap: Muhammad Ali, the First Heavyweight Champion of Rap.” Lois uses Ali’s words to suggest that he created the language of hip-hop and talks how his style of being overly confident and cocky has been there since he was 13, when he said, “He’s done in one.”
Muhammad Ali is the perfect example of how most champions are not born, they are created. Confidence, consistent hard work, discipline, support and faith all create commitment to excellence. His belief in himself allowed him to focus every part of himself into announcing his greatness and doing anything it took to make it happen. When Ali was young he would have his younger brother throw rocks at him so he could practice avoiding them with deft movements of his agile body. And ever since he was 12, Ali was usually the first in and the last out of the gym. His power came from the inside and was not afraid to declare greatness, goals & intentions to others, as he was already committed to doing everything to realize it.
Yet most people are afraid to say anything, Why? Because they’re afraid of the commitment. They buy into other’s fears and doubts, and worry, “what if I can’t make it”. Let me ask you this, what is it you really lose by declaring your intentions and making a commitment to excellence in whatever you love? Time, maybe some ridicule from other small minds…not much. And everything, everything to gain.
As for me, I will inspire more people to greatness than anyone else you’ll know in your lifetime. I am on a Mission!
A couple months from now I will be interviewing for a few people that I will personally coach to achieve their dreams. This is your chance to have your own executive coach, without the $250/hr price tag. Start training your mind to be a champion, be your own hero. Get in early, and send me an email now to let me know you’re interested, doesn’t matter where you are in the world. Dream Big!
Related:
The 10 Year Secret Of Greatness
Dream, Imagine & Play Like A Kid Again
December 26, 2006 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
The spirit of Chrismas is an incredible reminder of what it means to be a kid. What usually comes to mind when you think of children? Excitement, adventure, play, imagination, creative, learning, fearless, energy, not afraid to be themselves, laugh and cry. So here’s my question for you:
What would it take, for you to allow your inner child to come out and play again?
One of the reasons that I think Chrismas is so powerful is that it is an “excuse” for most people to be a kid again. Everyone makes exceptions to their normal routine to do more, buy more, give more, play more, and love more. Chrismas is an excuse that is built into our culture. It’s accepted that anyone of any age, gender, race, even religion to break the patterns of what is “normal”. In fact the whole idea of an “excuse” to do anything, has to do with getting approval from someone else. Otherwise you would just it anyway, not giving a crap what anyone else thinks. Right? I’ll tell you right now that noone else is ever going to give you permission to be happy. That’s your job.
I’ve found that people have a million reasons why they won’t allow their true selves to come out and play, but it almost always comes down to the unconscious fear of rejection, ridicule, not being accepted. It’s a social/cultural pressure put on us to conform. We even have strong terms and lables for it, “they’re being childish”, “immature”, “They need to grow up”.
But kids don’t buy it, they’re not like that, why? Typically they haven’t been conditioned to worry about or feel held back by the social/cultural pressure. Everyone has dreams and imagination as a kid. What happens to those dreams, do they really dissapear? I don’t buy it. They just get smothered and buried by the voices, fears and doubts of others. Is it your voice that says you can’t or shouldn’t? My guess is no. It usually comes from someone you trust, someone close, who’s opinion you respect. Of course they don’t mean to hold you back, they’re just trying to “look out for you” to protect you. Unless they’re aware of their intetion, many times people will default to trying to protect you from getting your hopes up only to see you fail and feel bad, hurt, sad. So even though they may be good intentions, they’re misguided.
My message is simply this: When you connect with your inner child, you connect with what it is you truly desire. It’s the key to unlimited creativity, performance, stonger relationships, enjoyment, adventure, and so on. It’s the first place to start when trying to create or achieve 
anything in your life since it’s not determined by anyone else but you. You own it 100%, you control it, it’s your dream of what it means to win. For me that has to do with constantly pushing myself beyond my current limits, developing, expanding. Whether it’s racing my bike, skydiving, traveling, training my mind, coaching others, developing personal and business effectiveness and strategy, etc. One of my favorite mantras is Never Miss An Opportunity. And this last week I’ve had a ton of opportunites to be a kid again like this one with my cousin Cade, building a gingerbread house.
Every moment of the day you have an opportunity, a chance to make a new choice of living an exciting and fulfilling life. All you have to do is make the choice to seize that opportunity. What (or who) holds you back from being yourself and trusting yourself? Give yourself a chance to play, explore, have fun. There will never be a better time then now.
Related:
Take A Quantum Leap In Your Creativity And Results
Money And Your Surrounding Environment
Other Links:
Tools For Personal Growth
Carl Jung – Archetypes – Divine Child
Keys To Total Performance
December 13, 2006 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
I came across this today and it’s always worth a good reminder for success in all areas of life; business, relationships, health, sports…:
Take responsibility for everything you do/are
Focus on the solution not the problem
Be flexible to change
Focus on continuous improvement not the result
Act ethically and with integrity
Follow through on your commitments
Build respect for others and their personal reality
Add value to the lives of others and be a team player
Give what you want to receive
Follow your heart