Listed below is my 7 Step program. It is a guide,listed in order, to help you maintain focus while working on becoming the happiest & most successful person you possibly can...in ALL areas of your life: personally, professionally, financially, Spiritually, etc.
The Order of the Steps
They are in a very specific order for a reason.
I strongly suggest that you do them in order. However, (for example) if one is in very poor physical health, Step 2 ("HEALTH") is seemingly the best place to start. Although, Step 1 ("PARADIGM") could be comforting to them (Spiritually) while they work Step 2.
Because
I believe so strongly in freedom, I do not require you to do the Steps
in order. Although, I encourage you to do so. However, Steps 6&7 ("Self-Actualization" & "God-Realization") must
be done in order for obvious reasons. You clearly must have the basics
down to have any chance of achieving the pinnacle of human and
eventually Spiritual heights.
Some Steps may overlap a little. For example, weight-loss (a sub-topic) is under both the topics of "HEALTH" & "EMPOWERMENT."
Your motivation to lose weight will depend upon your goal; i.e. do you
need to lose weight for health reasons or self-esteem issues? If you
go in order (as you should) you will have already addressed your weight
in "HEALTH" before even getting to "EMPOWERMENT." ("EMPOWERMENT" is
two Steps later in the program.)
This
program is so comprehensive that there is an ever-growing number of
sub-topics within each "Topic" or Step. Theoretically, there are
virtually limitless possibilities of sub-topics within these 7 Topics.
Anything and everything imaginable that could possibly help you grow
closer to your goals, dreams, happiness and true success in ALL areas
of your life will one day be contained within these 7 Topics. For it
will continually grow as more and more information becomes available.
The 7 Steps:
1)PARADIGM
2)HEALTH
3)CHARACTER
4)EMPOWERMENT
5) LIFE'S WORK
6)SELF-ACTUALIZATION
7)GOD-REALIZATION
PARADIGM
On the most basic level, one's paradigm includes one's core beliefs – God, Philosophy, Morality, etc; i.e. are you an Atheist or Spiritual?
If
you make the wrong choice, (wrong paradigm) the consequences could be
devastating! The right philosophy/ideology/scientific/Spiritual
beliefs will enable the individual to grow and succeed. The wrong one
will ensure stagnation and failure! Thus, that is why this is the
FOUNDATION of the organization. It is the most important, most
fundamental of all the 7 Steps.
Paradigm= perception,
assumption or frame of reference. In a more general sense, it's the
way we "see" the world in terms of perceiving, understanding and
interpreting; our "guide" to how we live our lives.
If you have the wrong guide or paradigm, you won't reach your destination no matter what you do; i.e. you could work on your behavior – try harder, be more disciplined, diligent, etc. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster.
You could work on your attitude – think more positively, but you still wouldn't get to the right place.
The fundamental problem has nothing to do with your behavior or attitude. It has everything to do with having the wrong guide.
Each of us have many beliefs in our head which fall into two main categories: the way things are and the way things should be.
We interpret everything we experience through these beliefs. We rarely
(if ever) question their accuracy; we're often unaware that we have
them. We simply assumethat
the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should
be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of those assumptions.
The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we
act.
Our
paradigm is the sum total of our beliefs, values, identity,
expectations, attitudes, habits, decisions, opinions, and thought
patterns – about ourselves, others, and how life works. It is the filter through which we interpret what we see and experience. Your paradigmshapes your life, and draws to you results that are an exact reflection of it. What you believe will happen, happens.
We approach, react to, and literally create our world based on our own individual paradigm. Our paradigm tells us how the game of life should be played – and it governs whether or not we play it successfully. We might have a paradigm, for instance, that tells us, "Life is very hard, and I have to struggle just to stay even." Or we might have a more positive paradigm, like "I'm great at what I do and people want to work with me."
Our paradigms
drive our behavior. Thus, your hidden beliefs will drive you. If you
don't know what they are, you can't do anything about them; i.e. if you
want to change your results, you must change your paradigm.
To produce dramatic and permanent results, you have to change the way you think.
Examples of negative paradigms
that will not serve you are: prejudice, judgmental, "people are out to
get 'ya," negative attitude, pessimism, "people are basically bad,"
sexism, "the only difference between successful people and losers is
luck," bigotry, hedonism, fascism, racism, etc.
Paradigm is Step 1 because I strongly believe it is the most important of the 7 Steps.
HEALTH
In this program the topic of Health includes:
Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, Supplements, Weight Loss, Regeneration,
Stress Management, Happiness, Laughter, Meditation/Self-Hypnosis,
Emotional Well-Being, A Healthy Mind (Positive Thinking, etc.),
Alternative Health, Integrative Medicine, Natural Healing, etc.
* Much more detail/information will be added soon.
This is Step 2
because if you don't have your physical health, the steps to follow are
generally irrelevant; i.e. if you're bedridden + in horrible condition =
you can't do much!
It
is not the first step because as mentioned above, if you are bedridden,
yet have a strong belief in an afterlife, you can get through it (Your
Spirituality is your foundation; you can still look forward to an
Afterlife) vs. an Atheist (only this life in this body and can't live
it = depressing). Thus, HEALTH would likely be the first choice of an Atheist.
CHARACTER
I believe character is so very important that it should always be in your consciousness; i.e. "Character Consciousness" as I call it.
An integral part of SAS is "Character Consciousness." Basically, it means being consciously aware of one's character at all times; i.e. living the "Golden Rule" at all times.
To
achieve lasting success one MUST be of high ethical character. One's
character will ultimately be the deciding factor in one's success or
failure. If you want to be taken seriously, this issue is critical!
Also, you will stand out from the crowd in a big way nowadays if you
consistently display strength of character.
Character is at the forefront of critical issues of our time! Very few leaders (including world leaders & corporate
leaders) take responsibility for their policies, actions or words these
days. Most, it seems, are looking to "pass the buck," find a
"scapegoat," etc. rather than take responsibility for their failures.
If
you truly want to achieve the highest levels of success, you must hold
yourself to the highest standard! There's a reason very few people are
rich; very few are willing to pay the price to be rich!
There
are many different types of riches. I'm not only speaking of monetary
riches. There is personal success, professional success and Spiritual
success. And many, many sub-successes within those three broad
categories; i.e. parental success, romantic success, etc.
This is Step 3 because Character is so very important! Without Character it is not likely you will be successful in your work. At the very least, you will limit your success.
This is more important than Empowerment because without Character, you can have all the skills in the world, but few will want to deal with you!
EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment = Self-Help or Self-Improvement –
Learn new skills for success in any or all areas of your life to help
maximize your potential; everything from overcoming a horrible
childhood to maximizing your tools for optimum success both personally
and professionally.
Includes: Personal Growth, overcoming Trauma, Weight Loss (for self-esteem), Safety needs (out of abusive relationship –
physical and/or emotional abuse), Psychological needs, etc. via
Emotional Release, Hypnosis, Counseling, Couples Counseling,
Support/Support Group, etc.
The above examples are obviously of a serious nature. More basic life-skills are also under the topic of Empowerment.
Such as: Compassionate Communication, Relationship Skills, Parenting
Skills, Setting Priorities, Setting Goals, Personal Power, Stress
Management, etc.
Some examples of topics for professional empowerment include:
Speed Reading, Memory Improvement, ability to easily memorize names,
confidence to speak in public, self-confidence, self-esteem,
assertivesness, Active Listening, Communication Skills, Time
Management, etc.
Empower:
To give official authority or legal power to; to give moral power to;
to authorize; inspire somebody with confidence; to give somebody a
sense of confidence or self-esteem.
This is Step 4 because, while it is not as critical as the first 3 steps, it is necessary to address this Step before moving on to one's "Life's Work."
LIFE'S WORK
Life's Work = Do what you love for a living! Not simply your job or career, but your destiny! Your "Life's Work" is the total fulfillment of your professional Destiny/Purpose; your ideal career.
Most people just accept the following:
Working at a job they don't like...often hate...just for the $;
it's work they would not do for free; i.e. would not do as a hobby. In
other words, they don't love their work. There's no way they'd do it
if they didn't get paid. Worse yet, some only do it because it pays
well – If
it paid any less, they'd get a better job! As Tony Robbins says, "Most
people only look forward to two out of seven days of the week." Isn't
that sad –
most people only look forward to 28% of their lives! I don't know
about you, but that is unacceptable to me! I'll be darned if I'm only
'gonna look forward to 2/7ths of my life! That's not an option for me;
and it shouldn't be an option for you.
You can change your CAREER (as people often do) but you can't change your Life's Work!
It's ultimately why we're here...Our Purpose...Our Contribution to the
world. (Of course we're here to contribute on a personal level too;
i.e. as a family member, parent, spouse, partner, friend, etc.)
Definition of CAREER: A
race; course of action; to move or run rapidly; a chosen profession or
occupation; the general progression of one's life, especially in one's
profession; to rush headlong; course, passage; full speed or exercise
of activity; encounter, charge; a course of continued progress; a
profession for which one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent
calling; to go at top speed especially in a headlong manner.
Definition of LIFE'S WORK:
You are a special, unique person and you have a meaningful contribution
to make to the world. Every person is born with a purpose. There is a
reason you are here; you have a role to play that no one else on the
planet could fill. The special contribution you came to make is your life's work.
When you are doing that work, you are following your higher path, and
your life will be filled with increasing joy, abundance, and well-being.
I believe this is probably the most important key to an individual's happiness...A sense of purpose
that permeates one's being. The need to leave a legacy...To leave the
world a better place than you found it...To make a difference...To end
up more than just a number; i.e. social security #, account #, etc.
Except
for the few close to the deceased, the vast majority of people die an
anonymous death - Do you want to be one of those people? Or do you
want to be one of those who have touched their community in a deep and
meaningful way? I'm hoping you'll choose the latter.
Notice
above, I wrote, "touched their community in a deep and meaningful
way." I wrote that specifically to make the point that it isn't about
"changing the world." That is, you don't have to be rich & famous
to qualify. And, please realize...you can be famous without being
rich, or rich without being famous. Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Martin
Luther King, etc. were famous without being rich. And, they were
famous for the right reasons! Conversely, there are many rich people
who are virtually unknown.
The preceding examples are obviously the extremes of notoriety. Most people who are successful in their Life's Work are obviously not well known. And that's ok. It's not about ego & fame. But it is about making a difference!
The point is, if you are truly following your passion...your Destiny; that is all that matters.
It
is an incredible feeling to know that you are doing something important
with your life. Instead of simply working at a job that is meaningless
to you; i.e. you do it just for the money – As the majority of people on this planet do. Why not make a difference while making a living?
When you watch interviews with famous people such as athletes & entertainers, they often say they almost feel guilty about making so much $doing
what they love. They would do it for free...for fun as a hobby if it
weren't their career. Just as they did as kids playing sports in the
street or putting on plays for friends & family. How many of us would do our jobs for free or for fun as a hobby? Not many!
This is Step 5
in the process only because other more basic needs should be met
first. However, in a lot of ways I believe it to be the most
important: If you live a life of purpose, all else seems to fall into
place. It definitely did with me via just the prospect of starting SAS (this organization). Everything else in my life is easy now by comparison to how it used to be – Seriously!
If you are just pursuing your Life's Work – not even doing it yet –
you will be much happier. You don't come home miserable from working a
job you hate and inadvertently take it out on those close to you.
Thus, you are a better mate, parent, friend, relative, co-worker, etc.
And the contentment/happiness you get from loving your work spills over
into all other areas of your life; it makes everything easier and
better. Believe me...I know! It was the single most life-changing
event of my life – By far! Nothing has made me happier or more successful.
(I'm
biased toward the above Step as you've probably noticed. Only
"PARADIGM" came close to having as much written about it. I obviously
believe Paradigm to be very important also. Not that they all
aren't important; because they are. You will have your favorite/s as
well. As most things in life, it's relative to each person's
priorities.)
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
Self-Actualization = Working to achieve the total fulfillment of one's potential/capabilities in all areas of one's life both personally & professionally.
Abraham
Maslow: "If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of
being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life. What a
man can be he must be. He must be true to his own nature. This we may
call self-actualization." (Maslow, 1954, pg. 46)
"Maslow
felt that too much of psychological theory had been derived from the
study of neurotic patients; he sought instead to characterize the
healthy, or self-actualized,
person. He examined the lives of people who seemed to have lived up to
their potential most fully, including Albert Einstein and Eleanor
Roosevelt. Maslow found that self-actualized individuals shared
certain attributes: They were accepting of themselves and others,
deeply committed to their work, spontaneous in the expression of
emotion and the appreciation of beauty, and relatively unconcerned
about the opinions of others. In addition, these people all had a
notable lack of guilt, shame, or anxiety."
This
topic is the achievement of the highest level of human accomplishment,
fulfillment and thus happiness. Therefore, it is obviously 2nd only to
God-Realization. Thus, it is Step 6 in the program.
*
This is the final step for Atheists. However, see below for the
possibility that "Science/Universal-Realization" is the name of their
last step.
GOD-REALIZATION
God-Realization =The process of working to achieve the pinnacle of one's Spiritual potential; Oneness of Spirit.
Depending upon one's religious or Spiritual beliefs, this Step can take on virtually limitless possibilities. For there are so very many religions, religious sects, etc.
Because more people have been killed in the name of God via religion than all the other wars put together, we must learn tolerance. "My religion is better than your religion,"
has failed miserably. This issue is as timely now as ever with
terrorist attacks occurring worldwide as a constant reminder of just
how important it is to respect others' religious beliefs and not force
our religious views on others.
Leading
by example has always been, and always will be the best and only true
method of influencing others. Just like in politics, "mud-slinging" is
not the way to convert people to your cause/religion/Spiritual
beliefs. Speaking well of your religion/Spiritual beliefs is far more
effective at converting others than criticizing the beliefs of others.
It puts people on the defensive and inevitably leads to hostility.
This program is about bringing people together…not tearing them apart. And thus, this Step
is not limited to those with Spiritual beliefs. Just because I have a
bias toward Spirituality, does not give me the right to judge those who
don’t. I have met & know a number of Atheists who are some of the nicest, kindest, most decent people I have ever met. Conversely, I have met & know a number of Christians who are some of the biggest hypocrites, phonies, judgmental idiots, etc. that I have ever met.Therefore, I am not limiting this Step to those of a Spiritual persuasion.
So,
if you truly keep God (whatever your concept of God may be, or the name
you may use for God) in your heart throughout your day...every day,
others will eagerly inquire as to how you have come upon such true
bliss and inner peace...Amen!
