Archive for the ‘Portal to Genius’ Category

Long before Garrett became my co-author, I burned out on my business and just wanted to focus on my family.

I told my husband, “Garrett’s still passionate about this, and the work he’s done takes our message to a whole new level. He’s also got the energy to do the media appearances.  I don’t care what kind of recognition I get; what if we just put his name on The Jackrabbit Factor and let HIM be the one to get it out there?”

But after all three of us discussed it together, what ended up happening next was the LAST THING I expected…

Here’s the whole story:

If you didn’t already know, Portal to Genius is the sequel to The Jackrabbit Factor.

I learned so many things after releasing The Jackrabbit Factor in 2005 that if I was going to write Jackrabbit Factor over again, I’d change a few things – because my understanding of the laws of success and principles of prosperity had changed and expanded.

In fact, what I’ve learned leaves me 100% certain that I will never learn all there is to know in my lifetime – because just when I think I’ve got everything figured out, there’s inevitably something more for me to learn.

How exciting is that??

Nothing brings me greater joy than to learn, grow, live, and love more perfectly and completely – and each challenge I face reminds me that I still have a LONG way to go.

That’s good news – because it tells me that life will never need to be dull or boring.  What an adventure this is!!

So anyway, near the end of 2008, Trevan (my husband) and I visited with Garrett Gunderson at our home while he was in town on other business, and I was at a point in my life and business that I felt overwhelmed like I had simply taken on too much.  We knew that what Garrett had created in his business pretty much amounted to “Jackrabbit Factor 202″ – upper level training for those who embrace the foundational principles in our book.

As I struggled to juggle our business and raise our seven children, torn between the passion that drives me to share these principles as far and as wide as I possibly can, and the passion that drives me to shut the world out and just do something simple like clean a toilet, read a story to my pre-schooler, learn a new recipe, or organize our family photos… I searched for a way to effectively do both.

A Bit of Fun Trivia: When Bob Proctor mentored us in 2006, he emphatically said, “Leslie, you’re conflicted.  There’s conflict all over these goals of yours.”

“I know, I know!”  I replied, but I just didn’t know what to do about it.

To deal with my inner conflict, I ran in one direction until my attention was needed back in the other direction; and swinging one way and then the other, back and forth, back and forth, I made some progress.

Sharon Lechter (co-author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and my guest for an upcoming teleclass) put my mind at ease one evening when she essentially said that “balance is bunk”.  In other words, stop seeking perfect balance in your life, because just as when you are solidly balanced on both feet, you can get NOWHERE.  You’ve got to shift your balance back and forth, or you can never swing the other foot forward to advance in the journey!

That was a powerful visual for me.

So, back to Garrett… as he visited with us in our home, I was in a swing away from work and business.  As much as I loved what I was doing, I was burned out and needed to get back to greater focus on my family.

I was almost ready to say, “Garrett, you’re passionate about this stuff, and you’ve got the energy to do the media appearances, and the team to support the growth.  I don’t care what kind of recognition I get, what if we just put your name on The Jackrabbit Factor and let you be the one to get it out there?”

But what came out of that meeting was another idea.  Both Trevan and Garrett agreed it was time for a sequel.  I wasn’t sure I was ready to write another book – I always figured I’d wait until my two-year old was in college first.

But finally, (I’m not sure where I found the strength to agree to this, but…) we decided to team up and create the sequel together.  He knew I was overextended, so he encouraged me to utilize his team.  He even let me use his cabin to work on it – and his counsel and perspective was the most valuable piece of all.

So I took the lessons we were learning from Garrett and I set out to weave them into the sequel.  Garrett advised me on how the principles work and apply in the corporate world, and we both felt strongly that at every level, they really work best when you’re setting goals in alignment with your soul purpose: your combination of gifts, talents, and the unique contribution you were meant to make in this world.

I set an intention to complete the sequel before January 1, 2009 (less than 2 months later).  I did not relish the thought of spending two years like I did on the first book.  I’d give this one a solid two weeks in the middle of December where I would stay at my mother’s house and give it my complete focus.

Certainly, I thought, when a person is “in the flow”, ideas can come rapidly; and so long as I have any say in the matter, that’s how I plan it to go for me now.

Well, January 1st came and went.  I hit a major writer’s block.  Part of my frustration came because I knew I needed to write the book, but I had no clue how this one would end.  With The Jackrabbit Factor, I knew the end from the beginning.

But with this one, I had no ending in mind – I didn’t even know what would happen in the middle.  I just got started and then  opened my mind to see where it would take me.

Goal achievement is like that sometimes.  You may have a general idea of what you want to accomplish, but sometimes all you can do is get started, and have the faith that the way will reveal itself as you go.

At various intervals, I met with Garrett again to discuss the story and inevitably, when I was stuck, he saw with clarity what should happen next.  There were other times when he was assigned to work out the details of a certain chapter and he was the one to get stuck.

The unfolding of the story certainly didn’t come the way I originally planned.  But I learned it’s important to adapt and adjust according to the challenges and roadblocks that come.

At the time that I had writer’s block, in a quiet moment an impression hit me very clearly that said, “You cannot write the ending of this story, because you haven’t lived it yet.”

The impression took me by surprise, but I thought, “Okay, then.”  So I put the book aside and just lived.

There’s more I have to tell you about this, so I hope you’ll join us for our Virtual Book Tour with Alex Mandossian on March 10, 2010.

Get more info and sign up HERE

As described in The Jackrabbit Factor and more completely (and extensively) in Portal to Genius, we all have access to that little voice in our heart that nudges us in the right direction to to do exactly what needs to be done, and become all we were meant to become.

Some people call it a gut instinct thing, some people call it an inner voice, some call it the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God.  Whatever you want to call it, it’s there for you, as you strive to live correct principles, and if you listen carefully, patiently, and especially if you’re willing to follow it when it comes.

The more you listen and follow, the more it will show up for you. It can take some practice recognizing it and trusting it, but it’s worth the effort.

If you’re experiencing information overload, it will be difficult to identify the right things to do, because all the “noise” will crowd out your own best adviser: that inner voice.

Need help sifting through all the information you don’t have time for, but which feels too important to put aside? Read my previous post called: Too Much Information?

One leader named Richard G. Scott has taught that those quiet thoughts often come when you are the most still, the most peaceful; so it’s important to keep a notepad and a pen next to your bed – because when the ideas come, they come quickly, quietly, and are just as quickly forgotten if you don’t write them down.

Here’s the story of the missionaries who followed his advice and received a strong impression to prepare, about 2-3 weeks before they experienced the 8.8 earthquake in Chile on February 27, 2010:

CLICK HERE to read about the missionaries in the Earthquake

If you’ve ever had an experience where you were glad payed attention to your “gut instinct,” share it below – we’d love to hear about it!

My close friend Nancy Genys is looking for directors for her Talent Team program, something that inspired me so much that I even worked it into the story of the upcoming Jackrabbit Factor sequel…

Are you:

Someone who loves working with children – and wants to make a difference in their lives?

Are you a good singer or dancer? (Acting experience is a plus… but not the defining attribute of a successful director)

Have you had teaching experience of some sort – and like to teach?

Do you want to teach a program that has a proven success ‘method’ and be part of a team? Are you teachable (so you can learn the system) and do you want to make money?

The directors who follow the program should be able to make $2,000 – $8,000 per month (not gross but net) part time!

The business opportunity requires an investment to get started – but you should be able to pay yourself back within the first semester – if not by then – definitely by the second semester (depends on how many students you have, how many days you teach etc).

It also requires a minimum of a 5 year commitment to your business.

If you are interested, contact Nancy Genys at ngenys @ gmail.com (no spaces) with your name and email for more information.

There are a lot of success gurus out there, and I have to admit I don’t really see myself as one of them. I consider myself an ordinary person who tries her best to do the right things, but still makes mistakes just like anyone else. Perhaps one difference between me and other people is that I publicly share the lessons I’ve learned (and have yet to learn) along the way.

(Thank you for coming along on my journey through life… it’s nice to have your company!)

So what’s the difference between me and the other “gurus”?

Well, one difference has to do with my perspective on human empowerment.

While some gurus teach that you are the ultimate master of your own life, and that you can have, do, and be whatever you want, and that you deserve to have everything life has to offer… my take on it is similar, but different enough that I think it’s worth bringing up.

Some gurus will tell you that you deserve it all.

That’s reasonable, but realize this: They tell you that so you’ll overcome the common mindset that you don’t deserve abundance.

In that light, it’s a good philosophy. But it’s incomplete.

Yes, we must overcome the feeling that we are unworthy or undeserving of success… but the flip side of that is NOT that we are entitled to it, or automatically deserving of anything.

The antidote for feeling unworthy or undeserving (from my perspective) is to believe that the gap between who I am, and my potential, can be bridged when I lean on the power of my Creator.

Frankly, I “deserve” nothing because I fall so short of living the principles perfectly. But gratefully, I’ve also learned that I don’t have to be perfect to enjoy the blessings, I just need to recognize my shortcomings, acknowledge them, and rely on God to make up the difference.

Think about it: if we’re really talking about Universal Law, and if it’s as absolute as the term “law” would indicate, then you would have to maintain a perfectly positive, expectant attitude ALL the time or the law of attraction wouldn’t work. Period.

Yet, while nobody keeps their thoughts perfectly (and I mean perfectly) positive at all times, goals are still achieved; victories are still won.

How do you explain that?

I explain it this way: God has provided a way for the demands of the law to be satisfied, but it requires honest effort to be obedient to the law, while I do my best to bounce back into right thinking as soon as I can, and having humility – humility which is demonstrated by acknowledging the role of, and my need for, a higher power in the delivery process, and hoping that God will make up the difference where I fall short when I trust him.

It takes faith to believe that my Creator can and will help – but that’s the price I pay… The price is not to achieve perfect, unfailing obedience to all the laws of success every moment of every day. The price I pay is to do my best, and have faith in God that he’ll line things up for me, anyway.

The key is unwavering faith. Not unwavering faith in oneself, not unwavering faith in the laws (because that would mean nothing but predictable failure, from imperfect obedience to an absolute law), but rather: unwavering faith in God.

So, do you subscribe to the philosophy that you ALONE are powerful enough to make your life the way you want it? It IS a better philosophy than believing that you are powerless to change anything…

But faith in yourself alone can only get you so far. Faith in a divine Creator takes you the rest of the way. In many ways it can be harder to do, but when you get into the groove of it, it’s definitely the easier of the two options.

Some gurus will tell you that you’re the creator of ALL that comes to you. I see myself as a CO-creator with God. It’s a partnership. Yes, I am capable of original thought, and I am even capable of creating circumstances in my life with some independence.

But I’ve also learned (the hard way) that when I take the independent approach, and get what I want, I find out that it may not have been the wisest thing to ask for.

(Be careful what you pray for, as they say, because you might just get it.)

Yes, I’ve seen astonishing results from applying the laws of success and utilizing the power of intention. But I’ve seen even better results when I first make the effort to determine whether my desire is in alignment with God’s divine plan. When I know with certainty that I am in alignment, it’s infinitely easier to have the faith required while I wait for the necessary elements to line up.

You might wonder, “What if what God wants for me is less wonderful than what I want for myself?”

I feel assured that we cannot possibly imagine the unbelievable rewards that are available for us; rewards that are beyond our comprehension.

We’re like the child who wants nothing more than the plastic toy in the store window, while our parents know that the joy will be short lived, and that life has much deeper joys to be experienced.

So it is with us. Trust that the object of your desire may be, relatively speaking, childish in comparison to the rewards that are available to us. Check with the parent to see, “Is this something that will bring me all the happiness I’m capable of experiencing?”

True, you can use the laws of success to get what you want, apparently without God, sometimes with amazing ease. And using the laws in alignment with God’s purposes often puts you first through tougher challenges than by going independent…

That’s because He’s a good parent. He’s smart enough to let you first grow into the person capable of appreciating the reward when it finally comes.

Don’t begrudge the challenge that shows up when you set a goal. Embrace it with gratitude because it’s there to shape you into the person who will be able to fully appreciate the reward you seek.

Haven’t you heard that you don’t attract what you want, you attract what you are? How else do you think you change who you ARE, without opportunities to grow through opposition?

Yes, I am the captain of my soul; I am a creative being, capable of original thought, and able to build a better life for myself… no matter who I am, or where I come from.

But without God I am nothing.

Before you get all up in arms about that, think about it: I don’t dictate whether I have the breath of life in me today or not; it could literally be gone in an instant. (Try attracting another breath with your positive attitude when God shuts off the power fueling your life.)

You may not already have everything you want, but you HAVE been granted another breath, at least. How much say did you have in that matter?

It’s a gift worth acknowledging. I look at all I receive as a gift, even when I’ve worked my tail off for it.

So in summary, I am constantly reminded by my weaknesses how dependent I am on that higher power for strength. I rely on unseen help for the guidance I need, which leads me to the necessary resources to accomplish the goals I have. Call it the law of attraction, call it guidance, call it your subconscious, call it whatever you want. The point is, there’s something bigger than all of us that helps us along.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been successful at achieving a goal with an attitude that I “deserved” it or was “entitled” to it. I think this is the reason why:

Sometimes when one of my own children comes to me with a request, and s/he approaches me with an entitlement mentality, I am more inclined to deny the request. (What makes me think a cocky expectation of a goal achieved is what will impress my Creator?)

But when my child comes to me with gratitude for what they already have, and make the request for something additional, sometimes I’ll test them with, “What if I say no?”

If their response is, “That would be okay…” then I usually freely deliver.

When their response is anything resembling a tantrum, I hold it back. I can’t reward the ingratitude. Even if I want them to have it, I can’t deliver, lest they conclude it was their tantrum that did the trick.

It’s all just food for thought:

How are YOU asking Life for what you want? With an entitlement mentality, a tantrum, or with gratitude?

Are you going to be okay if it never comes? I think you’ll find that sometimes it only finally arrives after you’ve learned to live in genuine peace and happiness without it.  My newest book, Portal to Genius helps you understand this better in a story form.

Wow, that post was longer than I intended. Sorry about that.

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Leslie

Of all the principles of prosperity I teach, do you remember the Law of Polarity from “Hidden Treasures: Heaven’s Astonishing Help with Your Money Matters“?

When you are striving to accomplish something significant, and obstacles get in your way, don’t forget that the bigger the challenge, the better the reward can be on the other side of it.

Imagine my frustration when, as I tried to get Jackrabbit Factor published in 2005, I received letter after letter from publishers who weren’t interested. But there is one letter in particular that stood out from the rest, and which actually put me on a different path altogether for which, in hindsight, I am extremely grateful.

It has become “my favorite rejection” of all time.

Once in a while I’ll share the letter with an audience in a seminar, and for those who have read “The Jackrabbit Factor” it triggers an eruption of laughter. (For those who haven’t, there’s usually just a grin, as they wonder about what’s so funny…)

Had I not received that particular rejection letter, and continued on the same path in search of a publisher, the book would have taken much longer to hit the market. For some of you, it might be interesting to take a moment and think of how your life would have been different for you, had that been the case.

So, take a fresh look at your obstacles right now. By law, there is contained within them the potential for something phenomenal. What could it be?

Start looking for the upside of your challenges, and be grateful. It will put you in the right state of being to attract some incredible blessings. Continue to focus on the inconvenience of your obstacle, and you may miss the blessing altogether.

With all due respect for the publisher who rejected me, (for I hold no malice, only gratitude for the opportunity to try), I thought it might be inspirational to share the letter with you.

Why? To snub the publisher? No, and I hope none of my readers take it that way. It is to simply offer an alternative, positive perspective on rejections that you may face on the way to achieving your goals.

View my favorite rejection letter HERE.

Get a copy of the SEQUEL to Jackrabbit Factor at PortalToGenius.com