Written by Valerie Ackley, and illustrated by one of our very own FTMF participants, Lori Nawyn, it’s a fun follow-up especially for parents who loved The Jackrabbit Factor.

To view sample pages be sure to visit http://www.whatareyouthinkingbook.com.  Look for the hidden rabbits while you’re at it!

Also, for those who are in Utah, save a bunch of money at the book signing:

July 22, 2-4 pm at Confetti Antiques and Books

273 No. Main Street in Spanish Fork.

The book will be offered at a 20% discount making the book only $13.56. Great opportunity to get the book without paying shipping charges.

I LOVE IT! So take a look! 

Thanks,
Lori

No matter what your political position may be, there are fundamental principles at the root of it all.  The challenge is in identifying the principle.  But once it is identified, the correct position (which aligns you with universal law) becomes more clear.

One position believes in the unlimited human potential – that no matter what causes a person to struggle, that person has within him or herself the power to rise above it, and through the struggle, that person can and will become stronger and better.

The other position believes that humanity at large is NOT made up of people smart enough to solve their own problems, and that it’s NOT okay to let people suffer the consequences of natural law when it is within a person’s or a nation’s power to give them an escape.  It’s a position that says it is inhumane to allow anyone to feel the pain that naturally accompanies the violation of principle, and that it is not charitable or Christian to do so.

It’s an honorable concern. But the principle upon which the whole conflict rests runs deeper than many good-hearted philanthropists realize.

For the fundamental principle that guides all of my political views, read my previous post: “Voting for Broccoli”

Now, about the Immigration issue in America… Mexico’s president Calderon addressed Congress and while his comments seemed to be popular among the leftists, this response from Tom McClintock embodies the principles of prosperity and personal freedom, no matter what country you’re from.  My response to his response follows. Watch the video first, and then read on:

People forget that there are fundamental principles that promote freedom and liberty. All the people of the world want freedom, but until they recognize, acknowledge, and abide by the correct principles that lay the foundation for their freedom, it will continue to elude them.

I don’t want to hear from someone who has not proven his political theories. Show me what it is about Mexico that should cause me to adopt Calderon’s philosophies? If Mexico were a thriving economic place where people wanted to live, then I’d listen to what he has to say about how to create a great nation. I think it would do HIM well to read the constitution and find out the principles upon which this nation was founded, and why his people want to run across our borders.

Don’t get me wrong; I welcome ALL who want to adopt the principles that make our country great. Adopt the principles if you physically come to America, or adopt the principles in your own country.  Either way, they hold the key to personal freedom no matter where you live.  When a person is determined to come the legal way, they are saying that they respect the principles that promote and protect freedom.

I should also add here that not all Americans live up to their claim to freedom. Whether a person lives free or not depends on how aligned that person’s life is with the universal principles of freedom.

No matter what country a person lives in, personal freedom begins with a shift toward adopting true principles. Just because a person makes it across the borders without getting caught does not mean they will live a life of freedom. I’m talking about true freedom.

For example, few people will ever know the true freedom that Victor Frankl discovered when he sat in a German concentration camp. He realized that no matter what anyone did to him, they could never control his thoughts. That was the one last freedom that could never be taken from him.

That’s where it begins. It begins in the mind. First, become the master of your thoughts and learn to respond to your conditions rather than react, and in time, life as you know it can no longer contain you, and ways open up for you to find better conditions.

Don’t cheat the process. Commit to principle and allow God to lead the way. Either the way opens up that brings you to America, or you discover that what you really want can be created right where you are.

Anything is possible – it’s THAT very belief that defines the American dream. As soon as people of other countries start believing it seriously enough, they’ll find that the principle is true universally, not not just within our borders.

It’s not about politics, it’s about principles.

For help creating more family time and money freedom right where you are, join me in the School of Life Mastery.

Mentor Training 2008

Planning has begun for Mentor Training 2010, and this event will be limited to just 15 participants.

We want to be sure we provide excellent individual attention, a powerful growing experience, and strong relationships with like-minded leaders.

To be considered for Mentor Training, complete the FTMF program with honors no later than June 30. (You’ll need at least 3 months to prepare for the Mentor Training event.)

If you’re interested, join the first-priority notification list.  Due to the limited size of this group, registration is closed now, but will open in a few weeks.  The 15 positions will be filled on a first-come first served basis.

ThoughtsAlive Official Mentor Training

Ever thought about Teaching what you’ve Learned?  Want to develop a business as an expert in your favorite topic?

Official ThoughtsAlive Mentor Training Mesa, AZ
Oct 7-9, 2010
Prerequisite: FTMF Honors Graduation
Fee: $2995

This is a great way to start or expand a business helping people understand the principles of success.

ThoughtsAlive Official Mentor Training Overview

It is a unique opportunity to be a part of ThoughtsAlive’s Official Mentor Training. We’re building Mentors from the cream of the crop, to help people around the world take their understanding and success to the next level. We can’t do it alone… that’s why we’re excited to help you magnify your success, your understanding, and your ability and effectiveness in helping transform other people’s lives.

As an FTMF Honors graduate, we know that you understand the principles well enough to help lead others to the next level. This Mentor Training will give YOU the additional tools and self-confidence you need to be an effective mentor.  We’ll help you find your wings and help launch you into a successful career of your own.

We want to position YOU for a growing income stream, doing something that is profitable, gratifying, and soul-expanding.  As an Official ThoughtsAlive Mentor, you will even have various avenues for getting YOUR message, products, and services in front of our many site visitors and ezine subscribers.

Event Objectives:

• Dig deep into the 3 most powerful concepts from our rarely conducted Principles of Prosperity Seminar

• Identify, solidify, and make a quantum leap toward your own #1 priority goal while you’re with us (so that you can help others do the same)

• Set up an individualized passive income stream at ThoughtsAlive.com with a product of your own creation – completed, and in place before you even go home

• Receive tools and training to develop multiple income streams (shortcuts, time/money saving tips, marketing secrets, implementation – experience a hands on, “get it done while you’re here” workshop as much as time permits)

• Learn fundamental principles of effective mentoring so you can naturally attract an abundance of clients to you and your product(s)

• Establish credibility online – discover and then begin the process while you’re in class of how to become known as a reliable, principled resource for helping others become all they can be.

• Become an expert goal reviewer to help people clarify and ultimately attain the objectives they have in mind – including your own

• Receive $ for each product of your own creation that sells as people find you in our Official Mentor Directory

• Learn the secrets of what large list owners look for in a joint venture partner

• Develop a personal relationship with Trevan and I as we work together for a common cause

• And more…

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity – see you there!

(This group will intentionally be limited to 15 attendees. Positions will be filled on a first-come first, served basis when registration opens on June 8.)

Join the notification list below:

Important Deadlines:

June 8, 2010 – Mentor training registration opens for just 15 participants.

June 16, 2010 – if there are spots remaining, registration opens for regular FTMF graduates and participants.  (Mentor Training Certification is not complete until you have also obtained FTMF Honors status.)

September 15, 2010 – Mentor Training Preparation Packets due (if homework packet is not completed, you’ll forfeit your position to the next person on the waiting list.  There will be no refunds, but your registration fee may be applied to future events.)

Do Not Procrastinate Registration! You will be given a significantly large packet to complete prior to your arrival, to gain the full benefit from this training.

When all else fails, it’s time to go back to school. Click on this banner to begin your journey in the School of Life Mastery:

We had just spent an entire day trying to get from Mesa, AZ to Goblin Valley, Utah, not really comprehending how unrealistic such a jaunt in one day really was.  After missing our turnoff in Flagstaff (add 3 hours to the trip because of the unscheduled stop at the meteor crater on the way to Albuquerque), our hope was to reach Goblin Valley, Utah before the RV park closed at 10 pm.

On the map, there’s a nice little road from Mexican Hat, straight up to Hanksville, which is only a little ways away from Goblin Valley.  By the time we reached Mexican Hat, it was clearly impossible to hope for a 10 pm arrival; we’d be lucky to get there before midnight.  I just prayed that the gate would remain open for us by some fluke, so we pressed on.  We had already paid for the first night, and I wanted to benefit from it.

(Do all you CAN do, and expect things to work out for your in the end, right?)

When we reached the turnoff outside of Mexican Hat, there was a large, obnoxious sign that said we’d be stupid to drive that road with an RV.  It was small with switchbacks and although I was anxious to get to Hanksville, we decided it would be smartest to go an extra 40 miles out of our way through Bluff and Blanding instead.

By 1:00 in the morning, we finally rolled into Hanksville, exhausted and grateful that we were there in one piece.  It had been a lonely, dark, unpredictable and nerve-wracking road with our long and heavy trailer.

We slept at a gas station in Hanksville, and in the morning, headed down highway 24 towards Goblin Valley.  Happy to be close to our destination and well rested, we excitedly told the kids we were almost there. (To this point, the destination was still a secret.)

About 20 miles out of town, my son saw something sparkly spread across the hills on our left.  I looked, and was amazed at its beauty – it looked like it was covered in hundreds of yards of gold.  I knew it couldn’t possibly be, so I just assumed it had to be pyrite (fools gold).

Unexpectedly, the glitter ended with the next hill.  “Shoot!” We thought, “we should have stopped to see what it was and take some home with us!”  But our trailer was too large, and we were too long to turn around on the narrow 2-lane road, so we just pressed on.

Around the next corner, my husband Trevan thought he saw some on the right side of the road and quickly pulled off to take the opportunity.  But it only took a moment to realize that the solid-looking shoulder was deep and soft from rain the day before.  He gunned it to get back on the road, but it was too late.  We were stuck.  Stuck on a road that sees a traveler only once in a very long while.

Long story short, a group of college kids eventually saw us, turned around, and stopped to help in vain (to my oldest son’s amusement, one happened to be from the same high school as he attends now, 550 miles away).  Then a man in a truck stopped, and went into town to get a chain.

With everyone pushing, and the man with the truck pulling, we finally pulled out.  My husband ran ahead to thank the man in the truck, who asked us where we were going.  He responded, “Goblin Valley!”  To which the man replied, “You’re going in the wrong direction!  You need to take the 24 East, not West.”

Amazing. We were already 30 miles off course and would not have known it for a very long time had we not gotten stuck in the mud.

The college students asked, “Why did you pull off the road?”

We chuckled, “Because we saw something sparkly.”

They laughed at us, hard.

We let the kids out of the van to go climbing while Trevan drove up the road to find a place to turn around.

Jacob and Sarah coming down the hill to get back in the van.

You know, sometimes life is like this.  You’re traveling along in the wrong direction and don’t even know it.  So God allows you to be enticed by a dream that gets your attention – maybe it’s financial freedom, maybe it’s a nice house or a car.  So you divert your attention toward the goal and somewhere along the way, you end up getting stuck.

In an effort to get unstuck, you reach out for help, and ultimately learn something that puts you on course toward your ultimate goal, after having been off course without even knowing it.

People looking for more money or a better lifestyle often end up discovering the principles of prosperity and laws of success which apply to all areas of their life, all because they got stuck financially and searched for a way out.

The good news is, being stuck is one of the best things that can happen to you, because it often stops you from continuing in the wrong direction, and opens up an opportunity for you to not only get unstuck, but to get back on course when you didn’t even know you were going the wrong way in the first place.

I’m convinced that’s what the “glitter” of life is really for.  “Materialism” – being too consumed with material things – isn’t all bad, because it gets your attention, and if your heart is in the right place, it can lead you to answers you don’t even know you need.

For more help on getting unstuck, prospering your family, and turning your life around, visit http://www.prosperyourfamily.com.

Temperance = moderation and self-restraint

I easily understand this in terms of harmful substances and addictive behaviors, but when I think about what “Temperance in All Things” means, I have trouble.

I haven’t been good at knowing how to be temperate in goal achievement, for example.  I aim high, and then I overbook myself and get overwhelmed by all that needs to be accomplished.

I haven’t known at what point I can say, “I’ve done enough.”

In fact, just that morning I was praying for some insight on how to keep up better with all that I juggle.

Part of my problem is that I’ve had the mindset that I can do anything – and so there’s no such thing as doing “too much”.  I don’t always know how to temper my over-ambitious tendencies, because frankly, they’ve helped me achieve some things that I’m pretty happy about.

However, sometimes my mortal body can’t keep up with the pace of my thoughts and ambitions… and so predictably, I go through periods of unbridled ambition, followed by periods of crashing and burning, until I regain my strength and start it all over again.

I’m telling you, that kind of pattern can eventually break you, like bending a metal rod back and forth over and over again.

That morning before church, however, I could feel that I was on the verge of another crash-and-burn, and so I prayed to receive insight on the matter that day.  I knew something wasn’t quite right about my methodology… but I just couldn’t seem to see how to be any other way.

Then Natalie, at the front of the room, began.  I’ll try to sum up the experience.  She said:

I like to make cookies.  In fact, I have a wonderful recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies that just works. Over the years I’ve used it, as long as I follow the right steps, we will predictably end up with perfectly delicious cookies.

If I set the timer for 13 minutes and take them out on time, they’re perfect.  But if I get busy and ignore the timer, pretty soon I’ll smell them, and I’ll run to the oven to take them out, but it will be too late.  They will be hard, dark, and good for nothing but to be thrown away.

There are four important steps for making a perfect cookie:

First, you mix the sugar, eggs and vanilla together.

Second, you add the flour and baking soda.

Third, you add the chocolate chips.

Fourth, you shape and bake them.

If I follow all but the last steps, I don’t have cookies, I only have goupy dough.  Can you imagine how your friend would feel if you brought her a covered, decorative plate with a carefully positioned pile of cookie dough lumps?

Baking the cookies has to be one of the most important parts – otherwise you just don’t have a cookie.  Baking them right determines if they will be quality or not.

The timer is important to help you make sure the cookies don’t burn.

There is a verse in the Doctrine and Covenants that speaks of doing God’s work.  It says, “And no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.”

We have been given a recipe for life in this verse.  I’d like to compare it to the recipe for cookies:

First, the sweet stuff (sugar): being humble and full of love.

Second, the substance (flour): having faith and hope.

Third, the little things that make all the difference (chocolate chips): doing charitable service.

Fourth, the process that transforms the mixture (baking): action, energy, and attention to your responsibilities – with all the ingredients listed above.

Finally, stopping the process when the timer dings: listening to that inner voice that quietly says, “It’s enough.”

She continued, but the lesson just to that point had a profound and lasting effect on me.  I felt that the lesson had been prepared with ME in mind – and it touched my heart that the Lord could and would answer me so directly. For the first time in my life I could finally understand that yes, there is such a thing as too much, and if you push the limits, you run the risk of ruining everything.  Too much of even the most wonderful things can turn into something bad.

Finding that middle place, trusting that it is by “small and simple things” that “great things are brought to pass” is an act of faith of the highest order.

I began to listen more carefully to the Spirit of God that serves as my “timer” – it quietly alerts me when I’m pushing things to long or too far, and when I think I may be hearing it, instead of rationalizing that “I can still do MORE!”, I think about burnt cookies, and it has helped me stop soon enough to avoid burning out.

Natalie concluded by giving us each a perfectly formed cookie and said:

Baking is what determines the quality of my cookie, and temperance determines the quality of my life.

Thank you, Natalie, for being an instrument in God’s hands that day – my prayer was answered in a significant way (and my family thanks you for it, too!) 

That’s how I felt for many, many years.

What I didn’t realize, was that I was doing damage in a way I had never considered, simply by the way I thought about my situation.

All the time that I felt frustrated and angry about having to work, I wanted my children to grow up believing that our situation was NOT the standard.  I wanted them to believe that mothers should be 100% attentive to their children.  I wanted them to grow up expecting things to be more “ideal” in their future families.

I’d say things like, “I’m so sorry I have to work so much!  I really should be spending time with you, and I promise, we’re doing all we can to fix the problem!”

Or, “I wish I didn’t have to work!  I hate the way things are, but we’ve just got to keep hoping that things will get better.  We have to be patient; can you hang on just a little longer until things can be better?  I really believe this won’t last forever…”

My intentions were good, but what I was really communicating was doing more damage than I realized.

1) I was teaching my kids that my husband and I were doing something wrong, when in reality, we were doing precisely what was necessary.

2) I was teaching my kids that it was acceptable to complain about doing what was necessary. I realized my error when I noticed them complaining about their necessary work, and expecting things to be easier for them, too. For example, they complained about having to walk to school because I was too busy to drive them a measly 1/2 mile in beautiful Arizona weather.  They complained about having to cook, clean and do dishes because I was too busy to do my “regular motherly duties”.

3) It became easy for my kids to conclude that Mom and Dad just don’t keep their promises when the need for me to work stretched from months into years.  I believe our children had a harder time believing the things we said because of it.

4) The “guilty Mom” syndrome caused me to overcompensate in other areas. If they begged for more privileges (even privileges that contradicted family policy or went against plain good sense), I was more likely to give in, just because I felt guilty about working too much. (My friend Matt Reichmann who works for LAPD and sees plenty of domestic dysfunction says there’s nothing more dangerous than a guilty parent.)

One of the best shifts I’ve ever made in my life was the day I decided to stop apologizing for working.

Yes, I still thought it would have been more ideal for our family if I had been able to give more time to my children, but under the circumstances, the next best thing I could do for them was to change the way I felt about it:

I decided to accept my situation and make the most of it.  Instead of saying, “I’m so sorry for working so much; I wish I didn’t have to…”  I started saying things like, “Hey, this is what needs to be done, and you know, it feels really good to work!” Or, “Hey, let’s both get some work done, and at 4:30, let’s go to the park!  What would YOU like to accomplish?”

The energy in our home shifted in an incredible way.  We also decided to make our children more involved in our work, and help them see the impact that it had in the lives of others.

We showed them how doing their chores and helping the family run more smoothly (picking up the slack where Mom couldn’t do it all), was actually helping people all over the world have better lives.  We helped them see the bigger picture, and they started doing family chores more cheerfully.  They even started doing what needed to be done without being asked.

My children are incredibly independent.  They became that way because they had to be.  But I have no regrets – they are learning how to work, and how to feel good about a job well done.

This family is certainly not perfect, and my kids still complain just like anyone else’s kids, but every one of my children has had at least one wonderful moment when they made that shift, and expressed great satisfaction from being independently productive.  It only takes a few of those successes for a child to have a memorable comparison between how they feel when they’re cheerfully productive and how they feel when they are not.

I’d say it’s the law of Polarity in action: what I thought was so horrible (me working) has turned into a tremendous blessing in our family – but only because I first decided to stop apologizing.

No matter what your work is, it’s helping someone.  Talk to your children about what you do, and the difference it makes in the lives of others.  Teach them by your example to learn how to enjoy being productive.  This is one of the greatest gifts you can give them before they leave the home: a love of work, and an acceptance of what “is”.

(Accepting what “is”, is the first step toward major transformation.  Test it!)

Do you see how children learn from our examples, whether we work or we don’t?  Teach them to find joy in making a contribution when necessary.  Teach them by your example to accept the things they cannot change, and find happiness, no matter what.

If you don’t have to work, I hope you’ll still find work to do – a hobby, a project, community service, whatever – so that your children can learn these lessons.  It’s worth it!

See, no matter how well you parent them, they will face challenges in their adult life.  How well they turn out will have less to do with whether you worked or you didn’t, but more with how they saw you to respond to your challenges.

For more on this topic, read Portal to Genius.

In 2004 I lost half of my left pointer and all of my middle finger due to an accident with a table saw. A week later when I picked up a mug with my injured hand for the first time after the accident, I had a profound experience.

What happened shocked me and I will never forget it.

As I held the mug, I perceived 3 fingers holding the mug and two – the missing ones- inside the mug. The perception was completely real. In fact what came to mind was “this is how it must feel walking through a wall”.

For about a week following this experience every time I repeated that action the experience faded and pretty soon there was no difference anymore between my left hand holding a mug and my right hand holding the same mug. How is that? Well, I figured out that my own computer (using your lingo here) adjusted its software to correct the situation with my left hand.

There are a couple of points I want to bring out with this.  First, you do have a spirit, and your mind is constantly working with your body and your spirit to do what “needs” to be done.

Secondly, your mind does things for you even when you aren’t consciously directing it.

Do you see how amazing your mind is?  The more you understand how your mind works, the more you can put its incredible power to use.  But to do this effectively, you have to understand what your mind IS.

Think of it this way: It’s really a combination of your body, your spirit, and your fundamental consciousness.  And when things don’t appear quite the same as what your subconscious mind expects, it compensates.  You begin to see and/or sense things differently.

For example, if your subconscious mind expects to see abundance in your life, but your 5 senses are not picking up on any tangible evidence of it, your mind will help you notice (and feel compelled toward) the right avenues that will lead you to the success it expects.

If you expect to struggle financially, your mind will help you notice and feel compelled toward the avenues that will lead you to hardship.

You don’t get what you want out of life; you ultimately get what you expect.

Let me show you step-by-step how to change your subconscious programs.  How? Simple. Just watch THIS VIDEO.