I was traveling with my friend, Oh Be Newman, and George opened his home to Oh Be as well.

I met George several years ago. I had read The Book of est quite a while ago. And I was so impressed with his work, that I wrote him and asked if he would be open to republishing the book along with my then-friend and business partner, Joe Vitale.

The Book of est was out of print, and copies of the book were being sold for over $100 on various online auctions, etc. George agreed, and it began an email journey of getting to know a really great man, and a legend… George’s series The Dice Man has become a cult classic and he’s quite respected for his writing work.

As I got to know George, I began to respect and like him even more than I did before. His style of communication is direct, to the point, and honest from the heart. George is definitely my kind of guy.

When we finished publishing The Book of est, George and Ann invited Kathy, Max, Claire and me to his farm on the New York/Massachusetts border sitting between multiple mountain ranges: Catskills, Adirondacks, Berkshires, and Taconic. The property is gorgeous and inviting. Because I have family in upstate New York, I knew that I would eventually have a chance to meet George.

George’s home is a quaint New England-style farm house with lots of history. It has been a home for nuns, Sufi and Jewish mystics, and now it is home to George and his wonderful wife, Ann.

The first thing we got from George was a big hug from a big man. George was much taller than I imagined, and he is amazingly big in spirit.

When we arrived, there was a beautiful, enticing spread of food…both your average American meal and a vegan options for my friend. Oh Be was grateful to see such consideration and even more grateful at the wonderful flavors.

We felt like long lost family come home.

We ate and talked and drank into the night. A touch of bourbon and a brownie were actually quite complementary to the conversation.

We talked business for a while. And the conversation drifted to life experiences, psychology, ho’oponopono, and other spiritual pursuits and experiences. George inspired us, and he also said the he had a renewed interest in reading spiritual works after our discussion.

I was awakened in the morning by a very loud voice. George shouted gleefully out his upstairs window, “Good morning world!!!!” I laughed. Now that’s how to wake up!

We were greeted with fresh coffee, bright sunshine, and crisp morning air. It was easy to awaken and greet the day with such a wonderful new inviting family. The amazing breakfast was abundant and delicious.

We sat on the porch and talked for a bit before taking a tour of George’s wonderful farm, complete with a pond and nearby lake. George shared story after story of how each part of this wonderland had been effected by him and his wife Ann, their children and grandchildren.

Before we left there was an exchange of books, with George giving the most… and a long comment above his John Hancock.

We also signed a guestbook and took a few pictures to share before we got into our car to leave.

George and Ann were a bit disappointed that Kathy, Max, and Claire weren’t along on the trip… this time. I did however promise that I would bring them by to visit, not just for George and Ann, but because I think my wife and children would be blessed by the experience as well.

Thank you so much, George and Ann, for your warm hospitality, not just for me, but for my friend Oh Be. Your kindness and hospitality for someone you didn’t even know says a lot.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

In our judicial system, there is a process that works very well using discovery, debate, and discourse in order to expose the truth so that finality and healing may occur. Evidence is brought forward during discovery, and lawyers present that evidence in a forum meant to determine what is truth and what must happen in order for healing to occur.

Last week, you probably noticed that Mark came forward after a couple of months hiatus from public communication. He and I both spent this time in introspection and discovery of our own, so that we could heal after some rather rough realizations.

Mark also began working on his new product, Subliminal Clearing: Z Plus Advanced Ho’oponopono, which he announced via a successful teleseminar, email mailings, blog posts, and twitter messages.

Our hope is that Mark’s product is a successful first step in communicating the vast and amazing wealth of information Mark has accumulated and developed.

During the process of announcing Mark’s new project, I noticed some minor interference from Joe on his twitter account. Hours after Mark’s first mailing, Joe Twittered: “What’s beyond Zero Limits and ho’oponopono and LOA? Don’t get stuck. Go to the next level. http://www.awakeningcourse.com”

Now, Joe and Mark have had their differences… differences that stemmed from Joe’s decision to not pay Mark (though he was promised payment) for the work he did in Russia. I personally didn’t feel like this Twitter message was a big deal, and both Mark and I blew it off. After all, we experienced much worse last fall.

Neither of us even subscribe to his mailings any more, so we wouldn’t have even known this message was posted except for the fact a friend alerted me to it. To me, it was no big deal and we were focused on getting the product launched.

Right after Mark announced his product, Joe announced that he was writing “Beyond Zero Limits” and began to solicit input from his fans on his twitter account.

I thought that was kind of a sad desperate attempt to derail Mark, but it seemed kind of minor, so I didn’t think much of it. Besides, it was completely contradictory of his previous statement that his Awakening Course was the answer to what was beyond Zero Limits and ho’oponopono and even LOA.

None of this affected Mark much at all; he was too focused on making the teleseminar the best he could.

On Sunday, a friend forwarded me an email that Joe sent to his list with the subject line: “Beyond Zero Limits: Advanced Ho’oponopono.” In this email, Joe says, “I never planned to reveal these advanced ho’oponopono methods until I began to see people promoting false and misleading information and saying it was ho’oponopono.” And later, he says, “Please don’t be taken by all the people who claim to know or teach ho’oponopono. Dr. Hew Len warned me about them and sure enough, they’re out there. Stick with the original source of the Zero Limits message.”

Let’s see, there are a LOT of people teaching ho’oponopono, but only one of those teachers announced a new product called Advanced Ho’oponopono this week… and that person happens to be a former friend of Joe Vitale’s… a former friend who Joe threatened to ruin financially in an email last fall. (I still have that email, by the way.) I can only assume that Joe is attempting to discredit Mark. Unless of course Joe means another teacher of ho’oponopono.

No matter who he means, the statement Joe makes that he is the only source of knowing about ho’oponopono is egotistic and false. It is reminiscent of the medieval Church telling people that the only way to God and spiritual knowledge was through them. Oh, and don’t forget to tithe 10% of your income so that the church elite can commission fancy artwork… just like Joe Vitale commissions fancy cars and paintings of himself.

Dear Joe, you’re NOT the only source of knowledge of ho’oponopono. You’re not even SOURCE, you are only a vessel, a messenger. The Divine brought a message to you, you saw a way to make money with it, and the Divine used you to bring that message to a wider audience. For that, I am thankful. The rest of your antics were minor in comparison to what needed to be done. But that’s done now.

And now that ho’oponopono has been brought to a wider audience, Spirit is finding other, less tainted messengers and vehicles through whom to communicate. I personally feel that Mark is one of those teachers… but there are others. MANY others.

Joe Vitale does not own ho’oponopono any more than BP owns the Gulf of Mexico…. but Joe certainly seems to attempt to taint ho’oponopono much in the same way, by leaking his anger-laden data all over it.

Mark has been traveling, so I wondered whether or not I should even tell him. Someone else beat me to it, so I gave him my two cents.

I told him I was cleaning on it, but I also thought it was important to answer this communication somehow. But I also said that I thought that the people who have been listening to Mark for years — and even those people who listened to Mark’s work through Joe’s words — would be able to discern whether or not Mark was able to teach ho’oponopono… and these people would also be able to discern whether or not Joe is able to teach ho’oponopono (with Mark no longer providing that spiritual support and knowledge behind the scenes).

So, my take on things is to let it go. I’m not going to answer Joe’s points with evidence in this arena. Mark’s work speaks for itself, just as Joe’s work speaks for itself. In this case, I don’t have to do a line-by-line rebuttal to Joe’s email.

But here’s the problem… because Mark gave so much of his teaching and understanding to Joe (who repurposed and repackaged much of Mark’s knowledge as his own, from my observation), I believe it is only fair to all involved that we go through the discovery process, and engage in debate and discourse so that the truth can come out for healing.

Those who resonate to depth and spiritual growth will resonate one way. Those who want to use ho’oponopono only for material gain will resonate another.

The chips will fall where they may. They always do.

It’s nice. After all of the awful personal attacks we endured privately from Joe’s horrible emails last fall, I feel healed. Yes, ho’oponopono works. I don’t feel violated by his latest email at all.

I honestly feel that those who resonate to Joe’s message that he is some kind of guru and has The Only One True View of Ho’oponopono will continue to resonate there, and those individuals should stay there for whatever reason. Maybe someday they’ll be ready for something deeper, and I trust the Spirit that they’ll find that teacher. I’m personally partial to Mark’s message and I have been for over 3 years. But I trust that whatever teacher is right for that individual will be brought to them.

After all, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Maybe YOU will be one of those teachers.

It doesn’t have to be Joe Vitale. No one owns ho’oponopono, just like no one owns your own personal Divine Zero State.

As Mark said in his blog post announcing his new product, he has a perspective based on his experience in hypnosis and NLP. He’s not trying to be a guru. I personally think that Mark’s perspective is amazing. It’s even more amazing when he’s working one-on-one with people. I hope you get to see and hear that, too.

Healing in this case, rather than dictated by a judge or jury, will come through a core group of aware individuals working on clearing the data that is coming to light through discovery.

That healing will come through you.

I do hope that you continue to listen to Mark’s zero-cost teleseminars on advanced ho’oponopono. I trust that you can decide for yourself whether or not one human being owns the path to the Divine Zero State… or whether or not a shared perspective, understanding and experience is warranted… especially in these times.

edited to add: Please also check out this post, containing an audio Mark did on June 1, 2010.

Saluti!

Il Grande Condor e Il Colibrì
Si dice che, nei tempi di Tahuantinsuyo (nell’impero degli Inca), ogni volta che l’Inca, figlio del sole, voleva comunicare con Wiracocha (il creatore dell’Universo), utilizzava un pututo per convocare il Grande Condor (chiamato Kuntur in lingua quechua), per mandare il messaggio del Inca a Dio.

Il condor era l’unico animale che è stato consentito l’accesso al cielo perché era il messaggero degli Inca. Portava le richieste degli Inca là, e tornava con le risposte e consigli dal Creatore.

Ecco come gli Inca erano abbastanza saggi per vivere in giustizia.

Un giorno, il colibrì (chiamato qenqe in lingua quechua) metre volava tra i fiori, ebbe un’idea scandalosa: voleva vedere Dio. Cercò di non pensarci più, ma non poteva. Il pensiero non lo lasciano in pace.

Come tutti sappiamo, il colibrì è un uccello così fragile che non poteva mai andare alle altezze in cui vive il condor. Tutt’al più, il colibrì decise di volare lì, e quindi utilizzare il condor per arrivare al cielo. Il pensiero in se’ era un sacrilegio. Ma questo uccello intelligente non si curava di ciò che gli altri animali pensavano di lui. L’unica cosa che voleva era di rendere questo desiderio realtà. Così rimase in silenzio per un po ‘, riflettendo come volare alla casa del condor.

Con uno sforzo tremendo, riuscì a volare verso il nido del condor, dove trovò il condor in un sonno profondo. Molto rapidamente, il colibrì si nascose tra le piume delle ali del Condor e’ rimase in attesa per il condor di rispondere alla chiamata del Inca e quindi recarsi al cielo.

E così accadde. Non appena il condor senti’ il pututo, subito volò all’Inca.

Gli Inca dissero al condor le loro domande e problemi che dovevano essere chiariti da Wiracocha, il Creatore dell’Universo. Il condor volò verso la Hanan Pacha (il cielo), che si apriva sempre più maggiormente e il condor volò. Nel frattempo, il colibrì non vedeva niente, perché era terrorizzato e si teneva stretto alle piume del Condor.

Una volta che il condor arrivo’ alla Pacha Hanan, si fermò in un huaca sacro (santuario), per prepararsi a parlare con Wiracocha. Il condor non era permesso di guardare Wiracocha e doveva girare la testa mentre parlava con il Creatore. Mentre il condor si preparò, il colibrì non poteva più aspettare e scese dalle ali del condor, volando via. Doveva vedere Dio, questa era la sola ragione per cui aveva preso così tanti rischi. Il condor notando la presenza dei colibrì lo insegui’, furioso per l’insolenza del colibrì di averlo sfruttato per venire in cielo.

Nella sua disperazione, il colibrì girò la testa per vedere se il condor lo stava afferrando, quando vide il volto di Dio. L’impatto era tremendo. Il colibrì si trasformo’ in oro.

Quando il condor vide questo, fece un passo indietro, senza parole, dato che il colibrì aveva fatto ciò che il condor non fu mai permesso di fare.

Per gli andini, il colibrì simboleggia un saggio essere che sa come ottenere il nettare della vita, con audacia e coscienza. Il condor è il più magnifico animale che ci sia. Il colibrì d’oro, pero’, è un animale mitico che esiste solo nei sogni del’umanita’. Esso rappresenta il solo essere vivente che ha osato giungere a Dio con un po ‘di furbizia.

This story has a great analogy about manifestation, spirituality, courage, and reverence. I recommend listening to the story a few times and see what it has to say for you.

Excuse my possible mispronunciations of the Peruvian Incan words.

At the end of the recording, I give you a little insight into my goals in sharing the knowledge I have going forward.

The entire recording is about 23 minutes. I hope you enjoy it.

If you want the unedited raw call, just go to the web site for the event (that was emailed to you if you registered) and you can download it there.

At the end of the call, I had a special announcement in addition to giving away a few great gifts (emailed to registrants_… and I am thrilled that I can share that announcement here with you now.

I’m thrilled to announce the pre-order opportunity for my new DVD program: Z Plus Advanced Ho’oponopono. This is the first in a series of DVD along the same line, Subliminal Clearing.

I’ve been working with ho’oponopono for many years, ever since my good friend John Overdurf introduced me to the concept in 1996. When the concept came back to me about 5 years ago in Mount Shasta, through my introduction to Dr. Hew Len and his own version of ho’oponopono, I knew that this concept was important and was going to change the world.

I then introduced my then-friend Joe Vitale to the concept, and from that was born the Zero Limits book. I am thankful that I was a part of that process, and I am delighted that so many people have been introduced to their own individual pathway to the Divine Zero State.

Since that time, so many people have asked me about my take on ho’oponopono. Since I’ve worked with the concept since the mid-1990′s, I have my own particular take on the concept. In fact, I’ve got a lot to say on it. I was hoping to pull together one DVD, but when we had all of the film together, it turned quickly into two DVDs.

And I’m not even done.

Listen, there’s a lot of people out there talking about ho’oponopono, Zero State, Zero Limits, or what have you. If you’ve worked with it for a while, you see that it’s a very simple process.

But that very simple process can also open up an entirely new world of experience for you. That new world can often be discombobulating, it can throw things off kilter quickly.

I don’t profess to be a “guru” about ho’oponopono, NLP, spirituality, or anything of the sort. You can kind of say that I’m turned off by the entire “I am a guru and I know better than you” schtick that many people try to pull. (The real secret is in guru itself: “GEE, YOU ARE YOU.”)

I’m just a guy… a guy who practices ho’oponopono, a guy who has had as many difficulties and problems as any of you. I’ve got an added benefit of understanding how the human mind works, both consciously and unconsciously, through my training in hypnosis and neurolinguistic programming. That added understanding gives me a bit of an advantage and interesting perspective.

That advantage and interesting perspective is something I want to share with you… not as a guru, but as a teacher, a tour guide of sorts.

That’s what this DVD does.

If you have experienced any of the Subliminal Manifestation DVDs I produced, you’ll recognize the style of the meditations and video subliminals… I’ve really honed the subliminals on this DVD to install the concepts of advance ho’oponopono in your unconscious mind. As well, I’ve included the video of an intimate seminar I recently held in my home with a few close friends who also have practiced various styles of ho’oponopono for many years.

I’m really proud of the work I’ve done here, and I hope that my offering of knowledge and experience is helpful to those who want to take their ho’oponopono spiritual practice to the next level, delve deeper into their Zero State, and change their life experiences for the better.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you through this DVD. Go look.

This Zero-cost teleseminar on manifestation, ho’oponopono, and advanced ho’oponopono features a very special mystery guest that will excite you!

We’ll also have some giveaways and a special announcement at the end of the call.

You can listen on your telephone or on the web… or you can listen later with an MP3 download… but that will only be available to those who register!

The only cost associated with this call is the cost your telephone company may charge for listening via telephone.

We will charge you nothing!

Register here.

The call takes place Wednesday, May 26, 2010 8 PM Eastern time.

8 pm Eastern
7 pm Central
6 pm Mountain
5 pm Pacific

We expect the call to last approximately 1 hour, but it could go longer depending on the questions.

If you read Joe Vitale’s book, Zero Limits, you probably remember that I am the man who introduced Joe to ho’oponopono and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. The Zero Limits phenomenon took off. Dr. Len’s seminars went from 20-50 people to 50-800 attendees… and Dr. Len is still going strong.

Last year, I developed the Zero Limits DVD with Joe, and it has broken all kinds of records for us in terms of popularity… and it is still going strong. Yesterday, I received a call from an older gentleman interested in the DVD. He said he had read Zero Limits 4 times and wanted to learn more… as much information as he could get. He also said that everyone around him had been asking him what had changed with him… they said he looked younger, his attitude towards life had changed, and they wanted to know what the heck he was doing. He said that it’s all ho’oponopono.

Since I’ve been involved with ho’oponopono for the past 5 years, not only doing it regularly in my life but teaching it as well, I end up receiving quite a few questions like those below:

• Manifestation vs. Ho’oponopono is there a difference?
• Do I have to do one or the other? Or can I do both?
• Ho’oponopono is pretty simple to do; are there any advanced methods? What does that involve?
• Can I integrate other methods with Ho’oponopono?
• Is Ho’oponopono a religion?
• I don’t get “100% responsibility”… can you help me to understand it?
• The 100% responsibility concept bothers me…is there a way to look at it that makes it easier?
• Can I use Ho’oponopono to manifest money …or a job….or a soulmate?
• How does ho’oponopono help in business?
• Does it really help in relationships? How?

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

So I figured I would do a teleseminar and take questions people have and talk about them live.

When you register, there is a place for you to ask you personal question about Ho’oponopono. I might not get to your question, but I’ll definitely try!

Now Joe and I have done teleseminars in the past and had 4800+ people sign up for it. We can accommodate up to 250 people on the telephone and 2,000 people listening on the web. If you can’t get on, don’t worry. Everyone who registers will get an MP3 of the teleseminar within days after it’s recording. But you’ll only get that MP3 if you register.

Please sign up and send in your questions now! Remember, there’s a very special guest!

And if you stay on the call until the end there will be a very special announcement…and some free gifts.

If you’re interested in advanced ho’oponopono and taking your manifestation to the next level, you have to understand how the human mind works. Learn more about advanced ho’oponopono and the advanced ho’oponopono inner child meditation.

There has been a lot of talk in the self help arena lately about critics and criticism and “negativity.” Some of the criticism has been harsh and inappropriate, some of it quite appropriate, and some of it entertaining.

I myself have been criticized by others in ways that have been hurtful and frustrating. On Amazon not too long ago, Joe Vitale and I were called the “Hitlers of the internet.” The comment was so absurdly ridiculous, I was surprised when Amazon decided not to remove it.

From going through that experience and many others, I have learned how to handle criticism from a number of vantage points. I thought that perhaps I would share some methods of handling criticism that are productive and not damaging.

Your reaction is not about the criticism you’re facing. First, we have to realize that the emotional reaction to criticism is not a reaction to the criticism itself. Instead, the reaction is more about what we feel about ourselves and what feelings and data are coming up. Obviously, I am nowhere near the Hitler of the internet, but having someone say this about me brings up old data where the criticism was much more dangerous. Perhaps it was a schoolteacher saying my work wasn’t up to standard, or maybe a family member criticizing something I said.

The strength of the emotion I might feel from criticism has nothing to do with what is happening now. The critic only gains power over me when I give that power to him.

Separate your emotions from the event that is currently occurring. You can definitely address the criticism that is happening, but you simply cannot do so from that emotional state. You can’t be effective if you’re acting from a defensive emotion that has been supercharged by data from your past. It is as if you are trying to meet a challenge to road race in a rocket ship… you’re not meeting the current challenge with the appropriate method, channel, or vehicle. While acting from that emotional state may FEEL good and cathartic, it is generally not appropriate and it will likely backfire on us.

Look for the intention. What is the intention of the criticism? Is it meant to hurt someone emotionally? Address a failing in our work? If the intention of the critic is helpful, generally there may be some validity to their statements. At the very least, it is valid to their subjective opinion, and it is generally helpful for us to communicate our thanks for their sharing of their opinion. This establishes good will with our critics, and there are many reasons why this is important.

Decide if the criticism is valid. If the criticism is nothing more than a personal attack, it is likely not valid. I’ve seen some people who have received criticism turn around and try to attack the critic personally. This then becomes a battle of wills and ends up being nothing more than one bully fighting another bully. This is highly unproductive, and these are the types of situations I recommend staying away from. Personal attacks do except put us in that highly charged emotional state where we end up just churning out energy that does nothing productive for anyone.

Take your power back. Even if criticism is hurtful, we have to take our power back by logically and objectively looking at the critic’s words and determine if anything that they’ve said is helpful in any way. This is the only clear way that we can take our power back. When we take criticism objectively and determine it’s place in our work and our world, we strengthen our position, strengthen our work, and hone our skills for the future. Just like a tree strengthened by the wind, critical analysis of our work strengthens our position.

For example, I do a lot of video editing. Sometimes I work on projects for friends and colleagues. Most of the time, I receive direction from these people, and sometimes it is critical of the work I do. I have to first look at what they’re saying and determine if it will be helpful for the project in the long run. If it is, then I incorporate it. If it is not, then I talk to the critic and explain why I feel that their criticism won’t be good for the project. And sometimes I will incorporate the results of critical comments even when I don’t agree with or understand them because it is important to one of my partners, customers, or colleagues. I separate my own worth and my self from the project’s success… and often times, some of those critical statements I didn’t agree with ended up making a bigger impact than I imagined.

My work becomes better because I am open to criticism. Not only does it meet the needs of the project beyond what I can see for myself, I learn something new that will help my other projects become even better.

It doesn’t mean I have to be open to personal attack. It doesn’t mean I have to be open to unfounded statements that are said with the intent to hurt. It doesn’t mean I become a punching bag. It only means I take the criticism at face value and separate myself from the emotions that may (or may not) come up when I receive that criticism.

Don’t hide from the critics. Remember, if criticism makes you FEEL bad, it is not because the critic is powerful over you. Those who hide from criticism, those who bury their heads in the sand and turn away from anything “negative” because it makes them FEEL bad are the people who end up creating lousy products. They put that emotional state as a higher priority in their world than the service that they provide. And if their emotional state is more important to them than creating a high quality product, then they’re putting an illusion before their desire to serve others with their work.

And those who are afraid to create anything at all because they’re afraid someone might say something “negative” end up hiding their light from the world. We all have something to give. Hiding from criticism only means those gifts to the world will end up coming out of someone who isn’t afraid of being criticized.

Of course, all of us like to hear that our work is wonderful, that we’re wonderful people, that what we do is helpful, good, or even amazing. But when we find ourselves in situations where that is ALL we hear, we end up living in a place where we become bored, lazy, or even arrogant… and our work and our lives suffer for it.

The key is to welcome and incorporate criticism from a place of personal power, a place where YOU decide where the criticism belongs, where it’s helpful, and how to best incorporate it. In that way, you separate the emotional reaction based on erroneous data from the gifts that the Divine wants to give to you — and through you — to the world.

The quotation at the top of this post is from my friend, Oscar. Remember Oscar the next time someone criticizes you… and thank the Divine for the blessings it wishes to give you.

I got up out of bed and started to walk to one of the high windows in my second story bedroom. The cathedral ceiling is about 15 feet high. Near the top is a semicircle window about 6 foot wide and three feet high. It is big and beautiful and it needs to be to be able to see above the towering 100 foot evergreens surrounding the house.

On this night, the moon was full or close to it and as I walked towards this moon glow coming in from the window I could finally see the moon sitting just above the tops of these tall trees. The glow was coming from it barely shining through a dense fog surrounding the trees and house.

It was stunning and beautiful. I knew I wasn’t in Austin anymore. It was as if the hidden beauty of the area had gently awakened me at this perfect time to welcome me with this enchanted magical beauty.
It was a personal hello.

Since being here, I have had some awakenings about being where you are supposed to be and where you are not.

As much as we loved the idea of Austin, we could never really connect there. Not just with people, but with the land, the environment. Some said we should get out there, do more, find things to do in Austin to make ourselves happy there. We needed to change in order to adapt to our surroundings.

I guess this could be done, but at what cost? For those of you who have lived in many places like I have, I am sure this will be something you recognize. For those who have been in one place most of your lives, I hope this can be something to stimulate your thinking a bit.

Since I have landed in Northern California — a place not unfamiliar to me — I have felt home from the very first day. My family and I had searched for this feeling of home for over 2 years in Austin, but we never found. Our 8 year old boy right away said how much he liked it here and felt at home. He’s focusing better and interacting without the fog of allergies affecting him. Our allergies are gone and we can breathe and think better. The water here is some of the purest in the world and our skin feels different, we are even sleeping better.

But I knew this. Every time I came to visit this place for the last 20 years, whether for a few days or a few weeks, I have been welcomed with open arms by both the people and the environment. I have traveled all over the United States and a lot of the world. Only two places that give me this feeling. Both are in California, and I now call one of them my home.

I delved deeper into the experience of what is happening for me here. I realized that when I am here, I don’t desire much of anything at all. I seem to have a general contentment with just being. The environment and this place supports most of my spiritual, mental, and physical needs. I have pure, clean water, I have a beautiful home, but there was something deeper within my soul that is supported in this place.

I don’t have the worries I had in Austin, or even the worries I had in New York before that. There is a general peace and trust in the knowing that I am supported here even though I have no other evidence for this than the feeling of being nourished in a profound and deep way.

This realization that I feel so different here makes me ask myself, “What things did I crave to make up for that loss when I wasn’t feeling that?”

In order for me to live in Austin, without this sense of nourishment I receive here, I had big needs. I needed a big house with an incredible view. I need to eat out at the best restaurants to feel good from the food, or at least a #7 with Coke from Wendy’s ( I am smiling). I needed a nice BMW 7 series to make me feel good while dealing with Austin traffic, and surely hanging out with my Buddy Joe Vitale in his Rolls Royce drinking 18-year old Macallan Scotch, smoking the finest Cuban Cigars, looking at the newest handmade guitar he just purchased. While these things were fun, and they did distract me from this deeper loss, when the night was over and I was driving the 30 minutes from Joe’s house to mine, this loss would begin to percolate through. It was as if I had a sense of something missing, a sense of being on the wrong track… a sense of needing certain things to keep me distracted.

It was like I was selling my soul in pieces. It was like I was negotiating for what I would need in the present moment to not feel what was missing. What shiny dangly thing would I sell my present attention for?
The question always seemed to be, “What would I need to have in order to stay where I am not supposed to be?”

And I was always up for the game. From the time I was a child, I have known this dynamic in me.
When I would go to Las Vegas, I would get stimulated by the lights and the new buildings, the glamour, the people smiling, the beautiful people all dressed nicely at their best. I was always hesitant to let go and enjoy this type of stimulation because a part of me knew that it was only sustainable for a short period of time. And even though I didn’t get into the scene completely, I would still come home and feel my body and mind get a little depressed after having the access to the constant top-of-the-line stimulation Las Vegas offers taken away.

I was aware of this. What was it like for those not aware of this? As soon as they got home and felt a biological depression of their central nervous system (similar to coming down off a drug like cocaine), they would be looking for their next fix, their next trip to Vegas.

Are you are doing what you don’t necessarily want to be doing? Are you living in a place that is not right for you? Are you with a person you shouldn’t be with? In a job you don’t like?

What are you giving up?

When I decided to go into the military years ago, I was promised all kinds of things to do it. Why?
Because there was risk involved. I might lose my life in the process and I was committed to peeling as many potatoes or cleaning as many bathrooms as they wanted me to during this contract. But if they gave me this shiny, dangly thing I could look forward to in the future, I guess I would give up my present life for their food and cot and the ability to do with me what they would.

How many contracts are you in like that? What do you tell yourself to make it okay?

As I continue fleshing this idea out, please write to me and let me know what you discover about where you are stuck and where you know you should be.

If you have any questions let me know. I will do my best to respond on the blog.

All in all, what I would like to explore with you is some territory I am pretty good at helping others navigate.
Let’s explore the depths of who you really are, what you should be doing, and where you might be living. Let’s discover how to get you pointed to your own true north, how to find your own personal home where you begin to feel supported naturally.

People asked me what I meant by teaching a different ho’oponopono than Joe teaches. Well it is not really that different. It is different in the approach and understanding.

I am going to be teaching how these spiritual practices can nourish you at a place beyond the temporary.
You go after a new car to get a certain feeling. However, that feeling is temporary. It wanes. It is only a fix: an agreement to put a band-aid on the real issue.

I say we explore and see about getting you nourished with flowing waters that don’t stop giving.

Are we supposed to trade the temporary for this? Are we supposed to settle for less? Should we negotiate in order to have it?

Should we suffer or be a martyr for lack of it? Should others tell us this and direct our lives for what they think it is? Should government control this, or even churches?

Or should you? My goal is not to tell you what it is that nourishes you or even who or where. My goal is to help you find the tools in you to discover it yourself.

I first learned about ho’oponopono back in 1996 from some truly spiritual teachers.

Then, back in 2004, I was given a course guide and several articles on a different flavor of ho’oponopono by a friend of mine in Mt. Shasta, California. It was both different and similar to the first brand of the practice I used 13 years ago. I liked Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len’s style and new angle right away. It added to the ho’oponopono I knew before.

The issue with what is happening right now now is the mix between ho’oponopono as a spiritual practice and marketing.

While I am happy that Joe got the word out about ho’oponopono to a wider audience with Zero Limits, I am not so happy with the marketing of it. I think that the marketing will scare people away from the beautiful concept within of making things right. I think it should stay as a spiritual methodology and not be used as a money making technique. That’s not to say it can’t help you with making money, but I think the focus should be on the original message.

I am in the process of writing a new book on it bringing it back to its spiritual roots and away from the magic goodies it might bring.

In my humble opinion, Zero Limits, which is Joe’s version of ho’oponopono, is not telling it all. There is a big gap. But I think that when people get it, they will experience something incredibly profound.

Again, I don’t mean to be critical. I am VERY happy Joe listened to me at the NGH convention the second time I talked to him about ho’oponopono. I am very happy Joe has spread the word about it. But right now, I think it is my turn to clean it up.

Without sounding superior to Joe, I think that we can only describe a spiritual philosophy from the level we are at. Joe understands it from his level, and I understand it from mine. And I am more interested in the spiritual aspect of it than the money making or magic genie effect.

I am sure Dr. Hew Len can get it to an even deeper level than I could. When Joe and I would talk, I knew he was missing a big piece. But as I got into it, he would get very defensive and I would back down. That is a clear sign in coaching that someone is not ready for it yet. This missing piece has been a big bone of contention between Joe and me. I still hope and pray he gets it because it means so much to so many.

What i think I offer with my new book and DVD is another perspective that will make it come alive for all. I have seen it happen and am excited about teaching and sharing this.

When I filmed and edited Zero Limits 3 for Joe and Dr. Hew Len, I had to watch it over and over again to get it perfect for viewing. Something pretty amazing happened as I watched over and over again. What I thought I knew years ago… Ho’oponopono transformed into a whole different meaning for me.

I realized it was not about whether the process is true or not. It is about how you do the process.

I will be telling more about this in the near future.

Even though I never was paid for production, speaking, and I never received any percentage (of the massive amount of money made from Zero Limits) by Joe for anything he has done with Zero Limits seminars or products (except the subliminal DVD I created), I am still thrilled to see its entrance into the world grow wildly because of my contribution and introduction to Joe.

And I am even more excited to be able to take it to the next level in 2010.

This is going to be fun!!!

Note: this post was inspired by Dorothy’s comment here.

They are surprised when I tell them the story. Maybe you will be, too.

It all started at Miracles Weekend Seminar in San Diego, California. This event almost didn’t happen until my wife, Kathy, Joe’s assistant Suzanne, and I stepped in to rescue it.

We had turned lemon into lemonade and had a successful seminar. Joe was feeling good, relaxed, and relieved.

He had gone to dinner the night before with John Assaraf. On the way to dinner, he saw a car dealership with two Bugatti Veyron sports cars. They were valued at $1.8 million (at the time ). When Joe told me about the cars, he was more excited about them than the dinner and meeting with John Assaraf, and he wanted to go see the cars again.

Joe and Nerissa had hired a limo and invited me to go sightseeing around San Diego, and back to the car dealership. So we drove along the coast to the Symbolic Car dealership.

When we arrived, we immediately went to look at the Bugattis, but they weren’t ready for viewing. So, we looked at other cars including many rare race cars in their private museum. These cars were amazing and worth millions. If you’re ever in San Diego, I recommend a trip to their dealership.

They also had Rolls Royce cars. Joe got into the new convertible Rolls Royce. When he got in, both Nerissa and I said he looked fantastic in the car, but we agreed that he looked too much like a mafia guy with his sunglasses in the it. So he got out of that car and into the sedan.

That was it. You could tell it was Joe’s car.

We took the car for a ride, it was amazingly smooth. Joe asked how I liked it, and I said it was like sitting on my couch driving down the highway.

Even Nerissa who is very green and earth conscious was initially concerned with the low gas mileage. But when she got into the back seat, a nice happy smile came over her face. She said she thought she could live with the low gas mileage. It was nice to see Nerissa so happy.

Joe was unsure. So we went back to the dealership to see the 1.8 million dollar Bugattis. We pulled the Rolls up next to the Bugatti building and went in to start one of the cars.

Joe started the Bugatti and sat in the driver’s seat. He was shaking like a leaf when he got out. The pistons sounded like a sledgehammer hitting a railroad tie. It was too much power for Joe to handle. We had a good laugh at how nervous he was. I on the other hand got excited as I had worked on and around Nascar engines. I was ready to drive!

We were excited about the Rolls Royce, but Joe wasn’t convinced.

We went back to the hotel and walked to a nice restaurant on the beach. We ate and then walked off some food along the beach while talking about the Rolls Royce.

Joe called me in the morning and said that Bill was coming to get us in the Rolls Royce. We were going to ride and shop for the day to get Joe used to the car. When Bill came to pick us up, we were smiling seeing such a beautiful car coming to get us. We drove around, shopped, and went back to the dealership.

At one point, we were looking into the back of the car. Joe was nervous about spending so much money on this car, even though he loved it. As he looked into the back seat from the door, he said, “It is almost big enough to hold a table and meeting.”

Like a bolt out of the blue, it hit me. I said, “Joe, how about a mastermind meeting?”

Joe eyes widened.

Then I said, “How about a rolling Mastermind?” I had told Joe in the past and on his testimonial page that I always wanted to do a car mastermind. So I said, “How about a Rolls Royce mastermind?”

He lit up, but still was not convinced.

Our salesman, Bill, had some things to do and told us to go for another spin in the car, so we did. Then it came to me. I remember Joe telling me something about how he had recruited for Rajneesh Majaraj (Osho) in Houston for 7 years and had ran a center for him there as well. While this guru was not popular in the United States because of his tactics, I remembered the reverence Joe had for Rajneesh. I appealed to that side of Joe, because I knew if he listened to me he would have a much needed source of income for both him and myself.

I asked him to remember how many Rolls Royces Rajneesh had (over 90). I said, “And here is one of his disciples now driving one, and it could be his.”

I reassured Joe that i would be there for him to start the masterminds and get it going.

Joe has some issues about talking to folks he doesn’t know. I reassured him that I was good at this and could teach him how to coach people.

I have flashbacks to 2004 when I first told Joe about ho’oponopono (he rejected the idea at the time; it later became Zero Limits). That weekend, I helped him set up his booth at the National Guild of Hypnotists. Thanks to my 15 years of experience doing trade shows, we completely sell out of products. At one point during the weekend, Joe had to speak. He asked me to help set up his Power Point presentation and make sure the stage was OK.

Attendees were filing into the room, and I noticed Joe was sweating bullets on top of his head. I got him a towel, and I noticed he was shaking nervously. I asked if he was alright. He said, “No.” He hated public speaking. I asked him if I could do a few exercises to help him calm down. I did the exercises, and he calmed enough, but not completely. I talked to him some more and he asked me if I would introduce him. I told him I would and that I would sit right up front and smile and support him.

He did great and he thanked me and said he had to speak again tomorrow and would I do it all again then. The whole weekend went so well, he asked if I would come again next year and help him again. I agreed, and it went even better. Sales were great, we did more coaching, and that is when he did finally listen to me about ho’oponopono. It wasn’t long before Zero Limits came to be.

Joe and I became good friends after that. I helped coach Joe to the point of where he can get up in front of a group and speak for two hours without notes. Joe always had the information, but he was afraid to speak the information with authority. This is what I am good at doing.

Back at the dealership, Joe asked me if it would be okay to have others ride along on the rolling masterminds. I said, “Joe, it’s your car.”

We went in, and Joe leased the Rolls Royce… leased it so he could have a better write off.

Over a year later, I’ve done 12 masterminds with Joe. It is now his thriving business.

I knew Joe was ready to take it over by himself. When I was driving, he would proudly explain to others how he came up with the idea all by himself. At first I was a bit upset, but I knew that is Joe’s way of reclaiming his power.

I knew he was telling me he was ready to try doing masterminds more by himself with others riding along. And I guess I don’t blame him. He was paying me half of the profits, and I am sure he could pay others less. After all, it is business, right?

So off goes Joe in the Rolls Royce, masterminding on his own with some new folks! While I am not sure of the quality of what others bring to the mastermind, they seem to be working out. I do know that Joe is now capable enough to do it all by himself. Joe learns well… and, as he puts it, humorously… just sitting with him in the Rolls Royce and for dinner is worth more even if he doesn’t coach or give product ideas.

And I am moving into doing my own brand of coaching, which is different. Joe wanted to do more product development coaching, as he got pretty good at it. I wanted to do the deeper work with clearing others of what stopped them from attaining their goals.

So maybe we will work together again. He has told me that, several times, he was wishing I would have shown up when he had brought others instead of me. When I wasn’t there, he had to work harder. He didn’t realize how easy I made it until another tried to fill my shoes. But hey, that is part of how you grow. And I thank him for the compliment.

Go look at the website and see the testimonials with me in them. There are less of them since I have left, but there is enough still there to give you an idea of my contribution. (Go here to see a video testimonial from Nancy Philpott after her experience with me.)

There it is! The Rolls Royce Mastermind story! And there is a lot more coming.

In the future, I will talk more about other successful products I helped Joe develop. I will also talk about the Russia trip, and many more interesting things. Stay tuned!

One of the reasons I am doing this is because Joe said I didn’t toot my own horn enough. He said I should do it more. Now that I am, let’s hope he contributes some of his positive insights!

Thanks, Joe, for a wonderful time on the Rolls Royce Masterminds! Good luck in the future.

If you are interested in a very productive and life changing Mastermind with me, let me know. It won’t be a fancy meal or a drive in a Rolls Royce, but you will walk away with much more than I could have given before. My focus will be completely on you, your issues – whether business, personal, financial, or spiritual. I also charge a lot less because you don’t have to pay for the glitz… but you get the same results.