W01.02 One thing that Tibetan Buddhists and Madison Ave Advertising Executives Agree On……

I have studied Tibetan Buddhism extensively over the years. They have a 13 step plan to get enlightened, which has been written about in several classic texts over the last 1,000 years. It’s a hands-on manual on how to achieve enlightenment - using detailed and specific instructions about what to do every step along the way. Wow!

Lama Yeshe was a modern master at repackaging this material for the Western mind, but the underlying motivation principle is the same… What struck about their strategy is that before they describe the real work, you are invited to taste the goodies: “If you realize this step - here’s how your life will change.” The list of mind blowing possibilities is supported with lots of real life examples. It all sounds so good, you salivate for more details…

Step 1 in my 12 step plan to financial success as an Alexander Technique teacher is to get your self salivating about your future. Not that your present has to be bad - but that can help too - just that you are going to create some wonderful thing. Be inspired to create something of great worth and beauty…

Your first task is to:

1. Figure out how to motivate your Self (if that is a problem); and/or

2. Develop clarity by de-selecting distracting motivations; and

3. Select financial success as a primary or secondary success driver.

Let’s start with point 1: I occasionally find it hard to motivate my Self, and I know others experience the same thing. Unless you happen to be enlightened, I believe all efforts are motivated selfishly. When your system recognizes a clear benefit, energy appears to do what is needed. I think the reason you find it hard to motivate your Self is that you just don’t recognize any benefit. When you answer the question - why am I doing this? - with a selfish reason, you are being honest…

You need to feel what you are going to get. It will still include others, but putting you first, not second, just as you do when teaching Alexander Technique.  One way I think is like this: helping you is how I help my self. For example - I know my blog is helping you, yet my primary motivation is to help me build content for my own work, which in turn will boost BodyChance’s income, which finally flows back to me.

Another example: The blog disciplines me in a way I want to be disciplined. Do I feel like writing a blog every day? Of course not! But making that promise to my Self - knowing that hundreds of people will be looking for the newest blog - motivates me to cast aside whatever distractions are around me and get back to my plan. Which is exactly what I want to do - so I use you to selfishly motivate my Self. Alexander Technique teachers already know this: I have often heard it stated “I should pay you for my lesson. Whenever I feel bad before a lesson, I inevitably end it feeling much better.” This is the principle I am illuminating here. It works just the same as a lesson in the Alexander Technique.

So the Dalai Lama does it,

Madison Avenue Advertisers does it,

and you can do it too.

Do what?

Ask this question…

What’s in it for me???

Make a list.

TOMORROW: Why Does Making Money Have Such A Complicated Image?

To make a comment, go to my facebook page at www.facebook.com/chancejeremy