THE AMERICAN MONK

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LESSON 4
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The Power of Big Thoughts

I want to get this out right
now. Right here. Too many
people have this mixed up.

To be spiritual does not mean you

need to lead mediocre lives, free of
material possessions and content with
where you are.

This is a lie. It started with the

hippie movement in the 60s when the
myth arose that monks and
enlightened ones live in caves as
hermits in rags. The idea went on to
say that to be spiritual, we need to cast
away our material possessions and
retreat from the world.
Wrong.

To be spiritual is to engage the world.

Its to seek to elevate the rest of
h u m a n i t y. S o m e t i m e s t h ro u g h
knowledge. At other times through
power or money.

YesI said those words. Power.

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If it made you cringe then you are still far Starting today, and with the techniques I will
from enlightenment. reveal in this lesson, I want you to focus on
thinking big. Its a huge world out there. With
Power and money are not bad. They are tools many problems to fix.
that we can use to make this a better world.
The world needs strong, powerful people with
! Gandhi used his power to liberate his the desire and means to help correct problems.
countrymen. You need to become one of those people. And
! Bill Gates is using his money to wipe out in this lesson, I will guide you through three
famine and disease in Africa. exercises to help you get there.
! My teacher, Pramahansa Yogananda used
his power and money to bring meditation HOW THE IDEA OF LIMITS AROSE
to the West. When you were born, you came into this life
! Kennedy used his power to put a man on without limits. Cant didnt exist for you yet
the moon, elevating the limits of what and the world was literally yours to command.
humanity thought to be possible. But somewhere along the way, you began to
! Jose Silva, another teacher of mine, used believe that there were in fact, limits to your
his money to grow his organization, the potential after all.
Silva Method, into a global life-changing
powerhouse. He trained over 12 million Somewhere, we got this crazy notion that fate
people to use their minds to shape their had dealt us a certain hand of cards and whats
reality. more, we were destined to simply play them
without any say about the hand we might be
If you think big dreams, power, money, holding.
possessions are badbanish this thought
Now, how did that happen?
immediately from your mind.

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It started with the words adults used on you as a But the big secret is that its not money, or
kid. These words may have come from your intelligence, or inheritance, or luck that makes
religious upbringing, one successful.

You will only be rich if it is Gods Will. There are successful people with college degrees,
and successful people with little education.
Or from your parents, Cmon son, you cant be an There are successful people who were born rich.
astronaut. Be more realistic. And there are successful people who started out
dead-broke and homeless.
Or from your friends, Dude, only nerds become great
scientist. Stick with us, well take care of you. There are successful
people in developed
Or from your Teachers, You want to be a writer? countries, but also in
Why? Theres no money in that. You know how HARD poor nations. There is no
it is to be a successful writer? Get an engineering degree. single quality that stands
out among the wealthy
Along the way, we start to give up our great except ONE
dreams and settle into mediocrity.
And we look at great people, world leaders, The Successful People in the World Understand
successful entrepreneurs, best-selling authors and and Use the Law of Attraction in their Daily
world-changing social activist and we see their Lives.
achievements as being beyond our reach.
T he Successful Ones under stand that
So, how is it that weve developed this sense that abundance is there for the taking. It is not a win-
someone else might be better than us? Is it lose situationthere is enough for everyone. We
because they have more money? More can all be successful, rich and influential.
knowledge? More experience? Perhaps we think
theyre more attractive or more successful or Because the greatest secret is your mindset, not
more charismatic. Whatever the reason, that your current circumstances that determine
sense of inequality begins to tear at our self- success. But humanity must learn to harness the
esteem. correct thought process to attract success

Where we were once filled with wonder and Once you are successful in your own way, you
excitement, now were filled with dread and fear. can begin to use your success to elevate the rest
Instead of enjoying the freedom to be exactly of humanity. Think of the causes you could
who we want to be, we now feel an enormous fund, the people you could mobilize for good,
pressure to simply fit in and be like everyone else. the jobs you could create, the beauty you could
bring to the world. Ready to start?

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Every person on this planet is equal to the others. We are all human
beings, regardless of race, religion or social status. Every president, every
cashier, every farmer and every housekeeper are all the same. Each may
have their own unique qualities and perspectives but when we get right
down to it, no One is superior to another.

This is the three step process I am going to guide or a quality suit. You cant take your confidence
you through. out and hold it. You cant stash it in your
briefcase or carry it in your purse. Your
confidence isnt something that you can see,
STEP 1: REGAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE
touch or smell, but yet, you definitely know
The thing about confidence is that when youve
when you have it and when you dont.
got it, everyone knows it. Even though its not a
tangible thing that you can bottle up or put in
A confident person is someone who simply
your pocket, confidence is that extra
has the inner knowledge that he or she can
something that draws people toward you. You
do what they desire to do. The notion that
move differently, you speak differently, you even
they might not succeed isnt even an issue
think differently. And why? Because you have a
because they know their self-worth isnt
little voice that says,
measured by individual tasks.

I Can!
We all fall short at one time or another. Maybe
youre not the best tennis player or maybe you
But when you lose your confidence, well,
cant draw to save your life. Who cares? Does it
everyone knows that too. Your posture droops,
really matter? The only way to discover where
your eyes lose their sparkle and your entire
your talents lie is to try your hand at different
demeanor begs to just be left alone. And why?
things.
Because that little voice says, Who are you
kidding?
Youll be good at some, youll be great at others
and there are also those things you wont
Ironic isnt it, that something as simple as a
naturally do as well. But now you know and you
belief could have such a drastic effect on the way
can move onto something else instead.
we approach life? That the difference between a
multi-millionaire CEO and a minimum-wage
Youve probably heard the saying that the only
clerical worker is nothing more than a
things youll really regret are the things you
perception?
didnt try. This is true because without trying,
these things remain a picture-perfect ideal in
Even more interesting is that this perception isnt
your mind.
something you can buy or sell like a good wine

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If only I had played football when I was speaking. This allows you to end your fears. It
younger comes from my friend, Robert Stone, a Kahuna
Master from Hawaii.
If only I had taken that trip to Europe when I
had the chance.
STEP 2: TAPPING YOUR MOTIVATION
Heres a little secret that many people may not
If youve thought about going to law school but
know:
never gave it a shot, the idea of being an
attorney will forever remain appealing. Youll
Your Confidence is Directly Related to Your
never know if you really would have liked that
Level of Motivation.
calling because you never gave it a chance.

Why? Because a motivated individual will push

Had you gone to law school, you might have
through that lack of confidence in order to feed
discovered that it wasnt anything like you
a deep, inherent desire. A painter must paint. A
thought it would be. You might find that this
writer must write. To not do these things isnt
particular field isnt for you after all. And if so,
even an option. So, when the words wont come
thats great youll have no regret because you
or the paint doesnt flow, the creator finds a way
gave it a chance.
to tap into their inner muse.
But not knowing? Thats a regret just waiting to
Motivation and ambition are why we juggle two
happen. Unfortunately, a lack of confidence can
jobs at once, take college courses at night and
set us up to fail before we even try.
bring children into the world.
Coming to this realization is the easy part
We are driven by a unexplainable need to do the
though, isnt it? I mean, its one thing to say you
thing weve set out to do.
need to be confident but quite another to
actually do it. After all, if youve lost your
Each one of us is driven by something different.
confidence, where do you look to find it?
Some of us will be lawyers while others may
choose to volunteer. Some will want to be
To send your fears packing, youre going to use
doctors while yet another group may lean
a technique I call Kahuna Boldness.
towards comedy or music or art. And just as we
are all equal, our array of ambitions are also just
This technique is used to help you get rid of a
as admirable. No one desire is better or worse
fear that may be holding you back from
than another.
achieving great things.

For example, you may desire a promotion to a THE SECRET IS FIGURING OUT WHAT IT IS
senior management position, but you fear public THAT MOTIVATES!YOU

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In order to tap into your motivation, youre But as the soup is long in coming, you decide to
going to have to decide what you want out of leave and try another restaurant.
life.
Now
A friend of mine, who teaches the Silva
Seminar, tells a story that I think will help you Think of the waiter as Your Subconscious Mind.
understand. The Head Chef as Higher Intelligence. And the
Soup, as Your Goal de Jour (Goal of the Day).
THE WAITER AND THE SOUP
Imagine being at a restaurant and ordering Do you see the Problem?
soup. You decide on Minestrone Soup and you
tell the waiter to bring it to you. Whatever you have been asking for has been
coming to you.
The waiter takes your order to the Head Chef
who starts to make your soup. But you stop asking, or you change your mind,
or your give up when it is so close.
But while the soup is being made you change
your mind. What you seek to create has not been coming to
you because you lack the clarity to stay focused.
You now tell the waiter youd like to change your You cannot create what you want because you
order to Tomato Soup. The waiter goes back to do not know what you want.
the Head Chef and tells him to stop making the
Minestrone and to focus on Tomato instead. Get out of this trap if you want to lead an
extraordinary life!
So the Head Chef tosses away the Minestrone
and takes out the tomatoes.
ASK YOURSELF: WHAT IF
! You had more friends than you could ever
But just thenyou call the waiter to you again
want?
and tell the waiter that youd like to try
! You always felt confident and self-assured,
Mushroom Soup instead. Its too hot for Tomato
no matter what the situation?
Soup today, you explain.
! You traveled to all those exotic places you
also dreamt of visiting.
Once again the Waiter rushes off to tell the
! You had a job you truly loved.
Head Chef and once again the Head Chef
! You were well-liked and respected among
tosses away the soup he was preparing and starts
your peers?
all over again.
! You had a wonderful relationship with your
spouse and kids.
You wait and wait and wait.

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!You had enough money to be wealthy and you Strange coincidences, chance encounters and all
were able to donate millions to local charities manners of luck will start coming into play to
during your lifetime. help you move towards this future you.

The first step is just IMAGINING what could Now for Step 3
be
STEP 3: THINKING BIG AND STRIKING
The secret to building the life of your BALANCE
dreams, is to start imagining the life of With your fears no longer in the way, you have a
your dreams. clear path to discover your motivators.

Get a scrap of paper and write down 10 things Youll recall, at the beginning of this lesson I
you want to do, have or be in this life. spoke briefly about our self-imposed limitations.
These limitations can literally keep you from
Next, sit back, meditate and imagine yourself becoming motivated because after all, its
being, doing or having these things. The difficult to get excited about pushing paper for
technique we will teach you to help building the rest of your life.
your motivation and desire is called the Golden
Image. If you really want to discover your motivation,
youre going to have to learn to think BIG. The
Two magical things happen when you use the beauty of this statement is that in truth, you
Golden Image. already know how to think big. Youve just
learned not to use it.
First, you start experiencing positive feelings
towards this future life you seek. You get excited When you were a child, you had dreams of
and motivated. And even upon coming out of doing what?
the meditationthis motivation stays with you.
You have lit a fire within your soul to reach for Becoming President? Landing on the moon?
something greater. Back then, you still saw the world as it truly is
an infinite Universe full of infinite possibilities.
Second, Youre thinking of a beautiful new There was a very thin line between your
future. And youre feeling the emotions imagination and reality and, quite honestly, the
associated with it. The thought plus emotion two intersected on a regular basis.
causes the Law of Attraction to swing into your
life. Remember this equation. This perception of infinite possibilities is what
allowed us to believe that we could fly a
spaceship, lead a country or become a cowboy
and ride horses all day long.

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And as long as we believed in the possibility, the Now heres why its important to think big. Its
possibility actually existed. because there is so much that can be improved
in the world
So, now that youve learned to let go of your
fears, Im going to ask you to rekindle that But you cannot do this by being mediocre.
inherent ability to think Big.
Jose Silva, founder of the Silva Method, studied
Dig down deep and find that part of you still the Law of Attraction for many years. One of
dreams of soaring among the stars or putting a the things he found out, was that the Law of
stop to world hunger. Attraction works best for you if you can ask for
something that will benefit not just you, but
Tap into that place that believes in the genius others as well.
that is you, that anything is possible and that
limitations and boundaries dont exist. Setting a goal of getting a $1000 raise is a small
goal. Theres not much you can do to benefit the
And then ask yourself the question again: world with that extra $1000 per month. But
setting a goal to run your own business and earn
HOW BIG IS BIG? $50,000 a month is a good goal. With that
At the beginning of this lesson, I asked you, money you can not only create a good life for
How big is big? When I tell you to think big, your family, but also donate money to your
where should you draw the line? favorite charities or fund neighborhood projects.

The answer is that there is no line. You owe it not just to yourself, but to the world
to THINK BIG.
Remember, the Law of Attraction implies that
anything is within your field of possibility if you So how do you tell if your goal is big enough?
desire it strongly, believe in it, and take action
towards it. Joe Vitale, one of the teachers from the Secret
has a wonderful quote:
If you had a genie ready to grant your wishes,
would you ask for something small? Say, for A good goal should SCARE you a little.
instance, a chocolate milkshake? And EXCITE you A LOT!
No. Youd be nuts. Youd be asking for bigger
things. A business, a soul-mate, glorious health, That simple quote sums up some really
glorious wealth. important lessons. If the goal doesnt excite you,
youre not going to attract it.
The Law of Attraction is like a genius. So dont
squander your potential on small things. Goals that EXCITE you are the type that let
you pour your heart and soul into them. The
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bigger the goalsthe more excited you can get YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
about them. CHANGE!THE!WORLD.
Not just your little corner of the Universe, but
Now lets look at the second part of that quote. the entire planet. Because as you begin to
Scare you a little. If you dont feel a tiny bit emulate the kind of life weve discussed here,
nervous about the goal, odds are, youre others will begin to follow your footsteps.
THINKING TOO SMALL.
As you become the charismatic and confident
Apply this principle to your goals. leader, others will be drawn to you and want to
mimic these characteristics.
Do they excite you? Do they scare you a little?
Those, which do, are probably the right ones. Its in our nature to be drawn to what appeals to
Now, before you begin to visualize your goals, us. Success, happiness and inner peace are all
remember the point of all of this is things that radiate out like a beacon in the night.
When we find a person who demonstrates the
SEEK TO BETTER HUMANITY. kind of life wed like to lead, we want to learn
Youre probably starting to see that the Law of that persons secret.
Attraction isnt just about having more money or
attracting more success. It actually goes much We read their books, we watch their shows and
deeper than that and by choosing to live in a we follow their guidance in the hopes that we,
positive and accepting state of mind, you are too, can enjoy success, happiness and inner
actually changing the world as we know it. peace.

Just imagine the creative energy that would be So, when I tell you to think big, Im serious,
flowing around the planet. Global warming really think BIG.
would no longer be a concern because we would
all be living an eco-conscious life. War, poverty You can have any reality you want.
and hunger would become a thing of the past
because these things would no longer fit with our Your life is completely at your choosing.
accepted vision of the world.
There are no limitations to what you can
What we believethat the world is a wonderful accomplish when you combine your creative
and wondrous placewould become our reality energy with a little confidence.
and it would be impossible for such negative
concepts such as war and hate to even exist.

Now, think about that for a second.

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Lesson 4: Download & Listen To The

Golden Image Technique here.

The American Monk | Burt Goldman | www.theamericanmonk.com/online/lessons/think-big