The Riches Within (Demartini) Chapter 1: Genius - Your Mental Treasures

• What is your destiny?
• I am a genius, and I apply my wisdom.
• If you can conceive of a question, you can create an answer.
• Look for those things with genius in them if you'd love to inspire the genius in you.
• Don't read good books. Read the great ones:
  Realize that inspiration breeds creativity and awakens genius.
• Stare into space:
  To gaze out at the far reaches of the cosmos gives you a sense of limitlessness and provides you with the open dimensions of space and time to contemplate unbounded planes of thought.
• Take a walk in the park, field or forest:
  Stop and listen whatever the whispering wind guides you to stand. Ask for natures message in the moment, and listen with your heart.
• If you can spot it, you've got it!
• Sometimes we think that other people have a better deal than us, but the reality is that we have the potential for just as great a deal as anyone else! Discover what mental power is inside of you!
• Anytime I run across people I think possess great minds, I read their biographies and identify where we're similar
• You know, the world treats you the way you treat yourself. If you value yourself, the world values you. Until you value yourself, no one else will. Likewise, if you don't give yourself permission to do something great, why would the world assist you? You must allow yourself to be great and do something extraordinary.
• Aligning your intention with ACTION: Using the power of your mind to shape and consciously create your reality. 

The Riches Within (Demartini) Introduction

• Why contemplate something more than your existence right now?
  
• If you don't plant flowers in the garden of the mind, then you'll forever be pulling weeds.
  
• One of the greatest impediments to personal evolution is an exaggerated, lopsided expectation - one that reflects neither the magnificent order of the universe nor the
  brilliance of every individual in it.
  
• Big visions are those dreams that are doable and aligned with your values. Fantasies are not achievable and don't align with your values.
  
• Doing what you love and loving what you do are the most powerful ways to build wealth.
  
• Questioning teaches you to look, and suddenly brings you to timelessness and love. If you don't take the time to look, you simply react; and everything you continue to perceive as one sided adds another layer of debris, dampening your brilliance, further burying your seven secret treasures.
  
• Take no credit; take no blame! Just keep focused on the game! Focus on the mission and chief aim!

Less Stress Over Holidays (Demartini)

Along with Robin Sharma, someone else I truly admire and who I credit a lot of personal and professional change in my life, is Dr John Demartini. Just finished reading something that has been sitting "Unread" in my Inbox for a few weeks. In fact, my reading it now is a bit overdue, but better late than never, I say:

He speaks about how during the holiday season, many of us have elevated expectations to the point of being unrealistic. We expect a lot more from others (and ourselves) much of which can't really be fulfilled. When this happens, enter the ABCDs of negativity:

Anger & Aggression
Blame & Betrayal
Criticism & Change
Despair & Depression
...and then also
Fear
Guilt

Demartini speaks a lot about values and as we know, when we project our own values onto others, or vice versa, this is a recipe for an emotional crash-boom-bang!

The holiday season comes with facing a lot of family dynamics. In all families, we will notice an equilibrium of complementary opposites. So, what is important for me (reading, learning, self-development) may not be important to another. "Wisdom is to learn to appreciate ourselves and others as we are."

If you find that you are being criticized or rejected, the way to counter this is to ask where someone else is actually praising and accepting you. He or she needn't be in the same location as you are. But it is vital to remember that there is ALWAYS balance. It takes time and patience to dig deep to find these balances, but when you do, trust me - they are so rewarding! "We need both sides to center us."

I find this quite comforting, "You won't be confronted with a crisis you can't handle." If you find yourself in the midst of a crisis, the key is to stop and ask yourself, "What is the hidden blessing?" There is ALWAYS a blessing that comes from stressing. It's the law of the universe. It's all about balance, as I've said.

Speaking of transforming yours stressings to blessings, Demartini encourages that you reflect on the months gone by. Think of each individual, each experience and event which served you the most. Write each person a thank you letter. Write from the heart. Express yourself and acknowledge the person/experience/event. Just like magic, what seemed like chaos at the time, may actually be your biggest lesson of the year!