Finding Your Passion = Someone else getting rich.

I've been hearing a lot lately about "finding your passion," usually in the context of business. Within the confines of business seminars, I've met entrepreneurs, even would-be ones, who've taken the plunge and ditched everything to "find their passion." Apparently, when someone has "found their passion" in business, this is somehow supposed to translate into a business that is both lucrative and fulfilling.

Nonsense!

Yep... I said it! Just another opportunity to sell programs based on you chasing a feeling. You want to feel fulfilled because your day-to-day is has gotten mundane. You're working for the weekend, and in between, you're drained at the end of the day. "Was this it?" You're asking about your post-college life. You've probably went so far as to fill that void you're feeling by getting married... or even by having kids! I'm not saying that getting married and having kids is somehow wrong, but consider what were your reasons for doing so? The REAL reasons...

I've seen it time and time again. People with great incomes and careers going through their day in disgust. In the midst of their despair, along comes a speaker with an opportunity. This speaker hashes out the same sales stories from another seminar. They brag to you about how much money they've made, when secretly they're hoping just to cover the cost of the seminar you're sitting in.

You've made the mistake of-- or "investment" as some would justify it as-- buying someone's program because they've made an offer so good that you have to do it! In addition to the offer that's so good, the speaker said you can only do it that day at that moment before they have to raise the price for some obscure reason!

I know! I've been there too! It's exciting. It's the promise of hope and deliverance from the lack of fulfillment we all feel at times. Some of us have even made radical life changes without thinking. Rather than taking the time to plan a proper exit, we've dumped everything into said opportunity hoping for some sense of salvation.

I'm actually not slamming the seminar world. There are many lucrative and fulfilling opportunities out there, presented by some very caring and endearing people. My intention is to help you--if this applies to you--recognize that these opportunities may not be the thing you're looking for.

What I've come across, while being a "seminar junkie" myself, is this phenomenon of spiritual depletion. We've gotten so caught up in chasing fulfillment through achievement that we begin to lose site of what's truly important... our relationship with God. Our careers, providing for our families, having to make a living, all serve as distractions from being One with God. If you want to "find your passion," then get back to God. The hole you're feeling in your life was created by this belief that we had to chase fulfillment. We've been duped into believing that our value and identity comes from jobs and paying for stuff. Yes, we need to earn income and it's ok to buy things, but we don't need to be enslaved by these things. We do need to provide for our families, but not at the expense of removing ourselves from them because of work.

The simple and short answer is this... get your spiritual practice on!

Organization Decreases Stress

Through the act of getting organized, one can make life much easier. Right?

I woke up this morning around 4:00am. My mind was racing. I was afraid. You see... I had embarked on my own business venture and decided to go the coaching route. I said to myself, "What have I done!?"

After you've forgiven me for my gross negligence of grammar ;) Please read further (apologies in advance to all of my teachers and college professors).

I could not go back to sleep. Fear and anxiety about the business had crept in. They had began to hinder my rest. Then, as though they had heard me, my "mentors" came to me in a lucid dream...

Months ago, I started doing the nightly meditations as described by Napoleon Hill in his famous book, Think & Grow Rich. The technique is simple. As you drift off to sleep each night, you simply visualize or imagine you are in a meeting with people of your choosing. These individuals can be famous, or less than famous. The individuals in your meeting are simply those whom you respect for various reasons. Their purpose is to help you "mastermind" and develop solutions for you to implement in your daily life. Hill referred to this imaginary group as the "invisible counselors."

Hill allowed himself to call upon anyone whom he felt he could benefit from their advice. Whether or not these individuals were alive, these were people Hill respected and were successful.

Previously, I called Tony Robbins, Sir Richard Branson, Mahatma Gandhi, President Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ, angels and archangels, even Napoleon Hill himself. I had done this enough times that this morning, the "board" as I called it, came to me automatically. I was praying to God and expressing how afraid and confused I was about the next step I needed to take. I expressed uncertainty and fear to my Creator and that I needed help. Then, God answered!

Interestingly, God did not answer in a biblical fashion. After all The Lord "moves in mysterious ways." (William Cowper, 1774). My "board" had come to my mind. Then, in my mind, they began sharing. Tony Robbins was there. Mr. Hill appeared. Even my current business coach and those from my current mastermind group were on "the board!" They all expressed how capable I am of accomplishing just about anything. I was told repeatedly how smart, competent, and accomplished I am. They reminded me of how much I had done compared to those I graduated high school with. My "board" praised me and encouraged me. I was shown a definite path this morning about the direction I was uncertain of.

I am very grateful to the members of my board. Had it not been for them, I would have been paralyzed by fear.

To circumvent, what does Napoleon Hill's "Invisible Counselors" technique have to do with laughter?

Since my business is to help people using Laughter Yoga, I wasn't quite sure I could make a living in doing so. My board came to my rescue and helped me develop the answers I needed to give me certainty! It was uncertainty that had caused me stress, doubt, and worry. It was my board, however, that helped me find clarity and peace of mind.

I was so excited I had to write this entry!

Don't let fear stop you from having the time of you life. Laugh more!

To learn more:

www.ejkcs.com

www.pinnaclepartnerships.com

Hill, Napoleon. Think and Grow Rich Original 1937 Edition. S.l.: Duke Classics, 2012. Print.

 

Cowper, William. God Moves In Mysterious Ways. Unknown, 1774.

 

     

The Anatomy of Funny

What does a nosey pepper do?
It gets Jalepeño business!

What do you call a fake noodle?
An Impasta!

Now that you're going on about your day feeling so much better, lol, imagine how much more fun you can add to your day if you simply laughed more. Think of the joyous sound of your own laughter. How much more fun do you see yourself having in your day? Although you don't need to know why something is funny in order to laugh, it can add to your sense of enjoyment to the funny things you and your friends say, and even help expand your sense of humor.

Standup comedians spend countless ours developing material. Yes, many have an individual style, or genre of comedy. Not every comic is funny to everyone all the time. Yet there are similarities that exist between the structure of what each comedian does. The structure of jokes include 3 elements: The Setup, The Punchline, and the Tag. In the setup, a comedian will relate an experience with the audience. Usually these are current event issues. There is also issues with the self that a comedian will bring up in order to set themselves up for a punchline. The details are important, however it's more important to relate and have strong rapport with their audience. With this rapport, a comedian can talk about almost any subject.

Next comes the punchline. Punchlines are usually unexpected ironic statements that complement the setup in a way that deviates from the expectations of the audience. In doing so, the element of surprise is conducted and because of the ridiculous nature of the subject matter, we laugh.

With the element of the Tag, it's possible to have an additional piece to laugh at. You won't always find a tag, yet having one or hearing one can make something that was funny into something that's now hilarious.

There are countless examples of jokes from professionals to those of us being the life of the party. What's important here is that you can easily incorporate the comedy of your own inner comic into the daily grind. Doing so can help alleviate any issues with stress you may be feeling.

You don't need to be a professional standup comedian to tell a great joke. Just get out there and enjoy your time with your friends!

Laughter As A Science 2: Electric Boogaloo

Ok, you guessed it! I watched both Breakin' movies! For those of you who don't know what movies these were, I'll bring you up to speed:

Breakin': It's the 80's... there's a professional dancer trying to make it to the big time. Though she's stuck in a rut and equally stuck in dogmatic traditional forms of dancing, her inner creative self is seeking a to burst out and find that creative edge her soul is looking for. Yet she doesn't know what to do or where to turn. Disgruntled and feeling slightly oppressed by traditional dancing, the young girl finds herself on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. She comes across a group of street performers doing a new, edgy style of dancing. She befriends these dancers who "breakdance" and finds herself discovering her creativity, freedom, and her real self.

Breakin' 2 Electric Boogaloo: Let's face it... some sequels were made for pure profit. But when you're 6 years old, all you care about is how much fun something is! I don't remember the plot, I vaguely remember any storyline, however, I do remember that everybody solved their problems with dancing! That, to me, was the essence of Electrc Boogaloo! You can dance your problems away! Joy was the solution!

When I began my spiritual journey, I was depressed. In fact, I suffered from depression and was on anti-depressants. It was difficult for me to feel happy, let alone enjoy hearing the sound of laughter. I couldn't see myself as a happy person. Then I found Laughter Yoga. I'll admit that I faked it in the beginning. As I did Laughter Yoga even more, however, I found that the fake laughter became the real laughter. My problems were still there, but by laughing, I was no longer stuck in the emotions I once associated to my problems. In a weird way, I felt more confident in my outlook on life. My problems became more manageable.

The physiological benefits of laughter had allowed me to dissipate the heaviness I was emotionally feeling. According to www.helpguide.org, under "Laughter is the Best Medicine, The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter," a person "can't feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing."Although there are layers to why we laugh, physiologically, while a person is laughing, the body isn't experiencing anything else but the act of laughing. The body is taking in more oxygen, releasing physical tension, and endorphins increase.

For me personally, lifting myself from depression involved me laughing more. While being depressed, I came to the understanding of "laughter is the best medicine" (Anon).  Truth be told, before I found Laughter Yoga at the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, I started watching a lot of stand up on my computer. The act of laughing did help, and over time, I started to feel much better. Once I started Laughter Yoga, the inner joy began to increase. Over time, I was able to get off of anti-depressants and I started going for walks to the beach. The process and daily practice of laughing had pulled me out of a sad and lonely place.

As I continue my practice of laughing daily, I come across numerous studies to empirically support the importance of humor and joy in our lives. If you feel the need to geek out over data, then I highly encourage you to check out Dr. Kataria's website www.laughteryoga.org . If you want to jump right into it, then feel free to join your local laughter yoga club. 

Laughing, like dancing, can help you in overcoming sadness or depression. Though I also believe the psychotherapy played a large part in my recovery, laughing was beneficial in more ways than I could have imagined. 

Thank you for reading!

Follow me on Twitter @HypnoEJK or log on to www.ejkcs.com

Laughter as a Science?

Did you know that scientists have developed a way to "study" laughter?

It's called Gelotology (from the Greek 'gelos' meaning to laugh)!

We've all heard that "laughter is the best medicine" and from our own experiences, we know that having a good laugh makes us feel better. What's interesting with Gelotology is that it's still not recognized as a viable subject. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and social scientists have been advocating laughter having healing and analgesic properties (Embodiment in Cognition and Culture, John Michael Krois). Apparently, laughter can heal.

According to www.cancercenter.com , "For people living with cancer, it may seem strange to find humor when facing such serious issues. Yet, laughter can be helpful in ways you might not have realized or imagined." (http://www.cancercenter.com/treatments/laughter-therapy/)

Furthermore, "Rod Martin, a psychologist and laughter researcher at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, theorizes that laughter improves mental performance by accelerating the heartbeat, thus increasing oxygen supply to the brain." (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-healthy-laugh/)

In our time, laughter and overall happiness is being studied at an ever increasing rate. What does this mean for you?

You don't need to know the science behind laughing or the biochemistry behind having a good laugh. If you can give yourself permission to find joy in your life and increase the amount of laughs you do during the day, you may find that your trips to the doctor may decrease!

Don't take my word for it.... Just laugh!

E.J. Katigbak, CHt, MA (Psychology), leads Happy Meditations. He developed this from his own healing experiences and education. E.J. is a Marine Corps veteran, has served in Iraq & Afghanistan AND is a survivor of PTSD.



for more information, log onto: www.ejkcs.com

The Case for Happiness

“Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.”

 Bil Keane quotes (American Artist creator of the comic strip "Family Circus" b.1922)

          Happiness is something we all crave. This state, condition, or emotion we designate as "happiness" is something that as individuals, we pursue. Remembering when Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," I delved into my own mind for what this pursuit meant to me. 

           As I was thinking about what happiness was, I began to go down this path. Essentially, I was "pursuing" happiness. I once heard that pursuing anything actually pushes it away. I understand this principle and saw it as something to be debated. Philosophically, pursuing something is equivocal to "chasing" something. When someone chases something, an element of desperation emerges. From this perspective, then, "pursuing" happiness means that one is pushing it away. 

          However, if you're not happy, then how would you become happy? In order to become happy, or "be" happy, one has to not "be" happy in the first place. Someone who is unhappy would have to become happy, do something to "be" happy, or "understand" that happiness is a state that is always available. In this instance, happiness is something to become, or "be" and one would have to "do" something in order to "be" happy. Right? 

          Can a person just zap themselves into happiness? 

          Can someone just happy, or does someone have to "do" happy in order to "be" happy? 

          In my Happiness Meditations, we sort of answer this. We "do" happy through laughter exercises and playing games to stimulate and enter into the physiology of happiness. By incorporating mindful meditation, those who've attended the Happiness Meditations feel the feelings of happiness and discern where we can use more happiness. Understanding this new perspective allows us to bring about happiness in situations in life where one would need it most. By "doing" the process of happiness, we become, or "be" happy. 

          This then begs the question, is happiness only a state? 

          Is happiness a behavior? 

          Although defining happiness may seem elusive and too abstract to encapsulate, the act of doing so actually answers "is happiness a momentary feeling, or is it a behavior?" Through the act of understanding what happiness means to you as an individual, you are attuning your mind to begin looking for answers. Seeking to define happiness allows you to open up to your own feelings of happiness, thereby creating a happiness "blueprint" for the behavior to follow. Unconsciously, you begin to "act" or "behave" happily in ways that you would think happy behavior looks like, sounds like, or feels like. 

          In doing so, Happiness is not just a feeling, not just a behavior, but a condition. 

          Congratulations on  having the condition of happiness.