The Best Years of Your Life… Now!

Three Strikes And You’re Out…

There’s an old story that goes something like this:

A young Brave came to the Council of Elders to seek advice on a problem.
The Elders discussed the problem amongst themselves and then summoned the Brave.

He was given the combined wisdom of the Elders in the form of a solution to his problem.

The Brave returned a second time and again asked the Council of Elders for help with the same problem. This time there was no discussion amongst the Elders. The Brave was given the combined wisdom of the Elders in the form of a solution to his problem — which was identical to what he was given the first time.

The Brave returned a third time and asked the Council of Elders for help with his problem.

“Why do you bother us with the same question we have answered two times? Nothing has changed and our answer to your problem is still the same.

Now you insult us by asking a third time.

You insult us because you disrespect our wisdom. You insult us because you are deaf to our words. You waste our time because you think your problem is special or different — yet you make no effort to use our solution.

Instead you choose to protect your problem because it gives you medicine — a reason to come before the Elders. You fear solving the problem because without it you no longer have meaning to your life. What will you talk about once the problem is solved?

Answer that question and the problem will go away.”

The Brave returned a fourth time — his status as Brave was immediately reduced to that of a boy.

“In the world of people — said one of the Elders — a Brave seeks the council of his Elders when he has faced the end of his understanding.

To be kicked by his pony is the destiny of a boy.”

-Bob Baran

My recent posting of a letter I had written eleven years ago got me thinking:
There’s a reason why my Life Coaching and Mentoring is not focused on “young people”.

This may seem strange because in the music business, my primary music recording and production customers tended to be twenty-somethings — for demo and album projects.

Life Coaching and Mentoring is very different — age does matter.

I’m talking about actual life experience — and the ability to trust that experience to clarify the difference between what you believe — and what your friends or parents believe.

My personal experience with 20-somethings has been that they tend to be fearful of trusting their true feelings about things.

You can have a very lucid conversation — come to a logical conclusion — and the person with the least life experience — becomes fearful of accepting their own conclusions. They are afraid of their own truth.

They will still give more consideration to what their friends will think — rather than what is right for their life.

Thankfully this immature approach to living life tends to dissipate as you get older.

Maybe you finally realize that your friends aren’t going to “jump into the grave for you” because you gave them so much power over how you lived your life.

So, with a few exceptions of course — obviously there are young people who are mature and trust themselves — I’ve found the most successful people — with Life Coaching and Mentoring — have achieved a certain self-trust which comes with personal life experience.

It’s not surprising that the further someone gets — in time and experience — from the influences of their parents and peers — the more successful they become with how they live their lives.

Trying to explain this truth to someone who already knows everything and has a circle of friends who will back that claim — may not be the best use of my time and energy — I’d rather let time and their own life experience make — and win — the “maturity” argument for me.

-Bob Baran

I ran across a letter I had written to someone I had been Life Coaching — and Mentoring her musical career — 11 years ago — when she was 23 years old.

What I was telling her about moving ahead with her life and dreams was timeless — as if I had written it for this blog!

I didn’t use her name to protect her privacy.

Dear —

Someday in the distant future you may remember me as the man who saw the “real you” and drew “you” out. Someone who gave you a different way of looking at life. Made you feel things you never felt before — and made you confront your apprehensions.

I hope that you will think of me as the person who forged your love of music into the understanding and determination you needed — to break-away from the chains of doubt and fear — a guide who gave you a the foundation that let you live life on your own terms.

Showed you how to be a “life artist”.

You are an incredible protegee. Your ability to grasp and internalize is phenomenal. Your honesty has made this possible.

There is one decision you still must face.

Are you ready to live and create your future from the “real you”?

Are you willing to change your perception of reality to encompass who you really are becoming — or will you continue to have a secret dream life?

Your two greatest barriers continue to be:

(1) Living your life and being controlled by your concern for “what other people think”.

(2) You still don’t trust yourself to “let yourself go” and continue to opt for the comfort zone of “control” — by doing what is safe and predictable.

These are issues that no amount of philosophical exploration can change. They are strictly “free-will” issues. If you continue to rationalize to go with the limitation of the “known” rather than the “unknown” — you’re going to hold yourself back.

It all really comes down to trust. Trust yourself! Trust your heart!

Stop trying to create the perfect scenario — before you take action.

You will waste precious time and perfection will never be attained. Forge ahead. Take action from the person you are now — let the world see who you really are.

Warmest Regards,
-Bob Baran

Recently, I was reminded of the “Fear of Happiness”. (I’d thought I’d put that particular fear out of my head. Funny how much like onions we all are. Peel one layer and there’s just another below it.)

It was a stunningly beautiful morning. In fact, the most spectacular day we’ve had all summer. A day where the sky was a brilliant blue, no clouds and the air was crystal clear! I was overjoyed to be able to experience such a day. It seemed like we hadn’t had a day like that in many years.

I wanted to express my gratitude for this amazing day and I found myself afraid. Yes, afraid… I had the fear that if I expressed my happiness over this beautiful clear day that the next day there would be a forest fire and we wouldn’t see the sky for weeks after.

Well, I expressed my gratitude anyway after Bob pointed out to me that what I was experiencing was the “Fear of Happiness”. I was afraid my happiness would trigger something bad …And not just in my life but in the lives of everyone in Montana, where I live, and the surrounding area. That was heavy!

The next day there was a little fire in the valley that was quickly put out. Although we haven’t had another day of the crystalline quality of the one before, we haven’t had any forest fires in the area and we can see the sky. I daily express my gratitude for that exceptional day and that we continue to have good air quality.

In Bob’s post “Fear of Happiness” I found these paragraphs most relevant to that incident:

Have you ever felt uncomfortable or had the feeling of dread when something good (that makes you feel happy) suddenly appears in your life?… Wondering when “its too good to be true” is going to kick in and bring everything back to the way it was?

Hey, I’ve been there. For many years I thought that I simply didn’t deserve joy and fulfillment in my life… So, I made sure that I didn’t have any. You see, when you honestly believe you don’t deserve good in your life you will sabotage whatever good does appear in your life… I know, I did it many times… And in those moments when I knew I was engaging in activities that would quickly undermine the good thing… It was as if I heard the combined voices of every negative person and bad experience from my past suddenly confirming that I was not worthy of happiness.

You can read the rest of the post here…

Because I experienced that amazing day, I was worthy of the experience. If you are experiencing something wonderful in your life and it’s making you afraid. Look at where the fear is coming from. You’re having the experience, that means you are worthy!

So remember: if you find yourself in a place where you’re afraid to acknowledge and be grateful for something wonderful that’s happening in your life, stop and recognize where that fear is coming from… your “Fear of Happiness”.

Take care and let us know if we can help,

Gwen Baran

P.S. You can call us Monday - Friday 406-475-3458 or email us anytime at: prosper@intentionalprosperity.com

P.P.S. “The Romance Trap” will be available this week…

People’s actions depend upon their perception of how other people will react.

Few people take actions based upon their own reasons alone. The small percentage that do tend to have a remarkable affect on all of our lives.

Thomas Edison in 1879. perfected the electric light bulb. At the time the world depended upon natural gas lighting and candles. Clean bright lighting transformed the night.

He also invtented the phonograph — as a dictating machine. It was responsible for the recording industry — and the ipod.

Henry Ford didn’t invent the car. He invented a way to make it cheap. During the production run of the Model T Ford, the price of the car dropped almost 400 percent! He was responsible for making the automobile something his own factory workers could afford — unheard of at the time.

Maybe you have an idea or dream you haven’t acted on yet.

If you’re like most people you will never take action on it. You’ll be too concerned about what other people may think about you.

But what if your idea or dream could affect all of humanity?

The truth is it will.

Any idea or dream acted upon and brought into manifestation pushes the edge of what is possible for humankind a little further. It may make other things probable that could not be possible before you acted on your idea or dream.

Think about the people who will come after you that your actions today will benefit.

Your own ideas and dreams are an integral part of the evolution of all of mankind.

We all need the fruit of your imagination!

-Bob Baran

P.S. Are you a single woman who wants to find the man of her dreams? What if you could do it in 90 days or less?

Find out how Gwen and I are using the practical application of the Intentional Prosperity™ principles and techniques to help single women find happiness and fulfillment.

Go to “The Romance Trap”