5 Tips to Raise the Bar of Adventure

As human beings, we are taught to set goals and push our own boundaries. When we feel excited, we know we are listening to the heart.  Joe Vitale says, A good goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot. As we tune in, yhe same energy can be felt by fear or excitement, depending on where we focus our attention. We can allow fear to hold us back or, harness the energy of excitement and accept it can propel us forward.  Which direction resonates most? That is a choice we make moment-to-moment.

As author of The Secret, The Magic, The Power, and Hero, Rhonda Byrne echoes, Start telling the story of your amazing life, and the law of attraction must make sure you receive it !

Similarly, Vishen Lakhiani, visionary entrepreneur, trailblazer and author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, invites us each to listen to the non-conformist within and ground ourselves in a new trajectory. So, be bold and daring. Take these 7 Tips to Raise your Bar of Adventure to  a new level of excitement and peace of mind;

1. Imagine going somewhere new 

Whether its choosing to take a different route to a familliar destination, envisioning an exotic vacation, or travel beyond this world, it is life-transforming to step outside comfort zones. In my case, travel to over 65 countries has repeatedly brought me out of comfort zones, prompted me to face fears, expand my vision and be open to flow beyond physical worlds.  If you astral travel, know out-of-body experiences (OBEs), or other mystical experiences, imagine going further, deeper into new dimensions or future life progressions so you can bring some of that higher wisdom back to this lifetime. When we can dream it, something beyond us creates it.

2. Imagine being something new

Whether or not we believe in reincarnation, shapeshifting or transforming into superheros, what if changing form is a real possibility?  Part of us cannot escape our mind.  We may wish to turn it off sometimes. Yet,  parts of us are always changing. Our cells are constantly dying and replacing themselves. Our thoughts, beliefs and emotions change regularly. Whether and how we respond to change varies. Bruce Lee says, "[We] must be shapeless, formless, like water. When [we] pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup...."  If we have never imagined something like this could happen, take stories and night dreams to heart. Ask how often we live vicariously through fictional characters, imagine being someone or something else?  We may not awaken in fear as a bug like the protagonist in Kafka's, The Metamophosis.  Rather, we may awaken to love in such a way as what we see and feel within adn around us is radically different. Closing our eyes is a step to imagining new states of being. The wind and voice of the Soul guide us.

3. Create new learning opportunities for our kids

What if we could create unique opportunities for our kids to learn and also allow them to teach us? As teen phenomenon singer Grace VanderWaal echoes,  See[ing] Clearly  happens as we consciously create while accepting those things we cannot change.  In my own reality, as a child, I read in a magazine about a highschool that took place on a tall ship that sailed the globe for a year, stopping at exotic ports.  Although that experience did not pan out for me, it inspired me to find and participate in a unique summer camp for Kids of the World where I did circus training and other activities beyond my Wildest Dreams.  As I stretched myself, I used my ingenuity to create opportunities abroad, won scholarships to unique institutions, even attended International Space University (ISU) and explored roles and travel at different life stages. Listening to my Soul prompts me to shake up my life again, drop everything and move 2000km with my family for a school I sense resonates with my kids at this point in their lives.  

4.  Interact with Inspirations

What if connecting more deeply and listening to our true selves is the key to activating what is dormant inside us?  What is this is what revitalizes us and truly gives life meaning? We may describe this as accessig and realizing untapped potential, switching on dormant energetic systems or something else. At some stage, we are each drawn to mentors in this world and even Spiritual or Ascended Masters beyond to empower us to see them as shadows of ourselves. Living in integrity brings freedom and also brings new levels of responsibility. In my case, during self-directed doctoral research, I listed all the leaders and managers I wished to interview, found out where they would be and when, communicated directly or found ways to get myself to attend events where they would be. In total, I interviewed 1500 people in public and private sectors in 10 countries, having created a pioneering exercise in strategic diplomacy. I continue to envision who I wish to interact with, such as imagining fictional characters  as dinner, guests, as well as feel intuitively drawn to interview individuals who help me better understand myself.  Where some people aspire to be evolve into more spiritual side, I am evolving to feel more grounded.

5. Share our revelations

Each of us is on a unique journey in this world, growing aware and integrating unique downloads that are worthy of sharing through our own perspective.  As we uncover our calling, uncover our evolving purpose, this is about embracing our own authority. It also nudges each of us to share our revelations, that is, what is illuminating inside of us that can enrich others. We can share ourselves though media, books, worskshops, seminars, offering courses, though setting examples like living simply, sharing uplifting vibrations and love or other means that feel right now.  Being limitless implies we allow and accept we deny or accelerate our own breakthroughs. 

Interview with Dr. Eben Alexander

I am delighted to share this dialogue with Dr. Eben Alexander. Ever since I read his initial book, Proof of Heaven, I felt deeply touched by what he so eloquently presents as a view of reality beyond what many consciously see as their own.

Having myself had more than one Near-Death Experience (NDE) in this lifetime, conversing with Dr. Alexander enables me to gain new insight into NDEs, the brain, Science, and Spirituality.  Exploring these topics here helps me to better understand, accept and integrate more of myself, and even begin to touch on what human existence is really about.  

Thank you Dr. Alexander. I feel privileged that you create time in your busy life for this interview, not only for me, but for the world that now has access to it.

As an experienced neurosurgeon and traditionally-trained scientist, you have earned the respect of the medical establishment and patients through years of medical practice. Your books Proof of Heaven, Map of Heaven, and most recently, Living in a Mindful Universe, are all inviting readers to question their sense of reality, especially popular Western views of life and death. How has writing your books affected your sense of heaven, purpose of fulfillment in this lifetime?

Following my NDE, and hearing about those of others, my view of what is real has changed profoundly. The lessons that continue to unfold provide the content of my books. My experience and its interpretation have offered insights into a far more robust worldview, in which consciousness is fundamental in the universe and generates all of emerging physical reality, and in which human beings have far more potential than conventional science acknowledges in manifesting their free will over unfolding reality. I have come to believe that part of my mission is to share this information with others. We are all eternal souls, loved deeply by God/Source, and this physical life is but one small aspect of consciousness and one of many opportunities for our souls to grow. This knowledge alone has given many people hope and solace in the midst of grief when losing loved ones from this lifetime. And for others, it has opened up new ways of thinking about the world they live in and their broader soul’s purpose.

Like the film Avatar by James Cameron invited an audience of over 1 billion to rethink how they see themselves and the world,  Ready Player One , a new Steven Spielberg film, is to invite a wide audience to realize each human has complete control of the virtual universe it creates. The protagonists in the four new Avatar films in production, also enter new worlds to escape, only to discover something much bigger than themselves. As you share in your books, the protagonists in these films awaken, see with new eyes. Their focus, or reason for living, changes.

After emerging back in this world from your coma, you cite feeling ‘shaken up,’ Similar to Jill Bolte Taylor who had a unique Stroke of Insight, you share key points of reference had lost meaning. How did an NDE alter your sense of being human? What does it feel like to shift and integrate consciousness into our collective ‘human’ notion of reality?

While I was having my NDE during the time in coma, I had no recollection of who I was in this lifetime – I did not reflect on being a man named Eben, a physician, a father, or even a human being per se. I simply was a being that was led on a journey of observing many things. I had no reference of religion to influence my interpretation of what was going on around me. In a sense, my brain (and prior human prejudices) was off-line so I could experience the full spectrum of consciousness. Later, as I returned to my body and my day-to-day existence here, I felt shaken up, trying to integrate the broader knowledge I now have with what I slowly remembered as my human life circumstances.

At first I could not speak or recognize loved ones at my bedside. I knew I had to “come back” for my youngest son, Bond (although I did not remember him as “my son,” only as a deeply entangled soul for whom I had connection and responsibility), and as I would later realize, to share my story with millions of people who have expressed a resonance with it, or who found hope and comfort from learning about my journey. Within two months I had regained all my previous knowledge including that gleaned from almost three decades spent in academic neurosurgery. I had difficulty sleeping, but I used the extra awake time to write down all that I could recall from the experience, and later to study the voluminous literature supporting a much broader vision of consciousness, quantum physics and the nature of human spirit. I now have a new life partner, nine plus years after my NDE. I am closer to my sons and have become better acquainted with my birth family.

Although I hear about other NDE experiences, your sharing here touches me in new ways. As it happens, I stopped breathing at birth and had other NDEs after accidents for reasons I did not consciously understand until recently through Breathwork. In my denial of life, I did not really know what it truly felt like to live. I did not wish to face what I could not change. Much like yourself, I also knew I was meant to 'come back' and am in process of living my destiny. Love how on Gaia, you teach about accessing spiritual realms , invite people to re-view deeper meaning in life experiences.

In this light, you share that surviving a rare form of brain meningitis and coma altered how you value illness, pain medication and injury. Tell us about that. What sorts of lessons can we all take away from perceived adversity?

Whether through illness, injury or trauma of another sort, these events are challenges in our lives. They are often the result of our soul’s planning or our soul group’s joint planning prior to incarnation. Their purpose is to give our individual and collective soul experiences from which to grow, strengthen relationships, learn about love and compassion for others, or how to give and receive. The lessons can be many, and we may not learn everything the first time, so we sometimes experience a challenge recurring in another form, to apply the wisdom gained thus far and go deeper in our learning, teaching and understanding on a particular subject.

Among the lessons and gifts received, I felt much gratitude and joy. The feeling of being loved completely, without judgment or conditions, is very healing on all levels – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.

Indeed. Your story is, as Time Magazine states, forcing Science to see the Afterlife differently. It is a friendly reminder that more than one kind of intelligence and way of understanding the reality exists. Every experience we create invites us to review what we think we know. Its worth noting you offer a recommended reading list to expand on the basis of your experience. I really resonate with stories of transplant recipients who develop new affinities based on consciousness transferred in their newly transplanted organs.

We have a unique and beautiful opportunity to grow here, in the density of the physical realm. We should treasure each moment, as we learn much about love that reflects the immense love of pure consciousness. Each time we are on “the other side” it is not forever, but for a period of time between incarnations or journeys that invigorate and educate our souls.

Your response resonates deeply.  Human beings are so often taught to focus on the external world, to take their bodies, mobility, current use of their minds, training or skills for granted, unless/until something happens that prevents doing what is habitual.  Losing what we think is important can trigger a new appreciation, deeper understanding of who we are and why we exist. Part of being human involves the experience of duality, comparing thoughts so the mind can have a reference for ideas. Yet, as you point out, we are far more than thought, multi-dimensional beings, in truth.  We can be wounded without conscious awareness and blind to aspects that only reveal themselves as our perception expands.

Now that you have tasted what it is like to see worlds from expanded consciousness, what, in your view, is the biggest issue for this physical world? 

 Lack of acknowledging and embracing our spiritual nature, thinking that the physical is all that exists and our lives are birth to death and nothing more – these are among the greatest travesties most challenging our modern cultural understanding.

Spiritual nature is gaining increasing attention in the Western world which itself is founded on material and physical principles. Please offer related evidence and an example to clarify your point. 

The most common and profound evidence that the materialist world view is wrong consists of the profound nature of “placebo effect” in medicine, yet we continue to educate medical and nursing students from the disproven “physicalist” position – it is high time to face reality, and utilize a world view that fully incorporates “mind-over-matter.” We may not be able to test things in a laboratory exactly the way one might test a chemical reaction, but the preponderance of evidence from NDEs, after-death communications (ADCs), mediumistic communications, past-life memories in children indicative of reincarnation and similar human experiences, reviewed under specific protocols, provide the evidence not only of the soul surviving physical death, but of its return through multiple incarnations. Consciousness demands a far grander world view than our conventional physicalist one – our new book, Living in a Mindful Universe, portrays this evolving world view in a more complete fashion than prior works trying to unite science and spirituality.

Love the views and examples you offer in this new book. It draws attention to the fact that everything is energy first.  Conditioned perception can distort that. Nothing happens except in the mind, including illusion of separation. This said, what is the solution to the biggest issue you see?

As radical as it may sound, Love is fundamental to the solution. Compassion for one another on a very deep level can bring all kinds of change for the good. In addition, although I cannot put it into words, I was astounded by the science at work in the universe that I could observe during my NDE. There truly is convergence of science and spirituality, although humans have not been able to explain it yet in earthly terms. But we can come closer, as more souls become actively engaged and enlightened in working together for solutions.

Swami Vivekananda said, "Spirituality is the science of the soul." Emerging scientific research and increasingly common experience like NDEs, reveal what appear to be separate disciplines are connected yet often misunderstood. 

As a womb twin survivor (WTS), familiar myself with OBEs and worlds beyond the physical, I have always been connected to expanded consciousness you cite awareness of as the result of your illness. I have long been surrounded by physicians in my family, close relations and colleagues, who see and experience the world very differently. Issues can arise in relating to people who do not see or accept the existence of different realities.

In light of all that has happened to you, what enables you to feel most alive and grounded in this world, continuing in your scientific role, knowing what you know about expanded reality? 

Well, for one thing, I know what my training taught me and how rooted in materialist science I was. So, I understand colleagues who are cautious when listening to my story. It does sound incredible when viewed from that strict mindset. As a scientist, I feel it is incumbent on me to more deeply examine the research around NDEs and other spiritually transformative experiences in order to convey to my physician and scientific colleagues in particular ways to expand awareness and consider consciousness from a far wider perspective.

What has changed and what remains the same?

I no longer see patients, but have a deeper understanding of the healing power within all of us. My role as a “healer” is far greater than I imagined before, but every step in my life was necessary to serve the role I now serve. Now I encourage people to become more involved in their physical and emotional healing through the daily practice of meditation, heart-centering and personal empowerment. Personally, I try to spend at least one hour each day reconnecting to the spiritual realm and the guides I encountered there through a practice of meditation using the sounds of Sacred Acoustics. This keeps me grounded in the reality of knowing myself as an eternal spiritual being. But the real gift of near-death and related experiences applies very directly to how we live our lives in these incarnations – this grander perspective (including the notion of reincarnation and living multiple lives here on earth) is crucial in allowing us to live our lives to the highest purpose and meaning we came here to experience.

It is valuable to hear you echo that healing power inside ourselves is often underestimated.  One view echoes humans are cosmic instruments that are in or out of tune. Western approaches to healing are not all evolving at the same pace.   As you say in your blog, we have cause for great hope in this world. We only experience what we are ready and willing to accept, individually and collectively.

In reality, we are all connected through the binding force of love at a spiritual level -- there is no separation.

In your books and public talks, you highlight the view that Science and Spirituality must come together for the world to move forward. What are you witnessing about the illusion of separation in Religion? 

Religions often focus on the differences between their varying dogmatic beliefs.  This takes us away from the “oneness and primacy of mind” that was so clear to many founding fathers of quantum physics (Max Planck, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, etc.).

How is quantum physics closing the perceived gap with spirituality?

The leading edges of studies on the nature of consciousness, especially in light of ever-refined experimental evidence in quantum physics indicating the absence of an objective physical reality independent of the observing mind, not only support the reality of our spiritual nature as fundamental – they demand it. Our true free will is the gift of this emergent synthesis.

You and individuals like Canadian Wilder Penfield who redrew the map of the brain, determine memories are not stored in the brain. During The Ottawa International Writer’s Festival, October 21, 2017, you speak about The Mindful Universe and say “the brain is a reducing valve. The main role of the brain is to limit, inhibit and restrict conscious awareness. This has survival value.” How is the role and usefulness of this ‘reducing value’ changing?

The conventional neuroscience I was taught in medical school in the late 1970’s was based in physicalism (the notion that only physical “stuff” exists), and assumed that consciousness was the epiphenomenon of the chemical reactions and ion fluxes in the brain. One obvious implication is that our sense of free will is completely illusory – if our very consciousness is just the illusion of awareness resulting from those physical interactions in the substance of the brain, where might one inject any form of “free will”? Modern consciousness studies provide far more robust explanation of all variety of human experience through “filter theory,” which was first discussed by luminaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – William James, Henri Bergson, FCS Schiller, and Aldous Huxley, to name a few. This reducing valve of the brain is necessary so that we may perceive and comprehend the world around us in an orderly fashion.

As it happens, as an undergraduate McGill student, I volunteered at the Montreal Neurological Hospital where Dr. Penfield spent his career. I also participated in a brain experiment there which involved being injected with radioactive isotopes. My brain activity was tracked and studied through Magnetic Resonance Imaging and other techniques. How do you feel about what  is not traceable by current scientific instruments? What does this reveal about consciousness?

Becoming more aware of our expanded consciousness beyond the brain provides the opportunity to know ourselves on a grander level and to feel the sense of our collective connection.

Monks and other experienced meditators have had brainwaves studied during meditation. Varied scientific results are documented. The widespread view is that most humans are not using full brain capacity. Popular views assume ‘enlightenment’ involves using 100% brain capacity. Hence many people work harder, in efforts to activate greater brain capacity, striving toward enlightenment. Another view is using no brain power reflects enlightenment. What is your view?

Given that the brain and physical reality emerge from consciousness itself, and that mental function is not produced by the brain but filtered through it, it is irrelevant to discuss what percentage of brain we are using to support mind. Experiments using fMRI and magnetoencephalography in patients under the influence of psychotropic substances (e.g. psilocybin, DMT (ayuhuasca), LSD, etc) reveal that the most vivid experiences correspond to less active junctional regions in the brain (especially what is known as the “default mode network”). The state of creative flow, for example, when we are fully engrossed in an activity and lose awareness of time, is correlated with decreased brain function in the frontal lobes’ executive center. It seems that getting the brain out of the way allows us to access more of the spiritual realms, and of Collective Mind.

This view is shared by Om Swami in his book,  Kundalini-An Untold Story, as well as insights shared by Gopi Krishna and other yogis who convey directly the nature of enlightenment. 

Your work provides great insight that empowers millions of people who are on a quest for a deeper connection with the divine. Your books attest to the existence of a universal dimension characterized by peace, acceptance and unconditional love that is accessible to all of us. What role, in your view, does the human brain have in connecting humanity with God?

The brain is simply the filter that allows expression of the mind, and of primordial consciousness. I see the source of that human (and all sentient being) consciousness as the ultimate source of all that is – the God-force so universally found amidst accounts of NDEs and related spiritually-transformative experiences (STEs), that infinitely healing power of unconditional love. In a very real sense, our human consciousness is connected directly with God – we expand our awareness of it through a practice of going within.

You make it sound so simple. Funny, the Western world often teaches things are complicated.  From your view, what can each of us do to connect more deeply to the universal mind?

Begin and continue a practice of daily meditation. Learn to recognize and distinguish between the neutral observer within and the constant mind chatter consisting of our thoughts (including the voice of our ego). Release emotional trauma, which might be blocking us from reaching an expanded state of awareness. Open the mind, and trust that the loving force of the universe will provide all that you need to come to a deeper understanding. There are many methods to choose from and each of us is unique.

That echoes Paramahansa Yogananda who says meditation is the act of becoming one with the Soul. It means seeing we are more than the body and its perceived limitations. Meditation thus points to existence of God. What can people access to help them get beyond limits of the mind? 

For those who have not yet established a regular practice, and especially those who feel the chattering “monkey mind” voice in their head is forever blocking their ability to go deep within, I strongly recommend the powerful meditative tools of Sacred Acoustics.

Agree whole-heartedly about the power of sound. Such meditation triggers shifts in perception. Many meditation techniques exist. What specific meditation would you suggest that would enable people to be more present?  Which parts of the brain do you feel influence growing awareness? 

The recordings of Sacred Acoustics who create brainwave entrainment audio are created using a proprietary blend of monaural and binaural beats combined with harmonic principles. I have worked closely with Sacred Acoustics to develop and test many of their audio products.  Due to what I believe is a profound effect of the lower brain stem, I find them most effective in quieting the mind and reaching expanded states of awareness. Beginners find them very useful and experienced meditators often report going deeper than before. They offer a free download of a 20-min meditation called “Om”. Highly recommend tuning in to this.

What you express here reinforces how spending time immersing in nature is essential to listening to our own inner music. As singer Grace Vanderwaal echos, we must close our mobile phones  (and put other external technology aside) to listen and hear what is so often overlooked.  Breathing deeply along this crazy ride of life helps us realize there is so much more than this.

What kinds of exercises can we do to better get to know the inner self?

The 33-Day Journey into the Heart of Consciousness is our free on-line companion course to the book Living in a Mindful Universe. Each day for 33 days, we offer a bite-sized nugget of a concept from the book and a related practice that can be applied in daily life. These are derived from material in the book and are techniques or practices that my co-author, Karen Newell, and I have found quite valuable.

More broadly, I recommend a frequent (e.g. daily) practice of “going within,” that is of centering prayer or meditation that successfully labels the “voice in our head” or our linguistic brain (also largely the voice of the ego) as merely “our annoying roommate,” allowing a broadening of our sense of conscious awareness connecting with higher soul and providing a bridge to the Collective Mind. This greatly expanded awareness allows a refreshing and even revolutionary perspective.

Imagine you dine with 5 people you have not yet met (from past/present/future). Who would they be and what would you like to ask them?

Each would be asked the Big Questions of the fundamental nature of reality, the binding force of Love, and of the meaning and purpose of our existence:

Jesus Christ –

Albert Einstein –

David Bohm –

C.S. Lewis –

Siddhārtha Gautama (Buddha) –

Absolutely love your choices! I would be delighted to join this group encounter and at some point, hear the nature of what is discussed.  Imagine asking fictional characters to ask to dinner too. The topics we wish to ask those we admire tell us a lot about ourselves.  For now, if you could share an insight, revelation or advice for our readers to take away, what would it be?

All of the answers lie within. Dedicate the time to meditate each day, because the very reason for the existence of your soul and this precious lifetime are to become more of who you truly are. The way to achieve that is by aligning more to your spiritual nature.

Please share anything else you feel would benefit our readers.

Each and every soul plays a crucial role in the evolution of consciousness. We are absolutely responsible for all of the choices in our lives. Given the justice and balance that is inherent in the universe, we are wise to realize we will reap what we sow, and living the golden rule, or treating others as we would like to be treated, is essential in providing the smoothest route possible to enlightenment.

Dr. Alexander, again, I truly appreciate your presence during this timely conversation as I know our readers do also. When people speak, audiences can listen with interest or curiousity, and sometiems with the intent to reply.  Yet, communicating as you do so openly right now, on this timeline, sharing insight, invites each of us to listen more closely to ourselves. I invite our readers to read your books, attend events and take steps to deepen understanding of the mind.

In order to share our gifts and be heard in this world, we must hear ourselves clearly first. As the great Confucius echoes, "I hear. I know. I see. I remember. I do, I understand."

Short Bio

Eben Alexander, M.D., was an academic neurosurgeon for over 25 years, including 15 years at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston. He has a passionate interest in physics and cosmology. He is a New York Times Best-selling author, speaker and event facilitator. Visit his website to explore information about his books, consciousness as well as details of his current events.

Interview with Steph Adams & Samantha Brett

Introducing Steph Adams and Samantha Brett.  They go the extra mile in their efforts to change the way we perceive ourselves, the world and what is possible for each of us.

Steph Adams is a woman who wears many hats, including international best-selling Author, Art Director, Business woman and Editor of LAQUA Magazine, which she founded in 2017.  Samantha Brett is a Channel 7 News reporter, presenter, lifestyle columnist and best-selling author of seven books herself. As they team up to share insight and fundraise for a cause, they cannot help but have an incredible impact.

For now, let me say, I am very pleased to discover your book, The Game Changers: Success Secrets From Inspirational Women Changing the Game and Influencing the World. It lands in my lap with perfect timing. Something inside reminds me everything happens for good reason. 

In light of your busy lives, I would like you both to know how much Dreambuilders Australia readers are thrilled you create time to get to know you on a whole new level. Love to see how this exchange unfolds.

As experts in journalism, fashion, beauty and writing for huge audiences,  you tune into the pulse of Australia and the world, and respond to interests of the masses.  What led to your desire to raise awareness of mentors who overcome struggles?

Steph: Well, both Sam and I have had very long careers and we to have encountered our own struggles. Coming together for this book just felt so easy because it was something we were both so passionate about. 

Sam: THANK YOU! I Definitely think our lengthy and diverse backgrounds help us look at pulling together a book like The Game Changers from two very different get complementary points of view. We’ve both had our fair share of set-backs and challenges which have contributed to the way we see the world.

Love that you draw from your own life experience to encourage others to hang in there and grow from whatever obstacles they face.  As a former dream analyst columnist myself, I know people value guidance to help them step back, reframe and grow from obstacles and learn to laugh at themselves.  

This said, which specific inspiring themes stand out to you in your book?

Steph: Sharing other peoples stories of success and failure in the world is something that resonates with me. Each story is unique and inspires me in its own way.  I learn from each one.  

Sam: another theme is that rings true for me is 'nothing comes easy!'  

Indeed. You are both clearly passionate about what you do.  Your own lives are inspirational and send a message by example.  Sharing inspirational stories as you do is a bonus.  What would you like women to gain from reading Game Changers?

The essays from women around the world are aimed at inspiring the next generation to follow their dreams. What stands out, is that no matter where we are in life or what we are doing, we can all choose to be open to learning from adversity faced by others. 

So true. We can view setbacks as stepping stones to building strength, resolve and traits to help achieve their dreams.  And empathy allows us to feel what other people are feeling. Every event that unfolds before us reminds us we choose how to perceive and respond to it.  This begins and ends inside. Life is one big miracle but people only notice miracles in those moments when they come to life.

In your latest collaboration, you support the Pink Hope Foundation.  Please tell us about that.  What motivates you to be involved and why create the Game Changers book to support the cause? 

Steph : We both have worked with Pink Hope in the past so this book is a natural collaboration. We really support all the work Krystal Barter does for the Charity.

Sam: A percentage of sales goes to help support Pink Hope after we both lost our friend to breast cancer.  There are some incredible stories in The Game Changers - most of which you really need to read as there are too many to talk about here.

Krystal's story is definitely one of resilience.  It shows us the lengths people are willing to go to survive as well as the power of love. I have known women who have suffered from breast cancer, and related depression, as have many of our readers. Whatever course of treatment is chosen, each person offers a unique story with its own inspiring message.

There is a saying about the six degrees of separation, meaning everyone is really touched directly or indirectly by this illness through relationships. My mother died from cancer. I also had a client who another kind of cancer. She viewed her trial as a wake-up call and stepping stone to make big changes in her life. When she was diagnosed, she already visualized being healed.  During her chosen treatment, she got in touch with her passion for interior design.  Now, she has a thriving business. Chicken Soup for the Cancer Survivor's Soul is another book that inspires people to reframe related issues, and laugh more to heal like Patch Adams advises.

I marvel at how you both spent over two decades between you interviewing inspiring and successful women.  In light of all the unique people you have encountered in your careers, how did you ever choose the women you include in your book?

Steph: Well, a lot of them we have looked up to through out our lives and some we just found so inspiring, we just had to share their stories.

Sam: We also wanted women from diverse backgrounds and industries, and women of all ages and countries. 

What comes through your responses is that sometimes what inspires us about particular people is not easy to identify in words.  As you both interact personally with all those women you profile, you have the added insight of feeling what its like to be in their physical presence and even to know them on an timinate level.  Your book conveys this very well.

In the course of writing the book, what did you realize the women you profile share in common?

Steph: The women in Game Changers are fearless in their pursuits, set goals with determination and go after what they want. Each of these women knows her own set-backs, and the power of resilience.

Sam: And I might add these women also refuse to be discouraged when their options seem exhausted.

What do success and fulfillment mean to each of you? How do each of you see the world evolving in its focus and priorities? 

Steph: I think that success is defined only when you find that moment in your life when you are just happy and content. Its not always about being "successful" as such. When you enjoy what you are doing but don't make success the outcome.

Sam: I think success to me is going to work every day and it never feeling like work! Also, being able to maintain relationships with family and friends, without letting work take over every facet of your life. 

One thing that stands out is you are both globe-trotting career women, as well as multi-tasking mums. What advice do you have for women exploring careers and asking how to do more in less time? How is your sense of priorities and use of time changing?

Steph: When you become a mother, you just realise that things take a little longer to accomplish and complete, but thats ok. The joy of motherhood is wonderful even among the chaos!!

Sam: I try and spend a certain amount of hours every day with my daughter, and that way when I go to work, I don’t feel (too) guilty! It’s definitely a constant juggle and balancing act. I wish I had the magic formula but unfortunately I think the only advice is forget sleep! 

To be sure! Every day is a new day.

Please let us in on your inspirations? Who or what inspires you to be most true to yourselves?

Steph: I am inspired mostly be my friends, family and my two sons.

Sam: Steph definitely inspires me, she’s such a great Mum and Hard worker. My mum is amazing too, and my colleagues at Seven News are superwomen! 

If you decided to interview each other and add a section to this book Game Changers, what advice would you offer the world about creating and realizing dreams? Which pieces of advice from the women in your book stand out most?

Steph: Learn to Zig, then Zag - has always been something that has resonated with me. Some of the advice I learnt from the other women was that failure is all part of the journey, its not the final destination.

Sam: I agree.

Under what conditions do you feel most comfortable and most confident? Which life experiences and especially disappointments have you had that have contributed most to who you are today?

We all have moments in life when things are not always going to go smoothly, and that just life. We sometimes need to accept them and just make the most of the special moments with our friends and family.

If you had to choose 5 things to take to a deserted island, what would you bring?

Steph: My husband, a bottle of Aperol, bikinis, towel and sunscreen

Sam: My iPad, (to watch suits!), A pocket knife (I read that somewhere !), Arianna Huffington’s “Thrive” book for inspiration, My husband and daughter 

What advice do you have for our readers about being a women in this day and age? What helps you be the best you can be? What is to be avoided?

Steph: Be kind, gracious and appreciate what you have because it could all be gone tomorrow.

Sam: Do not take social media (or any technology) too seriously! Life exists beyond it.  

Do both of you have books or films you turn to for advice, solace or inspiration? What are the genres, titles?

Steph: Yes I used to carry with me 5 little books around with me since I was 18 in my suitcase of quotes on happiness and life. They always replace the negative thoughts.

Sam: Arianna Huffington’s books

If you could leave our readers with a some advice about realizing dreams, what would you say?

Steph: Follow your passion.

Sam: Do what you love and the rest will come.

Steph and Sam, your professional initiatives and the way you prioritize family are inspirational. Thansk for offering a glimpse into your true selves and priorities.  You leave us with a few things to reflect on and explore. 

Love that you inspire us all to remember we each have the power to make a difference in the world, one moment and one project at a time. Like you and Game Changers profiled women, Grace Vanderwaal also echoes no need exists to compare what we do.  We are all unique, can choose to see blessings in who and where we are, and accept that whatever we do right now is enough. If and when we are inspired to act on something new, listening to the heart and keeping a sense of humor is key.

Interview with Liara Covert

As I receive many emails from people asking about my latest book, a new 7 day coaching program and other projects in the works,  I feel it is fun and helpful to compile my answers as a blog interview.  The questions are from a variety of sources.

Time is hard to get.  It gets away from many people. What inspires you to teach Mastering Time?

Call it intuition or an inner knowing. It is part of a vision that came to me in a dream and also spontaneously emerges from me when I am asked about my life purpose or destiny. Like 14 year old singer-songwriter Grace Vanderwaal is in touch with her destiny, I too can see Clearly.

Why write such a thick book? 

Perception is relative.   460 pages is what it is.  Yet, The Secret Teachings of All the Ages (768 pages)by Manley P. Hall and In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (7 Volumes) are longer. Length is based comparison.  Books are as long as authors decide to say what they wish to say.

How does the book affect you and other readers?

You may laugh, but much like other readers, I am going through the book exercises and reflecting on personal insights in new ways. Turns out, Mastering Time is part of a series.  I have created three books from a larger book because a process is unfolding within each of us.   

When engaged in the process of reading and journalling, you forget about the book length, lose yourself in time, only to find yourself again, in a refreshing state of mind. How movies affect and engage you is relative to your interest too.  Some seem to drag on and you wonder when they will end.  Others keep you at the edge of your seat.  You experience time, books and films, based on what you are open to and ready for on many levels.

What is your intention in writing this book?

The intention in writing the book is to echo every human being is evolving at a unique pace to see and feel reality differently. This is also called expanded consciousness. Many people agree changes appear to be faster. More people are asking why and whether we can influence the nature and pace of what is happening. 

Like Allan and Barbara Pease, in my own way, I offer a perception of The Answer.   Mastering Time shares insights from my direct experience that helps me understand my relationship to time.  Readers are invited to explore what is presented in their timeline, to do exercises in a journal like many of my other books and grow conscious of their own relationship to time. 

What can you do to take this mastering time book and teachings to a practical level?

That is a valid request, to be sure.  Thinking like the masses helps me see the desire exists to get a handle on what is right in front of us but often missed. 

On a practical level,

• I offer regular guided nature hikes in the Dandenong Rainforest 1 hr from Melbourne CBD 
• I offer an exciting 7-Day Program to be Time-Savvy based on a new book in progress
• I tailor timely coaching options & packages to suit clients & touch on time strategies
• I am in planning stages of a few unique spiritual tours to places in late 2018 and early 2019

How can better understanding and Mastering Time help me with relationships?

Your relationship to time mirrors your relationship with money, technology, relationships and much more. Western society is based on perceived connections and interactions.  Still, many people are conditioned to fear getting close to others, because they do not accept love, or because they have no examples or mentors for healthy relationships. These issues relate back to self-love (or lack of it).  It can be identified more consciously during a tailored coaching program.

What about money? Its widely believed time constraints limit the amount of money we can generate or earn.  Do you deal with this in your book?

Indeed I do.  Gaining insight into your beliefs and how you relate to time changes your understanding of money.  In Mastering Time, there is a whole chapter devoted to this called the Economics of Time.  As part of my coaching program, I guide clients to read, including certain books about money preoccupations.  Through my life journey, I have read often, take part in seminars with financially successful people and can relate to varied client situations.  Where relevant, during one-on-one coaching,  I refer to personal examples. This is part of what I am told gives me credibility.  People take you more seriously when you 'walk your talk.'

Can learning more about time help build strength?

Getting to know and express yourself more honestly opens you to vulnerability.  Being honest is the road to inner strength, wisdom and to live feeling more fulfilled. This and the role of core values are explored in depth during my coaching sessions with clients.

As the Zen saying goes, gentleness is strength. To get to that point, you must accept all of yourself first. You have to feel confident and take responsibility for all your choices, the beautiful, the broken, the lost, the found, the wild.

How would you describe your coaching about time? 

How you see anything depends on your conditioning (filters), experience and how aware or tuned in you are to what exists beyond all that. Call my approach to coaching a futuristic form of psychotherapy, a take on ancient shamanism or timeless guidance along your path to fully accept yourself. Every piece of your psyche has a role to play in time and every moment you follow a path to retrieve and integrate a fragmented Soul.

What made you shift from dream analysis and interpretation to focus on time?

Dreamwork and time are not separate. It is true that I used to have a weekly dream analysis and interpretation column.  At some stage I cannot pinpoint in linear time, I experienced a shift that led to me to refer to dreamwork is a tool to better understand time, my relationship to time as well as my clients' relationship to time and life experiences.

You have offered workshops about dreamwork and other topics from your many books.  Why offer a new 7-day program about Time and why now? 

From experience as a workshop and retreat participant, I know 7-day programs jumpstart and motivate people to view themselves and life in a very different way than before.  Based on increasing traffic on the Dreambuilders Australia Blog, the growing readership for my most recent book, Mastering Time, and a recent publisher request for a new book on-time, I am inspired to create a 7-day program that draws from insights in Mastering Time as well as expands on what is covered in the new book.  Notice 7-day programs inspire people to reach new milestones with diet, exercise, well-being, detox, rehabilitation, and more so why not time?   

People ask me, why highlight seven days for my new time-related program?

7 Days to be more time-savvy, is catchy and effective in practice. People are smart, yet benefit from being reminded. It is said it can take 21 says to change a habit, but new approaches, the power of thought and intention can shrink that down. So many things are programmed into our brains based on number seven.  It has subliminal power to transform how we view ourselves. Imagine you recognize the power to create a new world for yourself and give yourself 7-days to get this in motion.  You are divine co-creator. Whatt do you do? Ask clearly what you want from the universe, set your intention and astound yourself with what happens. In a mutually-supportive environment, I see it works again and again.

Seven is also one of the most significant number across religions and cultures. It shows up in stories, film and symbols with good reason.  Across the globe 7 is hugely favourite number. The number seven had a mystical significance for different civilkisations. It was linked with the seven heavenly bodies; the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn.  For this reason, some believe, marking rituals every seventh-daymore for the program. I could go on, yet more symbolism is covered in depth in the 7-day program.

Why does it take seven days to build a new world? Does that mean we should create a new world to explore every week? 

This is a question which invites diverse answers, depending on how you relate to time.  No single answer jumps out that everyone can relate to at the same point in time.  The human experience is defined for many based on the parameters of how they see and function in linear time.  Yet the pace at which we create accelerates based on many factors.  These grow more self-evident as your perception of time expands. 

What happens to time when it's quantitative value becomes qualitative?

Time is the veil of consciousness. It is a warehouse for the unconscious to be made aware of and reintegrated into timeless eternity. Objects and subjects are time-released so that they can arise and spin into the collective view for all to experience in joy and fulfillment. Time is a teacher and guide much like the breath and everything else, when you are open to this.

Does time stop ticking if their is no one to watch it? 

Each moment invites us to recognize the nature of the tug-of-war going on within ourselves. The root of inner conflict is perceived change in the space of time, governed in a structure such as a calendar. Ask yourself why we are taught to track moments, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years expecting, to see something different when we are tught to ground ourselves in the familiar. Part of this journey called life is an exerice in finding courage to step outside the familliar, recognize consciously the choices we are making and be willing to make different choices. Our focus of attention determines what and how we see.

Is there a difference between digital and analog time and how it effects the human condition? 

Being on time is satisfying because we are taught this is expected. Energy is neither lost or gained. It's a balancing act in how to stay calm in a pressurized environment. However, to be purposefully late outside the constraints of time is thrilling because one is essentially being fueled by the exploration of uncharted space. 

How does time effect space and how does your space effect time?

Everything is based on perception. We can talk about this in terms of philosophy, physics and theories, or we can speak about direct experience.  This is the basis on which I work with clients.  I interact with people and discover how they see and engage with the world they create around them. I refer to  A Course in Miracles, and other books relevant to individual cases, take people on hikes.  I alsp offer exercises to help people grow conscious of their relationship with time and space, as well as what they are doing with it every moment. 

Does how we see and interact with time effect our personal and global environments? 

Time management is a rational skill of a chronological disciple whose master becomes crazy at playing with irrational numbers.  Time is the key to everything.  Interact with me and other teachers entering your life more consciously,and listen to intuition more.

What is the relationship or correlation between time and consciousness?

Shadows, gravity, and contrast, fuel movement through time.  Infinite directions exist.

Is there a defining moment that led you to understand time and it's meaning in your life? 

Many experiences have triggered different stages of my awakening.  I share a number of more significant events in my book, Mastering Time.  My previous 10 books share other examples.

Why should humanity be concerned with making time conscious?

Should suggests something is being imposed by an external force.  Another view is that there is a time-release aspect to human DNA that naturally shifts perception of those who are ready to experience energy differently. Thus, no-body actually makes time conscious. Shifts in perception simply change the way we view self from the inside out, including how we see and use time. 

It is said that we live in a dimension of time and space. Is our relationship with time directly linked into finding meaning in life? 

Time is a shell or container but it's skin is made from the sparks found in people's eyes. The eyes are the window to the Soul.

Who are your mentors and inspirations?

Everything is a teacher for me.  Among my books, Transform Your Life: 730 Inspirations offes a glimpse of some of my inspirations. I have always felt drawn to Shirley Maclaine, her spiritual awakening books and teachings. I initially read them years ago, revisted them later, and experienced them in a completely different way. Many of my more recent teachers are modern mystics and often Indian in origin, such as Gopi Krishna, Babaji, Swami Sivananda, Swami Vivekananda, Osho, Sri Swami Satchidananda, Sadhguru, Om Swami, Radhanath Swami and Leonard Orr. A timely Sivananda teaching that stands out is: "There is something good in all seeming failures. You are not to see that now. Time will reveal it. Be patient."

To what do you attribute your current focus in life?

At a certain point in my life, I felt I lost everything that was important only to discover the nature of what truly is.  Experiences in humility are for me life-transforming.

Can you let us know what enables you to master time?

Many steps are unfolding as part of this initiation.  My books In The Flow, Being Harmony and Universal Principles point to different stages, as does my series about Mastering Time. Yet, feeling more at ease with spontaneity, child-like innocence, and hearfelt intuition is part of the process of letting go of fear and self-created limitation. As Marianne Williamson puts it, we Return to Love as we accept who we are.  As the saying goes, more than one road leads to Rome. When the student is ready, teachers appear.

Interview with Barbara Pease

Barbara, it is a pleasure to connect with you again here.  Years ago, during another stage of my life, I had the privilege of attending a few of your corporate keynotes with Allan. I sincerely enjoyed your humour and the way you both so effectively shared insights the audience could relate to. You have this amazing ability to understand fears, and put them in perspective in ways that are educational and entertaining. To be in the presence of your energy is eye-opening, thought-provoking and empowering. Thus, you are a perfect addition for the inspirational mentors area of this Blog.

I love how you are so approachable and down-to-Earth in-person, that your stories feel so genuine and engaging and that being near you enables people to feel more comfortable laughing at themselves.  It is no surprise that you and Allan are internationally renowned, best-selling authors. The Definitive Book of Body Language and Why Men Don't Listen & Women Can't Read Maps are two of my favourites. I love all the ones I have read. To your credit, you share an impressive 18 best-sellers, including 10 number ones and more than 27 million books sold. Thank you for all you do to encourage others and to enrich the world. Now on to this interview. Let us see where it takes us...

Society and our peers engrain ideas about success and expectations.  We each come into struggle, turmoil, and places we do not wish to go.  Tremendous changes are taking place.  We do not always know where to turn, or how to respond with confidence. 

Please share why you chose to write and publish The Answer, how it stands apart from your other books, who is your intended reader and why it is empowering?

Our other books are about how to be a better communicator, how to be a people magnet and how to build rewarding relationships.  But after many years in the speaking business, meeting and talking to people everywhere, The Answer came to life as a book to teach people how to discover what they are passionate about and then how to achieve it.  Many people believe they know how to achieve success but most never seem to move forward with their lives.  This is usually not from lack of trying, but from not having the right system to move forward and to effectively set the goals they really want.  

So, you tell your readers, here is The Answer: "Life is a game and here are the rules." 

From an early age most people are conditioned to please others instead of themselves.  As adults, this often translates into being stuck in a job they don’t like or with a partner they no longer connect with because they’re often listening to the opinions of others and end up doing what society, family or friends expect of them, rather than marching to their own drum. 

Your insight is such encouragement for us all to participate more whole-heartedly in life, yet not for the purpose of using life experience to avoid ourselves.  It sounds like an invitation to notice our own resistance and let it pass through.  Its like when you relax, little bits of pain and tightness are released, and we let the creative music in. It is said that true greatness and transformation hide beyond pain.  As we open our eyes and wake up, so much more exists to each of us that what we are taught.  How does your book help people see their true colors?

The amazing feedback and stories we’ve received from readers around the world is testament to the powerful and life-changing techniques in The Answer. We’ve had readers writing to us from Moscow to Paris, to Quebec, Tehran and Sydney sharing their stories about how they’re now moving in new directions with their lives and finally doing what they really want to do.

That is powerful confirmation you are right on track with your desire to move forward and still guide people to recognize and let go of their comfort zones. We can devote life to staying with the familliar or, explore 'what ifs,' step boldly into the unknown, expand into more of ourselves. We only experience more of what is available without mental boundaries. We must see and transcend our own.

This said, the Self-help book industry is huge.  Many say everything that can be said in this genre already has been.  This said, new books are still being written, released and also becoming best-sellers. Your book The Answer, has been called “ground-breaking” and a category killer”.  How do you feel about this and the impact this book is making? What enables it to stand out?

We have always written our books for everyday people. We write in a straight-forward, no nonsense and humorous way. We do this intentionally because humour is an important tool that helps people absorb and remember information. The Answer pulls together most of the ideas and strategies people may already know, for example, The Law of Attraction, The Universe, Goal- setting, Prayer, the Yin & Yan and so on. We then tie it all together with the science of the brain to explain why and how these things work. The Answer  gets enormous results from our male readers who are sceptical of concepts like The Law of Attraction – men demand evidence and The Answer provides it. The Answer gives scientific proof then shows the reader how to achieve anything they want. 

The human mind fears uncertainty and resists pain.  From a young age, we explore questions to shift focus away from the mental cage created by our fear and discomfort. Curiously, answers we come up with do not always help realize dreams.  As what you teach nipping fear in the bud, readers may be astonished or, find it no wonder your monthly relationship column has over 20 million readers in 25 countries. Many people seek advice to equip them to deal with what arises.

Turns out, when the going gets tough, people come face-to-face with big questions. You say participants of your seminars have had their lives changed by your teachings, that your simple but powerful skills help you deal effectively with almost everything that happens. What about dilemmas that trigger insecurity,  health issues, stress us about the biological clock, and fear of mortality?  What insight does The Answer offer to deal with really tough situations?

We share how we have used the techniques in The  Answer to produce our IVF children, to overcome depression, fight cancer and many other areas of our own lives.  The techniques revealed in The Answer are simple and practical - not always easy, but simple - and show how when you have the belief you can achieve anything you want – you can!

Accessible, easy-reading books like yours help people feel better equipped to deal with what life throws. Reminds me of the reach of the Original Chicken Soup for the Soul compiled by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.  It contains of course inspirational stories that help people find courage to overcome adversity. Although your books are more instructive, readers of your books and these relate and imagine their own triumphs. You have to nurture a dream before you can manifest it.  

Now, love the term Easy Peas-y, often used to refer to how you view and respond to challenges. As the single most best-selling female author in Australia with 14 best-sellers to your credit, what advice do you offer aspiring authors? Is writing something you always wanted to do or did the writing career happen unexpectedly? If you could rewind or fast-forward your life, anything you would change? 

Growing up in Central Queensland, I never thought of myself as a writer but as a person who had been given the gift of being able to teach people on all levels and to make people feel valued and important.  So when I met Allan he was already an author and he saw in me what I never saw in myself - that I had a talent to offer the female perspective in our books and to reach people globally from all walks of life. We have always worked as a team on our books so that they have a balanced male and female perspective. In my life I have 6 children and 8 grandchildren that I adore. I exercise 6 days a week and live in Buderim on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Allan and I practice what we preach. We decide what we want in our lives and work every day toward our goals. Right now, we are building a community of people who we have worked with at our weekend events… and I wouldn’t change a thing! I love my life and I am constantly excited about what can happen in the future.  Allan and I learn and grow together and create amazing life goals that keep us moving forward.

The process of moving forward is indeed energizing.  We can move in so many directions. What is possible begins to expand based on our choice to cross paths and interact more often with people on a similar wavelength. The idea of creating a community of like-minded people who connect, support and encourage each other strikes me as a model with staying power. Love others as you love yourself and the universe responds by moving mountains.   We help each other and like the movie, Pay it forward. This is true freedom. 

Speaking on a practical level, what you have seen in practice during your workshops and events since The Answer was released? Is this impact meeting your expectations? How is your vision for the book changing with the changing consciousness of the planet?

We have just completed the 5th of our new VIP Weekends at our rainforest property on the Sunshine Coast.  On these weekends, we coach up to 30 delegates to discover their true potential and to pursue their dreams. When Allan and I began to write The Answer, we hadn’t conceived the VIP Weekends yet, but once we set our RAS and decided that The Answer would be life-changing to our readers, amazing opportunities started to appear to us. That’s how the RAS works! 

We’ve since had the privilege of meeting hundreds of people through these VIP weekends and we are always excited to hear how their lives have evolved after they’ve attended the VIP Weekend.  

It is indeed exciting to follow up and see how exchanges of energy are affecting the dynamic field of awareness. As talented singer-songwriter Grace Vanderwaal reminds us, So much More exists as we listen deeply to ourselves.  It is what it is.

The examples you share helps us start seeing beyond individual people and stories, and the darkness that keeps chasing us.   We begin to see the power of where and how we are focusing our consciousness. Very cool revelations arise.  We see how others interpret behaviour and movement based on what we hold in our minds and the blocks that funnel energy toward more subtle bodily actions and activities.

You say in The Answer, “The reason most people don’t accomplish much or have much in their lives is because they haven’t decided what they want.” You also tell readers to, “Expect and plan for people, and things to try and slow you down.”  What advice can you offer people who do set goals, write ideas down, yet feel discouraged by encountering repeated roadblocks to manifesting or somehow hold themselves back from realizing goals? Please offer an example of a few cases where people managed to turn their lives around.

I received an email yesterday from a couple who came to our VIP weekend last year. At the time, they were stuck financially and emotionally in past failures. They had a dream to move to France but they didn’t have the belief  they could do it. They emailed us from France… their RAS had found their way forward and they are now living there and loving it!  Another of our delegates from our first VIP Weekend a year ago set a goal of becoming a net millionaire – from a zero start -by age 50.  He told us this week he had just achieved this goal – 3 weeks before his 50^th!

For many people, following through on their plans can be the hardest part of the goal-getting process. You’ve set a specific goal, you’ve written a plan with a deadline, and now you are announcing it to the world. But suddenly you find a flood of people – especially relatives and friends – trying to talk you out of it. Decide right now that you will not listen to these people.  We are not saying that you should be reckless or take unnecessary risks – every choice you make to move forward has risks. You need to make your own informed decisions -- don’t let anyone steal your dreams. People who are too weak to follow their own dreams will always find a way to discourage yours. Don’t let small minds convince you that your goals are too big. If your goals don’t scare you a little, they are not big enough. And be careful who you open up to. Only tell your dreams to a few people really care. The rest are just curious. 

Funny thing about France.  I sense another synchronicity!  Like your VIP guests in the example, years ago, I also had a dream about a move to France.  I started with the vision, then drew a  map, read books, got some French penpals, learned the language, really focused my attention on the goal.  Athough it didn't happen right away, I did end up winning a scholarship and completing my Masters and Ph.D in France. That period of my life was full of adventures.  Years later, something similar happened before my move to Australia. Like other readers here, consistenly living dreams is a topic of great interest. You can realize a dream, yet feel impatient for others to happen.  What to do about closing the gap between here and there...

On this note, The Answer intrigues loads of people because of its substance, exercises and advice about repeatability.  A lot of research went into it.  You talk about the importance of training and retaining the brain.  Tried and tested methods appeal. Please comment on the RAS (Reticular Activating System), how to activate it, and what we can do to accelerate the process of finding a passion and creating multiple income streams. How does knowing more about brain power catapult us into more of our true greatness?

Every person has the seeds of greatness inside them, but few people realise it. And even if you do know it, how do you make it all happen?  When you understand how the brain functions and that you can program it for whatever you want, your life goes into over-drive.  You realise that nothing happens by chance and that you are – and always have been – in charge of what happens in your life.

Taking charge, that is personal responsibility for everything, not just credit for what works out but also what does not, is such a key revelation. We have to love ourselves and express this in more than external body language.  This feels like a turning point to real transformation.

More and more people are growing aware that something in their lives does not feel right.  Yet that does not necessarily mean they are ready or willing to take action to change. The Answer  invites focusing on what one finds exciting as a step to making bigger life changes.  Of course, talkers and doers still exist. What, in your experience, prompts people to take the most immediate action, especially the leap from fear to being more honest with themselves and doing what they love?  

For some people, motivation to make a change comes when something bad happens or their life begins to unravel. While that is very normal - and Allan and I have certainly had our fair share of setbacks - if you practice setting your goals and writing and re-writing them, using affirmations and always working a piece at a time towards your goals then the process becomes second nature, life is constantly evolving and you are always focused on something new and exciting. With this approach, you come to see life in a positive way.  When someone reads THE ANSWER they realise that they can really have what they want in life and that is it simple when you follow the rules in our book.  Life can be amazing if you want it to be.

I just love revelations you share about human behaviour.  You bring those up in other books. The observations you make and write about have such widespread relevance, the themes show up in greeting cards and cartoon blurbs. The universality of themse you write about helps so many people wake up and live more consciously.  

That said, some goals are tangible, and trackable on linear timelines.  Your Book, The Answer, offers loads of pertinent wisdom for this. Yet, other people have a vision of fulfillment that is more qualitative and less relevant to timelines.  What advice can you offer people who have a vision for who they are or what they wish to be, but have difficulty outlining measurable steps. After you clarify a vision for yourself, what role does surrendering to the universe or letting go and letting God ( as they say) have in your own life? What are the results? 

The RAS will find the “HOW” when you are clear about “WHAT” you want. As Allan says, the “HOW” is none of your business [laughs]. Affirming what you do want and believing that the RAS will help you find answers to how to achieve your goal is the first step. But some people stop there and procrastinate or allow other people or situations to pull them off track. This is why it’s so important to spend time each day visualising yourself achieving your goal. Then to start writing down what you can do to get closer to your goal. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. And so it is with achieving your goals. 

Right! Nothing ever goes away until it teaches you what you need to know. As you imply, goal-setting is not all its cracked up to be. Knowing unpredictable events arise allows one to better adapt to them.  Expect the unexpected and never be disapointed. We control everything yet are not conscious of everything. Learning more about the brain helps us connect the dots and respond without allowing emotions to control us.  

With all the lives you touch, all that you accomplish, all you have done, what at this moment, makes your life most fulfilling? What would you like to do but have not done yet? How would you encourage others to live a more purpose-driven life? Could you offer any preliminary steps that would jump start the process?

My family and friends make my life fulfilling… and I just love spending time with them.  We have 4 older children and to watch them achieve new goals and move forward with their lives is such a joy. We also have 2 younger kids and we are having so much fun being older parents and showing them what they can achieve if they believe in themselves.  Allan and I have an great relationship which keeps getting better and better as we grow older together (which was one of our original joint goals).  Allan is my running mate in life and life is never dull. We laugh a lot and create an amazing life together. I feel I am a very blessed person, but this was always on my goal list.  My advice is find your running mate in life, set your goals and dreams and chase them until you achieve them.   TWO BOOKS TO READ TO KICK START YOUR LIFE ARE ….WHY MEN DON’T LISTEN AND WOMAN CAN’T READ MAPS and THE ANSWER…these are a must for anyone that wants an exciting, happy fulfilling life. Men and Women are different and once you understand the differences your personal and business life becomes really exciting.

Those book are great.  The observations you make are hilarious and so true. This makes me chuckle.  I am also reminded of themes covered in that book by John Gray, Men are From Mars and Women are from Venus.  That is another classic worth a read. I suppose you know of it? 

Books help with self-growth, yet is said that in-person coaching or mentoring people to accept more of who they are, is a way of seeing a deeper part of ourselves.  Please share some of the most profound lessons you have learned about yourself in your career. What are a few big highlights?

When I was 12 years old I had 3 jobs and worked hard.  As an adult, I realised that I was tenacious in business and could achieve almost anything when I set my mind to it.  When I met Allan, he showed me the science behind why what I did worked so well and this propelled me to go to even bigger things.  And thus, The Answer was born.

Hence, the relevance of that phrase, "the best is here and the best is also yet to come." With every moment comes the possibility of renewed strength, new ideas and inspired action.  This is how we can each experience harmony within. As you say, the focus of attention is paramount and so is being open to learning new things about ourselves.

Of course, its common to view time as a human process, a thing we create to master ourselves, grow conscious of and move through our self-created obstacles.  Love the way you invite people to make the most of their time based on how they clarify their dreams and realize them. What does time mean to you? How dos it feel to spend time wisely and master it in your own life?  

Most people waste time by spending 80% of their time on the things and activities that only produce 20% of their results.  I dedicate 100% of my time to the things that get me the 80% of the results and I take the rest of the time off.  We all have the same amount of time – the difference is how we use it.

Taking time off, the self-care time is widely under-rated and so often overlooked. What a valuable reminder.   William Penn echoes "Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."  This is a valuable piece of advice to take away. Looking after ourselves is loving ourselves much like sharing here is caring too.

It is widely known you and Allan are public speakers and facilitate seminars related to your books in 70 countries.  That is mind-blowing.  It also inspires everyone to be the best we can all be.

At this stage, I’m excited to hear more about your VIP Weekends for coaching. Please tell us more about those. What prompts you to create this opportunity? How often do you offer these events? What do they involve? How does one qualify? We would love to hear all the details. 

Our VIP Weekends are amazing! We started running them because people learn the most and have the most profound, deep experiences when in a small group environment for 2 days. We limit the VIP Weekends to a maximum of 30 people so that we have time to spend with everyone, getting to know what is important in their lives and how we can help them move forward and get more of what they want and achieve a fullfilling life.  

Love that you invite people to step outside the perceived world they build for themselves to see new sources of light, inspiration and possibilities.  One core message that stands out in The Answer is we exist to go beyond the walls or limitations we imagine.  To do that, we have to understand why we build walls in the first place.   Group discussions are great for helping us be more aware of our blind spots. Sense lots more people are interested in joinging your VIP groups.

It feels exciting to feel you developing and expanding in your projects.  You are really branching out with Heliport Studios.  This is a unique extension from books and public speaking to recording studios for TV and music.  What inspired this? How do you envision this brainchild evolving? Can you give us a sneak peak of projects in the works? 

Allan was a professional Blues guitar player in the 1960s and his passion was always music.  We decided to make this passion a business and it has grown to the point where we host famous musicians, bands and identities.  Last year we even engineered Rihanna’s  song Towards The Sun which was the title song for the Dreamworks Movie,   When you have identified your passion with The Answer, the ultimate is to turn this passion into a paying business,  When you do this, you’ll never work another day in your life.

Uplifting music to the ears!

Rhianna's song is a lyrically and melodically beautiful. Like this song, your books highlight the importance of taking life events in stride.  Thus we "let the shadows fall behind [us]."  The Answer echoes the Sun always shines from our hearts when we choose to be in harmony with ourselves. We can each bring more light and love into our lives when we stop being so Delicate , just like Taylor Swift sings.

And the vision of living playfully like a dolphin near the ocean is so inviting. The fact you are located near the Gold Coast is an inspirational setting, the perfect environment for brainstorming and discussing new visions and life transformation.  Love the opportunities you are creating for natural human connections and jumpstarting innovation.  

Thanks so much Barbara for this timely interview.  Only perfect timing exists.  You and Allen make such a huge contribution to help others awaken and reclaim their inner power. In order to understand why we limit ourselves, we have to understand who is holding us back.  This involves gaining insight into body language and mental and emotional games we play.

Thank you for reminding us who we are and what we can do is related to our thoughts and focus of attention.  There is a saying: you are beocming like the five people you spend the most time with. This is an invitation to reflect on the qualities of those you admire and create ways to spend more time with like-minded Souls.  Take advantage of the opportunity to participate in an event hosted by Barbara and Allan Pease.

Choose to get the most out of life. You get exactly what you decide, nothng more, nothing less.

Here is a link to Pease International website for more information on the VIP Weekends: www.peaseinternational.com