Tamara Dorris

After so many years of research, study, teaching and counseling in things very much related to how our powerful minds play such a fundamental role in our daily performances, I've got a bone to pick. Hence, I thought I would write this post (the accompanying video below) to air my grievances for all to see.

I'm being general here, but essentially there seems to be two schools of thought when it comes to today's topic.

School One:

"Hog wash."

"Yeah, right."

"You heathen!" (yes, I really did have a Los Angeles broker say that to me when he read a review copy of my new book)

School Two:

"Coooooool! I can just sit and meditate on buyers dropping into my lap from the universal powers that be."

"Hey, I just visualized a million bucks in the bank, you want fries with that?"

So what I'm saying is that when I mention the "Law of Attraction" which I try not to anymore, people either think I'm an ariy-fairy-meditating-head-case who just wants to make folks feel good, darn it. (not) OR, they assume I am the Messiah teaching them magical tricks to manifest millions. (not).

But here's the skinny:

Napoleon Hill wrote "Think and Grow Rich" way back when my mom was in diaper, and businessmen the world over sang his praises. Have you read that book? Hill talks about his "invisible" friends and discusses how he masterminded with dead folks. And I'm weird? Okay, DEFINITELY not knocking Hill. His book changed my life and eventually led me to write my most recent masterpiece, "Think & Get Rich in Real Estate Sales." However, some still don't take it seriously...and I'm not saying this is a gender thing (or is it?). Allow me to explain the TRUTH behind how all this works, as far as I understand it.

First of all, let me clarify that I've got a masters degree in communication, an undergrad in psychology, worked with the California Association of Realtors for several years, and am a college professor. And for 20 years I have studied the power of the mind, human behavior, the science of success & motivation, quantum physics and brain biology (how many of you know what your amagdyla does?) so that said, I am NOT a woo woo heathen (a trouble maker at times, granted).

The law of attraction works on subtle energy fields in part, on via the subconscious mind the rest of the way. Our subconscious mind determines our behavior, and the Asian cultures have been studying and applying subtle energy fields for approximately 4,000. If it didn't work, dontcha think they'd stop it?

BUT HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!

You cannot WISH yourself rich or healthy or thin. You cannot sit on your duff all day and expect it to rain prospects. You cannot Twitter for ten hours a day and expect leads will fall into place. You MUST TAKE ACTION.

Lights, Camera...

You have to take action. Intelligent, positive, productive action. Nothing happens until something moves. You can create vision boards, meditate, say affirmations till your tongue falls off, and guess what? Without some kind of action, you will NOT get the results you want. Period. End of story.

The Good News

The good, no make the GREAT, news is that when you understand how all of this works together, your powerful mind with your well-intended actions can literally create miracles. Okay, so you won't necessarily be able to move mountains or walk on water, but c'mon, I'm going for dramatic effect here. Your mind and emotions are veritable magnets. Like attracts like. You get what you think about. What you focus on expands.

But Ya Gotta Take Action!

Watch this video I made, just for your viewing pleasure!

You Want Me to Make a Poster?

In the movie, "The Secret," my friend and mentor, John Assaraf talked about vision boards, and how they almost magically changed his life. And then on today's radio show, Chris Shouse, asked if my guest used a vision board. All that said, I think the start of a new year would be an ideal time to teach everyone how to use this powerful technique to increase your income and improve your life...also, read on for a free gift, good for the next 5 days only.

A vision board is basically a poster board (I know one woman who created an 8-foot vision board, but that's another story) with pictures pasted on it. These pictures should be things you want to bring into your life. My guest today, Don Stately, shared with us the fact that he has a "Be" "Do" and "Have" vision board. Essentially, one board will do the trick, but hey, feel free to fill all your walls up if the mood strikes you!

In my real estate workshops, I pull out a poster board covered with nice houses all in a row, and then in red ink, the words "SOLD" are written across each one. I believe that every real estate agent on the planet should create this basic vision board. However, let's talk a little more about what you can put on your vision board and then I'll tell you WHY THEY WORK!

What Do I Paste?

Some speakers/authors have called vision boards "treasure maps," and that's okay by me...in fact, you can call in "MapQuest.com" if it gets the job done :-) When you're looking for things to paste, don't be in an all-fire hurry and settle for less than what your heart desires. Case in point...I really wanted a new Mercedes SUV 2 years ago...but because I was in a hurry (what's new) I pasted the first SUV picture I saw on my vision board. Fast forward today...sitting in my garage is a Mercury Mountaineer...sure, it was nice and I like it, but I wanted a Mercedes!

Think about what you want. Nothing is off limits...because I believe and will argue with nearly anyone who's fun to argue with the fact that if an idea or desire is in your head or your heart, it is NOT too far out of reach. May take time, energy and effort, but isn't that what life's about? Paste photo of your ideal vacation, the house you want to live in, that hunk of a honey you want to tuck you in at night (assuming you're single!!), vast treasures, expensive wine, etc. ANYTHING you aspire to have can transpire, so paste it on your poster board and call me in the morning! I have found the most luck with pictures on the Internet....for example, my goals include being a best selling author and speaker, so I went into Google and typed in those phrases and found images that represented what those realized goals looked like to me.

It's What You Feel That Makes it Real

Finding images that make you FEEL good are so key to this process, it's not even funny. Search until you find just the right photo or image and don't settle for less (remember my SUV story!). Now you can arrange your vision board however you like. Many people like a collage and I have this style myself. However, a new vision board I'm working on (because some of my previous visions have already came true!) is a Feng Shui board. I am taking the Bagua map and putting the things I desire for each area (i.e. wealth, family, career, etc) in the corresponding section of the board. Then, for extra effectiveness, I'm putting a photo of myself, SMILING JOYFULLY, smack dab in the middle of it all. I'm so excitedly telling you about this, I can hardly type right!

How Does it Work?

Well, we can go science or we can go woo-woo. Let's stick with science for now. There's an itty bitty part of your brain called Reticular Activator System that allows you to "see" what you're focused on. This is why when you get pregnant, it seems like everywhere you look is baby stuff. Too much to explain the whole thing, but please trust that when you see these images that turn you on each day, even if you don't notice them on your office wall (or wherever) are having an impact on your brain. SOMETHING is happening and it will indeed affect your thoughts and actions. I mean, hey, even if it only served as a reminder for why you're working so hard, would that be a bad thing. Okay, not to let anyone down, let me say a word from a woo-woo point of view. Your subconscious mind is a very powerful contender. I've been researching, applying, studying and writing about it for nearly two decades, so trust me when I tell you that it's your most powerful asset of all. However, for my Law of Attraction friends, there is too the belief that what we think about we somehow draw into our lives. Like attracts like. Subtle energy fields, vibrations and all that good stuff.

Where's My Free Gift?

Okay, okay, you don't have to be so impatient. If you were here in Sacramento, I would help you make a vision board, but since you're not, you'll have to go it alone. Please give it a try....you got nothing to lose.

Now on another note, my guest today, Don Staley, a super smart and passionate author, speaker and coach, offered my listeners a FREE e-book of his great book, The Power of Mentorship. He co-authored this with some pretty amazing folks....Zig Ziglar, Bob Proctor, etc. The only catch is you sign up for his email newsletter, which by the way is not a sales-letter, but instead a collection of tips and ideas to help you stay on track and on top this year. The other catch is that he's only giving these free books away to my callers for the next few days, so PLEASE download now. Gimme my free book!

Ha! I almost forgot to remind you, if you haven't listened to the show or the recording, please do so now. You can listen as you're finding photos for your vision board! Keep me posted on your success, rock stars!

Have a Top Producing Day!
Tamara

My guest on tomorrow's show is quite an amazing guy. Co-author of The Power of Mentorship, with such greats Zig Ziglar, Bob Proctor and more, Don Staley is a force to be reckoned with. Don formerly worked with Jim Rohn and Tom Hopkins and has presented in front of enormous audiences with a sincere committement to empowering people.

Tomorrow we will discuss passion, the best way to deal with fear, and getting committed to an exercise program in 2009. Don is a health coach and has a remarkable story that he'll share with us tomorrow.

Remember, even if you can't tune in live, you can always hear the recording later on....subscribe to the show and you'll receive email reminders for all future shows too.

Thanks!

Tamara Dorris

aka "The Real Estate Therapist"

Whether you're one of those agents who has told me 2008 was your best year yet, or one of the many others who almost got a job at Starbucks, I've got a little Feng Shui Fun for you.

Since way back when (and I'm talking ancient times) nearly all cultures practiced some kind of clearing ceremonies, based on their own cultural beliefs, and what they cleared for could be anything from evil spirits to just plain old bad luck. And, of course, part of the process is in attracting good energy and good luck. Now some of you may think of short-sale banks as evil spirits, while others may just want to attract more clients in 2009. Either way, whattya got to lose?

This is a blog I did awhile back about stagnant energy and foreclosures: http://activerain.com/blogsview/820974/Short-Sales-Foreclosures-and-Feng-Shui.

In Chinese Feng Shui, they're really big on doing a clearing at the New Year, and, since it's January, what better time to wash away whatever parts of 2008 you weren't especially crazy about and call in lots and lots of GOOD ENERGY for 2009?

You Don't Have to Be a Woo Woo

Sometime when I speak about my areas of research and expertise, like hypnosis, brain biology, subtle energy fields, law of attraction and Feng Shui, folks figure I must be a real headcase...you know, an old hippie with a hookah pipe. But the funny thing is that I'm about as far from a woo woo as one could be. You see, I base most all of what I write about in my books on scientifically valid research, respected authors and practitioners, and of course, my own experiences. That said, you don't need to really hire anyone to conduct a clearing. In fact, I tend to think your space clearing practice should be performed by you, personally, in order to be the most effective.

No Special Tools

Below I'm going to describe what I think is a full-out, effective space clearing ritual to help you bring in lots of good luck in 2009. However, and this is a BIG however, you can do this in whatever way that feels right to you. In fact, I have one client who simply walked around his house, opened windows and mentally invited in good energy for a good year. Not a thing wrong with that! Remember, in Feng Shui and the Law of Attraction (and virtually all self-help studies I've undertaken) INTENTION IS KEY. If you intend on having an amazing year, followed with your intention to invite lots of positive energy into your home or office, you are most of the way there. So now let's look at how you can add to your practice. Include any or all of the following...I'll just number them so you can pick and choose as you wish:

1. Candles. Light little votive candles. In space clearing your most important areas to set up your "clearing tools" would be your living room, bedroom, stove top and office. When I just did my annual space clearing, I had a candle in each of these spaces.
2. Incense. Besides making a house smell good, incense are thought to provoke and invite good energy in. When you're dealing with a foreclosure, consider doing this kind of clearing...you might be surprised at how much it helps dispel all the negative energy of someone losing their home. Burn an incense in all the same places you have a candle.
3. Flowers. Next to the candles, you can put a few brightly colored flower heads. This really looks cool when you see it all together...kinda makes me feel like a Buddahist monk! Remember to discard the flowers when they wilt...dead flowers bring negative chi.
4. Crack or open windows....fresh air coming in and old air out is pretty self-explanatory, right?
5. Sea salt is a cleaner. Pour some in a small dish and set next to your little alters. When you're done with your clearing, be sure and throw the salt out. Do NOT toss it on your chicken salad! Since the salt is thought to absorb any old and icky energy, you sure don't want to eat it for dinner.
6. Bells. after you've lit your candle/incense, say a little silent prayer, stating your intention to have a kick-butt 2009 and eliminate ANY and ALL negative energy hanging out in your house (or office). Now walk around and ring the bell in ALL the corners of every room in your house (or office). Start at the front door and work your way around clockwise. Best to do this when you're alone, but animals love it and will add to the yang energy! Little kids too, but teen children have been known to roll their eyes and swear they were born into the wrong family. You can clap your hands in place of the bell--the idea is to wake up old chi so the new stuff can come a callin'.
7. Wash your hands when you're all done. Let the candles and incense burn out naturally to make sure the job is complete.
8. Now pat yourself on the back and have a beer...wait, FIRST, sit down and realize that you've just done something that will help to ensure you're going to have an amazing year. Expectation is quite important too....but remember, Feng Shui and the law of attraction without any action, is just plain woo woo. Call a past clients, do some social networking, or walk your farm. Good stuff is coming!

Hope you enjoyed this. My goal is to bring FUN to self-improvement and professional development.

Take care,

Tamara

Confidence is a slippery topic in my mind On yesterday's show Taylor Sherman, the hypnotist and I talked about it some and how important it is to your business. But I am curious to hear from some of my readers how they rate their confidence level, and even more personal, when they feel most vulnerable

I'll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours.....

Let me give you two examples. When I used to go on listing interviews I would be a nervous wreck if it was a lead I generated from marketing or cold calling, however, whenever someone called me, because I'd helped a friend of theirs and the friend so highly recommended me, my confidence soared.

Current example, while I love the heck out of my radio show, I'm the one doing the interviewing...it's a free show, a real estate community service if you will, and I got no reason to not be confident. Fast forward....this Sunday...in two days, I'm going to be on an Internet television show. This is recorded here in Sacramento in front of a live studio audience, and I feel so uncharacteristically nervous. It's worth noting that I've done every local news station in Sacramento,,,,some a dozen times, so that early morning, me and the local celeb shooting the breeze never really bothers me....I mean, it's only a ten minute interview. Not sure how long the one this weekend will be, but I suspect a bit longer.

But that's not the point.....

The point is all about CONTROL. When a prospect calls you because he heard you were an awesome agent, confidence in check. When you're the one emceeing an event, no problem, confidence in check....but notice with both of those situation, you are in control. Someone comes to you and you call the shots...does that make sense? Can you just imagine how nerve-wracking it would be to be one of the candidates in a presidential debate! At least with social media we can hide behind our computer screens....Twitter our self out of trouble. But in real life, in listing appointments, television interviews or any kind of live presentation, we aren't in control of anything but ourselves...and in writing this, I realize, that just might be enough.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to see the show I'll be on click here:

http://therebelwoman.wordpress.com/