I'm quite concerned over a number of emails I've received in the past 24 hours, so this is my response.

It all started when I revealed I would be releasing material related to Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) this Friday.

Since then, I've received countless emails from people looking forward to it, and also a few emails from people expressing their reservations.

Now here's the thing - if you're one of those people with certain negative conceptions about NLP, I don't blame you.

Why? Because NLP, in its conventional sense, is prone to a number of misconceptions. Here are a few of the most common questions I received, along with my answers:

1. "I've tried/heard of NLP, and it's too complex for me to understand"

Normally, you'd be right. Most NLP courses are highly complex, industry-oriented thornbushes of information that require you to wrap your head around insanely complicated (and often irrelevant) principles before you can start enjoying any sort of benefit.

And that's precisely why my upcoming course boils NLP down to its core, and simplifies the concept so anyone can understand it. You'll enjoy the full benefits of NLP, without the headaches that may often come with it.

2. "Every NLP course I've ever seen was too expensive!"

Once again, you'd normally be right. Since NLP is seen as a premium tool in sectors like business, psychology and parenting, it's been marketed as such, with sky-high price tags reaching thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I'm all about getting my material out to as many people as possible, so trust me - don't worry about the price.

3. "Isn't NLP meant only for business professionals?"

Many top business professionals in Fortune 500 companies use NLP, true. In fact NLP is a compulsory training component in 70% of Fortune 500s out there. But it doesn't stop there - NLP has also been adapted for use in healthcare, law, parenting, and countless other sectors.

Think about it though - if NLP wasn't so infinitely powerful, why would those in the know use it to make billions of dollars, solve seemingly impossible challenges, and influence millions of people?

The fact is, NLP has the power to do you a world of good, whether you're looking for more success and prosperity, better results with my previous programs, or even if you're looking for the fastest, easiest road to true enlightenment.

4. "I don't have the time to go through another course"

NLP promises incredible results, but that doesn't mean it'll take up every waking moment of your day. All you really need to do is invest a few hours per week into the exercises and insights, and you'll start seeing dramatic improvements in your life without even realizing it.

Think of it as success and enlightenment on autopilot

5. "I'm already experiencing incredible breakthroughs with your existing materials. Why would I need NLP?"

If you're already 100% happy with the results you're getting now, mastering NLP could boost that figure to 150%. I'll tell you more about this on Friday, but for now let's just say that NLP is the missing piece of the puzzle to complete enlightenment.

Hope this answers most of your questions.

You will be hearing from me tomorrow!

To continue our discussion on conscious modeling, let me tell you about how I used this technique as the foundation for my quest towards enlightenment.

My first brush with conscious modeling began in my youth, just after I had been discharged from the army. It was at this point that I figured out that enlightenment was my life's purpose, and I was looking for a spiritual master to help me reach this goal.

In 1949, my strong intent led me to Paramahansa Yogananda - the great Indian swami who had introduced meditation and yoga to the West. I joined Yogananda's Self Realization Fellowship, and took it upon myself to learn all I could from him in as short a space of time as possible.

So I took his lessons, listened to his advice and sought his opinions as often as he would allow. This persistence increased my abilities and knowledge by leaps and bounds, but it was at this point that I began to realize something else:

Following Yogananda's teachings gave me good results - but doing what he DID gave me incredible results.

Let me explain the second part of that sentence. Yogananda's talent and wisdom were vast - so vast that his words alone would not have been enough to express everything.

So I decided to observe him, and pick up parts of his behaviour, actions and mannerisms, in the hope that somehow, whether consciously or subconsciously, some of his unspoken talent and wisdom would rub off on me.

And they did! I modeled his methods of interacting with people, his posture when meditating, his daily routine... and within a matter of weeks, I was experiencing breakthroughs I once never thought possible.

And that was the first time I experienced firsthand the power of conscious modeling.

In some ways, it was a total perception shift compared to what I'd previously learned. Because while disciplines like meditation are all about looking inward, conscious modeling involved looking outward at others.

It was clear to me at that point - to unleash the unrealized potential within you, you first need to observe and emulate the realized potential radiating from others.

Ever since then I've continued to use this incredibly effective technique on those I can learn from, including visionaries like Jose Silva, the founder of the Silva Method. As you may know I am a certified Silva instructor, and spent years working with Jose and his organization to help spread his teachings.

There is no doubt in my mind that it was modeling these great gurus that helped me discover my potential and begin spreading my message of enlightenment to the world.

Now that I've shared with you how I have used conscious modeling to emulate the success of those I admire most, I would like to hear your thoughts:

Who would you most like to consciously model, and why? (It doesn't have to be a famous person, even your neighbour or co-worker can be a role model!)

Looking over the thousands of responses to my recent poll, I was so glad to see a large number of respondents picking the last option - that their belief systems are positive in every single way.

But if you were one of the people who picked that option, I must ask you a question:

Do you truly KNOW that all your beliefs systems are completely positive?

There's an important reason I'm asking this. Many people tend to mistake true knowing with mere knowledge of the right answer, and this can be a potentially damaging fallacy if left unchecked.

Let me explain. Having the knowledge that you should possess completely positive belief systems, and reaffirming this knowledge with a positive affirmation is an important first step.

But without the next step, it remains incomplete.

And this next step is knowing. Knowing from the deepest depths of your spiritual and emotional self, that you have developed perfectly positive belief systems in every aspect of your life.

And this, I dare say, is a feat that less than 1% of the world's population can admit to having accomplished.

So can you now see the difference between knowledge and  knowing?

• Knowledge is an intellectual process that comes from acquiring information
• Knowing is a spiritual/emotional process that comes from true experience

And so the burning question here is, how do you reach the higher level of knowing?

The answer can be found in the incredible story of Liz Murray, a young homeless woman who overcame all odds and earned herself a spot in Harvard. Please watch this video before you continue reading:

Were you able to find the answer? Here it is...

Since she was a child, Liz had been unconsciously modeling the behaviour and beliefs of her parents. This is why by the time she ended up homeless, she was weighed down by multiple negative beliefs like insecurity, inadequacy and unworthiness--beliefs that kept her tied to her predicament.

But then, after the passing of her mother, something in Liz changed.

Instead of seeing herself as inadequate, she began to consider herself just as worthy and capable of the successful people around her. This small yet critical perception shift empowered Liz to consciously align herself with the beliefs and actions of the person she aspired to be, which in this case was a Harvard student.

It should be clear to you by now. The key to knowing that you have replaced negative beliefs with positive beliefs in every aspect of your life is conscious modeling - the act of actively emulating and identifying with your chosen role models, so that you may claim their success as your own.

Believe me - if Liz can do it, you can.

I'll get back to you with more on conscious modeling soon.

As you know, there are two sides to every story.

As I mentioned, unconscious modeling has its positive side - we can reach greater heights in our lives when we unconsciously model inspirational figures around us.

So now that we have an understanding of that, it's time for us to turn over the proverbial coin, and take a look at the other side.

I'm talking about negative unconscious modeling, and how sometimes -- without even realizing it -- we adopt damaging belief systems from people around us that stop us from being as successful, happy, healthy and enlightened as we could be.

Who are these people? Anyone. It could be your parents, your friends, your neighbours, your colleagues, your boss, Hollywood celebrities, or even the milkman!

The thing with unconscious modeling is that these beliefs, whether positive or negative, seep into our minds in such a subtle way that we often don't realize their presence, even when our lives are seriously affected by them.

So let's do a simple exercise to see if we can uncover any negative beliefs lurking within you. Take a look at the negative beliefs listed below, think about each one very carefully, and check the one in each category that you feel best describes you (note: you do not have to vote in every category):

.

Or...if none of the above describes you....

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So... were you able to check that last belief?

If not, I need you to answer these questions:

• What is the number one negative belief that's been holding you back?
• Who do you think instilled this belief in you?
• Do you think there's anything you can do to change it?

Please leave your comments in the box below.

This is just one of those things you need to *see* to *believe.*

A recent study has found that the achievement gap between white and African-American students significantly decreased immediately after President Obama's nomination acceptance speech, and just after his election victory.

What this means is that President Obama's achievements have directly influenced black children in America to rise up and do better in the classroom.

The study was featured in the New York Times, and you can see it for yourself here.

Click here to read the article

This is an incredible finding, and it just goes to show how powerful role models can be in our lives.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this:

• Why do you think the Obama Effect happened?
• Have you personally observed any cases of the Obama Effect?
• What do you think this means for our future?

Please leave your comments in the box below.