Exercise 1: Reboot Your System!

1. Sit in a comfortable position. Block your right nostril with the right index finger for this whole exercise.
2. Inhale in four strokes through the left nostril. Hold the breath in for a count of five.
3. Exhale in four strokes (through the left nostril only). Hold the breath out for the same count.
4. As you are able, expand the length of time that you hold the breath in and out.
5. Repeat this cycle for a minimum of three minutes.

Exercise 2: Create Your Manifestation Board

How do you manifest what you want in life? You can make a to-do list and work really really hard to accomplish it. You can spend lots of time and energy trying to figure out how to go from where you are to where you want to be, or you can trust your imagination and desire and choose to create a manifestation board. It is a powerful activity to help you express and clarify your desires and your intention.

As you begin, be as open and positive as possible. Approach it from a creative vantage point using your right brain, the associative and intuitive brain, to give birth to your intent.Take your time with this process. If you go too quickly, there is a tendency to be linear, and you may create unnecessary pressure, which will limit your possibilities. Allow yourself to be free and creative.

1. Get a poster-sized sheet of paper or poster board, scissors, and glue.
2. Gather a stack of magazines and calendars and/or pictures you’ve taken.
3. Select and cut out pictures you are attracted to that connect to your intent.
4. Glue these images to your paper or poster board in a way that pleases you. There is no logic to how you do this; no plan, no strategy.
5. Put this collage in a place where you will be reminded of your intent every day (on your desktop, the wall of your office, and so on).

Exercise 3: Motivation: Passion or Pressure?

You all know the importance of motivation when it is time to create changes in your life. But wait! What kind of motivation are you driven by, passion or pressure?

Passion motivation is generated by excitement and the enthusiasm to create what uplifts you. It comes from the inside and serves your soul. This motivation is particularly easy to express in positive thoughts pattern such as, “I really love running, and I want to do the next marathon.”

Pressure motivation focuses on fear and what you don’t want to create. It’s a motivation generated by adrenaline, and is dependent upon outside events. An example from the business world is, “if we don’t improve our sales, we’ll need to lay off employees.”

Let’s explore through this telling “Claim It!” how you have designed your life:

1. Write down 5 to 10 topics, each one representing a part of your life, an activity, or an ongoing desire.

2. Look at your list and consider your motivation behind each item. For every topic, assess the following on a scale from 1 to 10 (1= not at all, 10= completely)

• Is this Passion based?
• Is this Pressure based?

3. Revisit each item on your list that was primarily motivated by pressure. What can you learn about that pressure? Ask yourself:

• Why did I first get attracted to this?
• What parts of it do I feel passionate about?
• What can I change today that will positively affect my life?

Exercise 4: Who is on your team?

You all know the importance of motivation when it is time to create changes in your life. But wait! What kind of motivation are you driven by, passion or pressure?

Passion motivation is generated by excitement and the enthusiasm to create what uplifts you. It comes from the inside and serves your soul. This motivation is particularly easy to express in positive thoughts pattern such as, “I really love running, and I want to do the next marathon.” Pressure motivation focuses on fear and what you don’t want to create. It’s a motivation generated by adrenaline, and is dependent upon outside events. An example from the business world is, “if we don’t improve our sales, we’ll need to lay off employees.”

Let’s explore through this telling “Claim It!” how you have designed your life:

Wouldn’t it be nice if every desire you have could be manifested?

You may think that if you really want something and you plan ahead, set goals and work hard, it should be enough.  Yet often that does not work. Often your plan requires more than just “you” and your will.

There will be people along your path who will help you to manifest the life you want. Professional and personal acquaintances, family and friends can support you at the emotional, financial, strategic and spiritual levels. This team is priceless.  They are your external team.

You also have an internal team, which is actually more powerful than your external network. It can control your life and prevent you from creating what you desire. Or it can open up wonderful new opportunities and guide you with clarity and intuition. This team is made up of many elements including your beliefs, your assumptions, your life experiences and your fears. These elements are so alive that they seem to have personalities and express themselves through your inner conversations. They can even be given names for the roles they play. For example:

• Mr. No You Can’t focuses on the blocks, the problems, on why something can’t work.  He only sees the negative and the obstacles.
• Scaredy Cat wants a guarantee of the results before daring to begin and is very concerned with what will happen if “it” doesn’t work.
• Spacy Tracie is content to just dream, imagine, and never DO anything.
• Need-D never has enough time, money, help, or whatever is necessary to succeed, and always feels lacking.
• Sunshine Suzy believes that everything is possible and has complete trust that things will always work out.

Make a list of other members of your internal team. Consider them an inner board of directors. You can have an internal conversation with them, perhaps thanking them for the job they have done (sometimes too well) and asking for their assistance in making the changes necessary to help you move forward. Tell them what it is you truly desire and ask for their help. Agree to check in with them occasionally to see how everything is working and ask you how might make further alterations in their job descriptions.

The work you have done in this exercise is an important foundation for transformation and manifestation. Whereas your internal characters were previously operating from a solitary and somewhat hidden place often motivated by fear, you have now created a partnership that includes open communication. As your internal and external teams work together, you can experience more and more success as you manifest the life you truly desire.

About Our Guest (Dr. Carrol McLaughlin)

Dr. Carrol McLaughlin is an award-winning professor, heading one of the largest and most respected harp departments in the world. She is a renowned concert harpist who performs internationally as a soloist and with orchestras. Carrol has given workshops and lectures in more than 30 countries, teaching performers to overcome fear and achieve at their highest potential. An expert in Neuro Linguistic Programming, a Kundalini yoga teacher, an author, and a composer, Carrol is also a gifted healer. She has recently conducted a study at the University of Arizona Medical Center, researching the power of harp music to heal patients in the intensive care unit following heart surgery.