Ever wonder why some people can teach a subject really well, but may have never been an expert on what they are teaching?  The French teacher who is neither French nor ever been to Europe?   How about an eager friend who can’t get under a 5 handicap but gives the best advice on the golf course?  The marriage counselor who patches things up with everyone else but is divorced twice?

There have been many times when I seriously questioned my ability to coach and write about how to “positively manipulate” oneself.  I am so fallible in fact that I call myself “super human”, meaning that I act more human than anyone I know.   Mistaken, misdirected, and ill-advised by my own thought process, I frequently proceed through my day with just one mission:  To get through it without losing my mind! 

To allow some latitude, I eagerly place myself in many more situations than most.  Putting my “butt on the line” has become a way of life, and since one of my goals is to help others, the World offers ample opportunity to become involved.  Although I make errors, I have learned how to find answers, how to accept responsibility for my participation in the direction my life takes and how to redirect it before serious repercussions for myself and others ensue.  That is the Positive Manipulation™ process, and that is what I try to teach.  Being a constant user of the PM method makes me especially good at it.  Getting out of ‘trouble’ all the time makes me even better at explaining “how to” and how not to”. 

For the record, and perhaps for my own re-edification, the real definition of Positive Manipulation™ is:  The act of physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually converting negative energy into its most positive outcome.  Yes, I made up the formulation of words, but I did not make up the process.  It exists innately in all of us and when I learned how to tap into it, the writing began.  Being learning disabled and challenged since birth, both physically and emotionally, I thought there may be plenty more people out there who could benefit from the process, bringing us all more energy to do good, live better and love more.  This motive to share is altruistic, but conversely, underlying personal desires were ever present.   My leading goal was to be the happiest, healthiest, and best person and mom I could be.  That led me down some incredible paths of self-discovery, which turned to a desire to share by writing, and finally, to teach others how to facilitate the process themselves.   

We all know some famous gurus of self-help, i.e. Napoleon Hill, Dr. Phil, Gary Smalley, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Joel Osteen, and the list goes on.  When I read their work or hear them speak, I emanate with authority, shouting, “Yes! I knew that, and how eloquently they expressed it!”   I always glean information from the concepts they convey, but mostly, the inculcation of their messages helps to validate what truths I have already been drawing from.  Their versions are intricate, sophisticated and all knowing.   When I think of my writing, I analogize their college level adaptation with my kindergarten approach of explaining by example through my own “humaneness”.  ‘If that is the way I learned it, why not tell it like it is!’

For me though, the real question became obvious.  Does the messenger of knowledge need to “be” more than what he/she is teaching?  The chemistry teacher may or may not be a chemist.  The English Lit professor may or may not be a poet, the Priest is most definitely not God, but I can tell you without a doubt that I am a Positive Manipulator!

If we can all agree that a process of self improvement can be taught and people can be inspired to try it, then we would also have to believe there is a need for guidance and education.  Since no one can make you turn your mind around though, should the title be teacher or motivator?   I have come to the conclusion that neither one is totally appropriate.  Let me explain why.

The juncture whereby you need to decide to manipulate the negative will spontaneously arrive and then leave without a whimper.  As humans living in this incredibly complicated world, we tend to get taken away by the energy of the moment, believing that “what is” is what has to be, instead of believing it is really what we make of it.  This is where most people get caught, and where I too have fell “victim” to my own negative thought process.  Even though I am fully aware, intellectually, that I can manifest what I need and want at any given time, irrespective of what is happening in the outside world, I still “forget” my power to change.  Amongst the strongest personas, just one momentary lack of conviction is all it takes to begin a negative downhill course.  Truth is, we don’t have to acclimate to the energy we are feeling, and we can transform it, simply by altering our thought progression.

“Follow your dreams” is an overused, underrated suggestion.  However, it is the most omnipotent command you could ever make for yourself.  If you lay the groundwork correctly, you can bring into your life greatness, peace, wealth, love, happiness and whatever else your heart desires.   Then why do so many of us get stuck, including myself?  It is most likely a combination of negative influences.  Our world is becoming so hateful with terrorism, sexual brutality and violence, along with a constant barrage of vile music, TV and email to back it up.  The pace we have to keep and the money we have to make in order to just survive is, at best, overwhelming.  There are chemicals in almost everything we eat, drink, breathe, inhabit, dress with and slather on our bodies.  This makes it incredibly difficult for our minds to separate a physically induced depression, loss of clarity, or mood swing from what is a true reality.  And there is self-esteem issues regarding the ‘Conscientiousness of Deserving’.  With all that encompasses us, it is not easy to keep the belief that we deserve a better life.  Combine these harmful forces at any given time and you will understand how we need to persistently manipulate back to our innate positive power.

With all this to compensate for, there is a need for more than a teacher to educate and much more than a motivator to get you going.  After all, once the teacher completes the course, will you retain everything?  Once the motivator stops talking, who is left to keep you going?  The answers are obvious, aren’t they?  Instead of just teaching or nudging, I would like to believe in inspiration, meaning, I want to inspire others to be their own teachers and motivators. 

If you want to borrow from the Bible, then instead of feeding the hungry just one meal, teach them to fish so they can feed themselves every day.  I am self-taught and became self-motivated.  I want to help others become the same.  That means I need to be an inspiration to them and living proof that they can help themselves no matter what condition they are in.  That way, when I am not “in their face” they will be able to positively manipulate themselves out of any situation without hesitancy.

So what does it take to change your life today?  Here are ten very basic steps (excerpted and condensed from the book) for a very straightforward process.  While reading them, please remember that the difficult part of manifesting your goals is holding onto the vision and continually blocking out negative influences.  Bringing in what you want is the easy part! 

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