Anthony Robbins

I started listening to Anthony Robbins personal power series after much pressure from my husband. He got the tapes for free at work and found himself inspired.

I am usually skeptical about these types of things. I tend to think these self-help people are just out to make a dollar off you.

So it took Donald Trump to convince me. In Trump's book "How To Get Rich" which I am currently reading as well, he endorses Anthony Robbins. I thought I would finally give it a chance.

My husband said he couldn't believe after all his bugging me, that's what it took to convince me. What can I say-I am stubborn!

I reminded myself that I am trying to change old thinking and learn new things so I can't be close-minded. I've decided to give his tapes a try and actually commit to applying them so I will let you know how it works. So far it has made me realize this-

1. Somewhere along the line I lost my excitement for life. I realized in was right after college. I felt so inspired up until that point, so full of hope.

And then I had bad experiences in my jobs after college and I lost that feeling. I thought, is this how it is? All that work for this?

And then somewhere along the line I accepted it, and told myself that yes, this is how it is. I want to get that excitement back. I want to get out of bed each day excited for the day ahead. I haven't felt that way in a very very long time.

My brain is so clouded with negative thinking and it has turned me into a robot of sorts. Anthony Robbins says that you have to condition your brain just like any other muscle in your body.

It's like when you start working out and soon it becomes a habit and you form a sort of addiction to it, and when you go a few days without it you feel like you need it. I know that I have definitely applied this in my life-I go to the YMCA 6 days out of the week. I hate going more than two days without working out! I have conditioned my body but not my mind.

I have to make positive thinking a habit. So for the past two days I have taken his advice and I have been doing what he call "power hour" where you wake up and go for a walk right away, focusing on a certain breathing pattern, and then giving gratitude for all the things you have, and then last, giving gratitude for the things you want in your life but don't have quite yet, although at this part you give gratitude for these things like you already have them. I have to say that since I have started my day this way, I do feel so much more energized and positive!

I haven't been grateful for really anything in my life for a very long time.

2. I also learned last night while listening to the second tape that the controlling force in all human behavior is the need to avoid pain and the desire to gain pleasure.

The need to avoid pain is a greater motivator then the other.

Everything we do in life centers around this. This made so much sense to!

A few examples in my own life popped out right away like quitting smoking and getting in shape. I put off these two things for so long. I would quit smoking then go back. It was so much more pleasurable to light up.

Withdrawal from smoking I assure you is painful! I was definitely avoiding that in my delay of quitting.

It is so much easier to eat foods we know aren't good for us. How many times have we said to ourselves I will start my diet tomorrow! That piece of cake tastes so good-it is fulfilling our pleasure!

Going to the gym initially and getting in shape is painful-it is a lot of work-much more work then staying committed to a healthy life!

It seems like such a simple concept but when we are unaware of it we have no idea how much control it has over us. Now that I am aware my goal is to use pain and pleasure instead of it using me.

I find the information I have learned so far in Anthony's tapes to be incredibly interesting and useful if you actually commit to applying it which I plan to.

I do believe that he genuinely cares for people and can help change your life for the better.