When Niurka was 19 she met Jim Rohn, one of the fathers of modern personal development, at a Christmas party.  He said, “Niurka, work on your self harder than you work on your job.  If you work on your job, you’ll make a living.  If you work on your self, you’ll build a fortune, and an incredible life.”

At 19, Niurka made a commitment to invest more in her personal development each month than she did in her entire car expenses – including gas and insurance.  At the time she had been used to driving beat-up old cars that got her from A to B; over the years her cars became much more luxurious – and she kept her promise to her self.  She claims that decision was one of the major catalysts that led her to create the abundant life of wisdom she now experiences.

The other greatest decision she made that supported her highest evolution was to consistently put herself in environments that demanded more of her than she even knew she had at the time.

This has been Niurka’s recipe for success.  When you place yourself in environments that challenge your capabilities, you must grow.  The conditions support your evolution.  Diamonds are formed under incredible amounts of pressure.  Pearls are formed when an oyster creates a protective lining to shield itself from the irritation of a single grain of sand.  It’s often the gritty, heavy aspects of life that create the most beautiful, shiny results.

Consistently put yourself in environments that demand more of you.

Your genius will emerge when the conditions are ripe.  Sometimes you may be lucky to be in the right place at the right time; often, it’s essential to create environments that nurture your gifts and evoke your talents.  Challenge yourself.  Get outside of your comfort zone and stretch your muscles.  Rather than resisting pressure, harness it, and allow it to be the catalyst that propels you into a new stratosphere of possibility for your life.

Have you ever had a moment when you’re talking to someone, and it seems like they’re not even listening?  It’s like the lights are on, but nobody’s home!  Where’d they go?  Have you ever had the opposite experience, where someone seemed so present and tuned into you that you absolutely felt that they were listening and engaged and looking you in the eyes?

Your manifesting power comes when all of your presence if focused here and now, targeted toward a specific objective, while being aware of your surroundings.  So if you ever have a moment where you seem to check out for a second, it just serves as a reminder to bring yourself back to now.  The moment you notice that your thoughts wandered, you’ve brought yourself back on track. Presence is an integral practice in Supreme Influence.

Focus on bringing your full consciousness to the present moment.  When you find yourself drifting for a moment, lost in thoughts of the past, or anticipating the future, congratulate yourself for that awareness.  As soon as you recognize that you checked out, you’re back.

Now, it’s still important and valuable to plan, and observe the past to learn from it.  But you can be fully present while planning.  And you can be fully present while observing the past.

Niurka teaches a process called “Hakalao,” which is from Hawaiian Shamanism, and used by CIA agents to be fully focused, centered and present while simultaneously expanding their consciousness beyond the immediate.  This allows you to concentrate on a task, while allowing yourself to stay open to new possibilities.

It works like this: focus on a non-moving point about six feet in front of you.  Harness all of your energy and attention and concentrate totally on that point.  Then, very slowly, expand your vision to encompass the space one foot out from the point on every side, while simultaneously focusing totally on the single point.  Slowly expand your vision, one foot at a time, while holding your attention on the point, until you become aware of the widest periphery of information.  It’s possible, with this perspective, to even see 360 degrees – you can develop full peripheral vision and rely on your subtler senses in addition to your eyesight.

This practice helps you develop laser-focus while being simultaneously aware of the periphery – meaning, you can concentrate on your goal, while being open to other possibilities, and detached from outcome.

One of the most powerful aspects communication is non-verbal.  It’s body language – how you move and what you say without speaking.  This is a subtler, but highly powerful form of communication – not only with others, but also with yourself.

How you move your body influences how you feel.  If you were to picture someone who was in a state of depression, you could probably describe his or her body language.  Where is the eye contact?  Direct or down?  How is the posture?  Upright or slouched?

In contrast, go ahead recall a specific time when you were totally confident and inspired.  How was your body language?  Where was your eye contact?  How was your posture?  How was your breathing?

Shifting your body language is one of the fastest ways to shift your state and convey a new message to yourself. For total congruency, it’s essential that your thoughts, words and body language communicate the same message. If you ever have a moment of feeling down, you can instantly snap out of it by moving your body – stand up tall, breathe deeply, look up, and your whole demeanor shifts.

You can heighten your awareness of  the following essential body language elements:

• Posture – are you standing straight and tall, or are you slouched? is your weight shifting, or predominantly on one side, or are you evenly balanced?
• Breathing – are you breathing from your chest or belly? is your breathing fast or slow? rhythmic or halting?
• Eye Contact/Movement – is your eye contact steady or darting? Are you looking up, or looking to the ground?
• Rate of Movement – are you moving fast or slow?
• Tonality of Voice – are you speaking in monotone or with lots of animation and fluctuation?
• Punctuation of Movement – are your movements fluid, jerky, light or solid?

Each of these elements will communicate a different piece of information, and will influence your state in a different way.  Play with each – notice the effect of each element on your mood and vibration.  Heightening your sensory awareness of body language allows you to consistently put yourself in empowering states.  This technique will also help you recognize the subtle fluctuations in other’s states so you can read their nonverbal communication.

Here’s a funny story that happened to me years ago when I was just starting my career as a speaker.

I showed up to an event to speak, and a man sitting way in the back of the room with his arms and legs crossed, slouched way down in his seat and a big, hairy scowl across his forehead snidely quipped, “Motivate me… Miss Motivation.”

Now here’s the thing… I could have walked into that training room with the Holy Grail. I could have come in with the answer to life itself, and what would have happened? That man wouldn’t have heard a word.

Motivation from the outside doesn’t last long, and it doesn’t really produce results. It’s like trying to get something or someone else to give you all the answers and do it all for you. But the real answers exist inside of you! You already have the answers for your life. My purpose is to be the guide and illuminate new possibilities, so you are inspired from the inside out to live your grandest life in alignment with your highest purpose.

Are there areas in your life where you feel like you have to motivate yourself? Not very fun or rewarding, is it?

What are the areas in your life where you feel inspired, on fire, on a roll, excited, blessed, and overjoyed? Now, that’s living!

So, how do you take those areas of your life that in the past have felt like a pain and make the switch from motivation to inspiration?

I’ll give you a hint: it’s where you’re directing your energy.

Wayne Dyer once said, “You can never get enough of what you don’t want!” If you’re motivation is to “not be fat” or “not be broke” or “not be alone”… guess what? That’s exactly what you’re going to get!

But… if you are inspired to be lean, fit and healthy… or wealthy, financially secure and prosperous… or in the relationship of your dreams… guess what? You’re infinitely more likely to create that.

I highly encourage you to attune yourself to the energy of your language. Any time you use words like, “have to, must, or should” it’s likely that you’re trying to motivate yourself to do something you don’t want to do. Any time you use words like, “get to, can, will, or excited to” you’re well on your way.

So this week, anytime you notice yourself using words like, “have to, must or should,” catch yourself! How would you feel if you transformed it to, “get to, can, will or excited to”? Would the situation look different?

Really try it on. It’s not just about changing the word – it’s about discovering an authentic source of inspiration, and speaking from that place.  If something feels like a “have to,” you can engage in an elevated inquiry yourself, and ask, “How can I perceive this situation right now so that I’ll be authentically inspired and thrilled?  What is the gift that is seeking to emerge right now?  What can I learn here that will elevate my entire perspective?”

When you’re inspired, you don’t have to try.  The answers flow to you and opportunities appear because you’re ready and receptive.

How do you make the best decisions when it seems like you’re torn in two?  Have you ever had a seeming dichotomy, where a part of you wants one thing, and a part of you wants something else, or tells you “no”?

Congruency is essential in making wise decisions. It doesn’t matter what you choose – as long as you decide with your totality. Because when you’re torn in two, you lose power.  When the whole of your being is lined up and moving purposefully in one direction – you have power.

Why is it that someone might want something, and a part of them tells them “no”?

Consciously they may have a desire, pulling them in the direction of greater expansion and evolution; subconsciously they may have an old, outdated “program” or “limiting belief,” from a childhood imprint that has kept them stuck.

How do you rise above sabotaging tendencies so your thoughts, words and actions are aligned?

Your subconscious mind had your best interests at heart. When you can connect to the positive intention, beyond the behavior, you’ll discover a way to integrate both (seemingly conflicting) desires. When you expand your awareness of possibility, there are infinite solutions that may present themselves.

I have multiple ways you can expand your awareness of possibility and integrate what appear as different aspects of your desires, so you come into a greater sense of wholeness and congruency. I teach several of these techniques at SIIA. One is a life-changing process called “parts integration”. At SIIA, I teach you how to do this process with others, and I guide you through it in your own life.

It’s rather detailed, so here, I’ll give you a simpler (and super fun!) way to expand your awareness. If you sit with this process and give it some energy, you will completely blow the boundaries out of any seeming “problem” and you’ll never be able to experience that issue in the same way again. You’ll transform “problems” into opportunities and discover a new way of thinking with greater clarity than ever before.

Even though this is a simple exercise, it really stretches your brain. I encourage you to give it your full energy and you may want to sit with it for a while. Find a time when you can really go deep, because if you’re committed to this simple process, you WILL have a breakthrough in this area. So… only do this process if ready for a breakthrough!

Ready?

Ok… first, choose something in your life that has showed up as a “problem” for you. Something that you just can’t seem to find your way around.

It may be something that has been a recurring source of frustration for you, or a habit or pattern. Or it might be something that has come up suddenly. It might be something that you want to make a decision about and aren’t sure what to choose. It can be something small, or it can be a major life decision. Here are a few examples of “problems” that other people have explored with this exercise: I want to change my career and but I’m afraid if I do I won’t have stability. I want to end this relationship but I don’t want to be alone. I want to consistently exercise and eat healthy, but I don’t want to give up my lifestyle. I want to come to SIIA but I don’t know if I can afford it.

So take a moment and identify a situation in your life that has been a conflict for you up until now.

Got it? Good. Ok, now we’re going to ask a series of four questions, and here’s your job: Take out a sheet of paper, and for each question, make a list of every conceivable answer you can possibly think of. Get creative, get crazy, and have fun. Even if you think you’ve exhausted every single possibility, keep going. Search for at least two answers, even after you think you’re done. I guarantee, if you dive deeply enough into this process, you will have a MASSIVE breakthrough. I’ve seen it again and again and again.

Here are the questions:

What would happen if you did?

What would happen if you didn’t?

What wouldn’t happen if you did?

What wouldn’t happen if you didn’t?

Here’s a quick example from one of my students to get you started:

This woman had experienced the challenge of wanting to pursue her career, but she was afraid that doing so would take her away from her responsibility (and joy!) of being a great mother. She didn’t see how she could have both. So I asked her the series of four questions: what would happen if you did pursue your career? What would happen if you didn’t pursue your career? What would happen if you didn’t pursue your career? What wouldn’t happen if you didn’t pursue your career?

In the examples I mentioned above, those people may have asked: What would happen if I did… change my career? End my relationship? Consistently exercise and eat healthy? Come to SIIA?

Whatever challenge or problem you chose, ask yourself those four questions – and remember to go deep! You’ll get the massive breakthrough by really stretching and finding every single answer you can possibly conceive of. Even if it sounds ridiculous, write it down! The deeper you go, the more powerful your breakthrough.

So… go ahead! Give it a go!

What would happen if you did?

What would happen if you didn’t?

What wouldn’t happen if you did?

What wouldn’t happen if you didn’t?

Did that stretch your brain? I call it “brain floss”! Your brain actually has to search outside it’s usual pattern of thinking to find the answers, and in the process, you’ll discover incredible answers that likely never occurred to you before.  Anytime your brain feels stuck, use this pattern of four questions. It will work miracles in your life! You will realize greater levels of freedom and choice and a deeper sense of peace in your decision-making.

And remember…

One person’s evolution can elevate the consciousness of the planet – YOU are the one!

Peace & Blessings,

Niurka

Einstein said, “A problem cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created it.”  To transcend a seeming “problem,” or to tap into genius ideas, it’s wise to jump outside the normal parameters of thinking and explore new perspectives.

When Walt Disney would envision his thought experiments, he used three distinct perspective so he could contemplate a challenge from multiple angles.  His first perspective was “dreamer.”  He could look out the window into the sky and visualize his creations.  He allowed himself full creative freedom to explore any idea and follow any tangent.  Then, when he discovered something brilliant, he could sit at his desk and take the perspective of “realist” and scheme his dream – he could look at the logistics and engineer how he could actually create it.  Once he knew what he wanted to create, and what might be possible, he took the perspective of “critic,” and analyzed his concept for any potential challenges.  With these multiple perspectives he was able to dream genius ideas and bring them to fruition.

You can use multiple perspectives to look at any situation and gain insights and epiphanies.  If you ever have a moment of feeling “stuck,” you can shift your vantage point to gain new resources.  This is a genius practice for communicating with others and solving problems.

Here are three common perceptual positions we bounce between:

• First position: Associated –  In first position, you see through your own eyes.  Anytime you are deeply emotionally involved, you are fully associated, which means you see the situation through your own eyes, hear with your own ears, and feel your own feelings.  It’s useful to look through first position when you want to understand your own perspective and how a situation influences you.

• Second position: Dissociated – In second position, you see through someone else’s eyes.  This perceptual position is “dissociated,” which means that you are removed from your own experience – there is more detachment from this perspective.  In second position, you see what someone else sees, you hear what they hear and feel what they feel.  It’s like stepping into their shoes and experiencing the situation from their perspective.  This is a valuable perspective to take when you want to understand someone else’s experience.  You can also take this perspective when you want to model someone else’s behavior and learn how they do things.  When you can experience the world through someone else’s perspective, you can build rapport more easily.

• Third position: Dissociated – In third position, it’s as though you are an objective observer.  You witness the situation through the perspective of a fly on the wall.  You can also imagine it as though you were watching it play out on a movie screen.  This is a useful perspective anytime you would like to see the bigger picture.  This is also a dissociated position, meaning you’re not emotionally involved at all; you can analyze the scenario logically.  If you ever experience charged emotion, this is a valuable perspective to take so you can become neutral.  From this perspective, you can also see yourself as others see you.

Shifting perceptual positions provides a new perception of the same experience. You can consciously change your perception by taking another vantage point.

Have you got a dream list?  Is it filled with big, radical things you’d love to accomplish one day?

How rewarding would it be to stop saying, “I’d like to…”  or “it would be nice if…” or “One day when…”

And instead you can say, “It is done.  It is accomplished.”

And I don’t mean manifesting from the realms of ego.  It’s not about getting stuff or having things or proving anything or achieving for the achievement’s sake.

It’s about creating a life and manifesting results that are direct extensions of your spirit – of who you are and the unique gifts you have to offer the world.

It’s about living with prosperity consciousness.

Here are 3 things that will support you in moving from “I’d like to…” to “It is done.”

Certainty – Remember a specific time when you felt totally resolved, certain and in a state of total knowingness, that no matter what, you would find a way.  Let that feeling of certainty flow through your whole body, and fill every cell in your being with certainty.

Intensity - When you become laser-focused on your vision, you magnify your materializing power.  Turn up the heat, get inspired, and make your vision juicy!

Detachment – Once you’re clear on your intention, let it go!  Release it in full faith, knowing it is done.

Sometimes when someone has been practicing self-development and spiritual principles for a long time, it can come as a shock when great challenges arise.  You are not alone in this experience!

It’s taken your whole life up until now to get to where you are now – you’ve learned habits and established beliefs, some of which serve you and some which you’re now ready to move beyond.  And because you have been experiencing great challenge, take it as a signal that you are working through some “stuff” that has likely been with you a very long time, up until now.  This means that you’re on the right path and the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight!

It’s like cleaning out a closet or a garage that hasn’t been touched in months or years – the stuff has piled up, and it’s time to give it a good scrub.  What happens?  You might fling everything into messy heap in the center of the room as you’re organizing, and often it appears to get worse before it gets better.  And soon, as you work to put everything in its right place, keeping what is of value and discarding what you no longer have use for – you begin to create order from chaos.

When you make a commitment to your personal evolution, and as you clean out your inner space, it’s common to have “stuff” come up and appear to create chaos.  The key is to recognize that this, too, is part of the transformational process.  Rather than reacting – by running away from the “stuff”, trying to suppress it, sedate it, or hide it – acknowledge it.  You have the power to transform it.

In the past you may have reacting instinctively as this “stuff” came up – with anger, fear, sadness, guilt, etc.  Now when the challenge arises, you can recognize the familiar old pattern; you have choice in how to respond.  Even if you choose to react in the old way – the awareness is a crucial step to releasing and transforming the old pattern.

Sometimes when life presents challenges despite your best conscious efforts to the contrary, it might mean that your Highest Self has a grander plan.  Though you couldn’t possibly conceive of consciously choosing to attract certain situations, these challenges create opportunities that can actually serve as initiations into a higher level of awareness, a deeper experience of truth, a more authentic relationship with the world around you.

Search for the gift in this experience.  What else could this mean?  What’s the treasure?  What positive life lesson are you gaining from this experience?  What empowering attribute is being called forth from you now?

Have you ever had a time in the past when something happened that at the time appeared to be the worst thing in the world?  And looking back now, you say, “I would never be who I am today, and I would never be where I am today, were it not for that one thing.”

Breakthroughs are often preceded by “breakdowns.”  So don’t be hard on yourself.  Continue practicing the disciplines and rituals that sustain you – mantra, meditation, empowering questions, affirmations, exercise, self-appreciation – whatever works for you.  And if you have a momentary lapse, just pick yourself right back up and start again.

There are two primary approaches to creating successful and powerful results: one is to commit with total conviction to your goal, and the other is to surrender completely.

Often, we grow up with the belief that to be successful we must create a clear goal, commit to it, and take massive action toward it.  This is an active, masculine approach to getting results.  It works a lot of the time.  But if we commit to this approach and find ourselves thwarted, it may mean that a better option awaits us.

Sometimes, the Universe has something bigger and better for us – grander than we could even imagine with our present awareness.  In these moments, the most powerful choice is just… to surrender completely.

The Universe fills a receptive vessel.  Just look at nature for evidence of this everywhere.  This is the feminine principle – it’s open, expansive, and allowing of the Universal flow.

As you surrender and open yourself up, the Universe will bring you the people, places and things that will support you.  Maintain a sincere and open heart.  The opportunities will present themselves.

Love yourself through this transitional time.  You’ll look back in awe at the quantum leaps in development you’ve made.

Remember…

One person’s awakening elevates the consciousness of the planet – You are the one!

Namaste.