Tony Robbins has a seminar called Unleash the Power Within (UPW) where, on the first evening, people do a firewalk as a symbol of turning fear into power. At a recent UPW in Dallas there were two people that had very different firewalk experiences one that saw everyone walk over hot coals and one that said most of the people they talked to did not attempt it. I submit they are both correct.
How is this possible? I remember seeing a film quite a few years back called “The Secret.” As described in the film, the “Law of Attraction” principle posits that feelings and thoughts can attract events, feelings, and experiences, from the workings of the cosmos to interactions among individuals in their physical, emotional, and professional affairs. It may sound like a lot of mumbo jumbo, however, bear with it for a moment. Deepak Chopra’s Seven Principles of SynchroDestiny is not that far off from the subject covered in the film and if you refuse to go down those roads the science behind the matter is our brains are expert filter machines. There is simply too much going around us, and within us, to take in. To say it another way — you get what you focus on. Look around wherever you are at the moment. Find everything you can see that has the color brown on it and make a mental list. Now close your eyes and try to remember everything around you that was red.
So, how can both observers be correct? If you focus on the firewalk experience as being important and transformational you might not be able to find anyone in the room who is not doing it. If, however, you focus on the opposite of this, for whatever your reasons are, then all you will see are the “hoards” of people not going through with the experience. The scientist in you might want to have a look at the numbers but also remember that statistics can be used to prove anything. (It may not be on topic but click here for a fun look at correlations)
The strange thing I have found in life is that ripple effects of your focus seem to stretch far beyond what can be logically seen. I have not been to a live Robbins event in many years, however, my last Tony story is actually quite recent. I received an email with a link to a video (3 Ways to Strengthen Your Body and Get Energy) of Tony mentioning a few key tips for better health. (It was marked not to be shared so I am assuming you are not going to find it on YouTube or elsewhere) One of the tips referenced MCT oil and a recommended brand by the name of “Bulletproof.” He said he had no financial connection to the business and just wanted to share the brand recommendation. It seemed like a simple thing to test out in my own life so I ordered it…but the story does not end there…
The Bulletproof website seemed interesting so I clicked on the Facebook “like” button and started seeing updates, not about products, but more the thoughts of Dave Asprey, the “Bulletproof Executive,” the person behind the brand…but the story does not end there…
Less than six months after seeing that video from Tony, I found myself sitting down at a dinner next to Dave Asprey. (By “found myself sitting down” I mean I was with a group of about 50 people getting together for an XPRIZE event and I had no idea who would be on this trip until after signing up for it) So, we spent that entire dinner time talking about bio hacking, his business, and more…but the story does not end there…
A month later someone wanted me to download a copy of a free for limited time “Sugar Impact Diet — 2-Week Cookbook” while they were deeply immersed in UPW. (They received the suggestion from their doctor while at the event and simply had no time to do it themselves) My response? Already did it the day before per a suggestion from Dave Asprey…but the story does not end there…
Where the story goes from here will need to be written in the months to come because it has not happened yet — or I am otherwise not able to publish it yet. The emphasis on the above is not only were the events not planned but, by definition, could not be planned because I had no clue as to who the people or the products were before they came into my life. The law of attraction? SynchroDestiny? Coincidence? Luck? Call it whatever you wish while I enjoy the journey.
A final thought…
Unlike the example using colors above, real mastery of focus comes from training the subconscious and not the conscious mind. Think the “wax on, wax off” from the Karate Kid. It is the not the ability to think of the solution to a problem but rather to take the steps towards a solution without thinking. Mastery makes things look easy and almost mystical. While it is easy for all to desire the end result few will put in the work to get there.
(Originally posted on Medium)