By Patrick Bridgeman
Jack Canfield, known to many as the co-author of Chicken Soup For The Soul, is one of the most successful people in the world. Not surprising really when you consider the wealth of knowledge he’s collected over the course of his life. Knowledge that he happily shares with those who read his books or attend his seminars. However, as Jack himself says, knowledge is not enough, it needs to be put into action.
To illustrate this point, I’ll do what Jack often does and tell you a short story…This story is about two men who created a book they believed could make a positive difference in people’s lives. They took their book to 144 different publishers over the course of 18 months, all of whom rejected it without even turning a page. Then came the American Bookseller Association’s Convention. Consisting of 4,000 stalls in total, these two men went from booth to booth over the 3 days of the convention. Nobody showed any interest until finally, late on the 3rd day, a small publisher from Florida agreed simply to read the book. A week later, he called the men, saying that he liked it and would agree to print their book for them.
The two men in this true story are Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and the book they believed in so much was Chicken Soup For The Soul. It was their 1st in a series of books now spanning 175 titles, in 47 languages, with over 120 million copies sold worldwide, making Mr. Canfield a multi-millionaire in the process. So, what’s the moral of this story? Well, in Jack’s own words of positive thinking, “Whatever your dream is, don’t give up on it, although you may need to alter it slightly along the way.”
I recently had the pleasure of attending one of Jack’s seminars here in Dublin, based around the teachings in his new book, The Success Principles: How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be. A 400 strong crowd turned up to this day long event hosted by Horizon Speakers. At a cost of €400 per ticket, we came with the promise of doubling our results (including our income), doubling our amount of free time, and having more balance and fun at work and at home. A tall order by anybody’s standards, but Jack is a man who practices the positive thinking that he preaches, who enlightens as he teaches, and who makes it very clear that the principles will only work if we work the principles.
Widely regarded as the best of the best in the Personal Development industry, and having spent decades fine-tuning his own unique style of teaching, he effortlessly inspires, entertains and impresses us, with motivating stories, inspirational quotes, hilarious slideshows and his own willingness to work. Here’s a man who puts the Law of Attraction into action, and it shows.
One philosophy he shares with us states that, “Life is like a combination lock. If you know the combination to the lock, it doesn’t matter who you are, the lock has to open.” Likewise, if you only know a few of the numbers of the combination, no matter how well you know them, the lock won’t open until you know them all. This is where The Success Principles come in. They are the combination to the lock, and Mr. C. guarantees that if you learn them and practice them everyday, you can easily achieve your heart’s desire.
Which brings me onto one of the most fascinating demonstrations of the day. A kineseology experiment using a volunteer from the audience to show how Positive Thinking really does strengthen your physical body, and how Negative Thinking really does weaken it.
The intentions of other’s thoughts towards you also have an enhancing or detrimental effect on your physiology, as does your heart’s desire. A goal, which is good for others as well as yourself, will benefit you more than a desire just to help yourself. It’s a lesson not just in how to be happy, but how to make others happy.
So, modern science is finally proving what the ancient teachings say is true, and Jack Canfield is here to spread the good news. His aim is to encourage us to develop a clarity of vision, to take 100% responsibility for our lives and to develop powerful daily success habits that will keep us on the path of personal development, ensuring physical, financial, romantic and spiritual fulfillment. What’s the catch? You’ve got to do the work. As Jack leaves us with one of his inspirational quotes, “You can’t hire other people to do your push-ups for you.”
For more about Jack Canfield, go to www.JackCanfield.com or for more info on upcoming events organised by Horizon Speakers, go to www.horizonspeakers.com
