Michael Benner's Blog, page 23

Hello AWMS subscriber :

The poster below suggests a way to put your self-quarantine experience to good use. These are difficult and stressful times, and our political leaders are obviously incapable of providing any reassurance.

So basically, we're on our own. I'll address this further in upcoming newsletters and podcasts. Stay with us. We'll get through this together. Thanks.

Peace, love, and blessings,

— Michael

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on March 20, 2020 04:52

Antidote to Pandemic Panic

Facing Fear of the Unknown

"We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them."

— Livy (59 BC - 17 AD)

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Understandably, I've been receiving requests for interviews from radio and podcasts hosts seeking information — not about the coronavirus itself, but about monitoring and managing the worry, stress, anxiety, and fear that results.

This week we're podcasting an interview I did with a friend from my years at KPFK-FM radio, Christine Blosdale. Her program, "Out of the Box" is available as a video on YouTube as well as an audio podcast.

Christine's well-rounded understanding of both mental and physical health gives her deep insights and some great questions that allowed us to wade into the whole topic of fear, its relationship to things unknown, and the importance of developing self-awareness as an antidote.

This is a program you'll want to listen to carefully and share with your friends. Also, keep in mind how important it is to leave online reviews whenever possible. They only take a couple of minutes, but make a huge difference to others looking from quality self-help content and programming. __________________________

The e-book version of Fearless Intelligence has been discounted to just $6.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Kobo, and others. And the paperback version is available wherever books are sold. Use the blue buttons on the right to drop book reviews which support our efforts to raise global awareness. Thank you.

Peaceful dreams,

— Michael

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818-900-2967 during business hours

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on March 15, 2020 18:08

My Career Path from Radio to Book Author

The Story Behind the Book

"If you only read the books everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking."

– Haruki Murakami

Hello AWMS subscriber :

I don't talk about myself much during my podcasts. It's not that I'm modest. It just doesn't occur to me.

But when the host of The Tony Durso Show asked to interview me about my career path, I became excited at the prospect. It was a story I'd never really told.

It was my search for truth that caused me to study journalism in college. However, I soon realized the truth I was looking for was bigger — the truth and wisdom philosophers and scientists seek.

So mid-career, around the age of 40, I elevated my interest in expanded awareness, meditation, and hypnotherapy to a new career and made broadcast journalism my side hustle. I was retired and in the mid-60's when I decided to write my first book, "Fearless Intelligence."

Besides streaming on his podcast, The Tony Durso Show, we've also posted his interview in our podcast stream at The Ageless Wisdom.

Subscribe wherever you normally get your podcasts, and do us a solid by dropping a brief review. It won't take more than a couple of minutes, but it will help countless others find the personal and spiritual development podcasts they're looking for.

Thanks.

___________________

Also, click the large yellow button at this top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule a free, personal intro session by phone or Skype. Talk to you soon.

Peaceful dreams,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

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Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on March 07, 2020 04:54

The Life and Death of Baba Ram Dass

The Psychedelic Guru

"As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be, you can't see how it is."

— Ram Dass

Hello AWMS subscriber :

In 1963, psychologists, Dr. Richard Alpert and Dr. Timothy Leary were fired by Harvard University for their ground-breaking research on the impact of psilocybin and LSD on human consciousness. But while Leary continued his studies of the psychedelic experience, Dr. Alpert traveled to India and returned as a guru named Baba Ram Dass.

That was 52-years ago, and just before this past Christmas, 2019, Ram Dass died at his home on Maui's north shore at the age of 88.

Few spiritual teachers had as great an impact on Western civilization as Ram Dass. His seminal book, "Be Here Now" (1971), directly addressed the longing of the hippie counterculture for an enlightening alternative to psychedelics.

Drawing from Buddhism, Hinduism, Vedantism, yoga, Sufism, and Judeo-Christianity, Ram Dass devoted his life to service, teaching the key principles of Love as Awareness in a non-dual universe.

Our most recent audio podcast from The Ageless Wisdom Mystery School is a tribute to the life of Ram Dass. Subscribe wherever you normally get your podcasts.

Use the large yellow button above to access my online calendar and schedule a free intro session to my private training and coaching work.

And for more information about our services, visit my primary website, MichaelBenner.com.

Be gentle, Love Life, and take care of each other,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

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Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on January 21, 2020 01:27

Letting Go of Resistance

Let it Be, Let it Be

"W hat you resist not only persists, but will grow in size. ."

— Carl G. Jung

Hello AWMS subscriber :

The beginning of a New Year brings us thoughts of goals and solutions, which often include images of a need to vanquish current conditions. We speak of conquering our fear, overcoming our problems, and defeating bad habits.

Yet when we fight against a problem, it tends to fight back. The first rule of mind is, "We reap what we sow" — also known as karma. In other words, we create whatever we put our attention on, good or bad, happy or sad.

Every attempt to destroy what we do not want results in the problem becoming more deeply-rooted, scattering even more seeds of what we do not want.

The opposite of resistance is resolution — a 180-degree turn to face our goals, dreams, and aspirations. Our problems, our fears, and our past can be released rather than conquered. Just put it all down.

This is also the problem with vengeance and grudges. When we refuse to forgive and carry our heartache forward, we only hurt ourselves. Buddha said it's like trying to hurt someone by throwing a burning coal at them. You're the only one who gets burned.

In a more subtle way, how much of our emotional hurt is truly current? When someone or some event or circumstance upsets you, is it possible that most of the heartache and irritation you feel is old — echoes of past emotional trauma?

Sometimes we can just stop resisting, put it all down, and let it be. Occasionally, it's more difficult to walk away because our emotional pain is symptomatic of something we need to understand about our Self.

In any event, we wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to hearing from you in 2020. To schedule a free introductory private telephone session, click on the yellow button at the top of the page and use our online calendar.

Peace, love and blessings,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

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Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on January 02, 2020 11:39

Take a look at yourself

Knowing What's True for You

"You know the truth by the way it feels."

— Anonymous

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Imagine how you'd feel if a good friend suddenly said, "You should take a look at yourself."

Wow! Most of us would feel insulted, while our minds burn with defensive thoughts.

But if we could set aside our reflexive insecurity, it can be easily seen as — a great idea!

When I think of the phrase, "Take a look at yourself," I hear an echo that says, "If you don't, who will." Oh, others will judge us and decide what they wish. But only the Self has the ability to truly understand itself.

There is miracle and majesty in exploring and discovering our uniqueness. In the unawareness beyond knowing, we can find personal values, ethics, meaning and purpose.

One of the Grand Paradoxes of the Universe, is that we are unique yet connected — diversity merging with unity, an enigma the ancients called, "The One and the many."

Taking a look at yourself has four basic parts, though each one engages the others — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The physical self includes health and behavior. The mental is developed through education and experience. And at the center of the mind-body connection is our emotional nature, which leads to our spiritual life.

We must schedule brief periods to turn away from the objective world and shift our attention within. We must also build self-trust around our intuition and conscience.

The term "Insight meditation" refers to any mindfulness exercise that is passive, receptive, non-judgmental, and contemplative. I'm currently booking private phone session for the new year. Learn Insight Meditation and Contemplation in private and confidential phone sessions — or Skype, if you prefer. Click on the big yellow button at the top of this page and use my online calendar to schedule a day and time to receive a free introduction.

Doreen and I wish you the Merriest of Christmas Greetings. Happy Hanukkah, Solstice, and New Year.

Peaceful dreams,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

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Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on December 14, 2019 05:17

The Language of Emotional Feelings

Developing & Trusting Your Intuition

"Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect in my opinion." — Steve Jobs

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Emotional feelings are autonomic responses, much like physical sensations. They do not arise as responses to reasoning, and do not, therefore, reveal their significance to logic.

Intuition is the language of emotions, and intuition is very different than instinct. To understand our anger, hatred, envy, sadness, and fear, you must learn to develop and trust your intuition.

We've just posted the third of a three-part podcast series on emotional intelligence which describes the differences between intuition and instinct. It also includes tools for learning to understand why we feel the way we do — understanding that causes our heartache and emotional pain to simply fade away.

Visit our audio podcast page at: www.TheAgelessWisdom.com or use any of the links below to listen. Like our book, "Fearless Intelligence," reviews are very helpful to those looking for help with personal development. Your willingness to help them is most appreciated.

We don't need high praise, just three of four sentences explaining what you like about the podcast and book. Thanks a million.

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and we wish you the happiest of holidays. In many ways, the world is a mess, yet we have much for which to be thankful. Practice loving-kindness with everyone you meet, regardless of whether you think they deserve it. Do it .'cause you deserve it!

Peaceful dreams,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on November 12, 2019 02:12

Peak Performance, Success, and Fulfillment

Fulfillment Beyond Success

"Everyone has their own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment." — Viktor E. Frankl

Hello AWMS subscriber :

There's a reason successful people are often unhappy and frustrated. They may be prosperous and successful, but typically, they're unfulfilled. Something is missing from their lives.

So, what does it mean to become not only successful, but fulfilled? It means to become aware of your meaning and purpose. Accomplishment and success are not what they appear to be without meaning and fulfillment.

Meaning and Fulfillment

What does it matter to have all the appearances of success — a big house, nice car, money to travel, and such — if you life is devoid of meaning and fulfillment?

To help you discover and develop meaning in your life, I've chosen to offer a premium training and accountability service called, "The Big Picture Fulfillment Training." To ensure accountability, this personal and private program is offered only by subscription in three-month periods.

That's 13-weekly, private phone sessions with me to train, coach, and provide accountability for your progress in creating peak performance, success, and fulfillment.

Save 75%

Following the initial free intro session, you can choose whether to enroll in the 13-weekly sessions of The Big Picture Fulfillment Training for only $585 — that's just $45 per 30-minute session...a 75% discount off my usual fee of $185/hour.

As you can imagine, I can only make this offer available to a limited number of people — women and men who are devoted to creating fulfillment beyond success in their lives and to benefit themselves by serving others. So act quickly!

Click on the big yellow button at the top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule your initial free phone session. You'll receive a confirmation email and a reminder the day before our meeting.

Again, this is a 75% discount on my proven Personal Development Training offered since 1987 to hundreds of people like you — those who aspire to make a positive difference in the world in your own unique way. Talk to you soon,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on October 15, 2019 15:33

Emotional Intelligence Part 2

The Curious Relationship of Thoughts and Feelings

" No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."

— Theodore Roosevelt

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Mental thinking and emotional feelings are entangled like flavor and aroma. They're very different senses, yet interdependent.

We send our thinking mind to school, but completely ignore the study of emotional intelligence. Yet our ability to understand ourselves and empathize with others is much more emotional than mental.

The audio podcast we're releasing today is Part #2 of a trilogy called "Your Emotional Center." Available wherever you get your podcasts (see links below), this episode reviews the primary distinctions between thoughts and feelings — difference you've probably never considered.

Moving into October, I find myself considered whether to print a limited edition of hardbound copies of "Fearless Intelligence" for the holiday season. I'm not ready to accept orders yet. But if I decided to do it, they'll be premium hardbound books, which I'll sign and personalize as gifts. Let me know whether you think that's a good idea with a quick email to me at: MB@TheAgelessWisdom.com.

Our Amazon book reviews currently stand at 52, which is just barely beginning to have a positive effect on keyword searches. 93% of Amazon customers say they read those reviews before deciding whether to buy a book.

So if you haven't yet done so, please click on the blue button to the right and leave a brief, honest and sincere review so prospective readers will know what they can look forward to when they buy "Fearless Intelligence."

We sincerely appreciate those reviews. Also, reviews on Goodreads, Google, Barnes & Noble and BookBub are helpful, too. Thank you so very much.

Peace and Love,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on September 29, 2019 05:26

Want Influence, Give Influence

Giving to Give Instead of Get

Quotation

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." — Napoleon Hill

Hello AWMS subscriber :

The old adage about reaping what we sow, also known as karma, implies that our first action is to plant some seeds. Yet repeatedly I see people in business and elsewhere asking others for something of value without offering much in return.

To an influencer, the question, "Can I buy you a coffee" means "If I spend $5.00 on you, will you give me your time and expertise?"

If you'd like to build a relationship with an influential person, offer to connect them to another influencer. Be a networker rather than someone seeking rank or prestige.

Ask, "Can I interview you for my podcast or blog?" Or, "I know someone who could help you promote your product or service. Can I put them in touch with you?"

Relationship management demands empathy. And empathy requires us to understand our self — not only who are we, but why we think, feel, and act the way we do.

To acquire high levels of self-awareness, we must be honest with ourselves and others. Personal integrity comes from vulnerability and a preference for understanding that surpasses our need to be right.

As much as others may benefit from our truthfulness, it's the individual who is willing to be honest and forthright who benefits the most — directly as well as from his or her influence and persuasion of others.

___________________________________

I've met some remarkable people lately who've scheduled free intro phone sessions with me. Most are experiencing stress and anxiety — some of it personal, but much of it from current events.

Finding peace, kindness, and wisdom have never been more imperative. Click or tap the yellow button at the top of this newsletter page to access my online calendar and schedule a free phone session at a time that works for you. Thanks.

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

Subscribe to free podcasts in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or Spotify.