10 Things About Steve Pavlina's "Personal Development For Smart People"

If you haven't heard of Steve Pavlina, know that he is an ordinary guy, which chose to live his life consciously. He chose to live an amazing life, instead of a boring repetition. His life story is one that shows that anyone can go from 0 and even beyond 0 to a perfect 10.

After reading the book, I just want to mention 10 things about it that I think are worth mentioning:

1. Universality

The book contains universal principles that work in any situation possible. This is one of the strengths of this book. The principles lied here will work for anyone, no matter if you are from England, Mexico, South Africa or US.

2. Inspiration

The inspiration for this book comes from Steve's own life experience. All the principles have been tested by Steve himself and this means that he knows what he is talking about. He actually started writing this book a long time ago, but he realized that the book wasn't going where he really wanted, so he just deleted 30 000 words and started fresh. This must have been a tough decision to take, but I have to say it: the book is worth all the sacrifices that Steve may have made!

3. Approach

Steve has a very different approach to personal development. He looks at things from a new, special perspective: a logical and mathematical one. This is mostly caused by his background in a computer gaming business. Because of this approach, this book is truly different from anything else you might have read about personal development. After you read the book, you will understand why.

4. Style

The author style of writing resembles a lot with a conversation. When you are reading this book, you feel like you are actually talking to a good friend. Steve did a great job in connecting with his reader.

5. Theory

The theoretical part is great. Although the book goes into depth in explaining essential principles of life, Steve keeps it simple, so that anyone can understand what he is trying to say.

6. Practice

The book not only has theoretical parts, but also practical ones. It is full with exercises, tips and tricks you can quickly implement in your life to make a difference.

7. Challenge

The book challenges you to analyze the life that you are currently living and see if it's what you truly desire. If you feel that what you are doing right now is not quite what you truly desire, then this book is exactly what you need to figure things out.

8. Hype free

"Personal Development for Smart People" is a hype free personal development book. It doesn't promise false results, quick wealth or anything like that. Steve points out that the change will only come from applying what you read, not just by reading it. It doesn't say you will get this and that if you do this, the book is only a guide that you must follow. But this guide can take you to the life you want and deserve, if you put it to action.

9. Head vs Heart

Most books about personal development are focused mainly on the "heart" part, meaning that they give you inspiration and motivation. "Personal Development For Smart People" does exactly the opposite, it addresses to mind. What do I mean by this is you get a 'head-down' approach, which reaches deeply but does it so not from the heart but the head.

10. Complete

I think there is no such thing as a complete book, but this one comes pretty close to it, in my opinion.

This are my 2 cents about Steve's book, and Steve, if you are reading this, congratulations! I give you a perfect 10, not only for the book, but especially for the life that you chose to live and you are living!

I embrace you,
Razvan Dobre



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What is your heart telling you?

What do you think about what happens to you? What do you do when your heart is telling you to do something, but your mind is telling you to move on? If you pass by a poor woman that is holding a baby in her arms, what do you do? I guess, maybe 5 out of 10 people would stop and give her some money or something to eat.

And that's a good thing, I'm not saying it isn't, but why don't we really do what our heart is telling us to do. You know what I'm talking about. That little bouncing thing that's the source of your life is telling you: "Stop! Why don't you talk to this woman and at least encourage her to go on, even though her life is hard. You need encouragements don't you? And you are doing pretty well compared to her, so don't you think she would need some too?"

Have you ever stopped and talked to such a needing person? If you did, let me give you the warmest embrace you could receive! Thank you for doing what I failed to do! Thank you for choosing to listen to your heart instead of your brain! I embrace you!

I had to choose this also, more than once, and I always chose to listen to my mind. But I'm fed up with this and this is why I've promised myself I would do this no longer and fight this the next time I have to decide what to do. I know that when I meet a poor person, it's all a test for me. It's a test to see if I changed or not. It's a test to help me more than the other person. I'm actually the poor one, not her.

If I pass by and only give her something to eat or money, it's ok. But I've only listened to my heart partially and that's not enough! It's like when a man has tripped and is falling in a deep crater and you do what anyone would do, jump and help him. You grab his arm and pull him up. This is when you are listening to your heart and it's the same as if you are giving something to a poor man. But if you don't actually try to help that poor man or woman even more, to at least talk to him/her, I think, it's like you stop pulling that man that is falling, and you follow what your mind is telling you. And the man falls just because you didn't listen to your heart.

I've let many men fall until now, and I hope I can do better the next time I have the chance. This is just another battle that I have to take and I must win it. And so will you. You must do your best to listen to your heart, because your heart is showing you the road to the real you. The you that knows that he could be the one that's standing down there, reaching for another human's hand. If you would be in that situation, would you enjoy some encouragement? Then listen to your heart and give them to that person that is reaching out for you. You just might actually help yourself.

Don't worry if your mind doesn't agree with what your heart is telling you. That happens, but it doesn't mean that your heart is wrong. Far from it. Most of the times, your heart is actually guiding you, not your brain. Your heart will never lead into something that will be bad for you. Sooner or later, if you followed your heart, you will see that you did the right thing, even though, sometimes it may seem the other way around.

So, please, the next time you have to take a decision, ask yourself: "What is my heart telling me?" Don't just listen to your mind. Consult your heart, as well, and put yourself in the others man's shoes. Try to see the world through his/her eyes and make the right choice: do what your heart is telling you. Can't you hear your heart screaming? Maybe your heart is telling you to learn some listening skills exercises so you can make more friends :)

I embrace you,
Razvan Dobre

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Stay Fit Without Any Gym - 23 Simple Ways To Stay Fit Even If You Don't Have Time To Workout At Home Or Go At The Gym

How could I stay fit without going to the gym and without exercising at home? Now, that is the question. And the answer is by doing some special, fun little things that you will learn all about in the next 3 minutes. Read them and start being fit!

1. Buy yourself a wii and get wii fit and start playing. It's a great way to exercise and have fun also. It's easy to do and you won't even know that you are actually exercising.

2. While you are at home, start jumping around the house! Yes, that's right, jump! If you forgot how to do it ask your child how to do it. Anything that makes you sweat is good and helps you stay fit. This is a very good thing if you also want to lose some weight as you can read in many weight loss articles.

3. Dance as much as possible. Dance around the house. Go clubbing and dance until you fall down! Dancing is a great way to stay in shape and will give you a great feeling afterward.

4. Go swimming. Swim in your pool or if you don't have one, go to a swimming club once or twice a week. Swimming is probably the best way to stay fit because it makes you use your entire body. Take advantage of it!

5. Don't take the elevator. Take the stairs instead. Go to work earlier in the morning so that you have time to climb the stairs at your work place, instead of taking the elevator.

6. Also, while going to work or anywhere else that you have to go, don't take the bus or your car, walk there. Just go where you need to go on your own two feet. It will relax you and you will be improving your health as well.

7. Play with your child. Chase him/her around the house and in your yard. It's a great way to stay fit and you will also spend some quality tie with your loved one. If you don't have kids, you could chase you girlfriend/boyfriend around the house. Just talk to him/her and ask him/her to get in the game. If he/she doesn't want to, you have an extra reason to chase him/her :) So, you will be exercising either way :)

8. Meet with your friends and go play some soccer together. you could also go playing ping pong or tennis or any sport that requires some kind of moving from your part. This will be very fun for you and your friends.

9. While you are reading this post, do some exercises. Don't get up from your chair. Just move your legs and then your hands in different directions. Do this without taking your eyes of the screen. This must be easy and fun or else don't do it. Do this whenever you sit down and you will feel an improvement in your health and fitness.

10. Wash some things by hand. Don't just put them in the washing machine. Wash a couple of them by hand and, although it's a little hard, it will be good for your health.

11. You can also make it so that you are obliged to get fit. How? By leaving your home late in the morning and so you need to hurry to work (because you are walking there remember?). You can think of a lot more things that make you get fit.

12. If you don't want to go to work walking, you can always buy a bike and use it instead of your car. This way you will almost always get to work faster (except the cases were your work place is near and the road there is clear).

13. Do some home chores. If you didn't like the washing by hand idea, maybe you will like at least one of the following:

- dust and polish your furniture
- pull some weeds by hand and make your garden look great
- vacuum your house
- fix the things that need to be fixed around the house
- find something else to do

14. Don't eat too much. And what I mean by this is, eat just as much as you actually need, and not more. Eat until you feel you are 3/4 full and not more. This will make you eat more often which is better than eating 2-3 huge lunches. If you eat 4-7 lunches a day and keep the 3/4 rule in mind you will see an improvement in your health.

15. When you wake up in the morning, don't get up from bed until you have tried this: try to touch your feet with your fingers. But don't just do it once, do it 10-20 times. This is a great way to start the day!

16. Drink more water. I bet you've heard this before, haven't you? Yes, you probably have heard that you should drink about 8 glasses a day, but you know what? 8 glasses is not enough. What's even more important than the 8 glasses is the quality of the water you drink. Drinking quality water means improving your health.

17. Visualize the fit man or woman that you want to become. Visualize yourself as being as fit as you want it. Close your eyes and see yourself being healthy and fit. Do this early in the morning and before you go to bed at night. Also do it once throwout the day. Try to feel as happy as you would be if you actually would be that fit. Put emotion behind your visualization and soon your subconscious will get to work to transform you into a that fit person.

18. If you have a pet, play with it and go walk it (if it's that kind of pet). If you don't have a pet, go and get one. It will make you happier and also make you move more.

19. Get fit while you sleep. Think it's impossible? It's not. You don't have to do anything except get some quality sleep. Quality sleep means going to sleep when you feel you need it. It also means not over sleeping. If you don't sleep as much as needed it's not good at all.

How much sleep do you need? Most experts say that 7-8 hours, but like anything else, this depends. You can sleep 5-6 hours and feel great or you could need a 10 hours nap so that you "work" properly. Now why is quality sleep important in getting fit? It's because while you sleep, your body works for you (in the case of quality sleep) or against you (if you don't get that quality sleep). While sleeping, your body is very awake and rejuvenates your cells and energizes itself so that you feel great in the morning and trough the whole day.

20. Watch more TV! Just kidding! TV does the exact opposite thing you are trying to do here: it makes you fat! Can you believe it? TV makes you fat? Yes it does. Here's how. When you are in front of the TV your metabolic rate drops, it doesn't mean if you are eating or not! Sleeping in front of the TV is a bad thing as your mind will still be processing the things you saw on TV and you can say good bye to your quality sleep. Even being near the TV is bad, very bad. When you are near it, the level of toxic chemicals in your body increases and this is of course bad for your whole body.

21. Get yourself an exercise ball and just sit on it instead of your chair. Just by sitting on this ball, you will strengthen your muscles and loose weight in time. This is because sitting on the ball requires more muscle usage than your normal chair. But you won't even notice that you are using your muscles. That's the best part! You will be getting fit without doing nothing!

22. If you are sitting behind a desk then you can do the following simple exercise: stand up and then sit back down a lot quicker. Repeat this 20-30 times or until you get tired.

23. Discover yourself. Learn more and more about yourself, what you need to eat and how much you need to sleep. Just by watching yourself, you will see signals that your body will show you. Just pay attention and you will see. Knowing yourself will save you a lot of headaches. Learn what fitness exercises work for you, what you seem to like and what makes you feel better and do this more.

Link love

Lots of thanks to Karen Kow, from KarenKow.com, who without even knowing helped me write this article, inspiring me with an article she wrote. Thank you, Karen!

I embrace you,
Razvan Dobre

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Mental Training - 15 Tips On How To Be Mentally Prepared Before A Game

The big game is near. You really want to give your best and win the game. It doesn't matter what kind of sport you are playing, whether it's soccer, chess, tennis, swimming, marathon, polo or volleyball, you need a special kind of training: mental training. Being mentally prepared before a game could mean that you already have a huge advantage over your opponent. I've gathered 15 of the best tips on how to be mentally prepared before a game. I hope they will help you win the game!

1. Are you thinking at the game?

You've probably heard or seen people that did a bad game because they just took the game too seriously. They just put so much concentration into the game, before it even started, that when it actually did start they were mentally exhausted and had a bad performance.

Don't give this game more attention than it actually deserves. I'm not saying, don't train or don't think about it. I'm only saying, take it easy, relax, train but also disconnect yourself from the game, take a walk, go out with some friends and forget about the game. Don't talk too much about it.

2. Having fun?

Think about a way or more ways that you could make this game a fun one (and if it's already fun, turn it into an even funnier one). Remember that it's only a game, no matter what the prize and stakes may be, and games are supposed to be fun.

If you can make the game fun, you will probably win it. And if you don't win it, you will still feel great about yourself. After you found ways of making the game a fun one, don't forget to actually do that when you are playing.

3. What are you seeing?

Before you start the game, you must what the outcome will be. You must know how the game will finish. How can you do that? By visualizing the end. Visualize that you have won the game.

Close your eyes and see yourself winning. See and feel the joy of winning. If this game has a prize, imagine holding it and touching it, feel that prize like it is real. Visualizing is not enough for you to actually win the game, but it helps a lot.

4. Are you saying this?

What are you saying about this game? Are you telling yourself that you will lose for sure or are you confident and only talking about winning? Your subconscious mind is like a loyal servant of yours: he will do anything to make your wishes reality. So, be careful what you tell him to do. If you tell yourself that you are going to lose the game and repeat it enough times, your subconscious will do all that is possible to "help" you lose.

Do you want to lose? If you don't, then tell yourself positive affirmations like: "I am sure I am going to win!" or even better "I won this game! what a great win for me!" Can you see the difference between the two affirmations? One is a hope of winning and the other is a certitude of it. Use the second and repeat it 10-30 times in a row for 3-5 times a day, the more the better. Repeating this will make you stronger and stronger for the game, and if you also prepare well for it, you will win. Just talking about it doesn't assure victory, you also have to prepare.

5. Who are you talking to?

Talk only to positive people. People that you know will support and lift your spirit. Don't go to people that seem to be more negative than positive. If you talk to a person, frequently or for a long period of time, you will begin to act, think and talk just like that person.

So, the question here is: how do you want to talk, think and act? Do you want to feel good about yourself and win the game or have you decided to lose? It's up to you. If you want to win, stay away from negative people and talk to the ones that boost your level of confidence.

6. Who is your opponent?

What do you know about your opponent? What are his strengths? And more importantly, what seems to be his weakness(es)? How can you use this weakness to your advantage? Who beat him in the past and how did that happen? Study your opponent and you will be one step closer to winning the game, maybe even 2 steps.

7. Who can help?

Search for people that are playing or have played the same game and ask them for some tips and tricks. If they aren't that willing to help you, try to find something to give them in return for their knowledge. This knowledge could mean a great lot than what you are willing to give in return.

8. Is your opponent that strong?

How strong is your opponent? Can you find someone even stronger than him? If you can, then ask him/her to play a game or two with you. If you can beat him who is better than the one you will be playing soon, than that will be a piece of cake. If you can't beat him/her than ask for some pointers, ask the winner to tell you were your weakness lies. This way you will learn more about yourself and you will be better prepared for the game.

9. Are you scared of this game?

If this game seems tough and scary for you, than you could find something even scarier to try. Yes, you heard me right. Do something a lot scarier and you will see the game as something real easy after that.

10. What's the worst that can happen?

Ask yourself that question and try to find solutions to what could happen. What if you play soccer and your team receives a goal. What can your team and you do then? Think of all the things that could happen in this game and be prepared to react to that. This way, almost nothing can take you by surprise and you will be more confident with winning the game.

11. What do your friends say?

Ask your friends to be honest and tell you what they think you should improve. If you can't find someone to play against before the game, your friends could help you improve the way you play. You never know what they might notice.

12. How can you get more confidence fast?

If the game is very important, you can try going to a professional and try a hypnosis to boost your confidence. I don't recommend this because I wouldn't do it, but if it's absolutely necessary and you want to try it, then you can do this.

13. What are you listening to?

Listen to a motivational audio tape before the game, so that you start it feeling energized. You can listen to this prior to the game, for many times, but be sure to listen to it just before the game also. This will help.

Also, you can make a collection of motivating songs and listen to them before the game. Songs like: "Eye of the tiger" "Stand up for the champions" and others that motivate you.

14. What are you watching?

You can also watch a motivating show or movie that will give you a good mood. There are plenty of movies that make you feel like you could fly. Use them to your own advantage. Maybe a "Rocky" or "The Lord Of The Rings" or anything else that motivates you.

15. Why do you want to win?

This is probably the most important question you should ask yourself before the game. "Why do you want to win this game?" Is it for fame? Money? The prize? You must have a clear, strong reason for wanting to win. This reason can help you win, if it's a strong emotional reason/ If you are playing to win the money so that you can buy a new house, you will be more motivated to win. So, find you reason(s) and use them to motivate yourself to win this game.

Was this too much for you? If you don't remember anything else from this list, remember this:

1. Have fun
2. Visualize yourself winning
3. Play for someone else

Thanks for reading and I hope this will help you win the game!

I embrace you,
Razvan Dobre

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The Affirmations Experiment Or How Can You Get Your Drivers License By Using Affirmations

The power of affirmations is an amazing thing. No matter if they are positive or negative, affirmations work. They can draw into your life whatever you want them to. It's like having $100.000.000.000.000.000.000 and you have two choices: you could control the world and buy whatever you want (even an entire country or more) or you could end world hunger and make it a better place for all humans, including you and your family. You have that power right now, it's just that you can't see it because you don't really believe it's possible. When you will believe it to be true, it will be.

Affirmations can change the world if and only if you can put enough power and belief behind them. They don't work without them. If you just sit around and wait for riches to pop out of the computer, you will be disappointed, even if you use affirmations to help you out. Start using affirmations and pay attention to all that is around you. Affirmations will open a lot of doors for you. You must pay attention and see what's on the other side of each door.

Affirmations will do this for you and not more. They will show you the way. Then you must take it, but don't stop there. Continue to use affirmations and another door will pop open, and another one. And you must go through them all until you achieve your goal. Affirmations help, but they can't do it for you. But they do help. I'm the living truth of this.

I did a little personal experiment a while back. I love to continually improve myself, but I realized that reading a book doesn't help me a lot if I don't use the teachings in it. I realized that books are maps of places we have never seen before. They are priceless because without them we would head nowhere and even die without even knowing that we could have read a single book that would have taken us on a journey we would never forget. Most people read books, but they never use them as a map for their own life.


But a map is just a map if you just read it and abandon it. "Never be afraid to use the map!" I always remind myself this whenever I read a book that is screaming at me to follow it and yet I seem to not hear it. This happens. That's why I need to remind myself that books are maps. You should too.

The affirmations experiment

Let's get back to my experiment. I wanted to prove to myself and test out if affirmations really work. I had tested their power before and they usually work (I say usually, because sometimes I didn't do anything to achieve my goals except to repeat it again and again until I thought they would have become a reality). I use to think this. Unfortunately most people still think this.

They think affirmations don't work because they tried to repeat some words once and it didn't change anything in their life. They didn't do anything else but repeat simple words and expected miracles and because they didn't get anything they are firmly convinced that affirmations don't work. I saw the work. I lived those moments. This is a true story of the amazing power of affirmations and how to use them to get what you want.

I was using affirmations as a part of my daily life. I was always saying things like: "I feel good. I feel amazing" or "Day by day, I get better in every area of my life." and I used to repeat them on and on, for tens of times each day or whenever I felt unmotivated or sad. They worked. But I needed to see even more. And I was curious to put them to the test against a bigger wall. Getting a drivers license seemed a big enough wall to test them on. Here's what I did.

I wanted to get my drivers license now and not later. I was even seeing myself drive and I started imagining myself with the drivers license in my pocket. I was pretty determined to get my drivers license so I started looking for an instructor. I found one and started driving. I was surprised to see that the instructor took me to a polygon, where I had to go trough a series of tests. This was a surprise to me as I had never driven before and these things seemed hard to me back then. Anyway, this proved to be a good thing to do as I developed new skills then and because I was exposed to this "hard" things right from the start, the rest of my driving quest got a little easier.

My first 6-7 lessons were pretty normal. I was taking about 2-3 lessons per week, all early in the morning. I was the first to get into that car and all was going great, until... One day, I couldn't go to my normal lesson which was at 8 in the morning and I had to postpone it for 2 in the evening. Big mistake! A little thing to add here is that the car I was learning to drive on was...let's say it was drivable. It was an old, old, old car (it was old that when I had to take the actual exam the policeman said he is not entering that car and I had to look for another one! But this is another story for later).

The crucial moment

So, 2 pm came. I got into the car and tried to get the car started. For some mysterious reason, it didn't want to start. I thought I did something wrong and I tried again. Still nothing. I tried again and it finally started. I drove until I got to an intersection where my engine just stopped. I'm not even going to start to tell you how many horns I was hearing coming from the back of the car. I tried to quickly start the car without any success. Tried again and made it this time. I was feeling pretty bad as this didn't happened before. I thought I was on a bad driving day. Believe it or not this happened to me at least 8 times that day! It was the same thing. I would get to a crowded intersection and the car just wouldn't start. I thought that was my fault, and maybe partially it was. The instructor got a little angry at me after I repeated the mistake twice (Imagine his face after my 8-th "happy" experience :)))

It was 3:45 and I still had 15 minutes of driving time until the lesson should have ended, but the instructor told me to pull over. I did it, though I did not understand why. He said that he lessons were over! He didn't say the lesson was over, he said "lessons"! I asked why was that, and he said that I wouldn't be able to get my drivers license after what happened today. He said I was making too many mistakes and that I should stop right here. I couldn't believe my ears. My big dream of driving was going down the drain right here and there.

I was just about to give up and admit what the instructor was saying. He actually made a point to me and I was beginning to believe that there was something wrong with me and I wouldn't get my drivers license ever. I was just about to through in the towel, but something happened and I didn't. I said I was sorry for today, but I was going to continue and I was going to improve my driving soon. And I left. Walking home, I was glad that I didn't give in to the tentation of just quitting. It was my great desire to get what I wanted and the fact that I promised myself I would never, ever give up until I would achieve my goals, whatever that goals may be.

I realized that the instructor didn't know me that well if he thought I would just give up that easy. And I also had a hunch that what happened that day wasn't entirely my fault. I thought it had something to do with the fact that the car was old and maybe something happened that morning. Maybe another student that drove it that day made it act so weird or maybe all that drove it that day "helped" a little, Anyway, I wasn't going to give up and even more I decided that I would do a great job at my next lesson and the instructor would be proud of my. I was repeating to myself that I would do a great job next time and the instructor would be happy with my driving. I was using affirmations and my imagination but I knew from past experiences that this wasn't enough to actually make this a reality. I knew I needed help.

I talked to my father and asked for his help. He said yes and I started driving an old car that he had bought for me to practice on. It wasn't as old as the car I was learning to drive on, but it wasn't very far away. This actually helped me a lot, as things that I experienced with one car, I could relate to on the other one. I practice d for a couple of days and I was very determined to prove myself to the instructor. When I remembered what he said, my will got stronger and I pushed forward using affirmations. Talking positively to myself motivated me to move forward. One of the most used affirmations back than was: "The car will start from the first key and it won't stop until the lesson is finished". As you will see, this affirmation helped a lot.

Finally, the day came. I got into the car, put the key in and...guess what? The car started! I wasn't pretty shocked about this, but I was glad it did. That day, I constantly repeated to myself: "Today I will drive without errors and my car will not have any problems!" and that's exactly what happened. Because I put a lot of feeling and emotions into those affirmations, and I did my best to make them a reality, they've transformed into reality. At the end of the day, the instructor said that today, I drove like an A+ driver! I couldn't believe it! Just 4 days ago, he said I should just give up driving and now he had placed me in a great category of drivers! Amazing what affirmations and determination can do!

But, the story is far from over. Read on to see how I used affirmation to pass one of the hardest exams in a person's life. After, that day, when the instructor praised me, I started to really understand that this experiment that I started was going to have a happy ending, but I still had to work a lot. I started to learn for the written exam. I read every question in that big book, over and over again and at the same time I was repeating to myself that I was going to pass the exam. I repeated that again and again, and I read the questions until I felt sure that I was going to pass. I was confident and determined to get my license.

The big surprise

One day, while I was driving as usual, my instructor told me something that almost made me hit a three. He said: "Razvan, I'm sorry, but you can't take the exam in this car. The exterminators said that this car is too old and it's not suited for the exam. You will have to drive another car." I was in a little state of sock. I had almost 2 weeks until my exam and I had no car to drive on. Now the thought of driving another car is not that awful, but every car has it's own little secrets and I didn't want to drive a car that I hadn't driven before right at the exam, the place were I needed to pay attention to the driving part, not get used to the car. I knew I had to do something so I talked to another instructor and asked him if I could drive his car for my last lessons and also use his car for the exam. He said yes and so I started driving my third car (including my father's car which I drove for extra practice - important - I drove this car only on fields were there were no people so I didn't endanger anyone as I had no license at that time).

This car was also a Dacia 1310, just like the first one, but it was a little newer and this was good. I drove it for a couple of times until I got the hang of it and I was ready for the exam. All I had to do now was to get passed the written exam.

Then the big day came. I was a blurry day, but I was far from being blurry. I was almost sure that I would get my license and that the whole Universe was working in my favor. I arrived at "the scene of the crime :)" early in the morning to get the feeling. There were others who had to enter the exam before I did, and I saw them being kind of afraid and nervous. That was explainable: they were nervous because of the big exam they had to face, but what I couldn't explain was why they were spreading the fear to others around them. They were all saying things like: "I'm going to faint at this exam" or "I will never pass this exam". What were they trying to do? Sabotage themselves and others as well? It was obvious that if they continued to say they wouldn't pass this exam, chances are they would get exactly what they believed they could get. It was obvious to me at least. I tried to not let their "positive" attitude get to me, and I went to get some air outside the building.

After a while, the first people entered to take the exam. I was going to enter after them. An hour later, they started to come out. I noticed that some had their file with them (the file in which were their papers needed to take the exam). These people were very unhappy. I learned that the ones that had their file didn't pass the exam. That's why they were unhappy. I also noticed that the ones with the files were also the ones that earlier said they would fail the exam. Unfortunately, it seemed that their own prophesies came true. This made me even more aware of the power that affirmations had, no matter what kind of affirmations one used: positive or not. If you repeat them again and again, you will start to believe in them and sooner or later you will find a way to turn them into reality.

I wanted to turn my affirmation into reality. But I only used positive affirmations. I was imagining myself with my drivers license in my hand. I could see my picture on it. I was smiling. My father soon woke me from my day dream and told me it was time that the extaminators started calling us. They were calling everyone by name and checking their identification papers. "Dobre Razvan" someone called. "Present" I answered. They checked my papers and I went up the stairs into a big room. I took a seat and prepared for exam.

I don't quite remember how much time I was in the exam room, maybe 30 minutes, maybe more, but the important thing is that I came out of that room without my file. I still remember the face of the examinator when I scored 22 points (to pass the exam you had to score between 22 and 26 points, any number bellow 22 meant failure). The examinator counted my correct answers twice to make sure that it was right. When he told me that I passed the exam I was very happy, but I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be. Maybe this was because I already saw myself pass this exam many times before and this image was all too familiar to me. I don't know what it was but I passed. Congratulations to me :)!

The first part was over. The most important one was coming. After all the people finished the exam, we all headed for the exam cars that were close by. Most people were driving the same car they took driving lessons on, but something happened and my car didn't arrive at the exam! I told my instructor that I needed the car that day, but for some strange reason he never showed up. Later, when I asked him what happened, he said that he had forgotten that he had to come that day. But let's get back to the moment all the people were getting into their cars and preparing for the exam and I was waiting for my car to come. I wasn't expecting this. I thought all will go as planned, but this thought me that life never goes as planned. That's why it's so amazing and exciting! Because you never know exactly what will happen even if you plan every little detail.

Anyway, there I was, the only one without a car. Another instructor told me I could use his car for a fee. I said I would have a little test run to see if I could drive it at the exam. This car was a different model, and although it wasn't that much of a difference, for me it was a lot. I got into the car, started the engine and left. I drove for a while (this was before the actual exam started) and I saw that the car was fine, maybe too fine for what I had driven until now. I couldn't quite control the car well, so I said no to this offer and I was without a car again.

Now came the time to take a hard decision. It turned out to be the decision that gave me my drivers license instead of failing the exam. I had to decide if I would look for another car, wait for my own car or postpone the exam. This was a pretty big thing, as if I postponed the exam I would have to wait at least an extra 2 weeks until I could take it again. So, what do you think I did? I'll tell right after this short commercial. Just kidding :) Funny, no?

As if all of this weren't enough, the examinators that were going to decide who passes the exam or not, were coming. I had to decide fast. I thought it over and decided that it's best to postpone the exam. I thought that if I drove the new car, I would have some problems as I didn't know it very well and I could end up not passing the exam because of this. I didn't want that, so as hard as it was, I postponed the exam.

I remember I walked home on a pouring rain. It was raining inside if me also. I was disappointed that my car didn't show up and I had to postpone my exam, but I also felt that this is for the best and all things would end up in a great way. I decided to look for another instructor, and so I started driving my 4-th car from the moment that i started taking lessons! This last car was definitely the best of them all. I drove it for about two weeks until I was programed to take the exam again. It was a real pleasure to drive this car compared to the previous ones.

The final lesson

The two weeks passed and it was time to take the exam. In the morning of that day I had my final driving lesson, a sort of warming up for the exam (the exam was scheduled at 12). This was the most important driving lesson I ever took. I learned that day, more than I had learned in all my prior lessons put together. Did I have an amazing driving day? Not even close! It was the worst driving failure I had to go trough! Ever! It was even worst than that day when my first instructor told me that I should quit! It was that bad!

But, I knew that we learn a lot more from our failures than from our successes, so this is what I did: I was making a lot of beginner errors. My engine stopped in the middle of all intersections that day. I think I didn't miss even one :) For some strange reason, my knees were trembling. I guess I was afraid of actually taking the exam and my mind was transferring that fear towards my knees. My instructor told me that I would not pass the exam because of all the errors I was making. I told him that I will not make any errors at the exam because I already made them that morning and learned from them. It was a daring statement and my instructor probably didn't believe it. But he didn't know me very well...

The exam - Did affirmations really help?

This final lesson came to an end and I headed to take the exam. When I got there, I saw a couple of people that where approximately my age, talking, so I joined the conversation. Like I suspected, they were only spreading negative thoughts amongst them. A girl said: "If I don't pass this exam, my mother will kill me". I thought: "I'm pretty sure she won't kill you, maybe be mad at you, but definitely not kill you." Then a boy said: "This is the third time I'm taking this exam. I just have to pass it. But I'm so afraid. I don't feel confident about this."

I tried to help them a little bit, but they just didn't want to listen. They were too busy thinking about how they would go wrong, instead of imagining how they would succeed. The conversation got very negative, so I stepped back and left them to talk. We just weren't on the same level, and all that negative thinking could eventually make me start thinking that way. I started imagining how I would get in the car, how it would start and how I would have total control over the car. I also made a daring affirmation. I said to myself, actually I promised myself this: "I will drive perfectly today. My knees will be perfectly fine. The engine will never stop until I need it to stop. I will be very careful and nothing will go wrong. And most of all, when I have finished my exam, the examinator will congratulate me for being a great driver."

Back then, I believed all I said. I felt I would do great that day, and I knew that the examinator would congratulate me that way. I just knew. I repeated over and over that phrase, until it was time to actually start the exam. I got in the car. It was just me, the examinator and another boy, about my age. I wanted to go first. I put my seat belt on, checked the mirrors and my chair. The examinator told me to be careful and not hurry. He said he will tell me which way to go and that I should pay attention to the road. I acknowledged and started the engine and we were off.

The examinator also told me that this exam will take at least 25 minutes, so I had to keep my cool for some time. It turned out to be about 40 minutes, instead of 25. I drove carefully and in my mind I was repeating that affirmation. I paid a special attention to people that could appear from nowhere in front of the car( I was looking on the sidewalks to prevent this). Although, it was a big exam, I was relaxed and drove very confident. I drove around the city and then the instructor told me to park the car between two other cars. I had to park it with the back of the car in front. This was it! If I did this right, I would probably get my drivers license!

I put the car in position, pulled the steering wheel to the right and parked it like I was doing this for years! It was an amazing feeling! Even now, it's hard to believe that I did such a great parking back then! It was awesome! I got out of the car and the examinator said: "When someone deserves the license, they deserve it, and you earned yours with an A+. I rarely seen such confidence in driving and I'm glad to give you your drivers license. Congratulations!" I couldn't believe that he said those words! I mean, I was expecting that, but the actual fact that he really said them and that I had been so confident that day, it was just amazing!

So, this is how I got my drivers license using affirmations that gave me confidence. If you read the whole experiment, then you probably saw that I also used visualization to get my drivers license. Visualization is very important in this process and it can speed it up enormously. Visualization and affirmation are some of the most important parts of the law of attraction. This law can help you get what you want, either good or bad. So, be careful what you want and ask for, because you will eventually get it.

I wanted a drivers license and I used the law of attraction to get it. You can do the same with anything you want to achieve in your life. Affirmations work and this is just an example. Give them a chance and they will work. Remember to repeat the affirmation for more that 10 times at once and at least 3 times a day for at least 30 days if possible. Repeat them for as long as possible and they will grow stronger inside of you. Think of ways to make your affirmations a reality and do them and you will be amazed when your own affirmations will grow into real things. Improving your life is not easy but you can start today by repeating some simple affirmations that inspire you.

I can't wait for you to try them out and share your stories here! Hope to hear from you soon!

I embrace you,
Razvan Dobre

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