Gay Hendricks is an internationally famous author, seminar leader, web entrepreneur, and filmmaker.
He is the author of more than 20 books, including the national bestseller Conscious Loving and the founder of the Spiritual Cinema Circle. He resides with his wife, author and seminar leader Kathlyn Hendricks, in Ojai, California.

Five Wishes describes a conversation that changed your life. Who was it with and what happened?

It was a brief conversation at a party I didn’t even want to be at. I went to the party with Kathlyn, who would later become my wife (now 27 years into a great marriage that probably would not have occurred had I not gone to the party.) I met a man named Ed Steinbrecher, who seemed about as uncomfortable at the party as I was. We decided not to engage in any small talk, so he asked me a question that definitely qualified as Big Talk.

As the economy continues its downward spiral, more and more Americans are becoming rattled and unnerved by their financial position. A recent Gallup “Well Being” Poll (September 25) showed that only 40% of Americans are thriving economically, a drop of over 10% in just one month, while 53% of Americans are now struggling, with their basic needs just barely being met.

It seems like now more than ever the value of creating wealth and financial freedom is paramount. But what to do? The real question should be: “What are you here to do?”

We all have a burning desire in us, something that we are meant to do. An obvious example is Donald Trump, somebody who just can’t keep from doing Real Estate. He’ll never retire because he’s in love with the whole process. And of course his success reflects that.

Just like your muscle tissue, power weakens from lack of use and grows stronger when exercised. The more you train your power, the more powerful you become.

Everyone has some power, but not everyone develops it to the same degree. Here are some methods to train yourself to become more powerful.

Progressive Training
A good way to build power and especially self-discipline is to progressively train yourself to tackle bigger challenges. When you train your muscles, you lift weights that are within your ability. You push your muscles until they fail, and then you rest. Similarly, you can develop your power by taking on challenges that you can successfully accomplish but that push you close to your limits. This doesn’t mean trying something that’s beyond your strength and failing at it repeatedly, nor does it mean playing it safe and staying within your comfort zone. You must tackle challenges that are within your current ability to handle but which are close to your limit.

Everyone has difficult times in their life, when obstacles seem to constantly get in the way and nothing goes to plan.  It’s during these tough times that many of us fall victim to blaming everything and everyone around us for the challenges we’re facing and our lack of success in creating the life we desire.

Maybe you’re in debt, stuck in a dead end job or your boss is constantly shouting at you and making you feel angry?  Or perhaps your partner leaves you feeling frustrated and doesn’t give you the respect you deserve?  It’s easy to blame what’s going on around us for our lack of happiness, bad mood and general discontent about the way life is going.  But who is truly responsible for creating the life you desire?  Whose life is it anyway?  Have you taken responsibility for your life and what happens to you?