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Extraordinary Reflection

by Dr. John F. Demartini

Whatever you see in other individuals, you have inside yourself. Not just some things, but all things, including what you most admire and what you most despise. In fact, the traits you persist in thinking are "too good" or "too bad" for you are the ones you simply haven't learned to fully embrace in yourself -- but they're there, I assure you. I call this "the reflection principle": If you can recognize it in someone else, it's inside of you.

If you think Einstein was a genius, know that you have genius in you, too. You may not have the same form of genius as he did, but your genius is there, nonetheless, in equal measure. The moment you realize that you have every trait you admire, and start recognizing the form it's in, it begins to surface. Out comes the buried treasure.

One client of mine dreamed of becoming a consultant to the leading Fortune 500 companies in the world, yet he was intimidated by their powerful leaders -- the CEOs of those organizations. Because of this fear, my client was holding himself back from accomplishing his goal of being a great consultant to them. So I asked him to identify everything about these CEOs he admired and everything that intimidated him. When he had written those characteristics down, I told him to ask himself, Where do I have that trait in some form?

Initially, he dismissed this idea. "I don't have all of those! Maybe some, but not all."

"Look again," I told him.

"But I don't!" he insisted.

I encouraged, "Look again! Don't stop looking! Because the truth is if you can spot it, you've got it! It's like some buried treasure, and we just need to dig around until we find it."

Ultimately, he took on the challenge of finding every single trait he admired in those CEOs within himself. He identified where he had the power, the influence, the leadership, the skills, and the knowledge. It took him a while to actually awaken his appreciation of all that within himself, but to his credit, he did it. Within three months, he was completely clear that he was just as powerful, influential, skillful, knowledgeable, and every bit as much of a leader as the people he would love to have as his clients. In fact, during this period, one of the very people he had thought about in this exercise signed a contract with him.

So here's my challenge for you: Ask yourself, Who is one of the most ingenious people I know? What are his or her traits? Where do I have those same traits? Don't lie to yourself -- don't say that you don't know or can't find it. Just dig!

Sometimes we think that other people have a greater deal than us, but the reality is that we have the potential for just as great a deal as anyone else! Discover what mental power is inside of you!

Regularly, I do this exercise myself, searching for each trait of all the various Nobel Prize winners. Whether or not you have the goal of being a prize winner, can you see how empowering it would be to recognize yourself in such an esteemed crowd?

You know, the world treats you the way you treat yourself. If you value yourself, the world values you. Until you value yourself, no one else will. Likewise, if you don't give yourself permission to do something great, why would the world assist you? You must allow yourself to be great and do something extraordinary.

This article was excerpted from:

The Riches Within: Your Seven Secret Treasures
by Dr. John F. Demartini.

Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Hay House Inc. ©2008. www.HayHouse.com

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About the Author

Dr. John F. Demartini is an international speaker and consultant who is a retired chiropractor, researcher, writer, and philosopher. He has written several dozens of books, including the bestsellers Count Your Blessings; The Breakthrough Experience; How to Make One Hell of a Profit and Still Get to Heaven; You Can Have an Amazing Life . . . in Just 60 Days; and The Heart of Love. In addition, Dr. Demartini is a private consultant, advising people from all walks of life on personal and professional development and achievement. These include Wall Street financiers, corporate executives, health professionals, politicians, Hollywood stars, and sports personalities. Visit his website at www.DrDemartini.com.

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