David Essel

Author of FOCUS! STOP DREAMING. START LIVING.

Get Beyond The Law of Attraction and Actually Slay Your Goals

Imagine this: for 16 years you’re traveling around the world trying to help people accomplish goals in life… And teaching principles that are not true, that are not accurate. Would you have the strength at some point, to pull back, and to say “I am so sorry, I made a mistake, and I taught you principles that are not true?“ For the past 28 years, number one best-selling author, counselor and life coach David Essel has been helping millions upon millions of people to heal. From financial freedom, to addiction recovery, to saving relationships… To finding the perfect career, his  work is highly endorsed by celebrities and experts as well. But here’s something you might not have known about David, from 1980 to 1996 he was traveling the world speaking about principles for success and positive thinking… That were not valid or true at all.
Here’s David’s take , on what it means to say that we’ve made a mistake in life, and how to make that wrong… Right. “From 1980 until 1996, I traveled the world, many of those years I was  on the road 40 weeks or more speaking both across the United States and internationally as well. During those years, I continued to tell people “whatever you believe you can achieve… Your positive thinking will always bring you positive end results.“ And I was dead wrong. Yes, and in our brand new, number one best-selling book, “focus! Slay your goals… The proven guide to huge success, a powerful attitude and profound love“, I make amends with the millions of people who have followed my career for 38 years, as well as those new to my teachings. Amends. I apologize. I am sorry.  It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it’s absolutely necessary to have integrity, to walk our talk. In our book , I talk about the fallacy that is still being discussed and taught in regards to the power of positive thinking. You can’t just put positive vibes out into the universe and expect your income to increase, expect your body to shed pounds of fat, or even to attract that perfect soulmate. We have been fed a bunch of bull. And I was part of the problem. Of course after making an apology, we need to make up for past errors. And that’s with my new book is about, and this very article.
How about you? Are you teaching things because famous people teach them? Are you believing certain principles about success because someone who sold 1 million books tells you it’s true… Even though when you try to apply the same principles in your life you don’t get the same results? Well that’s what I did. I was a big parrot. Repeating things just because other famous people in my field repeated those things. Always remember this quote “if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.“
So if you’re still believing in things like the law of attraction , that all you have to do is put positive thoughts out into the universe, backed by intense emotion, and that your life is going to radically change… Well I’m here to tell you it’s not true.  Now if something like that were to happen, we call that a miracle, but it doesn’t happen very often does it? Remember all that nonsense about “imagining checks in the mail and they must come to you“? Well that’s the crap I used to teach. And I taught it for way too long. Over 16 years as a matter fact. Even Jim Carrey, the famous actor, who talked about writing a check to himself for $10 million, and somehow magically it came to him down the road through one of his many popular movies… Well that’s not the whole story. So what is the whole story? Jim Carrey worked his ass off, he busted his butt, for years before he got that $10 million check. It’s not as easy as many people make it seem, and I am so sorry as  I was one of those idiots teaching these fantastical principles that are not reality at all.
And what is the reality of success? Well, I’m still a positive thinker, I still love affirmations… As long as they’re realistic and not pie in the sky thinking. So you start with positive thinking absolutely. But as we have proven in our books, that  only about 20% of your success will come via your thinking. 80% of your success will be come from you being willing to do the steps on a daily basis that you may be avoiding right now. That’s the secret formula for success. 20% will come from your thinking, but 80% will come from you being willing to do the work that you’re probably not doing right now. This is been a hard lesson for me, to look back and to write apologies in my articles and books for teachings that I used to believe in, that were incredibly filled with nonsense. But now we know the truth. To lose the weight? Do the work. To make more money? Do the work.
But here’s another key, we need accountability partners. Most of us quite frankly, including myself, can get very lazy when it comes to doing the hard work to achieve a big goal on a daily basis. So look for assistance. Hire a personal trainer. A business coach. Counselor. I minister. A therapist. But if it’s a huge goal, don’t rely on yourself… There are people out there that can take you by the hand and walk you down the path so that you do the work necessary to radically change your life.  And if you’re a teacher of any kind, I don’t care if it’s elementary school, college, a sponsor in the 12 step program, personal trainer, massage therapist… Make sure your teachings are updated. If you’re still teaching things that you learned 30 years ago you’re way behind the curve. If the program you believe in, is still using principles from 70 years ago, you’re way behind the curve. Everyone needs to stay updated, including myself. Which is the purpose of this article. I was wrong back then, but now I have seen the light, I practice the light, and I teach the light. Let’s walk forward together.“  David Essel‘s work is highly endorsed by individuals like the late Wayne Dyer, and celebrity Jenny McCarthy says “David Essel is the new leader of the positive thinking movement.“

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David Essel says while important to think positive, the way we get want we want is by working at our goals

The law of attraction does work, but you still have to be somewhere and ask him or her out on a date

David was an alcoholic and drug addict while teaching self actualization and personal growth  from 1980 to 1996

When we say something like an affirmation, makes no difference unless we believe it and take action

David suggests the sub conscious mind controls our reality.  Patrick disagreed with that concept

Patrick shared a snip from Dr. Wayne Dyer’s first book, “Your Erroneous Zones”  Dr. Dyer helped David along the way.

“Your thoughts control the way you feel

You can control your thoughts

Thus you can control the way you feel”

 – Dr. Wayne Dyer

David Essel on his rebirth in 1996 and learning to think, feel and act, not just think and feel, April 30, 2018