Your Greatest Potential!: Master Your Thinking

By Natalie M Bonomo

We all want to lead healthy, happy, productive, and purposeful lives. Unfortunately, our mindset often hinders our progress with beliefs that limit our greatest potential. Thankfully, it is possible to transform our mindset in a way that brings our dreams to life.

Natalie M. Bonomo has dedicated her life to inspiring others to shift their paradigms to realize their true potential. In a thought-provoking and inspiring guidebook, she intertwines personal experiences with practical advice that leads others on an introspective journey to learn how to take charge of life and attract their desires.

Through a step-by-step process, others will learn how to:
• invite opportunity and embrace change;
• align thoughts with values;
• conduct a mental autopsy;
• rely on internal guidance;
• live with purpose;
• make gratitude a habit;
• create a clear vision forward; and
• maintain self-improvement.

Included are journal exercises that will help anyone develop a concrete plan to living inspired.

Your Greatest Potential! is a guide to transforming thinking to overcome obstacles; align the body, mind, and spirit; and maximize abilities to live a blissful life and make an extraordinary difference in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Apr 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781982224158

Natalie M Bonomo

Natalie M. Bonomo is an organizational development professional, humanitarian, accountability coach, motivational speaker, and author on self-actualization and living inspired. She is Reiki-certified, is a first-degree Black Belt in martial arts, holds a BA in organizational and corporate communications from Northern Illinois University, and is a member of Toastmasters International. Natalie and her husband, Dr. Jim Erickson, live in Waunakee, Wisconsin.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Natalie M. Bonomo.

Interior Image Credit: To co-author Michael Bart Mathews of IL for his endorsement and insert in Chapter 4 titled We Become What We Think About. To reviewer Fred Rodriguez of CO for his endorsement. To Dr. Joseph Ewens of SC for the hawk reference photograph. To Sara Durham of CO for the author photograph. Internal sketches and hawk pastel painting were created by author, Natalie M. Bonomo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-2397-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-2396-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-2415-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019903402

Balboa Press rev. date: 04/09/2019

SPECIAL THANKS

For my husband, Jim Erickson, my world, my best friend, and the love of my life. Your wisdom, passion, and commitment to living the principles within Your Greatest Potential! speaks volumes and has made an extraordinary impact on my life. You have been a blessing to the readers and to me by editing and being a voice in my writing.

With thirty years of professional experience as a leader, coach, mentor, and role model, you firmly walk the talk. A master of continuously raising the bar and holding yourself accountable, you are a poster child for living a balanced life filled with purpose and being the change you wish to see in the world.

The universe holds countless examples of the lives you have touched—through your words, your actions, and your physical, life-altering impact to others as a Doctor of Chiropractic. I am a better person and have achieved greater heights because of you. Thank you for your endless support, encouragement, and inspiration. It is an honor to share my life with you and work side by side as we achieve and exceed our dreams and inspire others to do the same.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Part 1 — Invite Opportunity: Open Your Mind, Master Your Thinking, And Discover Your Why

1     Embrace Change

Invite Opportunity

2     The Pure Energy and Power of Your Thoughts

Absolutely Everything Has Energy, Including Your Thoughts

3     Master Your Thinking

The Power of Positive Thinking

Do You Know Where Your Thoughts Are?

How to Avoid Drifting

Aligning Your Thoughts with Your Values

4     The Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction Defined

We Become What We Think About

5     Get into the Vortex

First-Hand Proof of the Vortex

Conduct a Mental Autopsy

Mindfulness: The Key to Remaining in the Vortex

Benefits of the Vortex

We Reap What We Sow

6     Internal Guidance

Intuition

Internal Guidance System Versus Ego

The Law of Allowing

Part 2 — Fuel Your Fire: Feed Your Soul What It Innately Desires

7     Pave Your Path Through Rituals and Deliberate Intention

The Benefits of Positive Rituals

Living with Purpose

Deliberate Intention and the Paradigm Shift

Time Management

8     Live with Gratitude

Make Gratitude a Habit

9     Accountability Plus Action Equals Results

Begin with the End in Mind

Create a Clear Vision and Goals

Self-Reflection and Forgiveness

Lead by Example

You Are the Company You Keep

10   Expect Challenges

Call on Your Master Mind

Meet with Your Council

11   Maintain a Lifelong Goal of Continuous Self-Improvement

Continuous Self-Improvement

Sharpen the Saw

Motivation Versus Inspiration

Conclusion

Afterword

What I Learned Throughout the Process of Writing

Your Greatest Potential!

Acknowledgements

About Natalie M. Bonomo

My Background

Stay in Touch

FOREWORD

This book is full of light, energy, awareness, self-actualization, faith, action, and results. It was impactfully written as an eye-opener and your personal guide to use by way of writing your own roadmap, as you answer the questions in each section titled ‘For Your Journal.’ This book is your mirror image or self-reflection within your own thoughts, as well as your keys and guidelines toward awakening the sleeping giant within your mind. While learning to understanding all that you seek, the Universe can and will provide, if you control and balance your thoughts, feelings, and actions while discovering your greatest potential. —Michael Bart Mathews, author of Financially Speaking: The Best Improvement Starts with Self-Improvement and Time to Get Serious—Finding Your Moment of Clarity: Discover Your Power Within

There are so many rays of light in this book that will reach out to many groups of readers: newlyweds looking at ways to strengthen a relationship; a student caught up in a place of overwhelming school studies, activities, and new love; those finding better ways to help refrain from the temptations of drugs and alcohol; young and old who are troubled with not having self-esteem in shining light against thoughts of suicide and mental abuse; entrepreneurs, growing in this place we call the work force, and understanding the importance of how to speak and take control of their ideas; and those needing help as they go through marital challenges. There are so many directions of light in this book! —Fred Rodriguez—Wakinyan Hokshila—Thunder Child, Sundance leader and spiritual advisor

For anyone seeking clarity and direction in their life to overcome obstacles, large or small; align body, mind, and spirit; and maximize their abilities so they may live a blissful life and make an extraordinary difference in the world. If you enjoy the teachings of Wayne Dyer, Abraham-Hicks, Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey, or Tony Robbins, you’ll love this book!

PREFACE

Achievement is a subject I hold near and dear to my heart. From a young age, I set personal goals to raise the bar for myself and strive for mastery. Over the years, I have chosen to surround myself with other high achievers. Learning from their behavior and from studying the best of the best, I have discovered the common principles, practices, and Universal laws high achievers have followed to realize their greatest potential. These principles have absolutely nothing to do with what street you grew up on, who your parents are, or where you went to school. You can strip away everything from the surface outward and still skyrocket to the moon. What matters most is what’s inside. YOU have everything you need within you now to achieve your greatest potential.

With a decade of teaching martial arts and twenty-five years as a training and organizational development professional, I have coached, mentored, and trained countless individuals using the principles I have learned and applied myself and found to be successful. While it appears that many have what it takes to achieve their dreams, not everyone with goals and aspirations is successful in achieving them. Many people have dreams that deflate over time because they are lacking the know-how to move from where they are to where they want to be. To complicate matters, there are a multitude of resources available that show the rags-to-riches approach to achieving your dreams, but what is missing are the in-between stories about hardships and hurdles that everyday, ordinary people must wade through, and the actions they take before they ever begin to see the fruits of their labor.

With gratitude for those who have led by example, taught me, and inspired me, I am committed to giving back for others to benefit. I will share examples from my own successes and failures that are relatable to mainstream society seeking an extraordinary life. But more importantly, the purpose of this book is to lead you through an introspective journey filled with examples from your life, so you may relate the principles to your personal experience and grow from them. Ultimately, you are your greatest teacher.

Your Greatest Potential! is a guidebook outlining practices to open your mind to an effective way of thinking and assist you in breaking paradigms that are misaligned from your innate desires, allowing you to replace old practices with new ones that serve your greatest purpose. You will discover whether you are truly marching to the beat of your own drum. And if you find you are not, you will learn what you can do to take charge of your life and increase your ability to attract what you truly desire. Lastly, by participating in the For Your Journal exercises embedded in each chapter, you will establish a concrete plan that is thoughtfully DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU by you as you move forward to achieve your greatest potential.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this guidebook is to inspire you to lead a healthier, happier, more productive, and purposeful life. I will share a few personal experiences from some of the most difficult times in my life where I transformed my thinking and, in doing so, I transformed my life by opening myself to opportunity. By sharing these experiences, I will show you how you can tune your mindset so that you, too, can bring your dreams to life.

You may find that your current mindset is hindering you with beliefs that limit your greatest potential. By being open to a new perspective, this book will guide you in discovering and erasing any limiting beliefs. You’ll learn to eliminate mind clutter and reprogram your mind to be open to attracting and receiving abundance and maximizing your talents and gifts. You will be guided to do some deep introspective thinking. Keep a journal as you read along and expect to walk away with information you can apply starting today, along with an action plan for the days ahead.

While it’s enjoyable to lose yourself in reading that whisks you away from everyday life and takes you on a mini spa vacation, Your Greatest Potential! takes a different approach. You will undoubtedly journey far beyond your everyday life and thinking. That is for certain. However, instead of receiving a spa treatment where something is done to you while you relax and enjoy the benefits, you’ll be the one doing the work. And through the process of your involvement, you will elevate the benefits you receive as a result of your work. Therefore, your experience will be as though you are at the spa performing the treatment on yourself. In the end, the satisfaction, confidence, and sheer sense of achievement you will gain from doing the work yourself will be magnified and the glorious benefits will have life-lasting effects.

Your Greatest Potential! is not a simple, leisurely read. It’s more of an experience that will take you one step further than your average reading material. Instead of enjoying a pep talk from the author that goes in one ear and out the other, you will walk away with a clear vision and goals. By the time you are through reading this book and completing the For Your Journal entries, you will be able to live out your imagination, not your history, as advised by the late Stephen Covey, American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker known worldwide for his most popular book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. You will know what actions to take to enhance what you already do well and grow in other areas that will improve your overall well-being. Your path forward will invite the changes you desire and, ultimately, unleash your greatest potential. So, ditch your walking shoes and strap on your parachute. It’s time for blast-off into your transformational journey to becoming the best version of you as you embrace opportunity, fuel your dreams, and relish the life you desire.

1

INVITE OPPORTUNITY: OPEN YOUR MIND, MASTER YOUR THINKING, AND DISCOVER YOUR WHY

CHAPTER 1

EMBRACE CHANGE

Learn to embrace change, and you’ll begin to recognize that life is in constant motion, and every change happens for a reason. When you see boundaries as opportunities, the world becomes a limitless place, and your life becomes a journey of change that always finds its way.

—Author unknown

Invite Opportunity

The familiar always appears to be safer, more comfortable, and more secure than the unknown, even if it isn’t working for us personally. Change, on the other hand, can be absolutely horrifying. With change comes growing pains, which are not meant to comfort us by any means. We run from change like the plague because we know it will take effort. We fear that the grass may not be greener on the other side of the sacrifices, discomfort, and challenges we must conquer to reach the greener pastures. What if we learned to view change as an opportunity stretching us to perform at our full potential and achieve our highest purpose? Imagine if we invited change like the butterfly egg that evolves into the caterpillar, then the chrysalis, and finally the beautiful