Two Turns from Zero

by Stacey Griffith

  When you set that deep of an intention—with anything that you’re about to do—it really gives it the opportunity to line up. It tells the universe that this is what you want, and it creates an unknown path. Since we as humans don’t really know how our telepathic powers manifest, why not just tell the universe how it’s supposed to go down? Because then at least you have set the path in motion. The way you tune in to this energy is by repeating your visualizations over and over. You will literally be creating your own destiny. And instead of saying, “I want this job later or soon or next month,” you will always be saying, “I want this job now, immediately.” Be positive. Be confident. After all, if you don’t ask, how can you get what you want?

  Please don’t scoff at asking the universe for help. If you do, it’s like a double negative. Because not only are you not asking, but you’re stripping your request of its power. Picture a magnet that is attracting all your intentions when you are thinking positive and visualizing, and then the second you don’t believe, the magnet reverses its charge and everything is instantly repelled.

  You shine when you try. You shine when you pay attention. In other words, you pop! You want to live that way—shining and popping! That’s why making your list, writing down your goals, and setting your intentions is so important to do by hand, on paper. To say it out loud and to put it in motion. Ask yourself: If there were no boundaries, no consequences, and no limitations, where would you go now?

  After all, as Roald Dahl wrote in his book The Minpins, “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

  “A week is seven brand-new days to be stronger.”

  FOUR

  DEFINING YOUR GOALS

  Once you have learned to set intentions, you are ready to take the next step toward realizing your goals. In this chapter, I’ll show you how to identify and define your personal and professional goals. Then, I’ll explain how to reinforce them with powerful fine-tuning techniques.

  How do you define your own goals? What do you want to achieve? There are many ways to begin. If you need inspiration, you can use your five senses so that your goals are revealed in a way that works for you. If one of your senses is stronger than the others, you might want to start with that approach, or you can use all the approaches in whatever order you like. I find that they all work for me, and at different times, different methods work better than others.

  Stone-cold sober

  What I mean when I say this is that some of us do better when we use lists, some of us love to make vision boards, some of us like to go to sessions with a therapist, some of us have coffee with a mentor, some of us talk to our parents about things, some of us go for a long walk . . . whatever it is that gets you in that zone of who you really are . . . that’s the zone I need you to get into when you start thinking about what your real goals are and how to reach them.

  USING YOUR FIVE SENSES TO DEFINE AND REINFORCE YOUR GOALS

  SG TRUTH My entire office is one big vision board. Some people love to make a specific one and hang it on a wall; I curate mine on my desk with live inspiration items, books, little figurines of people I love, quote cards, magazines I’ve written in, etc.

  SIGHT: Make a Vision Board

  A useful way to visualize your goals is with a vision board.

  Clothing designers create incredible vision boards for their new collections every season. Betsey Johnson, for example, puts up swatches of fabrics and trims, different colors and textures, all kinds of sketches, photographs, and drawings of things that inspire her. Screenwriters take index cards with all the scenes in their movies, put them up on a board, and move them around until the flow of the story is correct.

  What a vision board does is allow you to see your goal manifested and on display in front of you at all times so you have constant reinforcement for your goals. You can make yours out of any materials—just pick a medium that feels good in your hand. I know a lot of people who use chalk and a board/wall that’s been covered with chalk paint so they can easily update their ideas. But you don’t have to go that big if you don’t want it. Your vision board can be the size of an envelope if you want it to be.

  Get creative with your vision board. Place your goal at the top, and surround it with images and/or words that inspire you. Write down your daily or weekly mantra and pin it up. Look for enticing photos or drawings that make you feel good or represent your goals. Be sure to do it by hand, as this will help you focus. The only tool you really need is whatever you’re writing with, some magazines, and some tape or glue.

  Remember, you can modify this idea to suit your style. There are no rules, except to do whatever you like and have fun. When you reach your goal, keep the vision board as a memento, if you like, and start a new one. And remember, you can curate a vision section on your desk as well, which is what I do. I wanted to give you options here so you realize how easy it is.

  TOUCH: Make a Meditation Station

  A Meditation Station is a small place where you can sit and meditate and do your visualizations undisturbed. Your Meditation Station can be on your desk at work, at home, or both.

  I have a special table in my office that belonged to my beloved grandma Mary Lou that has my Meditation Talismans on it. These are objects that are incredibly special to me and charged with meaning. I use them to help me set my intentions, nourish my spirit, and focus on my goals. They include a rosary and a small statue of a saint I got at the mission in Carmel, California, when I rode my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles and we had to stop there; sandalwood beads from India from one of my students; sandalwood protection oil; the Hindu gods I got with Kelly of Ganesh and Hanuman; the Hindu goddess Lakshmi; a tiny statue of Buddha; a crystal from Ellen; my eight-year sobriety chip from Weezie; and a round silver plate that was my grandma’s that says love, love, love all around the outside of it. This table is literally covered with love!

  Your own talisman should be a goal-defining object that is important to you, one that you will associate with power and perseverance. It can be a crystal or a rosary or Tibetan prayer beads, as many people find the repetitive motion of running the beads through their fingers to be instantly soothing and stress-relieving—it’s sort of like listening to music but with your fingers. It can be something you found on a family vacation, or a family heirloom like a cuff link from your grandfather. I like to use a small rock I found on a beach. Whatever you choose is going to have a vibration that’s going to resonate with you. It’s deeply personal and never needs to be explained to anybody. Think of it as your lucky charm.

  If you don’t have the space for a table or want to keep it private, place your talismans in a soft little bag in your purse or a drawer and pull them out when you need to. You can also find or buy talismans in multiples and keep them in your desk drawer, your backpack, your gym bag, your car, and at home.

  SG TRUTH I have them everywhere for protection. I never travel without my pocket edition Zohar from the Kabbalah Centre here in New York, and I always have some type of Hindu god tucked in a pocket of my luggage.

  Since I started using my Meditation Station, my brain has been less scattered and I find it much easier to focus. My message to my students and the community seems more grounded every day. I know this is going to happen for you, too.

  TASTE: Meditation Station Tea

  How can you use your sense of taste to define your goals?

  Simple—with a special Meditation Station tea. The purpose of this drink is to reinforce your mind-set and determination to reach your goals. After a very short while, you will begin to associate the taste of this drink with setting your intentions. Sip an energizing tea before a workout or when you’re doing any Moving Meditation, if possible; choose a calming tea when you’re visualizing at your Meditation Table. Teavana Oprah Decaf Chai and DavidsTea are awesome, and you can order them and many other varieties online.

  Getting into the tea habit is a win-win, as you’ll not only get the hydration you need and something to fill yo
u up without any calories, but the therapeutic value of whatever is in the tea. Your Meditation Station tea should be caffeine-free. Try to drink it without any sweetener, so find a flavor you really like. I like my Oprah Chai hot, but you can make it the night before and refrigerate it if you prefer iced tea.

  And for those of you who really don’t like tea, use cold or hot water with lemon instead.

  SMELL: Spiritual Bath

  Nothing is more potent than the power of scent. It’s the only one of our senses that is hardwired to go right to our brain. No wonder the waft of a certain perfume can instantly transport you back to your mother’s bedroom as you sat watching her get ready for a night out, or take you back to the first time you made confetti cake or kissed someone in high school. For me, it’s Red Vines, the kind of chewy candy you get at the movies. One whiff and I’m instantly transported back to 1977, where I’m sitting in the front row of the theater with Scott Martinez and Robby Starnes, when the now famous theme to Star Wars begins, and I am off to another galaxy.

  Spiritual Bath by Stacey Griffith

  Warm water recalibrates your vibration, especially when it’s scented. Use your time in the bath not just for stress relief, but to help you focus on your visualizations. The beauty of the bath is that we, as humans, all started in water. That’s why it’s so soothing and so empowering.

  Scent is so important to me that I created my own Spiritual Bath products. My mom was a big bath taker, so I grew up loving a long soak. As I got older, I started creating a bathroom environment with scented bath salts and candles, and I got the name for my products when my partner’s children asked me to make them because my baths always smelled so good. They’d get in the warm water and I’d light all the candles and they’d go, “Oh, it’s so spiritual in here,” and I’d smile and say, “It’s spiritual bath time!” Their friends would come over, put their bathing suits on, and dash into the bathroom. I’d light a whole bunch of candles and a stick of incense, and then say, “Okay, the rule of the spiritual bath is that you have to whisper in here, and you can only talk about things that make you happy.” Then I’d hand them one sweet treat, like a small piece of candy, and leave them to their blissful soak.

  CONNECTING SPIRIT TO SPIRITUAL

  Something I’d like you to think about is the difference between the words spirit and spiritual. Especially as these words are often misused, assigning true beliefs, perhaps, to someone who’s merely having a treatment at a spa.

  Spirit is defined as the soul, or character or ethos. A spirit can also be a ghost; spirits are alcoholic; spirited means full of energy or secretly conveyed away. Spiritual is defined as being related to the spirit or soul, or a religious belief. It’s synonymous with enlightenment—or at least it should be.

  The point is, don’t get freaked out if you aren’t “spiritual” in the religious sense. Spirituality has many meanings and definitions. I would say it’s far more important to be connected to a higher level of consciousness than anything else, in touch with a deeper level of yourself—a cellular level, if you will. That’s what will bring connectedness. The more connected you are to your core beliefs as a person, the more balanced and loving your vibration will be.

  The first kit I made for adults was for Oprah, as a thank-you after the “Life You Want” tour in 2014, because I knew she loves her baths as much as I love mine. It was like creating a Meditation Station with bath salts, a scrub, a foaming bath ball, incense, Epsom salts, washcloths from Brunello Cucinelli in Italy because I knew she adored them, eight votive candles that represented the eight letters in “I love you,” and very expensive caramels as the sweet treat. In my note, I told her to eat only one caramel per bath, to light the votives safely, and to light the incense, make a wish, then blow it out.

  I gave it to her at the wrap party the last night we were together, and she left me a voice mail that I have saved to this day. She told me how much she loved and appreciated this gift, and thanked me as only she could for sending it to her. (I have to add, I was dying after hearing this—who gets messages from Oprah on their voice mail?!)

  The products I chose to create in my SB by SG line are fresh-scented bath gels like citrus for daytime and jasmine for nighttime; Epsom salts for soaking those sore muscles; and eucalyptus and lilac bath salts.

  Have fun creating your own scented environment—in the bath, and wherever you like. Choose a signature scent, inhale deeply, and enjoy the moment. Then focus on your intentions.

  HEARING: Music Is the Soundtrack to Your Life

  I have more than 32,000 songs on my computer. They’re all part of my playlist. Music is an integral part of my life, every day, and it should be an integral part of yours, too.

  Before I started working as a trainer, I had a lot of DJ friends in Los Angeles. For my thirty-third birthday, they all pitched in and bought me turntables and showed me the basics. I turned my spare bedroom into a studio and taught myself how to DJ, and then enrolled at the Music Institute in Hollywood, California, to become a sound engineer. I loved music so much and wanted to learn how to record and remix. I thought that kind of work would been an ideal career for all my skills.

  Unfortunately, I was so messed up on drugs that I couldn’t finish school, especially when I got gigs where someone would ask me fly to Miami and DJ a party on the day of an exam. Despite this, my DJ training has always helped me structure my classes. The more music you have—and the louder you can play it (unless your neighbors and your ENT doc complain)—the better!

  I don’t think anything is a better motivator for any task or goal than harnessing the power of music. It gets you moving. During a workout, it helps you push harder, it jacks you up to the next level, and then it relaxes you while you wind down. It helps you head toward that zone where you are totally inside the song, perfectly in sync with your body. When my class gets quiet, I know my students are really feeling the music. I always tell them to put their bodies inside the music, and then stay on top of the rhythm while we’re pedaling to the beat. Let the music do the job, and ride it like a wave.

  During any other time, music can be used to set, enhance, or change a mood, bringing your energy level down (not on my recommended list!) or soaring up higher than you ever thought possible. Music transports us. One study found college students who exercised to music experienced an increase in creative fluency—they were better able to generate different types of ideas. (And their butts looked great, too!) If you’ve had a really shitty time at work and all you want to do is get in your car with a new download, shut your phone off, crank up the volume, and drive away, it’s because you know you’re going to be safe in your little cocoon, sloughing off the stresses of the day.

  High school cross country

  Identify Your Theme Song

  When I was in high school, I ran varsity cross country for the school team. Walkmans hadn’t come out yet so I had to sing a song in my head that was perfect timing for my feet. The one that always worked for me was Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk,” and the line I sang over and over and over again was, “Don’t tell me that you love me . . .” because it had an awesome beat to it. I’d sing those lyrics, and when I got tired I’d pretend there was an imaginary rope I could grab on to that would pull me up the hill—I was visualizing without even realizing what I was doing! Even now, whenever I hear that song I am instantly transported back to San Jose, California, up in those mountains on those dirt trails, singin’ that song in my head, over and over.

  PLAYLIST

  MY FAVORITE PUMP-YOU-UP-TO-GET-MOTIVATED SONGS

  These are some of my favorite songs that get me going . . . and going . . . farther than I thought possible, with a reflection at the end, ha-ha! (That’s for my over-forty crew!)

  Christopher Cross

  “Never Be the Same”

  Earth Wind & Fire

  “September” (James Egbert Remix)

  Eos, Steve Aoko, Chris Lake, David Guetta

  “Play Boneless Hard Alive”

&nb
sp; Jess Glynn

  “Rather Be”

  Ariana Grande

  “Be Alright”

  Demi Lovato

  “Confident”

  Madonna

  “Burnin’ Up”

  Nom De Strip vs. Breach

  “Techno Jack”

  Christina Perri (remix album)

  “Human”

  “Tusk” became my theme song at the time, when I really needed one. Moviemakers know how important they are, too. That’s why Rocky and Star Wars have such iconic theme songs, to represent the energy and the vibration of the movie. Of all the different scenes in a film, it only takes a few minutes of one song to represent them.

  Your own theme song can be whatever you like, and it can change over time, too. It can be the song that gets you going in the morning, the song you love to put your makeup on to. It can be the song that’s the trigger to get you moving for your workout or when you’re cleaning the house or sitting down to pay the bills. It’s the song you set as your ring tone, so that every time somebody calls you, you’re reinforcing your theme. (And it will also help you pick up the phone!)

  Whenever you need a pep talk for conquering whatever intentions or goals you have set, put on your theme song. It’s there to give you courage. If you’re going on a job interview or a date or prepping for a meeting that is making you anxious, play it several times. You already know it’s the song that works, that represents your best you. Then go for it.