8 to Great: The Powerful Process for Positive Change

The 8 High-Ways of 8 to Great 8 to Great is a process that people all over the world are now using to lose weight, find a better job, improve their relationships, make more money and find greater peace. It is the process used by the lead character in every true story film, such as "Rudy" or "Pursuit of Happiness." Whether you want to become a great friend, a great artist or a great athlete, the process is the same: 1) Get the Picture Visualizing the outcome until it feels good is the first step to any dream or goal. Once you’re clear on your destination, keep thinking about it until you can get excited by what it will be like. Then, from that good-feeling place, the next step will reveal itself as surely as the next yellow brick showed up on Dorothy’s road to Oz. Visualize yourself getting the diploma, driving the new car, or laughing with loved ones. It’ll take you straight to “95” on the Power Pyramid.2) Risk Once your dream starts to take shape, your next step will be to take a risk to follow it. Cowards have the same amount of fear as heroes, but while cowards use their fear as an excuse to stay stuck, heroes feel the fear and do it anyway. Whether it’s the risk of telling the truth or pursuing a dream, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Risking is letting go of security as the world defines it for a larger safety net—being true to yourself. Risk is never running from (our fears)—it’s always running to (our dreams), so ask yourself, “If I had no fear, what would I do?” 3) Full Responsibility As we move down the Risk High-Way, obstacles and detours will inevitably appear. We can curse our “bad luck,” but not without being pulled off course. Full Responsibility is the fundamental shift that allows us to take charge of our lives by owning that we were the ones who chose to go down the road of thoughts that didn’t feel good. Until we see that we’re in charge of our lives, we can feel trapped in a prison of resentment, bitterness, and confusion. When we acknowledge the power of our focus, we realize that we were never prisoners in the first place. 4) Feel All Your Feelings As challenges arise, Feeling All Our Feelings returns us to the freedom of childhood, when emotions came and went without guilt or denial. When we realize that there are no “bad” feelings, we stop getting stuck in one feeling to prevent feeling another. We realize that we can feel mad and sad and still have a positive attitude. Once we’re freed up emotionally, we “feel” better physically as well. Finally, as we overcome the fear and judgment of our own emotions, we can more easily accept the feelings of others. 5) Honest Communication Once we get in touch with our emotions through High-Way 4, we’re ready to practice communicating them honestly with others in a self-responsible way. The practice of non-defensive listening and assertively asking for what we want will empower us and deepen our connection to those around us. When we risk taking responsibility for our feelings rather than blaming others for them, we combine the first four High-Ways into an “inner-state” of loving joy. The FGH Formula The sixth, seventh, and eighth High-Ways make up the world’s most powerful positive attitude formula. Since attitude is mental, not emotional, and since all thoughts are either about the past, present, or future, we only need to practice three kinds of thoughts: FGH.6) Forgiveness of the Past …is knowing we were all doing the best we could at the time with the information we had. 7) Gratitude for the Present …is focusing on appreciation and celebration of the good in every person and situation.8) Hope for the Future …is the small candle that helps us persevere through the darkness. It’s the knowledge that our destiny awaits us.

MK Mueller’s powerful books, keynote presentations and music compositions have earned her national acclaim for over a decade. A former high school teacher, her life took a new turn when she entered the shelter for domestic violence at the age of 34. With new insights into her own responsibility for her happiness, she began a support group in her home which turned into an international speaking career over the next decade. MK calls the lessons in her first book, Taking Care of Me: The Habits of Happiness "the ingredients." She then adds, "8 to Great is the recipe. I've never seen anyone work this High-Ways process, which is based on ancient principles, who has not found greater joy and success." Her new school curriculum for grades 6-12, based on the concepts of 8 to Great, is receiving rave reviews from students, teachers and parents around the world as “the missing link in education today.” MK has two grown children and lives in Omaha, Nebraska.