There was a profound moment I remember so clearly from a year ago, on February 3, 2022. I was at the cottage, and while meditating, had an overwhelming flood of emotions and deep spiritual connection with one of my mentors, Bob Proctor.
He was one of the world’s most influential forces in the area of possibility thinking, prosperity and personal growth.
I gave gratitude for this moment and proceeded to turn on my computer to check my emails when I saw a message that Bob Proctor had passed away.
While his body left this physical world, Bob Proctor’s lessons, legacy and spirit continue to live on.
Here are a few of the greatest lessons I learned from being a student of his and spending time in his world.
Study Every Day
Bob dropped out of the traditional school system at an early age and took on a series of jobs he never thrived at. When he was 26, he was given a book, Think and Grow Rich, by one of his mentors and since that day, read it every day.
While he continued to expand his wealth of knowledge, this was one body of work he kept coming back to over the years and was considered an authority on the subject.
Whenever people would ask for his advice, he’d say “You’ve got to study. Study every day.” He taught me not only to study to fill my knowledge base, but to also study myself and really get to know who I am, how I operate and what my deepest desires are.
Deep down, for many years, I’d always wanted to take the time to study, learn and grow every day and when Bob set it as a standard, it gave me permission to do the same. Bob would often quote Vernon Howard and say “you can’t escape a prison if you don’t know you’re in one.” When you study every day and combine that with a sense of purpose and create a sense of faith based on understanding, miracles are possible for you.
Studying for me has truly been transformational in how I now look at myself, see the world, the people in it and opportunities all around.
Action is Required
While studying is nice, action is where the learning really begins. Bob would say “if you want to have something, you first must DO something.” He’d consistently remind me of the knowing doing gap and how I already know what I need to do, I just need to actually do it, do more of it and do it even better.
You’ve Got To Have A Goal
When Bob talked about goals, he talked about big, juicy goals. Deep dreams and desires that stretch you way beyond your comfort zone. While achieving the goals may be nice, these goals are really about who you become along the way. They get you to stop playing small and realize that anything really is possible and it is possible for you!
Be Generous
Bob was the ultimate giver of time, money and energy. He was wealthy because he gave. He lived in the spirit and frequency of generosity and was rewarded with a rich and fulfilling life.
A powerful practice he learned from his mother when he was young. Growing up in WWII days, scarcity was prevalent in all aspects of life and while his mother didn’t have much, there was a family that lived down the street didn’t have coal to heat their house. When Bob mentioned this to her, she gave him a $20 bill and asked Bob to go buy $10 of coal (a lot of money at the time and half of what his mother had) and give it to the family. She didn’t even now them.
Yesterday, I met with a mentor who also worked with and studied with Bob. He mentioned to me that Bob always sat at the front of the plane and back of the car. One time while they were travelling together, Bob overheard another passenger mention that he’d forgotten his cufflinks and he sounded distressed. Bob asked the passenger what seat he was in and he told him. Once they were airborne, Bob went up into his carry on baggage and pulled out his box of cufflinks. He went over to give the passenger a pair of cufflinks. When he came back, he was beaming, because not only had he given him a pair of cufflinks, he’d given the passenger his best cufflinks. What a beautiful example of spontaneous generosity that he always encouraged his students to do!
Make People Feel Special
One message Bob continually demonstrated is the ability to make people feel seen, special and important. He’d learn their names, give them genuine compliments, be interested in them and say thank you for the service they provided. Leaving people with the impression of increase is key!
Bob’s Son Brian often shares a story when he was in fourth grade and about to go to a new school. He was not confident and Bob suggested he see everyone with a MMFI (make me feel important) on their forehead. That was a philosophy Brian carried forward throughout his life and allowed him to make friends and connections easily after that moment.
Money is a Mirror and Magnifier
People universally desire to be happy, healthy and wealthy. While happy and healthy are important, money is the only one of the three that can actually be measured to the penny.
Bob would always say that if you don’t like your results in life, you’ve got to make some changes to yourself, your life and your belief system. Because the results you get in any area are a direct reflection of your mental programming.
He was never shy to ask people the most amount of money they earned, because it demonstrated where their belief system and financial thermostat was set. He reminded us that money is a magnifier and will simply make you more of who you are and will come to you when you are in alignment with it. Many people are afraid of money because they don’t want to be perceived as greedy, selfish or uncaring. Others crave it and are bitter they don’t have it. These are the best opportunities to look within and change your paradigm.
At one time, Bob was earning a lot of money and spending it foolishly. When he realized this, he began to change how he showed up in life and shifted the money he was earning to do good. He felt better and others thrived as a result.
Work With The Law
The laws of the universe are unseen forces that most people don’t understand or even know are there. Bob not only understood the law, he worked with it, lived it and shared it with everyone he came across. When you work with the law, it opens up the world of what’s possible for you so you can make better choices, have the confidence to go for bigger goals and have the faith to move forward in spite of insurmountable obstacles because you’re ultimately a spiritual being having a human, physical experience at your core.
Go For What You Really Want, Don’t Hold Back And Challenge Conventional Thinking
Bob believed there is greatness in all of us. He truly believed that you’re capable of doing anything! He’d never let you settle or say “I can’t.” Bob would be the first one to cheerlead you on to go for your dream NOW. Why wait?
He taught his students to think FROM possibility and beyond the boundaries of common thinking.
When Mary Morrisey was going to purchase her dream home, she was applying for a mortgage and Bob challenged her. He asked why she was applying for a mortgage and why she didn’t simply go out and earn the money to buy the house. Her spine straightened up when she realized she hadn’t even considered that possibility.
One of the greatest challenges Bob was most widely known for was challenging you to you’re your annual income into their monthly income. So often, you settle for less than you’re capable of or create goals that you feel obligated to have and leave yourself behind. This is no way to live.
You’ve got to go for what you want and follow your passions and dreams. It’s the most fulfilling way to live. Find your purpose and live it, because it’s something people will benefit from long after you’re gone.
Selling is Helping
Bob had a natural gift as a sales man and when he spoke, people wanted to be in his presence. He knew the information he had to share was special and would transform their life, because he’d seen it done time and time again in his more than 60-years in the personal growth and development industry.
He would consistently remind me that if I didn’t give someone the opportunity to work with me, I was robbing them of a potential massive and radical transformation. At first this felt uncomfortable. And quickly, I realized he was right. People are stuck, just like I was. And I am blessed for all the opportunities I’ve been helped in the past.
Death Can Be Something To Look Forward To
In the years leading up to his physical departure here on earth, Bob was often asked about his perspective on dying and he had a beautiful attitude toward it. While he knew one day his physical body would pass, his spirit would continue to live on. He didn’t know what was in store for him, and he was looking forward to finding out. He began to adopt this perspective after studying Robert Russel’s “Dry Those Tears,” a wonderful perspective on the meaning of life and life after death.
Bob prided himself on doing work he loved till the day he died and he absolutely did. He gave people hope. He helped people see the good in themselves that he saw in them. He lived his mission. He made the moments count. And for that I am thankful. As many others are across the globe.
In closing
If we could all have an attitude and presence like Mr. Bob Proctor, the world would truly be an even more magical place than it is.
I hope these lessons have inspired you to pay a little more attention to yourself and allow yourself to step into your truth and challenge yourself beyond what you ever thought possible. I know I’m certainly a different person because of him and I’m someone who truly loves and knows myself in ways I couldn’t have imagined before working with Bob. While his physical body has departed, I continue to study with him every day and allow his lessons to guide me as well as the beautiful students at the Abundance Academy.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Bob.
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Would you like to learn more about Bob Proctor’s teachings?
- Apply to study Bob Proctor’s work with Larisa in the Abundance Accelerator Program
- Check out his How To Start Thinking Into Results live presentation
- Email me at larisa@myabundanceacademy.ca to request a free copy of his “You Were Born Rich” book.