Testimonials

"Steve brings to the table a unique blend of unconditional support, life wisdom and listening with his heart, his head and his inner guidance so that I knew his feedback and direction were always for my higher good. He helped me on my journey to get a deeper understanding of breaking through old patterns of behavior which weren't serving me in my life and finding a new balance that allows me to operate at a higher level of consciousness. I'd recommend working with Steve if you'd like to live a life of authenticity, ease and joy and want support, guidance, insight and direction in that process."

Debbie Bermont
Outrageousbusinessgrowth.com

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I am 54 years old and have wanted to be a writer since I was young. Other than school assignments, I had never written a thing. I subscribe to writers’ magazines and have been to a writers’ conference. I’m always writing stories in my head. I’m not really sure what had stopped me. I finally got serious. I got a coach. During my first month with Steve, I wrote a short story and submitted it for publication. I am knee deep in the next one. By the time I get my first rejection slip, I should have three or four in the pipeline. I’m on my way and I’ll keep going. Steve’s knowledge, experience, patience and rapport combine to make him a great coach. I recommend him without reservation.

Tom Flint – March 2010

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"Steven Barnes (HERO'S JOURNEY) work, begun years ago, helped me learn the balance of body, spirit, and soul that helps me lead a truly wonderful life. I have a successful career as a CIO, I have reached my personal dreams of being a published author, and have a wonderful partner."

Brenda Cooper, award-winning author of THE SILVER SHIP AND THE SEA and READING THE WIND
brenda-cooper@sff.net

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"I have read much over the last 4 years, to improve how I lived and how I wrote. But nothing combined the two into such basic understandable holistic symmetry as did your "Lifewriting" workshop. "`When the student is ready the master appears.' "Your advice is a honored gift" My goal and resolve has been galvanized by the `Lifewriting' Tapes. Thank you for being my teacher!"
--Corey Locke

"That was out of this world coaching, Steve—clear, concise, profoundly liberating to my performance. Identified exactly where I'm hemorrhaging my power and caulked the breach! Glad you're in my corner, Steve. You are an incredible sport psychology coach. Your insights and reflections are gold... as will be the medal that I win for our country, thanks to your help!”

Scott Sonnon, Coach, Distinguished Master of Sport, International martial arts champion, and creator of the Clubbell™

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Steven Barnes has been a uniquely powerful practitioner at Moonview Sanctuary in enabling our clients to balance their physical and emotional arenas along a spiritual pathway to abiding self love and unifying purpose."

Gerald M. Levin,
Former CEO, Time/Warner
Presiding Director, Moonview Treatment and Optimal Performance Center

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"I've learned more from Steve Barnes, in the more than twenty years I've known him, than from any other man besides my own father. The clarity of his thinking and teaching is unparalleled in my experience, his honesty is unusual, and what he teaches, he lives. This is a man who walks the walk. I've never met, and doubt I ever will meet, another teacher whose judgment makes me rethink my own on such a regular basis."--Dan Moran author, "The Long Run"

"From the moment Steven Barnes opened his mouth, his depth and breadth of human understanding and behavior, especially in the context of storytelling which is timeless, inspired me to BE more, GIVE more and live my life on purpose. Both my personal and professional relationships have surged to heights that would give most people a nosebleed! He's given me tools and understanding that have taken me from a struggling filmmaker to become a better storyteller, father, internet marketer, film producer, and business building coach that can command five to six figures upfront. He's THAT good! Anything Steven has to say, I'm there to listen, learn, soak it up like a sponge, then act accordingly to greater success. Thanks, Steven!

Andy Duncan
Film Producer and Internet Marketing expert
www.andyduncan.name

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"Steve Barnes is superbly qualified, with a well-tested program for achieving complete integration of mind, body, and spirit.

I’ve heard Steve speak at writer’s conferences about the craft of writing and how writers can develop inner depth by exploring their personal hero’s journey. I’ve also participated in martial arts classes he’s taught. I still benefit from his program of daily physical movements and breath work practices. Taken all together, I’m impressed with Steve’s advanced level of mastery in so many areas and how he is an impressive role model for everything he teaches.

Some “health practices” writers interview martial arts masters and write about what the various experts told them—but do not write from inner knowledge.

Some martial arts masters write about what they teach—but don’t write in an easy-to-read way.

Some teachers of personal growth and self-development are good at writing about their programs—but their focus on inner growth ignores the importance of the interactive influences between mind and body.

In contrast, Steve Barnes’ proven talents as a writer, writing instructor, teacher of self-development, life-long student of many of the oldest martial arts forms, and his skills as a martial arts instructor make him uniquely qualified to write a unique, powerful, effective program for developing a strong, healthy well-integrated body, mind, and spirit.

And, his program will be appropriate for both beginners and experienced practitioners to use. The outcomes for anyone who goes through his program will be to develop physical, mental, and emotional flexibility, relaxed self-confidence, sustained energy under pressure, and quick coping skills—all much needed in today’s world of rapid, non-stop change and unexpected adversities.

Al Siebert, PhD., Director of The Resiliency Center
author of The Survivor Personality, and The Resiliency Advantage,
featured on "Oprah"

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Steve, thank you for taking the time, effort, energy and money into developing the (Hero's Journey) course. I think that it is a serious and powerful tool for healing and recovery for people who want, need, and are willing to work toward change in their life.

I signed up for the program because I realized that I still had some work to do to become the person that I wanted to become - and I hadn't a clue as to how to do it. After reading your blog, I knew that you were on to something; you were further along the road than I was, and maybe, just maybe, this program would be helpful.

I was wrong. It wasn't helpful.

It changed my life. It SAVED my life.

I was under a lot of stress, and it was starting to warp everything in my life; the joy was evaporating, and all that was left was rage and bitterness. I knew that I didn't want to be this way anymore, I wanted to be the girl I was, who really enjoyed life, not this angry woman who couldn't even feel the rain on her skin.

I had a lot of information about ways to beat stress, lose weight, develop fitness, and motivate myself to succeed, but I felt like the blind man in the old story, feeling the different parts of the elephant, and wondering what animal I was holding on to. And I definitely didn't know what to actually do with any of it in my day to day living.

Followed diligently, your program has allowed me to slip change past the part of me that wanted to stay the same. It has changed my mindset from, "I failed" to "I learned how something worked." And my continued success in this program has given me the confidence to face my fears in a way that has empowered me, and kept me moving forward.

With this program, I now have the tools to clean out all the false beliefs and pseudo-principles that infest the swamp that is my subconscious mind. These things were holding me back, and would come to the surface at the most inopportune moments, wrapping their tentacles around me, sabotaging my attempts at success, health, and happiness.

I now have to tools to say "no" to things that don't serve me ... I deserve to be well-treated, too!

And, most importantly, I can model the behaviors that I want to see in my children's lives... NOT the mistakes I made that I don't want them to make!!

I'm not perfect, but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel... and it's NOT an oncoming train for a change [smile]!!

LaVeda H. Mason

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"Here are my experiences with your teachings that have impacted my life.

Intermittent Fasting

"Before I started working with Steve, I had over 30% body fat, which is in the "obese" category for men. He really helped give me a sense of perspective on the importance my own physical body and the need to take care of it. To a large degree, I just didn't realize how my out of shape body was effecting virtually every other aspect of my life. With a regular exercise regime, lifestyle changes, and Intermittent Fasting, I have literally cut my body fat in half and am now in the "fit" category of body fat and on my way to the "athlete" category (http ://www .healthchecksystems .com /bodyfat .htm).

I feel better than I ever have in my life. Intermittent Fasting has proved a perfect diet for me in that I still get to enjoy great food in various social situations without having to worry about every last bite, and I still lose weight. There is nothing like digging into a 12 course meal at a nice restaurant with no guilt. I can definitely see myself doing this for life.

Heartbeat Meditation

I've tried meditation a bunch of time, but the one time when I actually felt something and had what can only be described as a sublime experience was through heartbeat meditation.

The Soul Mate Process

I was desperate to find someone to love me that I got in bad relationship after bad relationship for no other reason than that they would have me and I just didn't want to be alone. It was not until I realized that the type of woman who I wanted and could have a deep and long lasting happy relationship with would not be attracted to the type of person I was acting like that I began to change myself. And once I began that change I met the woman of my dreams. We've been married for over a year now and our relationship is stronger, happier, and healthier than the old me would have ever thought possible.

I.D.E.A. (Instinctive Designation of Energy and Attention)

You can have a great and powerful motor for your yacht, but if your map says that there is ocean where there are rocky reefs that motor is only going to serve getting your yatch smashed to pieces even faster. Three and a half years ago, my yacht was heading towards those reefs fast. My body was crap, I was deep in credit card debt and unemployed, and I had a string of deeply unsatisfying relationships. Things were not going well for me until I got a new map.

I started reading some of Steve's teachings and it got me to take a good honest and hard look at my life and what I wanted from it. His writings encouraged me to write down three goals I wanted for my life; a healthy active body, a satisfying and rewarding career, and a loving and deep relationship. I came to realize how each of those influences the other. For the last three and half years, I think I've managed to work on improving each of the three areas 9 days out of 10 and it has worked wonders. I have a body I am proud of. Damn proud of.

I am debt free, have a job that pays the bills and is satisfying in it's own rights but still allows me to find time to pursue my dream job. Most of all, I am now married to a wonderful woman who supports me as much as I support her and who loves me as much as I love her. We have built a great home and a great life together. I still have a lot more improvements to make, the race to the horizon never ends, but I found the map that Steve showed me to be a true and fine map that has lead me to a great destination."

Mike Rails
mike_r_ralls@yahoo.com

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"I have to say Steve Barnes has given me the tools to save my life. I have reduced my body fat by 4% in the last year with the beta version of 101. This was done with a gentle approach that is designed for ultimate success. I have the most wonderful man in the world as my partner and friend, and ultimate support. And with the tools that Steve has taught it has increased the intensity, focus and strength of our relationship. One of the greatest things this year was the ability to turn down a job that would have derailed either my body progress or my relationship, in this economy I am well employed and have only house debt.

Steve offers sound advice, the Diamond Hour is about paying yourself first, for all aspects of your body, mind and spirit. He is unlike most self help coaches in the fact he understands we are not perfect and will falter, he provides bumpers and guidance to get back on track. I am impressed with the fact he will send you for professional help as appropriate, he recognized his limits and want the best for each person.

This program is how to take back your life from the negative influence that you have accepted as standard for your world. After observing Steve’s actions and interactions, he encourages each person to achieve their goals, and makes each person responsible for paying attention to the clues we get about how we are achieving those goals. I would recommend anyone who wants and knows they deserve an awesome life.

This is a simple program, but the implementation can create incredible things.

The way to change the world is one person at a time, and it must start with me. Steve gives hope that our world will be full of happy, healthy people. If you have any questions or want more specifics please feel free to contact me and I will be glad to provide more details.

Victoria Whitlock
Compliance Practice Manager
Puget Sound Oracle Users Group Board Member
v_whitlock@juno.com

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"I have worked with Steve Barnes for the past five years. Steve is a dynamic and creative seminar and workshop leader. He is able to present important information in a way that is both motivating and facilitating in the learning process. Participants always report enjoying their time with him."

Stephen Sideroff, Ph.D., Clinical Director, Moonview Treatment and Optimal Performance Center, Santa Monica, CA

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"I had the opportunity to attend an early iteration of the Hero's Journey taught by Steven Barnes. Months earlier, I had reached a point of absolute hopelessness, emptiness, and misery. My lifelong battle with depression exacerbated by financial, relationship, family, and employment stressors.

Steven Barnes was one of my favorite authors and one day I learned that he had a blog. I visited and was immediately engaged in lively discussions about salient political, psychololgical, and most importantly for me: spiritual matters. I read daily, going back through older posts, gleaning insight, wisdom, and invaluable resources to inspire HOPE and a desire to finally COMMIT to LIVING, rather than existing.

From Steve, I learned about the importance of goal setting, of tending to physical, mental, spiritual, as well as emotional health. He generously shared information and resources that triggered a sense of HOPE. I was fortunate to learn of and attend that early workshop. Even now, 3 years later, as I find myself living the life I visioned during one of the seminar exercises, I am overwhelmed with gratitude! It's remarkable, that even NOW, years after the workshop has ended, I'm swimming in its power. Potentiality resonates in my muscles, mind, soul, spirit, and LIFE. The dark days are much less frequent, and when they do come, I have a cache of tools, techniques, and insight learned over the years of my experience with Steven and the techniques he is sharing in the Hero's Journey.

Sincerely,

Salina Gray
Stanford, Ca
salinag@stanford.edu

*****

" I’ve been using the “Five Tibetans” and “Five Minute Miracle” components of the Hero's Journey program for some time now. Steve has the ability to clearly and concisely explain extremely powerful tools for personal transformation without the fluff of other modalities. This ‘no frills approach’ means one can effectively improve in all three areas of mind, body and spirit while subject to the daily demands of a busy schedule. I wish I had seen this material years ago! Today, I use these programs- about twenty minutes a day--in place of HOURS of daily training I used to do. My wife was pregnant when I discovered this program; I thought I was going to have to cut my daily training for at least several months. Thanks to the high efficiency program Steve has provided, I'm able to train effectively in minutes instead of hours and continue to improve my body, mind and spirit, all while having a newborn infant in the house!

Have a good day,

Travis Pierce
travispierce@yahoo.com

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"I am a 37-year-old African American man from Portland, Oregon. I’m a veteran, a husband of over 13 years and father of two wonderful girls (ages 12 and 16). I’m of above-average intelligence, education, athleticism, and overall competence. I’ve spent a significant part of my adult life searching for a means to improve myself; to find out (pardon the cliché) ‘what I’m made of,’ and what I am actually capable of becoming.

I’ve examined, trial-ran, purchased, dissected, and usually discarded in frustration so many so-called ‘self-improvement’ methods and methodologies that I long ago (wrongly) determined that the only way I could ever improve was to figure it out on my own.

Such was my state of mind when I first found Steve.

His fiction was entertaining and his prose (especially his philosophical and martial writings) was authentic in a way I'd never heard
(and I hope this doesn’t sound crazy) outside of my own head. The voice of his fiction alone compelled me to seek him out, to meet him, and learn from him directly, and I can say without exaggeration that I benefited more from his knowledge, wisdom, personal and extra personal understanding and, yes, friendship, than any other person, course, seminar or experience in my entire adult life.

I was apprehensive (to say the least) about purchasing anything essentially intangible (i.e. non-physical; from which my benefit is primarily subjective, and my detriment can be measure by the lightness of my wallet). I’ve never felt such hesitation learning or purchasing anything from Steve. I benefited from him at our first meeting, and gained more from his online Life Writing course than I had from three years of college English, Literature, and Writing courses.

What I have occasionally been apprehensive about is how much I would actually USE the wealth of resources that Steve has offered. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach, so to speak, and I buy things that sit and are never consumed. Or else I get into a learning mood and have so many resources I can be overwhelmed. But I have never felt like I was ‘taking a chance,’ purchasing from Steve or following his teachings; and I’ve never been apprehensive about him and what he offers.

The ‘Be Breathed’ technologies alone are astonishing in their effectiveness, and even my novice-level efforts at (the early 101 Seminar) was a personal revelation for me, both physically and emotionally. Even better, those experiences are neither isolated nor easily forgotten, because Steve reinforced and refines his teachings on an almost daily basis through his blog and website, not to mention the personal attention he affords any and every person.

Though he had no need, Steve has earned my respect and loyalty. And while he already has many, he still offered me his hand in friendship. Through Steve, I've gained not some fleeing inspiration, but a plan for success that will guide me my entire life, if I allow it. Steve is an invaluaable example of what it is to be a successful man, father and human being. He is my mentor, infrequent taskmaster, and even less-frequent harsh voice of reason. And he’s my friend.

Richard Baldwin
rag2001@hotmail.com

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"Dear Reader:

If you are interested in fitness and human performance, Steven Barnes has what it takes to make a huge difference in your life. He and I got to know each other working on a DVD teaching Steven Barnes' self improvement program. I was practicing law full time, with a sideline in film, and although I had a background in journalism, public relations and advertising, my writing had decreased to not much more than a hobby.

Barnes encouraged me to apply his Hero's Journey tools to my work. Within a year I'd won a national award for humor writing, which led directly an online radio show out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, interviewing like Bob Newhart, Dave Barry and musician Arlo Guthrie.

Barnes' platform as a writer is amazing, but as we became friends, I learned his platform in physical and mental fitness and performance had
personal depth and breadth. Barnes had devoted decades to study, training and practice in yoga, tai chi , karate, silat, kinetic development, fitness, maximum human performance, mental strengthening, NLP and other modalities. Working with leading coaches in each field, Barnes was already a recognized writer and sought after teacher in health and fitness arenas.

We had already produced three Pukulan Petjak Serak Silat martial ats DVDs and were busy filming Barnes' first solo physical mental workout DVD, "The Five Minute Miracle." A combination of Barnes' own study and theory, with ancient and venerable principles such as The Five Tibetans, and the most up-to-date scientific knowledge, The Five Minute Miracle brings a balanced, interdisciplinary approach to the field.

Based on Barnes' background I asked him for help with my own fitness needs. Fifteen years of desk work with decreasing physical activity had me tipping the scales at 230 pounds; anything but attractive on my medium to body build. Barnes was the first to explain to me the relationship between emotional pain and weight gain, indirectly suggesting I get in touch the what ever demons were allowing a productive positive guy like me to completely ignore fitness. Then Barnes introduced me to the concept of "alternate-day fasting." Suddenly I was watching pounds melt away as if by magic. In five months I lost 40 pounds, weighing in today at 185, with just ten pounds to go.

Steven Barnes is an amazing student, teacher, writer and one of the best presenters I've ever seen. His mastery of subject bridges its physical and metaphysical aspects.

I'm a natural cynic, enhanced by training in journalism, law and advertising. Mine is a hard trust to win. But Barnes has won it. I've seen and experienced what he has to offer. It is the real deal. I've applied it to life's important battles and come away a winner.

I recommend Steven Barnes' work and teaching to anyone with an interest in mental and physical fitness, health, well being and performance. Whether you are a beginner, an extraordinarily advanced student, or even an advanced teacher, Steven Barnes' years of study, training, research and program development will take you to your next step and well beyond.

Sincerely,

Joseph Daggy (pen name "Horace Digby")
Hjdigby@Lexingtonfilm.com

*****

"Steve Barnes has created one of the most effective programs I have ever experienced! The technology he applies to the problem of human fitness is far beyond anything else I have seen in the Western world. If you only do one excellence, health and fitness program in your life, make it this one."

Mushtaq Ali al Ansari, Senior Instructor of Silat Zulfikari, Sufi Master
tracelesswarrior@gmail.com

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This 101 diet is great! We just had the life insurance company mini-physicals and they took our blood pressure. Keep in mind that I have had congenitally high BP since I was 26, and have been effectively medicated since then.

However, as I have gotten older, it has creeped up a bit and hovered around the 140/85 for the last year or two. Well, Saturday it was 110/60. And the only difference is that three days a week, we have been eating fruits and vegetables only. Nothing else I have done has had this dramatic an effect.
This is no longer a diet. It will just be what we do.

Geri Jeter
Las Vegas, Nevada
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"(The HERO'S JOURNEY course) is definitely the best
self-help and goal/value clarification program I have
ever used...even better than Tony Robbins!"--Peter Svenkerud