Living on Purpose

Ustrasana - Bikram Yoga

2012-03-10T20:20:00.004-08:00

Back in September of 2009 (2 1/2 years ago) I walked into a Bikram Yoga studio in Napa. I was curious and wanted to check it out. My husband had gone to a class the day before and went on and on about it. About half way through the class, I was ready to walk out. Actually, I was ready to walk out much sooner, but stuck it out a bit longer. I looked at the teacher and whispered, how much longer? She was very kind and told me to hang in there; just lie down, breathe, and stay in the room, you'll still benefit.

Well, it took a while, but I'm finally over the fear of heat. I practice focusing on posture and breathing -- never mind how hot the room is, who's doing what, or what anybody may think about my own practice (we don't call it exercise; it's "practice"). If students are doing what they're supposed to be doing, no one really cares what any one else is doing; we don't have time for that! It takes all our focus and energy to get through class and perform postures the best we can.

Yesterday was a HUGE day for me. I had tried to do the "Ustrasana" (Camel) pose this whole time, but it kicked my behind; I just couldn't! I'd get dizzy and nauseous; besides, my poor back and hips just couldn't take it...UNTIL yesterday. As I said, I do my best every day, whatever that may be. In Bikram Yoga, we repeat each posture twice; so yesterday, on the second round of "Ustrasana" I thought I'd try to go past my usual stopping point (kneeling with my hands supporting my lower back and my head falling backward, looking at the wall behind me). I released my hands to touch my heels and...WOW, I did it! I can actually go all the way back! I DID IT!!!!

You have no idea what a BIG DEAL this is for me! I had been trying for 2 1/2 years. If I had given up, I would have never known what it's like to do this posture. More importantly, I would have never gotten past the TEMPORARY limitations I thought were there to stay; AND they would have stayed, because I would have made them permanent if I had quit trying. This whole experience is just as mental/spiritual as it is physical.

Getting past a "limitation" creates such a sense of freedom! It's empowering to know that as I do my best every day (again, whatever MY best is for that day), I will get better and better; and then, when I least expect it, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle disappears. It IS as simple as that. Getting past the quitting point, when it SEEMS impossible to do, puts you in a very good position!

Keep going...if it's worth going for!

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." Napoleon Hill

Love is....

2012-02-25T18:05:00.002-08:00

"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you." Wayne Dyer

This was my quote for the "Practice of the Week" last week. I got some feedback and would love to keep the conversation going; so I thought I'd share one comment:

"...that's pretty hard because I want them to be thoughtful, caring, and succeed."

I believe the KEY to what Dr. Wayne Dyer said is "without any insistence that they satisfy you." Satisfy YOU/ME. When we truly love, we need to let those we love BE who they are. Of course we must set boundaries and, when it concerns young children, guide and direct more closely; in the end, however, this is all about them and their life -- not about satisfying you or me. Yes, I will be happy and proud...AND the bottom line is about satisfaction for the individual we love; NOT ourselves.

I hope I'm communicating my thoughts clearly. Let me hear yours :-)

Old Guy And A Bucket Of Shrimp

2012-02-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

This is a true story, Hope you appreciate it and want to pass it along. (Thank you, Ernie, for passing it along to me!)

It happened every Friday evening, almost without fail, when the sun resembled a giant orange and was starting to dip into the blue ocean.

Old Ed came strolling along the beach to his favorite pier.. Clutched in his bony hand was a bucket of shrimp. Ed walks out to the end of the pier, where it seems he almost has the world to himself. The glow of the sun is a golden bronze now.

Everybody's gone, except for a few joggers on the beach. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed is alone with his thoughts...and his bucket of shrimp.

White dots come screeching and squawking, winging their way toward that lanky frame standing there on the end of the pier.

Soon dozens of seagulls have enveloped him, their wings fluttering and flapping wildly. Ed stands there tossing shrimp to the hungry birds. As he does, if you listen closely, you can hear him say with a smile, 'Thank you. Thank you.'

Before long, the bucket is empty. But Ed doesn't leave. He stands there lost in thought, as though transported to another time and place.

When he finally turns around and begins to walk back toward the beach, a few of the birds hop along the pier with him until he gets to the stairs, and then they, too, fly away. And old Ed quietly makes his way down to the end of the beach and on home.

If you were sitting there on the pier with your fishing line in the water, Ed might seem like 'a funny old duck,' as my dad used to say. Or, 'a guy who's a sandwich shy of a picnic,' as my kids might say. To onlookers, he's just another old codger, lost in his own weird world, feeding the seagulls with a bucket full of shrimp.

To the onlooker, rituals can look either very strange or very empty. They can seem altogether unimportant .... maybe even a lot of nonsense.

Old folks often do strange things, at least in the eyes of Boomers and Busters.
Most of them would probably write Old Ed off, down there in Florida . That's too bad. They'd do well to know him better.

His full name: Eddie Rickenbacker. He was a famous hero back in World War II. On one of his flying missions across the Pacific, he and his seven-member crew went down. Miraculously, all of the men survived, crawled out of their plane, and climbed into a life raft.

Captain Rickenbacker and his crew floated for days on the rough waters of the Pacific. They fought the sun. They fought sharks. Most of all, they fought hunger. By the eighth day their rations ran out. No food. No water. They were hundreds of miles from land and no one knew where they were.

They needed a miracle. That afternoon they had a simple devotional service and prayed for a miracle. They tried to nap. Eddie leaned back and pulled his military cap over his nose. Time dragged.

All he could hear was the slap of the waves against the raft...
Suddenly, Eddie felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull!

Old Ed would later describe how he sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand and a squawk from the gull, he managed to grab it and wring its neck.. He tore the feathers off, and he and his starving crew made a meal of it -- a very slight meal for eight men. Then they used the intestines for bait.. With it, they caught fish, which gave them food and more bait...and the cycle continued.

With that simple survival technique, they were able to endure the rigors of the sea until they were found and rescued (after 24 days at sea).

Eddie lived many years beyond that ordeal, but he never forgot the sacrifice of that first life-saving seagull..

And he never stopped saying, 'Thank you.' That's why almost every Friday night he would walk to the end of the pier with a bucket full of shrimp and a heart full of gratitude.

From Max Lucado: "In The Eye of the Storm"

I encourage you to look up his life story; he was quite a success in many endeavors,
this "old guy with his bucket of shrimp"!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2012-02-04T16:45:00.001-08:00

Most of us know where that is -- Disneyland! Great marketing has gotten us to recognize that slogan.

Of course we know that we can make our happiest place on earth wherever we want it to be. Happiness is a way of being; it comes from the INSIDE. Outside circumstances can make us happy for a little while, but then what? What happens when circumstances change?

My friend, Gerard Martin, took his children to the Happiest Place on Earth during Winter break. He shared how the most fun, family bonding time they had was when they were standing in line waiting for a ride. While Gerard and his family were enjoying simply BEING together, others in line were complaining about the wait and wishing they had chosen a different time to go to Disneyland (maybe next week would have been better, etc., etc.).

My point? Whatever you do and wherever you are, MAKE it worthwhile. When you make a decision to do something, do it; don't wish you had done this or that instead. If you find out that you didn't make the best decision, that's okay! You'll know better for next time. Live in the present and get the most out of every moment you live -- life is a present (gift), enjoy it. MOST of the fun is in the journey, not the destination!

Try Harder

2011-12-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Early on I wrote a similar story about a moth -- "Holding on for Dear Life". Below is a story from "you2" (book by Price Pritchett).

A True Story
by Price Pritchett

I'm sitting in a quiet room at the Millcroft Inn, a peaceful little place hidden back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It's just past noon, late July, and I'm listening to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away.

There's a small fly burning out the last of its short life's energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the fly's strategy--try harder.

But it's not working.

The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination.

This fly is doomed. It will die there on the windowsill.

Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. the breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.

Why doesn't the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route, and determined effort, offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing, until death, to seek a breakthrough with "more of the same"?

No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it's an idea that will kill.

"Trying harder" isn't necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes in fact, it's a big part of the problem.

If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.

You Can Heal Your Life

2011-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

You Can Heal Your Life is a powerful book by Louise L. Hay. I wanted to share a beautiful passage from the book for you to use as one of your affirmations. This is how you begin healing your life, by changing/healing your thoughts -- CHOOSING beautiful thoughts.

"In the infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole, and complete. I believe in a power far greater than I am that flows through me every moment of every day. I open myself to the wisdom within, knowing that there is only One Intelligence in this Universe. Out of this One Intelligence comes all the answers, all the solutions, all the healings, all the new creations. I trust this Power and Intelligence, knowing that whatever I need to know is revealed to me, and that whatever I need comes to me in the right time, space, and sequence. All is well in my world."

Repeat this to yourself as often as you can, and then more!

A great BIG thanks to Louise Hay!

True Greatness

2011-11-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

Dr. Russell Conwell delivered this lecture over 6000 times -- "Acres of Diamonds."

Most of us know about the story he began his lecture with (you can take a few minutes to look it up; I'll also share it on my blog later). But I wanted to share the last paragraph of his famous lecture, since we don't often hear that part. Of course, this is common sense and true lasting wisdom:

"...Greatness consists not in the holding of some future office, but really consists in doing great deeds with little means and the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks of life. To be great at all, one must be great here, now, in Philadelphia [insert your own home town/city here and wherever he refers to Philadelphia]. He who can give to this city better streets and better sidewalks, better schools and more colleges, more happiness and more civilization, more of God, he will be great anywhere. Let every man or woman here, if you never hear me again, remember this, that if you wish to be great at all, you must begin where you are and what you are, in Philadelphia, now. He that can give to his city any blessing, he who can be a good citizen while he lives here, he that can make better homes, he that can be a blessing whether he works in the shop or sits behind the counter or keeps house, whatever be his life, he who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own Philadelphia."

Secret Revealed!

2011-10-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! Really?? Can you believe Kate is human? Yahoo's landing page informed me that the beautiful PRINCESS, Kate Middleton, has a scar! There's a whole story about that, apparently. I didn't click on the link to read "the rest of that story," but REALLY?

Seriously, dear readers, I cannot think of a more trivial subject to waste time on than silly gossip. Let the Princess live her life and do the good she desires to do, while we go about living our own lives and doing the good we desire to do. These are the distractions that keep us from focusing on our own journey to greatness.

As Les Brown said: "You MUST remain focused on YOUR journey to greatness." This is not a suggestion or good idea, it is a MUST.

Time and talent are precious commodities, guard them well; spend/use them wisely. The distractions of news media and magazines can be detrimental to our health (yes, health), because they plant lies into our beautiful minds -- lies like the idea that the "rich and famous" are perfect, flawless, and high above the rest of us "common folk."

Love who you are; BE who you are; and never mind what "they" think. After all, even Princess Kate isn't perfect! Remember "the emperor has no clothes" story? It took a child to speak the truth; a child who in the "important" people's minds was too naive to know better...but he DID know, and a LOT better. He wasn't afraid to speak the truth.

BTW, if you don't know this story, search for IT on Yahoo or Google -- instead of Kate Middleton's scar story ;-).

Everything You Want!

2011-10-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

You know how strongly I feel about guarding the MIND; hence, Mind Guardians! Well here's another confirmation on how absolutely powerful our minds are...

"Everything you want for your life STARTS with your mind," this is a quote from a Nightingale Conant brochure explaining "The FlexBrain Method" -- one of their many amazing programs.

You've said it or heard it before: "this is just who I am, I can't help it!" It's time to stop thinking this way; this is a statement based on OLD (centuries ago) information. We are now discovering new facts about the brain and how we can re-train it through the MIND--one beautiful thought at a time.

Why not believe that you CAN have everything you want? This is not greed, but it IS living and enjoying life. When you're happy, it's much easier to make other people happy, too. When you have what you need and want, you can help others get what they need and want.

Ask yourself this question: "how has my way of thinking worked out for me thus far?" If you like the answer, then keep on doing more of what you're doing. If you don't like the answer, then the only way to change your results is by changing your way of thinking. Try some "Neurobic" exercises for your brain. Maximize your mind. Check out this program: "The FlexBrain Method" or other resources on my website: www.DreamPlanAchieve.com (Resources tab).

I mention these programs and my website because these are the things I have put in place to improve my life. There are so many ways you CAN improve or completely change your current results; all you need to do is take action.

Choose your thoughts wisely. Believe. Dream, Plan, and Achieve!

Bob Proctor - 50 Years!

2011-10-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Check out this post by my friend and fellow LifeSuccess Consultant Meshack. It is an honor to have Bob Proctor as our mentor.

Great inspiration and wisdom. Enjoy!

http://meshackkhosa.com/2011/10/18/how-to-inspire-and-equip-500-million-people-in-50-years/

Why "Practice of the Week"?

2011-10-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's been well over 3 years since I started my "Practice of the Week" e-newsletter (VERY SHORT newsletter--basically a quote). A HUGE "thank you" to my readers!

Once in a while I find myself explaining why I send only one quote, and only once a week. Last week was one of those once-in-a-while times, so I thought I'd blog about it.

I believe it is essential that we have POSITIVE REPETITION in our lives. Like me, you may find yourself bored with some information that you already know or have heard before. But you see, the BIGGEST gap is between what we know and what we actually do with it. I'd like to think that I am helping close the gap one "practice" at a time.

So, I send one quote a week (keeping it short and simple in a hectic world) so that we can read it over and over again and let it sink into our subconscious (habitual) mind. This gives us time to savor the meaning of a short yet powerful message. Rather than saying "next," we actually stay with the same thought--positive thought--for at least one whole week.

We have been conditioned to look for change in scenery and excitement all the time. How has this conditioning served us? You answer that for yourself.

My sincere desire is for each one of us to stop and think about the quote in "Practice of the Week," then go back, re-read it, and think about it again and again--for at least one week! Perhaps even read and think about different "practices" from time to time, BUT always focusing on the current practice/quote for at least the one week.

Repetition is the first rule of learning. Why not repeat the positive, affirm the abundance and goodness all around us, and dig deeper into the things that really matter in life--the truths that often get buried under mounds of trivia and confused priorities?

Hope this helps you get to know me and my purpose behind "Practice of the Week" a little better.

BTW, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, I invite you to go to my website (www.DreamPlanAchieve.com) and subscribe to the "Practice of the Week." You can safely unsubscribe at any time.

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

2011-10-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's all over the internet, but I wanted to share this on my blog -- Great article by a great man who persevered through some TOUGH times and made it to the other side a much happier and more successful person. May he rest in peace.

“I found what I loved to do early in life” – Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011

Steve Jobs gave this as his second story of his Commencement Address at Stanford University on June 12, 2005.

Love and Loss

I was lucky. I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started?

Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT.

I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple.It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.

Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it.

Don't settle.

Steve Jobs
1955-2011

"The Goal Achiever"

2011-10-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

How do I choose a goal?
How do I decide what I want?
How do I attain happiness and peace of mind?

These are the kind of questions that we will answer during our "Goal Achiever" class starting on Tuesday, October 18 (6:30 - 8:00 p.m.). Look for more information on my website in a couple of days, please. Of course, you can always call or e-mail and I will give you the details.

This is a "small" detail that I completely overlooked, so bear with me.

Thank you!

THE Deal Breaker!

2011-10-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Deal breaker? That would be FRUSTRATION. Interesting how we happen to hear, see, or read JUST the right thing at the perfect time.

As I was dealing with some more back challenges -- and working through my frustration with the whole situation, I 'happened' to listen to a segment of Wayne Dyer's seminar on "Excuses Begone!"

Dr. Dyer was doing a little coaching with some of his attendees. One woman got up to share her challenge (being nervous all the time). This woman is a doctor herself, but she couldn't see a way out of this trap. She said "I am always nervous...and there's NOTHING I can do about it... I've tried for EIGHT years," she said, "and now I know that there's no help for my condition."

Dr. Dyer asked her, "what would you be like without this nervous condition?" She said "I would be tranquil, happy, relaxed...." then she answered her own question; she said "I guess I've been so frustrated for so many years that nothing was working, so I just gave up!" Right there, in that moment, this woman's voice changed. She became calmer when she allowed the small chance of MAYBE this is not the end of the road -- MAYBE I CAN be tranquil; MAYBE there is hope. That little glimmer of hope broke the frustration cycle and got her back on track for healing and bettering her life.

Note that the 8 years of work were not wasted; they paid off BIG TIME when this woman stopped for a moment and allowed the process to work.

FRUSTRATION is a huge deal breaker. I'll say it again: feel it, process it, and let it go. My own experience has been to work through it and rise above it; if I don't, the price is too great to pay. For one thing, I'd be crippled with severe back pain; instead, I do what I need to do to take care of myself -- exercise, sweat bullets in Bikram Yoga (LOL), rest when I need to, etc. -- all the while enjoying my life (family, business, and all), and allowing the process to work.

Life is too short to waste on frustration, anger, or plain quitting. Look for the good and you will find more and more of it. Enjoy every step of YOUR journey.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

2011-09-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Interesting thoughts passed along through one of those e-mails…you know, the ones that get forwarded and forwarded…and forwarded? Enjoy what you like and forget the rest :-)

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; it is a "steering wheel" you use constantly…if you want to get anywhere!

2. Why is a car's windshield so large and the rear view mirror so small? Because our past is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move forward.

3. Friendship is like a book. It takes a few seconds to burn, but years to write.

4. All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy… they will not last forever. If going not-so-well, don't worry… they will not last forever, either!

5. Old Friends are Gold. New Friends are Diamond. If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold… Because to hold a Diamond, you need a Base of Gold!

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, "Relax, my child, it's just a bend, not the end!

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when He doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in YOUR abilities.

8. A blind person asked a saint: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles; it takes away TODAY'S PEACE.

Future Tripping

2011-08-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

What if I can’t make it to the end of practice?
What if the business fails?
What if they don’t like me?
What will people think?
But it’s too late for me….

After having a discussion about worry and stress, a friend commented that so many people live their lives “future tripping!” What a great way to put it.

How about enjoying the moment? When we worry about what happened yesterday or what may happen tomorrow, we steal the joy from today. Even if today isn’t very joyful, we can handle it much better if we don’t add more anxiety to it.

Living in the moment is the smartest, most effective way to live. This doesn’t mean that we don’t plan for tomorrow, but all we have control over is right here and right now. Make the best of each moment…you have what it takes to handle the great and the not-so-great; don’t waste your energy “future tripping.”

So, let’s turn the negative around:
What if I CAN make it?
What if the business succeeds?
What if they DO like me?
Forget about what people think (we can’t please everyone all the time!)
It’s never too late…I can start right here, right now.

Have fun and LIVE life!

Money driven vs. Passion & Purpose driven

2011-07-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

A friend told me about this blog post; read it and see what I mean about money/business driven vs. passion/purpose driven.

http://lorieabrown.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/nurse-kills-patient-then-kills-herself/

Of course, we must learn how to manage money and run successful businesses, BUT the bottom line is not money and business, it’s SERVICE…it’s providing THE best of what you have to offer to your family, customers, clients, patients, etc.

In the end, it’s never about the money, although the majority of people seem to think it is. When we focus on our purpose and what/who we want to BE, then DOING what we love leads to HAVING what we need and want.

I hope you will read and re-read the “BE, DO, and HAVE” concept…in that order. Think about it for a while and let it unfold its true meaning for you. I can only imagine how many tragedies would be avoided if everyone practiced this way of being.

Brain Power

2011-06-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Just for fun...can you read the following sentence?

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht Iwas rdanieg. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’tmttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihngis taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can bea taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae thehuamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a patetrn.Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!"

How can you read this? Because your brain has created a pattern for every word you know.

Check out this article by Steve Campbell, author of “Making Your Mind Magnificent”:

So…CAN YOU IMAGINE how many patterns you must have? (They run into the trillions!) It's no wonder that your brain is the most complex organism in the universe!

But what can this mean to YOU? Only this: That the primary element that holds you back is not how smart you are, or how old, or how stuck in your ways...it is what you say to yourself!

You see… while I'm talking to you, you're talking to yourself many times faster. And it is this “self-talk” that determines how you see yourself (This is called your "self image.")

And…you do not have one self-image, you have thousands; one for everything you can do, and for every way you see yourself.

The scary part is that your brain accepts what you tell it...without question! No arguments! So when you say, "I just can’t do that!” your brain simply says, “OK!"

Is it true? Your brain says, "I don't know; how am I supposed to know that?!" All I know is....what YOU tell me!

The WONDERFUL part is when you say "I CAN do this!" your brain agrees just as quickly.

Again...is it true? Again...your brain says, "I don't know! In fact...I don't even care! ALL I CARE ABOUT IS WHAT YOU TELLME! So when you say it...I believe it! And when you LOCK onto it...I'll do everything I can...to make it true....in your life.

WOW!

So…our first new way of thinking is to immediately throw away any notions that you are too old, too young, or too stuck in your ways. You can grow as much as we want to!

How exciting!!!

Do You Want it All?

2011-06-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

Poem by Rilke:

You see, I want a lot.
Maybe I want it all:
The darkness of each endless fall,
the shimmering light of each ascent.

So many are alive who don’t seem to care.
Casual, easy, they move in the world
as though untouched.

But you take pleasure in the faces
of those who know they thirst.
You cherish those who grip you for survival.

You are not dead yet, it’s not too late
to open your depths by plunging into them
and drink in the life
that reveals itself quietly there.

American Dream...

2011-06-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

...Dead or Alive?

As I watch young graduates (we have a couple of our own), I see the sparkle in their eyes as they conclude one phase of their lives and enter another exciting phase -- though a bit scary because of not knowing exactly which direction they will be going (job, degree, etc.)...

How long do you suppose the sparkle will last? How long will these young people stay excited about life and their dreams? Will you be one to encourage them to keep their "umph" no matter how many times they may seem to "fail" as they try to accomplish their goals and live their dreams? Will you support them in their journey to triUMPH?

The other day I decided to listen to the news for a few minutes while I was driving (a rare occasion -- listening to the news, that is). I heard a short "interview" with Suzi Orman; she was expressing her views on owning a house... saying that it is not really for everyone, and this may not be a good time to own one, etc. The reporter then asked, "so is the American Dream dead?" Much to my disappointment (with all due respect to Suzi) she said "YES!" I couldn't believe my ears!! But then again I know that this is how the majority of people believe and "think." I put "think" in quotes, because most people think they think, but brain activity is not necessarily thinking! No offense to anyone, but we must be aware that THINKING is the process of using our higher faculties (our OWN higher faculties), NOT going along with what the majority is doing or saying, and definitely NOT giving up on our dreams!

We live in an amazing country with limitless opportunities. I really don't care what the "experts" say, we still have limitless opportunities. Our young graduates need not have second thoughts about their dreams; they need not have them stolen away from them by people they look up to and admire, simply because these people think they are being "realists" and they're "saving" them from disappointment.

Of course, ambition is not limited to young people. Re-visit your dreams, live a highly ambitious life (wherever you are in your life right now), and as Churchill said "Never, never, never....give up!)

"The difference between try and triumph is a little "umph."
Keep your UMPH!

Decide and ACT

2011-05-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Why is it that only 3 to 5 people out every 100 are actually living the life they CHOOSE to live? Why is it that the rest -- and the majority -- struggle all their lives trying to make it (if they don't give up completely)? And this majority can end up pretty critical of the small minority that DO make it. WHY?????

Ever wonder? Seriously, do you ever wonder about that? It's really easy to make a decision, my friends; really easy...compared to ACTING ON that decision. Perhaps that's why most people are afraid to make decisions, especially those that can get them to where they want to go. I KNOW you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, then all you have to do is stop for a second and think about it; you'll know exactly what I'm talking about if you let yourself.

I must tell you here that if you really want to expand your knowledge AND your awareness (to bridge the gap between what you know and what you actually do), then you need to check out the amazing gift that SEVEN is offering through the 8 teaching/coaching sessions going on right now and through the first week of June. You owe it to yourself to check it out. These calls are recorded so that you can have access to them any time you want; jump on board and join in the beautiful adventure. Go to my website to get more information.

You know how passionate I get about allowing yourself to BE....be YOU. Go for it -- make the decision and take action NOW!

Wishing you love, peace, serenity, and all that your beautiful heart can ever wish for....from the bottom of my heart :-)

The Man in The Glass

2011-05-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Women, Moms...all of you beautiful females out there, read it as
"The Woman in The Glass"

The Man in The Glass
From the original "Guy in the Glass"
by Peter "Dale" Wimbrow Sr. (1895-1954)

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
and the world makes you king for a day,
just go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father, or mother, or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass;
the fellow who's verdict counts most in your life
is the one looking back from the glass.

Some people may say you're a square shootin' chum
and call you a wonderul guy,
but the man in the glass says you're only a bum
if you can't look him straight in the eye.

You may fool the whole world down your pathway of years
and get pats on the back as you pass,
but your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.

He's the one to please, never mind the rest,
for he's with you clear up till the end.
And you'll pass your most dangerous, dificult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.

The Healing Time

2011-04-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Below is a poem shared by an amazing woman and friend, Catee Ryan, M.F.T.
Read it, ponder it, enjoy the depth of meaning...and healing.

The Healing Time
By Persha Gertler

Finally on my way to yes
I bump into
all the places
where I said no
to my life
all the untended wounds
the red and purple scars
those hieroglyphs of pain
carved into my skin, my bones,
those coded messages
that send me down
the wrong street
again and again
where I find them
the old wounds
the old misdirections
and I lift them
one by one
close to my heart
and I say
Holy. Holy.

Reinvent/Remodel

2011-04-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

Out of confusion comes a higher level of order…

Let’s say I want to remodel my kitchen. First, I must know what I want it to look like AFTER the mess of remodeling; then, I must be willing to “pay the price” – money and inconvenience. So the work begins and I put up with the mess and confusion BECAUSE I KNOW that the ultimate result will be well worth it – a small price to pay when compared to the reward!

Why is it so difficult then for most people to reinvent/remodel their lives? Is it because we don’t put enough value on the “standard equipment” that we were born with? We were born with the biggest treasure chest EVER…full with gems and amazing valuables: MIND, BRAIN, and BODY!

Must we pay money for things before we can value them? Our “standard equipment” is worth more than any amount of money can pay for. Treasure your “basic” model and enhance it. Tear down the false walls and peel away chipped paint – they’re only designed to distract you and block the REAL GEMS. Let your true beauty shine, even if it means “putting up with the dust while you remodel and reinvent yourself.”

Dare to face confusion and inconvenience in order to unveil your authentic self and achieve your ultimate results. Remember this quote by Rollo May:
“the opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.”

Keep Going...

2011-04-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

...but don't forget to rest in between!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV (great wisdom from the Bible)

I often hear/see people struggling to keep going. We have all been so well trained to KEEP GOING, falsely believing that this is how we acquire success -- or maybe even just keep our heads above water. Well, I also often remind myself, clients, and loved ones that we are human BEINGS....not human "doings." Most of us take better care of our THINGS than we do of ourselves.

I like Jim Rohn's quote: "Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become." So work harder on yourself than you work on your job, career, or business. Use your beautiful brain and let the creative juices flow; exercise your body and allow it to be healthy and strong; and then take time to rest, rebuild, and recharge.

Check out this blog post by Martha Beck (link below): "Keeping Those Creative Juices Flowing." (to come back to my blog, press the "back" arrow, don't close the browser):

Keeping Those Creative Juices Flowing

Auto Suggestion

2011-04-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

Here’s a poem that Napoleon Hill shared in his book “Think and Grow Rich” that describes the power of THOUGHT:

“If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.

“If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will—
It’s all in the state of mind.

“If you think you are outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

“Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”

Like the wind carries one ship east and another west, your thoughts will lift you high up or pull you deep down… make sure you set your sail correctly. Watch those thoughts and CHOOSE wisely!

How to Outwit Mother Nature

2011-03-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

"Desire backed by faith knows no such word as impossible." Napoleon Hill knew exactly what he was saying when he made this statement…he LIVED it! His own son was born with no ears and the doctors said he would be a deaf mute all his life, but Hill chose not to take their word as the absolute truth. He said “Nature could send me a child without ears, but nature could not induce me to accept the reality of the affliction.”

Hill watched and did everything in his power to instill hope and faith in his son’s abilities and potential every chance he had. The story is quite captivating, I hope you get the book “Think and Grow Rich” and read/re-read it for yourself. Here’s a little excerpt that really hit home for me:

“Despite the fact that all the philosophy I had examined clearly indicated that EVERY ADVERSITY BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT ADVANTAGE, I must confess that I had not the slightest idea HOW this affliction could ever become an asset. However, I continued my practice of wrapping that philosophy in bedtime stories, hoping the time would come when he [his son] would find some plan by which his handicap could be made to serve some useful purpose.

“Reason told me plainly that there was no adequate compensation for the lack of ears and natural hearing equipment. [BUT] DESIRE, backed by FAITH, pushed reason aside and inspired me to carry on.”

Hill's child grew up to be a highly successful young man. AND, he sure was NOT a deaf mute!

I trust this story will inspire you to live your FULL, infinite potential…flowing effortlessly in the direction of your dreams. The HOW will show itself as you travel your own beautiful journey and exercise your faith “muscle.”

Remember this… Hill’s strong, burning desire, backed by faith, outwitted Mother Nature! Also, note how important a parent’s/mentor’s influence is. May you -- parent, mentor, or any person of authority and influence -- always empower and uplift those who trust and look up to you.

Do You Hate MORE Than You Love?

2011-03-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

Your first response is probably a resounding NO, of course not! BUT let me put it this way: do you spend more time...

...hating war than loving peace?
...hating sickness than loving health?
...hating bad than loving good?
...hating lack than loving abundance?
...judging than understanding?

You get my point. If we're not careful, we can get drawn into the disasters, violence, recession, and many more negative happenings in our world. Being focused on what IS working and what we truly LOVE is the only way to immunize yourself against the negativity epidemic. This doesn't mean being calloused or uncaring; it only means keeping our own head clear and healthy so that we CAN help the world at large... reaching one person at a time, beginning with ourselves (keeping our own "house" clean).

As the quote in my "Practice of the week" says, the voice of inspiration is quiet; make sure you're blocking out all the other LOUD noises coming at you from so many directions, and tune in to your inspiration channel. You'll like what you hear, if you really listen.

Spend MORE time and energy loving, it's much more fun and rewarding! Remember, you find what you look for; so look for the good around you.

Fable of the Porcupine

2011-02-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions. After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

Moral of the story: the best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the one where each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and admire others' good qualities.

The Whale

2011-02-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

I received this story a while back in a "forwarded" e-mail; I really liked it, so thought I'd share it with you...

If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale that had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso and a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them.
Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

Article in Napa Valley Register -- By Rebecca Huval

2011-01-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share this with you, if you didn't see the article. This also helps me keep it in my repertoire....

Selwa Hamati gave a workshop Sunday afternoon at Copperfield’s Books in Napa about how to make the best of the recession. Rebecca Huval/Register

Just because the economy is down doesn’t mean you have to be. That was life coach Selwa Hamati’s message at a free workshop Sunday afternoon at Copperfield’s Books in Napa.

“People lost their jobs in the recession, but (some) hated it when they had it,” Hamati said. “We can get miserable in our comfort zones.”

To a group of about 30 people, including some who had been laid off or furloughed in recent years, Hamati explained how the recession and job loss can give us a chance to reflect on what’s truly important to us.

She asked the audience to jot down who they are and who they want to be in the future.

“Was that hard?” Hamati asked afterward. One woman raised her hand to say that yes, it was.

Hamati concurred. “When I first wrote my story about myself, it was pretty sad. I beat myself up. I said, ‘Here’s who I am, but it’s not who I should be.’”

The author had procrastinated on writing a book, but the recession was her wake-up call, she said. She published “Once Upon a Recession” in 2010, and finished writing it in six months.

Instead of letting a sluggish economy scare you, now is the time to take risks, she said. “So what if we fail? Failure is a lesson, that’s all.”

Hamati also asked the group to tune out what others tell us about how to live our lives. They might have good intentions, but friends and family members don’t always know what’s best for us — we do.

Audience members traded stories of personal struggles and triumphs throughout the event.

Jolin Halstead launched her own business in late 2010. “Recession is a word we made up,” she said. “We can grovel in it or choose to be enlightened in it.”
Halstead, 55, of Napa, said the workshop reinforced her decision to start her business of parent-and-child communication coaching.

Another local entrepreneur, Heidi Nord, started her business as a dyslexia specialist in 2007 and said the workshop helped her to think positively. When the recession first hit, she got rid of her TV set to protect her business vision from bad news. Even after many life-coaching sessions, “I realize you have to keep learning and surrounding yourself with great people like Selwa,” said Nord, 41, of Napa.

For Allan Frederick, Hamati helped him to come to grips with the four-day furlough he’s experienced this year as a Benicia public school teacher. He’s buoyed his spirit and salary by distributing skin products through the international anti-aging company Nu Skin. “It just reaffirms you’re going to get a hiccup once in a while and to learn from it,” said Frederick, 51, of Napa. “You just look forward to the next adventure.”

Once Upon a Recession - Launch/Workshop

2011-01-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

Today (01-30-11) is an exciting day for me! I know I'll see some of you at Copperfield's Books in Napa for my Book Launch and Workshop; I'm looking forward to it!

I'll be discussing the 7 principles of resilience (on page 20 of the book). So I thought I'd share these principles with you, my readers, in the next few weeks. Today, I would like to encourage you to believe in your God-given talents and unique abilities. Focus on what's working and what's good in your life -- even the smallest things you can think of.

Below is a list of the principles:

• Acknowledgement of authentic truth
• Ownership or responsibility
• Commitment to change
• Reprogramming thoughts
• Courage to actually change
• Staying the course (persistence/resilience)
• Reaping the rewards!

I'll get into each one in a little more detail in the coming weeks; for now, please think about what they could mean to you and how you may start applying them in your life today...right now!

To resilience and great success!

Press Release: "Once Upon a Recession"

2011-01-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this Press Release with all of you... please join me on the 30th; I'd love to share this event with you, my friends.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2011

Contact: Michele Smith
Mobile: 916.502.1661
Email: michele@mcommunicationsinc.com

NEW AUTHOR WRITES INSPIRATIONAL BOOK ABOOUT HOW PEOPLE ARE ACHIEVING AMAZING SUCCESS IN THE RECESSION

NAPA, Calif.—Are you aware that some people are achieving an amazing amount of success in this recession? Once Upon a Recession is an inspirational book for anyone who has lost a job or experienced the effects of cutbacks and other serious challenges during the current recession. There are, however, an enormous number of people who have achieved unimaginable success by following their passion and purpose with unwavering commitment.

The author herself was caught in the midst of the real estate downturn and slowly watched her savings diminish away and eventually found herself living on credit card debt. Instead of throwing in the towel, Selwa Hamati embraced her very own resilience and learned to be grateful for the opportunity to ask herself some life-changing questions… as a result, she completely reinvented her life. Selwa believes everyone has the opportunity to live the life of their dreams and many people are embracing these easy-to-learn principles, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of success stories out there. With the current economic recession, many people have been forced to live in a “new reality.”

“If the recession did not happen, I would have stayed exactly where I was in my career,” says Selwa Hamati, author and certified LifeSuccess Consultant. “I wrote this book to teach others that outside forces do not define their success. Once Upon a Recession is my love story for all of the unemployed, furloughed and disenfranchised workers who are ready for change.”

Once Upon a Recession is a new, insightful book about resilience, passion and purpose that drive people to achieve their wildest dreams possible.

During the upcoming book launch party at Copperfield’s Books the author will be hosting a free workshop where attendees will learn the following principles to recession proof their lives… principles that will help them become super resilient:

• Acknowledgement of authentic truth
• Ownership or responsibility
• Commitment to change
• Reprogramming thoughts
• Courage to actually change
• Staying the course (persistence/resilience)
• Reaping the rewards!

The free workshop will take place at Copperfield’s Books on January 30, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.; with a book signing with the author from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Copperfield’s books is located in Napa, CA. at 3900 Bel Aire Plaza. Please RSVP to the workshop/signing at: info@3Lpublishing.com. If you cannot attend the workshop, please feel free to drop by and meet the author after the workshop.

Once Upon a Recession will take readers on a journey to success by learning and implementing easy-to-follow practices. The book promises to inspire readers and is not only meant for those who are facing economic challenges or the unemployment line. The book will motivate current business owners to stay successful and show them how to achieve the most extravagant of goals and live the life of their dreams. Once Upon a Recession will enable readers to create a plan and a vision, as well as give them tools for success.

Once Upon a Recession is available for $14.95 on the 3L Publishing website (www.3LPublishing.com), Amazon (www.amazon.com), and will be distributed nationally in major bookstore chains and retail outlets in Winter 2011. For more information or to request a review copy, please call 916.502.1661 or send an email to
info@3LPublishing.com.

Your Best/My Best

2011-01-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Here's the picture I had of being the best -- THE best, not MY best. So the ideal "girl" that grows into the ideal "woman/wife" should have/do the following (or at least most of the following):

1. Always look good
2. Be popular and lovable
3. Have a nice voice
4. Play the piano
5. Cook (very good food!)
6. Clean house and iron clothes
7. Know how to sew, alter clothes, etc.
8. Etc., etc., etc... you know, like June Cleaver!

So what comes to mind when you think about doing/being your best? Do you have a clear picture of what that looks like? OR do you find yourself thinking of a vague ideal that we apparently must all measure up to?

I like what Don Miguel Ruiz said about always doing your best in his book, "The Four Agreements." Check it out; it's a good addition to your library and I know I've mentioned it before (a while back). Ruiz clarifies that your best today is different than your best was yesterday and what it may be tomorrow. Every day is different, our energy is different, and our circumstances are different. By the way, this is not to make excuses for being mediocre; I'm sure you know that.

When you think of doing your best, please take a moment and tune inward. Figure out what it is you want to get accomplished and give it YOUR best; don't beat yourself up because you don't know something or you're not as good at it as the next person. BE YOU... I believe the era of being a "Jack of all trade" is over... finished... gone! Hire a professional to do what he/she is good at and focus on what you're good at. Also remember that what other people may think is your best, is not necessarily your best; only you can make that decision.

Be authentic. Be yourself. Be all YOU can BE, and you will enjoy your life and excel at everything you choose to do.

You are whole, complete, and "perfect" just the way you are right here, right now... so keep striving toward YOUR perfection (as perfect as that is in an imperfect world).

Wise Spending

2011-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

You may have seen this in your e-mail box, but it’s really worth sharing again and “keeping” in my blog :-)

Imagine that you won the following prize in a contest: each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use; however, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

Here is the first set of rules:
1. Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away.
2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
3. You may only spend it.

Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

Now, the second set of rules:
1. Bank can end game without warning. At any time it can say, “Game's over!”
2. Bank can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

So, what would you personally do? You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, and even for people you don't know… because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all so you don’t lose it forever.

Actually, this game is real!

Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us. Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it.

The MAGICAL BANK is TIME! What we haven't used/lived is forever lost. The 86,400 seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars!

Each morning our “time” account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time....WITHOUT WARNING. SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Think about that…

… And always think of this:
*Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by quicker than you think.
*Take care of yourself… be happy, love deeply and enjoy life!

Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day AND a very blessed & Happy New Year!

Start spending and enjoy…

The Process of Change

2010-12-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays -- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Here's another passage of wisdom from Jim Rohn's "The Treasury of Quotes"...

Change comes from one of two sources. First, we may be driven to change out of desperation. Sometimes our circumstances can become so out-of-control that we almost abandon our search for answers because our lives seem to be filled only with irresolvable questions. But it is this overwhelming sense of desperation that finally drives us to look for the solutions. desperation is the final and inevitable result of months or years of accumulated neglect that brings us to that point in time where we find ourselves driven by urgent necessity to find immediate answers to life's accumulated challenges.

The second source that drives us to make changes in our lives is inspiration. Hopefully, that is where you find yourself right now -- about to become sufficiently inspired to make major and dramatic changes in your life.

How Will My Life Change?

2010-12-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

From Jim Rohn's "The Treasury of Quotes"...

What's it going to be like in the year [2011]? It's going to be about the way it's always been. Aren't you glad I shared that with you? It's not everyone who gets to hear this.

The tide comes in and then what? It goes back out. It's been that way for at least 6,000 years of recorded history.

It gets light and then what? It turns dark.

The next season after fall is -- ? Winter, of course! Every time, without fail, for at least 6,000 years. It isn't going to change.

Six thousand years of recorded history reads like this: opportunity mixed with difficulty. It isn't going to change. "So," you ask, "how will my life change?"...
When you change!

Master Your Fears

2010-12-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

I enjoy newsletters from Brian Tracy; wanted to share this one with you...

Master Your Fears
By Brian Tracy

Perhaps the greatest challenge you will ever face in life is the conquest of fear and the development of courage. Fear is, and always has been, the greatest enemy of mankind. When Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he was saying that the emotion of fear, rather than the realty of what we fear, is what causes us anxiety, stress, and unhappiness. When you develop the habit of courage and unshakeable self-confidence, a whole new world of possibilities opens up for you. Just imagine-what would you dare to dream or be or do if you weren't afraid of anything in the whole world?

Develop the Habit of Courage
Fortunately, the habit of courage can be learned just as any other habit is learned, through repetition. We need to constantly face and overcome our fears to build up the kind of courage that will enable us to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life unafraid. The starting point in overcoming fear and developing courage is to look at the factors that predispose us toward being afraid. The root source of most fear is childhood conditioning, usually associated with destructive criticism. This causes us to develop two major types of fear. These are the fear of failure, which causes us to think “I can't, I can't, I can't,” and the fear of rejection, which causes us to think “I have to, I have to, I have to.” Our fears can paralyze us, keeping us from taking constructive action in the direction of our dreams and goals.

The More You Know, the Less You Fear
Fear is also caused by ignorance. When we have limited information, our doubts dominate us. We become tense and insecure about the outcome of our actions. Ignorance causes us to fear change, to fear the unknown, and to avoid trying anything new or different. But the reverse is also true. The very act of gathering more and better information about a particular subject increases our courage and confidence in that area. You can see this in the parts of your life where you have no fear at all because you know what you are doing. You feel competent and completely capable of handling whatever happens.

Analyze Your Fears
Once you have identified the major factors that cause you to feel afraid, the next step is to objectively define and analyze your personal fears. At the top of a clean sheet of paper, write, “What am I afraid of?” Remember, all intelligent people are afraid of something. It is normal and natural to be concerned about your physical, emotional, and financial safety and that of the people you care about. A courageous person is not a person who is unafraid. As Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”

Action Exercise
Begin your list of fears by writing down everything, major and minor, that causes fear, stress, or anxiety. Think about the parts of your work or personal life where your fears might be holding you back or forcing you to stay in a job or relationship in which you are not happy. Once you have written down your fears, arrange them in order of importance, and then pick them apart one by one.

Little Known Facts

2010-11-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share this with you. You may have seen/read it before, but it's always interesting to learn and/or remember some history:

Here are some little known facts about the American Thanksgiving tradition:

~The first "Thanksgiving" was held in 1621 at Plymouth Rock with Pilgrims and Native Americans and lasted 3 days - held in the British style of a feast.

~In 1676, June 29th was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving.

~One hundred years later in October 1777 the 13 Colonies joined in a Thanksgiving celebration but this was a one time event.

~In 1789, George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving but it was opposed later by President Thomas Jefferson.

~It was a magazine editor and author of "Mary had a little lamb", Sarah Josepha Hale who led a 40-year obsessive campaign that inspired President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim the last Thursday in November as a day of thanks.

~President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday to give more time between the holidays for shopping but the country was in an uproar and two years later the date was moved back to the last Thursday of November.

~In 1941, Thanksgiving was declared a legal holiday by Congress.

Interesting... Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

More Thanksgiving

2010-11-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

While on the subject of being grateful and giving thanks, I want to share a powerful paragraph from Jim Rohn's "The Treasury of Quotes":

"There is no better opportunity to RECEIVE MORE than to be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the windows of opportunity for ideas to flow your way."

Now, it's extremely important to follow through on these ideas/blessings and MAKE things happen; as a matter of fact, it is your absolute responsibility! You are wonderfully and fearfully made; use ALL your talents to the BEST of your ability, then let God do the rest in your life.

Enjoy all the goodness and abundance you receive -- WHEN YOU BELIEVE -- and pay it forward. There is plenty for everyone to partake of this amazing, infinite supply of abundance.

Gratitude Journal

2010-11-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

As we approach my favorite Holiday, I am more mindful of living in a state of perpetual gratitude. I have started a brand new gratitude journal -- using Jim Rohn's beautiful, leather-bound, journal. I've had this beautiful "book" for quite a while, but just wanted to save it for later use because it's special... I know, why not use it right away and enjoy?! Well, I am now ready for it; so I will enjoy it immensely for the SPECIFIC purpose of recording what I am grateful for every single day (when I wake up, before I go to sleep, and any time in between!).

I encourage you, my wonderful reader, to start a very special Gratitude Journal. Once you start writing down every one and everything that you are thankful for, you will have a hard time stopping! Think of the people and things you may sometimes take for granted; don't skip over anything that may seem "trivial."

I LOVE who I am when I am in a state of gratitude. Sometimes it seems a bit hard to think positive, but once I MAKE myself go there, my whole way of being shifts and I feel so happy, great, and grateful. Now I choose to spend most of my time there -- a state of contentment and gratitude. The more I do that, the more I attract the absolutely wonderful things of life and the bigger I dream, visualize, and expect to receive amazing blessings. This is the fuel to my journey as I continue to live my purpose every day.

Life is beautiful; take time to enjoy it in a very special way during this very special Thanksgiving Holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! If you don't celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving Day, be thankful anyway! Every day is a day worthy of thanks giving.

Three Feet from Gold - continued

2010-11-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

The rest of the story from Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich":

"The junk man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up. Most of the money which went into the machinery was procured through the efforts of R. U. Darby, who was then a very young man. The money came from his relatives and neighbors because of their faith in him. He paid back every dollar of it, although he was years in doing so.

"Long afterward, Mr. Darby recouped his loss many times over when he made the discovery that DESIRE can be transmuted into gold. The discovery came after he went into the business of selling life insurance.

"Remembering that he had lost a huge fortune because he STOPPED three feet from gold, Darby profited from the experience in his chosen work by the simple method of saying to himself, "I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because people say 'no' when I ask them to buy insurance.

"Darby in his day was one of a small group of fewer than 50 individuals who sold more than a million dollars of life insurance annually. He owed his "stickability" to the lesson he learned from his "quitability" in the gold mining business.

"Before success comes in anyone's life, that individual is sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a person, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is exactly what the majority of people do.

"More than 500 of the most successful individuals this country has ever known have told me that their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them. Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within reach."

Three Feet from Gold

2010-11-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

By Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich:

"One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another.

"An uncle of R. U. Darby was caught by "gold fever" in the gold rush days and went west to DIG AND GROW RICH. He had never heard that more gold has been mined from the human brain than has ever been taken from the earth. He staked a claim and went to work with pick and shovel. The going was hard, but his lust for gold was definite. After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore. He needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine, retraced his footsteps to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland, and told his relatives and a few neighbors of the "strike." They got together money for the needed machinery and had it shipped. The uncle and Darby went back to work the mine.

"The first car of ore was mined and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear the debts. Then would come the big killing in profits.

"Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle! Then something happened. The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there! They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again--all to no avail.

"Finally, they decided to QUIT.

"They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars and took the train back home. Some junk men are dumb, but not this one. He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. the engineer advised that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with "fault lines." His calculations showed that the vein would be found JUST THREE FEET FROM WHERE THE DARBYS HAD STOPPED DRILLING! That is exactly where it was found!"

To be continued...

Neutralizing Fear

2010-11-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Great newsletter from Brian Tracy. HAD to share it! Please ponder, digest, and enjoy!

Neutralizing Your Two Major Fears
By Brian Tracy

The Greatest Obstacle to SuccessThe fear of failure is the single greatest obstacle to success in adult life. Taken to its extreme, we become totally pre-occupied with not making a mistake, with seeking approval for security above all other considerations. The experience of the fear of failure is in the words of "I can't", "I can't." We feel it in the front of the body, starting at the solar plexus and moving up to the rapid beating of the heart, rapid breathing and a tight throat. We also experience this fear in the bladder and in the irresistible need to run to the bathroom.

The Fear of Rejection Holds You Back
The second major fear that interferes with performance and inhibits expression is the fear of rejection. We learn this when our parents make their love conditional upon our behavior. If we do what pleases them, they give us love and approval. If we do something they don't like, they withdraw their love and approval--which we interpret as rejection.

The Roots of Type A Behavior
As adults, people raised with conditional love become preoccupied with the opinions of others. Many men develop Type A behavior which is characterized by hostility, suspicion and an obsession with performance to some undetermined high standard. This is expressed in the attitude of "I have to, I have to," and is associated with the feeling that "I have to work harder and accomplish more in order to please the boss" who has become a surrogate parent.

The Most Common Trap
More than 99 percent of adults experience both these fears of failure and rejection. They are caught in the trap of feeling, "I can't, but "I have to," "I have to," but "I can't."

The Key to Peak Performance
The antidote to these fears is the development of courage, character and self-esteem. The opposite of fear is actually love… self-love and self-respect. Acting with courage in a fearful situation is simply a technique that boosts our regard for ourselves to such a degree that our fears subside and lose their ability to affect our behavior and our decisions.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to increase your self-esteem and self-confidence in order to overcome your fears:

First, realize and accept that you can do anything you put your mind to. Repeat the words, "I can do it! I can do it!" whenever you feel afraid for any reason.

Second, continually think of yourself as a valuable and important person and remember that temporary failure is the way you learn how to succeed.

Communication

2010-10-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Just because we speak the same language does not mean that we’re communicating! It’s easy to figure out that there is no communication going on when we meet someone who does not speak English, so we either find an interpreter or resort to “sign” language and do the best we can… in such a situation, we do not have high expectations; so this scenario has a sort of “insurance” against misunderstanding (based on circumstances).

Let me share what Jim Rohn has to say about communication & persuasion (www.personal-development-training.com):
“You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not understand. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it, share it, and for it to be effective, you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation.”

“The goal of effective communication should be for the listener to say, ‘Me, too!’ versus ‘So what?’"

“For effective communication, use brevity. Jesus said, ‘Follow me.’ Now that's brief! He could be brief because of all that he was that he didn't have to say.”

“What is powerful is when what you say is just the tip of the iceberg of what you know.”

“If you just communicate you can get by. But if you skillfully communicate, you can work miracles.”

Now, these may sound like a bunch of skills for business, etc. BUT, why must we always pay attention to how we communicate with business colleagues, associates, or even strangers, yet give no thought to communicating with the most important people in our lives – our family and good friends?

Take time to show the most respect, love, and consideration to the people who count the most in your life. Get skilled in the art of communication – speak from the heart and listen intently.

No Substitute for Persistence!

2010-10-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

In his book "Think and Grow Rich" (which is not about the money, by the way), Napoleon Hill says the following:

"THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PERSISTENCE! It cannot be supplanted by any other quality! Remember this, and it will hearten you, in the beginning, when the going may seem difficult and slow.

"Those who have cultivated the HABIT of persistence seem to enjoy insurance against failure. No matter how many times they are defeated, they finally arrive up toward the top of the ladder. Sometimes it appears that there is a hidden Guide whose duty is to test individuals through all sorts of discouraging experiences. Those who pick themselves up after defeat and keep on trying, arrive; and the world cries, "Bravo! I knew you could do it!" The hidden Guide lets no one enjoy great achievement without passing the PERSISTENCE TEST. Those who can't take it, simply do not make the grade.

"Those who can "take it" are bountifully rewarded for their PERSISTENCE. They receive, as their compensation, whatever goal they are pursuing. That is not all! They receive something infinitely more important than material compensation -- the knowledge that "EVERY FAILURE BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT ADVANTAGE."

Why don't you pick up a copy of Napoleon Hill's book and read it or re-read it. I have committed to reading the chapter on PERSISTENCE every day for the next 30 days -- a challenge that Bob Proctor put out to us while at training this last week (LifeSuccess Consultants training). Won't you join me?

p.s. my book "Once Upon a Recession" is one example of practicing this principle.

What's Your Objective?

2010-09-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

So, if decision making can be like an inner civil war, how can you make sure you're winning that war? How can you stay away from indecision that can cost you big opportunities?

The following are great action steps I learned from Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, and many more amazing people:

1. Take out a piece of paper and answer this question:
"What am I trying to do?"... What are your goals and objectives? Why are you doing what you're doing?

2. Question your assumptions. What things are you assuming are true about yourself, the people around you and the situation? What if one of these assumptions turned out to be false? What changes would you have to make if you found that your most cherished assumptions were not based on reality (true reality; not others' expectations).

Use your reasoning faculty and arrive at educated decisions; just don't linger and waste amazing opportunities. IF you happen to make a mistake, just pick up and go again. How will we ever learn if we never make mistakes?!!

Think Big…

2010-09-18T17:35:00.001-07:00

Make an extra effort to notice the way you think. CHOOSE the good, healthy thoughts you want to “plant” in your mind. Be kind and compassionate toward yourself! Once you start noticing, you are on your way to better thinking and living.

Here are two ways you can break out of narrow thinking patterns and become more creative and positive:

1. Be willing to admit that you are not perfect! We all make mistakes… we are wrong on a regular basis. Recognizing your “authentic” truth is a mark of intelligence and courage, NOT weakness. To grow is to learn and change.

2. When you discover new ideas and truths, be willing to change your mind. Most of what you know about your business and life in general will change in the coming years… so be the first to recognize it and do something about it. Take 100% responsibility for your life (not blame, but responsibility to keep going toward your goals).

Think big, and then take small steps to get to your goals/dreams. Enjoy each moment of your life; please don’t waste your time and energy on regrets and what if’s. Keep going!

Worried Himself to Death

2010-09-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

The story as told by Jack Canfield (in "The Success Principles"):

Nick Sitzman was a strong, healthy, and ambitious young railroad yardman. He had a reputation as a diligent hard worker and had a loving wife and two children and many friends.

One midsummer day, the train crews were informed that they could quit an hour early in honor of the foreman's birthday. While performing one last check on some of the railroad cars, Nick was accidentally locked in a refrigerated boxcar. When he realized that the rest of the workmen had left the site, Nick began to panic.

He banged and shouted until his fists were bloody and his voice was hoarse, but no one heard him. With his knowledge of "the numbers and the facts," he predicted the temperature to be zero degrees. Nick's thought was: If I can't get out, I'll freeze to death in here. Wanting to let his wife and family know exactly what had happened to him, Nick found a knife and began to etch words on the wooden floor. He wrote, "It's so cold, my body is getting numb. If I could just go to sleep. These may be my last words."

The next morning, the crews slid open the heavy doors of the boxcar and found Nick dead. An autopsy revealed that every physical sign of his body indicated he had frozen to death. And yet the refrigeration unit of the car was inoperative, and the temperature inside indicated 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Nick had killed himself by the power of his own thoughts.

You, too, if you're not careful, can kill yourself with your limiting thoughts--not all at once like Nick Sitzman, but little by little, day after day, until you have slowly deadened your natural ability to achieve your dreams.

Giving

2010-09-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Giving

To get he had tried, yet his store was still meager.
To a wise man he cried, in a voice keen and eager;
"Pray tell me how I may successfully live?"
And the wise man replied, "To get you must give."

As to giving he said, "What have I to give?"
I've scarce enough bread, and of course one must live;
But I would partake of life's bountiful store.
Came the wise man's response; "then you must give more."

The lesson he learned; to get was forgotten,
Toward mankind he turned with a love new begotten.
As he gave of himself in useful living,
Then joy crowned his days, for he grew rich in giving.
By Arthur William Beer

Lessons From The Geese

2010-08-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The following is a direct quote from the internet: "Lessons From The Geese" ... very powerful, please enjoy!

(Consumers with disabilities, parents, staff, businesses, etc., all need to work together. Synergy is the concept that when we all work together the end result is greater than if each of us acts independently. There’s a great deal to be learned from the teamwork shown in Lessons from the Geese.)

As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the bird following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediately in front.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will join in formations with those who are headed where we want to go.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership – with people, as with geese, interdependent with one other.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging - not something less helpful.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow their fellow member down to help provide protection. They stay with this member of the flock until he or she is either able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or catch up with their own flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as the geese, we’ll stand by each other like that.

"A Lesson from the Geese" appeared in the November 1988 edition of Nebraska Synod (ELCCA) Update, where it was credited to Milton Olson.

However, Dr. Robert McNeish (who retired in 1992) IS the author and he wrote it in 1972! Dr. McNeish told me that before he was Assoc Superintendent of Schools, he was a biology teacher who enjoyed going over to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and observing the geese! (He is also a poet who wrote a book of children's poems!). The facts in LESSONS FROM THE GEESE are based on a couple of sources but Bob was apparently intrigued by a flyer he picked up near where he went to observe the geese which gave interesting facts about the geese. He wrote "LESSONS FROM THE GEESE" for a lay sermon he delivered in Northminster Presbyterian Church in Reisterstown, MD in 1972! In 1987, a nurse called him and got his permission to print "LESSONS" on small cards to hand out at the National Nurses Convention that year. And in 1990, US Representative Dutch Ruppersberg, called Dr McNeish to obtain permission to read "LESSONS FROM THE GEESE" at his inauguration!

Got Change?

2010-08-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

A LOT of change has been taking place in my life lately. My book is almost ready to go to press and I’m about to experience a huge shift in my business and, of course, my life. Change can be scary sometimes – how it looks or feels is not always what one would expect; BUT just because it looks/feels different than expected, doesn’t mean it’s not good.

Many of my colleagues, clients, and friends seem to be experiencing great change in their lives, too. One wonders if it’s a total shift in our world or if it’s just a select few -- honestly, that doesn’t really matter. I do know that when you start looking for the great things in life, you find them… you also end up on the same path as other great, like-minded people. Naturally then, it feels as though the whole world is shifting -- YOUR whole world is shifting. Have fun as you experience life’s offerings, even when the going gets tough.

Look for and embrace those challenges that cause you to grow and change for the better. It’s the only way to BE great and grateful.

Judgment Day . . . Already?!

2010-08-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

I’ve been listening to an interview Brian Klemmer conducted with Robert Kiyosaki about money, net worth, true wealth, etc. I really appreciated Kiyosaki’s candid answers and his view on work, money, and such – perhaps because I think a LOT like him and now I have found validation!

On his journey to his amazing and true success (in the full sense of the word), Robert and his wife put up with a lot of criticism and judgment (much like me)… and from people who really cared! They went through some VERY tough times. To answer Klemmer’s question as to how they did it, Kiyosaki said something to this effect: it took a lot of determination and love . . . a burning desire to achieve our dream, no matter what.

My contributing writer, Michelle Gamble-Risley, in my soon-to-be-published book “Once Upon a Recession” said something very similar . . . she vows to eat Top Ramen before taking on another ‘job’. She has a burning desire to do what she’s doing and to making it BIG; the only way she can make her dream come true is if she stays the course, NO MATTER WHAT! She is living her dream and helping me make a big part of my own dream come true (by publishing my book through her company, 3L Publishing).

Before you judge other people, try to understand them; otherwise, let them be! If they really matter in your life, take time to understand them; if not, then why even go there? In the same way, before you judge yourself, look at what you're doing and evaluate it. Give yourself credit for what you ARE doing right and learn from your mistakes; then use your time and energy applying the lessons, rather than resenting and judging yourself.

I’m not quite sure when all this false “perfection” took over our society, but we’ve got to get real again. Why do we get scolded and docked for mistakes? Why not get coached to figure out a solution and then rewarded for applying it . . . for learning from our mistakes?

Well, until the “system” changes (and I wouldn’t hold my breath!), we must be determined to take charge of our own lives and figure out how to get what we want in spite of all the criticism, judgment, and cynicism we get along the way -- from well-meaning and ill-meaning people, alike! Only you know YOUR dream, so protect it and enjoy living it (enjoy the ups and downs of the journey).

By the way, judgment is not ours . . . it is God’s; so let’s not assume that responsibility! And Judgment Day? Well, that’s not upon us yet, either!! As long as we have breath, we have second chances -- and third, fourth, fifth… indefinite chances. Make the best use of them – keep on learning and growing.

Fear of Death

2010-07-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, death hit my family early on in my life . . . at 16 I lost my amazing brother, Ramzy (21 years of age). He was killed in a motorcycle accident. I remember how terrible it was to hear the news . . . every awful, heart-wrenching detail leading up to it, and then the agony beyond that dreadful moment in time.

I also remember how concerned I was for my other brother (who ended up with me in a friend’s car where we were told what happened), my eldest brother, AND my poor Mom . . . would she be able to make it through such tragedy? She had sacrificed everything for us four – raised us on her own (with some help from relatives and friends; but no support whatsoever from her husband . . . our father). We were her life! Would she be able to handle such a loss?!

Well, we made it through, with God’s help, BUT there remained a huge emptiness in our lives. It took us YEARS before we could talk about Ramzy and smile . . . remembering good times. Does one ever forget a loved one who has passed on? Does the scar ever go away? Absolutely NOT! Even recalling the event right now while I briefly write about it brings deep sadness to my heart and tears to my eyes. I MISS my brother!

We have experienced more loss (death) in our family since Ramzy’s fatal accident. The pain never gets easier, but I’ve become better at managing and processing it. It took me many years to overcome my awful, crippling fear of death – not so much my own, but rather the death of my loved ones.

Fear of death is a real and legitimate feeling. How we handle this feeling is of utmost importance. I am grateful to have the support and resources available to me today in order to understand and, therefore, deal with such fear . . . rather than let it cripple me (like it did for a LONG time!).

No one knows about tomorrow, or even the next moment; yesterday is gone, there’s nothing we can do about it; so right now is the only “sure thing” we have – we must cherish each moment and live it to the fullest. Time, like cash in our pockets, must be spent WISELY. The choice is ours . . . waste it, hoard and suffocate it, or spend it wisely and enjoy it – for as long as it lasts!

Age has nothing to do with death . . . babies, little children, and young people die daily. We don’t know when accidents happen (that’s why they’re called accidents), or when sickness and disease take over and snuff life out. But if we live in fear of the unknown, then we’re worse off than actually being dead (resting in peace). Consider "old age" and dying of old age a BIG blessing; enjoy the “present” in both its meanings: NOW (this moment), and the GIFT of life in this moment.

Remember... faith, love, and joy cannot flourish or even co-exist with fear . . . which will you choose?

Fear of Old Age

2010-07-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

“Shhh…you never ask a lady how old she is.”
“Men get more distinguished with age.”
“Women just age . . . like old, used merchandise.”
Here’s another phrase that really makes me cringe:
“I traded her in for a newer model – or two.”

Things are changing – ever so slowly -- and we are a little more aware of the double standards today; but AGE seems to remain quite the challenge! Why pay attention to ignorance?! No offense intended. Ignorance is simply “lack of knowledge.” So why subscribe to ridiculous, unfounded nonsense?

“Age” is a number that has no bearing on my state of being EXCEPT when I allow it to. “Old” is a state of mind – man or woman. We become wiser the longer we live (at least we’re supposed to!). Being beautiful or handsome when you’re 16 deserves little credit; staying beautiful through the years is an accomplishment – true beauty is ageless; it comes from within . . . and it doesn’t just happen, it takes discipline and continuous practice.

Too often you hear people say: “I’m not having any more birthdays.” What’s the alternative, then? Why be ashamed of my age when I can celebrate my life and life experiences? Why wish I could be 20- or 30-something again, when life at fifty- or ‘whatever’-something ROCKS?! Leave shame and fear for those who want to make excuses for their lives; but you savor wherever you are on your journey – whatever your “age.”

“Old Age” deserves to be celebrated, not feared! Let go of the blatant lies society loves to make you believe, and use your God-given “reasoning” faculty to challenge this “old” way of thinking. Life is beautiful, period. Enjoy your years of living; don’t waste your time hiding and fearing them!

Here’s to LIFE and aging (many years of LIFE).

Fear of Loss of Love

2010-07-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

I remember so many nights when I cried myself to sleep because a so-called “friend” stopped liking me or made up some awful rumor about me. It just isn’t fair, I would tell my mom. Why do these people hate me/us so much? Being brought up in a broken home many years ago AND in the Middle East was quite a “shame;” or so they led us to believe.

When I lost my brother (he was 21 and I was 16), the fear got really magnified; it took hold of me for quite a long time. Worry and anxiety became a part of my being; what a sad way to live! There are circumstances in life beyond our control, to say otherwise would be foolish; but how we RESPOND to these circumstances is KEY.

As I grow and learn more and more, I continue to be amazed at the power of NOW. I can only handle the present moment (with God’s grace) – yesterday is gone and tomorrow, or even the next hour, is not guaranteed. So I have learned to first LOVE and accept myself, then enjoy the love of my beautiful family and friends (for as long as it lasts), and treasure the good memories of those who have passed on.

It’s much more fun to enjoy love than to worry about when it might end. Actually, worrying snuffs the life out of love . . . do you want to be the killer of such a beautiful thing? There is so much love to give and receive – focus on that truth and watch it expand.

Instead of Fear of Loss of Love, embrace and enjoy all the love that surrounds you . . . I’m sending you lots of love and good wishes.

4th of July

2010-07-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

It was the 4th day of July and all through the nation
BBQs and fireworks were served in hefty portions;
Celebrating our independence yet still in robotic motion
Following the crowds and copying their emotions.
The media covers celebrations in the streets and out in the ocean,
But only for one day and then back to bashing and character assassination…
The economy is dead and the government always in commotion
Who’s going to solve our problems? Larry King or George Clooney’s Ocean's?
We’re victims, you see, of endless fear and trepidation!

Independence we do celebrate… of a country that set in motion
Freedom and liberty for all who dare to pursue their own promotion.
Our country indeed is great; why not celebrate THAT notion?
And remember your responsibility of owning your own emotions.
Independence is not a mere fireworks sensation
It is the individual brave enough to accept the summation
That each is responsible for her/his own destination.

By Selwa Hamati
Yours Truly :)

Swine or Whine Flu?

2010-06-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've been very aware lately of the "six basic fears" . . . and of the fear of fear itself! I suppose it's because I've been blogging about the subject, but also because I've made a conscious decision to stretch myself beyond (way beyond) what I'm comfortable with.

Just talking a bit about "Fear of Ill Health" in my last blog got me thinking about the "epidemic" the news media so readily bombarded us with during the last flu season. I am actually offended by the name they gave that flu. Remember a few years back when we had the "bird" flu epidemic? Well, bird sounds a bit less offensive than "swine!" They instilled such fear in us . . . yes, we lost a friend to that flu; so in no way am I belittling the awful effects it had, BUT I am aware that such fear only weakens us more -- it does nothing to help and protect, it only weakens.

So today I realized that I have been struggling with a form of the flu -- a MIND flu. I've been a bit weak in my thinking and I believe I know why! I let my mental "muscles" get too strained and drained of energy. I noticed that I've been a bit emotional and even whined some. As many of you know, I am writing a book ... well, I've had the complete draft in my hands for a couple of weeks now. I was really excited about it and only needed to polish the last few pages. So, rather than getting right to work on it and sending it to my publisher, I sat there worried about if it’s good enough (fear of criticism?), finances (fear of poverty?) and how I'm going to get the book to market (the latter is really not completely my responsibility, anyway; this is why I have a terrific publisher!).

It took me all of an hour or so to get done with the "polish" of the last few pages. I could have done that two weeks ago!! But here's the beauty of conscious living: I realized it, did something about it, and now I'm moving on. It's okay to whine and be afraid (only for a minute or so!), but then we've got to pick ourselves up and keep going. I figured I must have had a touch of the MIND flu, so I doubled up on my vitamins (for the mind) and rested when necessary; now all I can say is "look out world, here comes rejuvenated Selwa!"

I am feeling the fear and doing it anyway! Fear is a good thing when you call it by its name; when you know it for what it really is; and when you UNDERSTAND how it works. Understanding is the beginning of wisdom. I've wised up to fear and am thankful for my renewed strength!

As for my book, I can confidently say: “it’s terrific!” Will keep you posted on progress :)

Fear of Ill Health

2010-06-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Many health “experts” have attained great financial success by preying on people’s emotions and fears.

Have you paid attention to all the drug commercials? Do you notice how many side effects they ramble off and then come back to how helpful the drug is? It goes something like this (with a little – actually a LOT – of sarcasm on my part): Where does depression hurt? Everywhere! Who does depression hurt? Everyone! Blah, Blah, Blah… then in very quick, hard to follow babble: side effects may include headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, kidney failure, hardening of the arteries, thoughts of suicide, worse depression, and death . . . Who does depression hurt? Everyone! Take XYZ today and enjoy a happy life (until XYZ kills you!).

People get so desperate for help that they’ll try anything . . . anything seemingly easy, that is. Instead of working on bettering their thoughts, minds, emotions, and way of BEING, they’d much rather take a pill and wait for the “magic” to happen. Good Luck!!

Freedom lies in taking full responsibility for our actions. Once we give that away, we become puppets in the hands of the greedy, selfish, money-hungry few. Let go of fear and live responsibly . . . Fear is a sad, cold, dark, and lonely prison . . . don’t live there!

Fear of Criticism

2010-06-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

From the moment we come into this world, we are faced with the fear of criticism. Our parents are anxious to show us off and brag about our weight, length, hair and eye color, etc. Soon they’re comparing notes on how soon their baby lifted her head up, turned over, or how he holds his own bottle . . . then it’s about how soon babies talk, crawl, walk, etc…

We are proud of our children, so we proceed to show them off by “comparing” – the first step in avoiding criticism. We say things like "our baby is better than family x’s baby… better looking, better dressed, more advanced, etc." We soothe our own fear of criticism by pacifying our minds with “better/holier than thou” attitudes. You know what I’m talking about, right?

Since our minds are wide open in the early stages of our development, and are ready, willing and able to absorb everything they can possibly take in, we establish a lot of unhealthy paradigms at a very young age. These paradigms become our “reality” and we continue to perpetuate the same behavior because of our established habits.

How often do we stop and think about what we think about? We get so caught up in the “way things are done” just because this is the way it’s done. We don’t want to be different because people will make fun of us, they will stop hanging out with us, they… they… they…. See my point? We’re outward focused and extremely worried about what others think of us, our family, our life style, etc. These subtle fears are embedded in us so early in life, we don’t even realize it.

We are bombarded with books, TV & radio shows, and all kinds of material from “experts” on etiquette; good manners; how-to’s; what to wear and not to wear; what to say, when to say it, and how to say it; the latest trends; and a whole lot of other subjects having to do with fitting in and looking good in front of others (always outward focused!). We have no confidence in our own goodness – we don’t trust our own intuition (a God-given intellectual faculty!). We talk about individuality, but are always coaxed back into the mold (the majority mold).

Some guidance is okay, but most people are so worried about being accepted and “cool” that they forget who they really are. They don’t want to be criticized, so they ask for everyone’s opinions and take them on like it’s their “sacred duty” to adhere to and honor! We think we must put on a “show” in front of people because we’re just “not up to par” and we don’t want anyone to know how “deficient” we really are.

Criticism can be brutal, especially when we have little confidence in ourselves. Since we are so outward focused, we live life on an emotional roller coaster – people compliment us, we ride high; then they criticize us and we fall fast and hard to the bottom. We’re blowing in the wind of opinions without a definite purpose (destination) and, definitely, without direction! Not a very pleasant or healthy way of being.

If people would take time to uncover their true, authentic self, they would discover that they are far better beings than they give themselves credit for. They actually don’t have to put others down in order to gain respect, and they don’t have to live up to others’ expectations of them. We are all worthy of the best, but not more worthy than the rest. Each one of us is “good enough” – more than good enough! We are who we are for a reason and we all have our own purpose in life.

I believe that in order to make our world a better place, we must accept people the way they are and, more importantly, accept ourselves the way we are, while always striving for excellence – our own excellence. Do yourself, your family, and our world a favor by BEING more of who YOU are. Let go of the fear of criticism and hold on to your amazing potential . . . infinite potential!

Fear of Poverty - Part III

2010-06-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is it, the last part of my thoughts on “The Fear of Poverty.” I just had to share the following -- by Napoleon Hill, in his book Think and Grow Rich:

“Fear of poverty is a state of mind, nothing else! But it is sufficient to destroy one’s chances of achievement in any undertaking, a truth which becomes painfully evident during any time of economic difficulty and uncertainty.

“Fear of poverty paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm, and makes self-control impossible. It takes the charm from one’s personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, kills persistence, turns willpower into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds memory, and invites failure in every conceivable form. It kills love and assassinates the finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship, invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness—and all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of overabundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing standing between us and our desires except lack of a definite purpose and the plans that derive from it.”

Wow!! I hope you take a few minutes to read and re-read this. It makes a LOT of sense. So take control of your state of mind TODAY, right NOW and become aware of the endless, amazing abundance that surrounds us. Count your blessings; keep score of your successes.

Fear of Poverty - Part II

2010-06-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

Here’s a good way to look at poverty and riches (riches in the broadest, truest sense of the word – financial, spiritual, mental, physical…true wealth): the roads leading to poverty and riches are two completely different roads; they go in opposite directions. So, if you’re going in one direction, you can’t really travel down the other UNLESS you turn around and purposely seek it!

Let’s make it very simple. If you’re going on a road trip from California to New York, you must keep moving toward New York – even if there are detours along the way, you still follow the same general direction. If you get lost and decide you no longer wish to go to New York, then you will have to turn around and head back to California . . . simple! Once back, you can’t complain about not making it to New York; well actually you can, but it won’t do you any good. You chose to head back.

No matter how hard you try, New York will always be where it is; you must choose to make the journey there . . . it will never come find you! Here’s the revealing question: “How badly did you want to get to New York?” Obviously not very badly; you gave up and turned around when obstacles (detours) got in your way. You could have figured out a way around these detours, but you didn’t have a strong enough desire to keep going. You got scared of the “road work” and tired of the drive, so you gave up!

How badly do you want riches? Badly enough to overcome your fear of poverty? How is your journey on the road to true riches going? Are you willing to stay the course and make it through the detours and the long hours of driving? Are you determined enough to keep going no matter what? Or are you contemplating heading back “home?” Perhaps you have already made that decision and you’re on your way “home” to your “comfort zone.” If you choose to cower in the face of life’s obstacles, you will never get to live your dreams – they will only be fantasies that you continually hope and wish for, no more than that.

How badly do you want true wealth?

Fear of Poverty - Part I

2010-06-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I started writing and a LOT poured out; so I decided to break this subject into 2 parts (at least 2 ;-). Here goes...

We’ve all heard the expression “save for a rainy day.” Do you see the blatantly sick thinking behind this expression? C’mon, think about it . . . let's say you decide to have a party (let me qualify this – a party you really want and choose to have; with the people YOU choose to invite), do you plan it with a disaster in mind, or do you imagine how much fun it will be? Do you see where I’m going here? When you save your money, don’t save it for a "rainy day," save it for a vacation, for a beautiful retirement, for a comfortable house that meets your needs, for __________________ (fill in the blank).

If you set out to save your money for a “rainy day,” you’re pretty much predicting and confirming that the rainy day is coming – you’re planning a disaster not a magnificent happy occasion! There’s LACK written all over your plans, how then do you expect to have abundance in your life?

Now please don’t misunderstand me, I KNOW that life happens – LIFE happens (not just bad things!). Why do we always think of worst case scenarios? OK, I’ll give you that option; BUT please don’t just stop there . . . why not think of the BEST case scenario, too! When we base our good financial habits on a rotten, negative foundation, how in the world can we expect to have a healthy financial high rise? So, before you settle into your comfy, adequate little cottage, examine your thoughts and premises; research the assumptions you’ve based your life-long plans on; and use the best resources available – most of which are already within you -- to re-design your life and build the financial high rise that is right for you and your family.

Warning: Don’t let the few selfish, arrogant, and greedy rich people define your perception of money and true overall wealth. You deserve to live to your full potential and to enjoy life; as a matter of fact, it is your responsibility to live to your full potential . . . so don’t make excuses to live a “lesser- than” life.

What does "poverty" mean to you? You must find out, otherwise your fear (based on lack of knowledge and/or understanding) will cripple you and you will perpetuate yet another generation of lack-conscious people. And, since what you focus on expands, you will have added more depth to the already deep, DRY well of despair.

Whatever your fear, face it . . . stand up to it . . . find out what it's made of; then and only then will you be able to move past it.

The Six Basic Fears

2010-05-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

In his book “Think and Grow Rich” Napoleon Hill talks about the six basic fears . . . these fears paralyze most of us and keep us from living a great life, one that we truly deserve to live. The following is a direct quote:

“There are Six Basic Fears, with some combination of which every human being suffers at one time or another. Most people are fortunate if they do not suffer from the entire six. Named in the order of their most common appearance, they are:

The fear of Poverty (at the heart of most people’s worries)
The fear of Criticism
The fear of Ill Health
The fear of Loss of Love of Someone
The fear of Old Age
The fear of Death

All other fears are of minor importance. They can be grouped under these six headings.

The prevalence of these fears, as a curse to the world, runs in cycles. For almost six years, while the Depression was on, we floundered in the cycle of FEAR OF POVERTY. During World War I we were in the cycle of FEAR OF DEATH. Just following the war, we were in the cycle of FEAR OF ILL HEALTH, as evidenced by the epidemic of disease which spread all over the world.

Fears are nothing more than states of mind… one’s state of mind is subject to control and direction.”

What fears are holding you back? Are you going to let these fears control you, or are you going to take control of your state of mind? As Napoleon Hill said: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.”

If you examine your fears, you will find that they are only mirages; they are excuses to keep you in your “comfort zone” – which is not a very comfortable place, as a matter of fact; it’s just familiar.

Show me your friends . . .

2010-05-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

We’ve all heard this phrase before: “Show me your friends, I’ll tell you who you are.” Basic and so true!

Here’s another great way of saying it, according to Jim Rohn: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Now more than ever – especially if you’re faithfully working toward achieving an important goal in your life – you need to watch who you spend most of your time with. Are your friends constantly bringing you back to “reality”? Do they often remind you to keep your feet on the ground and your head out of the clouds? Exactly whose reality are they “saving” you from?

I’m not saying that knowing your reality is a bad thing, but please don’t let your current environment, conditions, and circumstances define this reality. Where you are today is only a reflection of your past choices; where you end up tomorrow, next month, next year, or 10 years from now depends on the decisions you make from this moment forward. So, figure out what your “reality” is – who you really are and what you want more than anything -- then make a plan to get it! Yes, it’s that simple.

Get started today . . . right from wherever you are . . . one step at a time and one decision at a time; with bulldog determination (like our instructors tell us during Bikram Yoga practice!). Friends and loved ones who truly care will get it -- will get YOU; if not right away, perhaps soon. The beauty of walking down your own path is that you will meet like-minded people along the way who "get" you.

Success vs. Greed

2010-05-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

These opponents hardly seem compatible, yet many often equate the two. What do YOU think my dear reader?

There’s a story in the Bible about a man who had a piece of fertile land that produced good crops. One year he got a lot more than his storage rooms could hold, so he decided to tear them down and build new, bigger ones. So far so good . . . nothing wrong with that!

Here’s where the problem lies . . . this rich man was only thinking of himself; he figured he could now sit back and relax — be lazy — because he had everything he could ever possibly need. No more work, no more hassle. He was set for life! But then God tells him something to this effect: ‘You fool! You will die tonight . . . now who’s going to enjoy all this?’

At first, the story seems a bit odd . . . in a sad kind of way. Why would God be so harsh? Poor guy, he was blessed with a good piece of land and a good crop; why can’t he enjoy his blessings?

Think about it . . . blessings (i.e. success & abundance) are to be shared not greedily stored away so we can sleep all day!

When we do what we love to do, our work will not only be for “a season,” it will be our life work and we will have more abundance than we can handle by ourselves. Here’s the real beauty of the whole matter: the more we share, the more abundance comes our way — so we enjoy, share, enjoy, share, enjoy, and share some more!

How can we stop living our purpose just because we have enough to eat, drink, and be merry? Life is much more than that. So BE on purpose and live your purpose.

When you think you’ve “arrived,” think again. Whatever level of success you have achieved or long to achieve, as long as you have breath you owe it to yourself to keep going . . . no room to coast! You can rest, but never stop. There IS plenty of room at the top, but like Ziglar said, not enough room to sit down.

Be Great and Grateful

2010-04-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

I recently joined the coaching team at 180 Life and Style Coaching, founded by Holli & Rick Walker*.

On one of our calls, someone asked Holli how she was doing and she answered “I am great and grateful.” I LOVE that phrase! I believe it sums up a whole lot of “practices” – ways of being.

Those of you who know me well know how much I believe in each individual being whole and “perfect” just the way they are. No one is broken; no one needs fixing . . . we all need to BE more of who we are. We ARE great, and we have everything we need within us to BE all we want to be. The more we practice being grateful, the more GREAT we will be (don’t mind the grammar; focus on the message ;-).

Today and every day, BE great and grateful. We are human beings NOT human doings . . . enjoy simply being YOU. You can be your best ONLY when you are YOU.

*There will be a TV show--airing soon on Oxygen Network--for women wanting to make a 180 change in their lives. I am grateful to be a part of this coaching program because it provides me with yet another venue to reach as many people as I possibly can on my life’s journey. Let me know if you want to learn more about this program.

The Knots Prayer

2010-02-27T16:13:00.001-08:00

I got this from a friend; hope it gets you thinking about and believing how awesome YOU are!

Dear God,

Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots, the can nots, and the do nots that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots, may nots, and might nots that find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots, would nots and should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart, and my life all of the am nots that I have allowed to hold me back . . .
especially the thought that I am not good enough.

Amen!

Faith and Wood-burning Stoves

2010-02-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Many years ago (well, maybe not too many ;-), I lived in a small town with my mother and brothers. It was nice to be in the country -- the mountains of Lebanon; we got to do a lot of walking, hiking, and eating fresh fruits right off the trees. We also did a lot of visiting with neighborhood kids & families.

I remember how just about every household had a wood-burning stove. During winter months, people gathered in the room that was heated by this stove; there was always a hot water kettle sitting on there (hot drinks on demand) and, quite often, chestnuts roasting--not on an open fire, however :-D. Good, "warm" memories!

Now, imagine a wood-burning stove without fire burning inside... Someone walks up to it and begs it to please produce heat; when that doesn't happen, this person continues to wish and hope that the stove would light up someday and give out warmth like it's supposed to; again nothing happens! So, in utter frustration and dismay, the wood-burning stove is deemed useless, taken apart, and thrown out. That's insane, you say?

Well, faith works the same way. Expecting "miracles" without first taking action is like expecting warmth from a wood-burning stove without first filling it with wood and then lighting a fire!

What blessings do you want in your life? What results would you like to have? Have you taken time to think about what you really want to accomplish? As the newness of 2010 starts to fade away, are your dreams and resolutions fading away too?

As with wood-burning stoves, you must fill yourself up with the proper material and light that fire inside of you. Once you do your part, you can then expect the "miracle" to take place.

Allow Yourself to FEEL!

2010-01-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

This is a "practice" I give to all my clients at one point or another. I have been practicing it myself for a few years now. It is amazing how often we "stuff" our feelings because of some strange belief that what we're feeling is not "appropriate."

It is my belief that if more people allowed themselves to feel what they feel, and proceeded to release those feelings in a healthy way, our world would be a much better and safer place to live!

Take a few minutes right now to do this exercise:

1. On a piece of paper, write down any feelings that come to mind -- happiness, sadness, pain, guilt, joy, frustration, excitement, etc.

2. Now, circle the feelings that you were not allowed to feel or show as you were growing up; those feelings that are "inappropriate."

3. Take time to reason with your thoughts. Why is it "bad" to feel angry or frustrated? Why must you put on a fake mask (and keep it on) to impress people around you? Use your reasoning faculty to snap out of the delusion that you are less of a person when you are real!

Yes, of course, there is a time and place for everything, but that doesn't mean forgetting about your feelings; it means dealing with your feelings appropriately . . . the only way I can think of to deal with feelings is to FEEL them!

If you are angry, be angry . . . write down how you are feeling; punch a punching bag; vent – if you are alone, yell and get it out of your system. If you are sad, cry!! Feel the pain! When you feel it, you will process it and move on; when it comes back, feel it again, process it, and keep going. This is life . . . everything is a process. These are healthy ways to deal with your feelings. Believe me, bottling them up will not serve you or those around you.

Your feelings are YOUR feelings. No one has the right to tell you how to feel; they are YOUR feelings! If you think that you have unhealthy feelings, examine them, don't bury them! If you need to seek help, seek it! Whatever you do, don't dismiss your feelings.

Enjoy being yourself . . . feelings and all. It is OK to feel!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

This is a good time to look into resolutions, so I thought I would begin with looking up the word. Following is the "origin/history" of the word:

Resolution: 1412, "a breaking into parts," from L. resolutionem (nom. resolutio) "process of reducing things into simpler forms," from pp. stem of resolvere "loosen" (see resolve). Originally sense of "solving" (as of mathematical problems) first recorded 1548, that of "holding firmly" (in resolute) 1533, and that of "decision or expression of a meeting" is from 1604.

Synonyms: resolve, determination, perseverance, tenacity; strength, fortitude.

Whatever your resolutions for this year are, make sure they are YOURS--absolutely your own; break them into parts; reduce them into simpler forms; and resolve to persevere with tenacity!!!

Never, never, never give up!

Four Obstacles – Part IV

2010-01-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

“Oscar Wilde said: ‘Each man kills the thing he loves.’ And it’s true. The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcame, all the suffering we endured, all the things we had to give up in order to get this far. I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal—when it was only a step away.”

“This is the most dangerous of the obstacles because it has a kind of saintly aura about it: renouncing joy and conquest. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.”

This is the end of the introduction written by Paulo Coelho, author of “The Alchemist” (November 2002, Rio de Janeiro, translated by Margaret Jull Costa).

My wish is for you to read and re-read these blogs; surround yourself with positive, thought provoking people, books, CDs, etc… Make 2010 an amazing year and be open to unexpected blessings. “In giving, we receive” – we must practice doing both better!

Happy New Year!!!

Four Obstacles – Part III

2010-01-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Why suffer so much – more than other people? Continued from “The Alchemist” introduction . . .

“Because once we have overcome the defeats—and we always do—we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight. We start to live with enthusiasm and pleasure. Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives.”

“Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture it and spent many years living with the scars, we suddenly notice that what we always wanted is there, waiting for us, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all of our lives.

The last obstacle in Part IV . . . next blog.

Four Obstacles – Part II

2010-01-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

Love . . . an obstacle? Here’s more of the introduction from “The Alchemist”:

“We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream. We do not realize that love is just a further impetus, not something that will prevent us going forward. We do not realize that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.”

“Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: ‘Oh, well, I didn’t really want it anyway.’ We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. Then we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and to know that the Universe is conspiring in our favor, even though we may not understand how.”

“I ask myself: are defeats necessary?”

“Well, necessary or not, they happen. When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”

“So, why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?”

More in my next blog . . .

Four Obstacles - Part I

2009-12-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

I was recently encouraged to read "The Alchemist" by one of my friends. I finally picked up the book and am almost done reading it (in just a couple of days -- an hour here and there). Thank you, Amber, for recommending it!

I wanted to share a little of the introduction with you and recommend that you, too, read the book. If you've already read it, why not pick it up again and re-read it?

After pursuing his dream of becoming a writer, "despite all the voices telling me it was impossible," Paulo Coelho reflects on his success . . . "The book has been translated into fifty-six languages, has sold more than twenty million copies, and people are beginning to ask: What's the secret behind such a huge success?" After honestly saying "I don't know," the author goes on to say "all I know is... we all need to be aware of our personal calling."

This is why Amber thought it important for me to read this book -- it talks about exactly what I practice and, in turn, teach my clients. Why don't more people follow their personal calling? Why do so many of them not even know what that calling is? Here's how Coelho so eloquently put it, and I quote:

"There are four obstacles. First: we are told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear, and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it's still there."

"If we have the courage to disinter dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: love."

I will continue this in the next blog . . .

Hanging in there . . .

2009-12-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

It's been an interesting few weeks for me. I am still fighting something--a "bug"--that is working very hard to knock me down. It may have won for a while, but I am fighting back and getting better every day.

Sometimes I get frustrated because I just don't have the energy to do everything I need and want to do. It's amazing the things we take for granted, right? I find myself needing a LOT of rest...it's just not "normal" and I am falling behind. Having said all this, I am still alive and kicking! I am doing the best I can every day and being reminded over and over again of what really matters and how to keep my priorities straight.

So I'm learning great lessons -- hanging in there is not bad or good, it's just the way it is right now. I am thankful that I have not allowed the pressures of life (and, now, the Holidays) completely get to me ;)... instead, I am allowing myself to receive the benefits of the extra rest my body requires right now.

Bottom line . . . "now" is all I have control over. I will continue to do my best; that includes taking good care of myself so that I can be completely well again -- 110%! You take care, too, my friend & reader. Allow yourself to receive the benefits of this beautiful season (the true reason for the season), and don't get overwhelmed by unnecessary pressures that deplete this time of year of all its amazing blessings.

Here's to blessings beyond what you can imagine!

Self Motivation

2009-11-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

It is impossible to be self motivated if one does not live in an attitude of gratitude. Our energy is "sapped" when we focus on what's wrong instead of what's right with our lives. One of our greatest challenges is to live and love in spite of pain and disappointment...we tend to focus on the areas that are not working and waste all of our energy lamenting the fact that they are not, rather than looking for what IS working and creating more of the same.

The best way to be motivated--and stay motivated--in the midst of all the challenges is to immerse ourselves in the beauty that surrounds us; it's all around us! We can't fix the world, but we can surely keep ourselves in check and accept 100% responsibility for our way of being.

Reflect for a moment on this beautiful quote from Melody Beattie:
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Thanksgiving & Gratitude

2009-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." ~Eric Hoffer

According to legend, a young man while roaming the dessert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: "Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?"

The teacher replied, "You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving kindness and nothing could be sweeter."

Find your "gifts" and savor the flavor. Look beyond the appearance of things. I LOVE Thanksgiving... what a perfect Holiday for reminding us to be grateful and "charging our batteries"!

I am grateful for:
1. Life -- every breath I take!
2. My husband and children.
3. Our home.
4. Family and friends -- each one of you.
5. Sunshine & rain.
6. Beautiful Napa Valley.
7. Eyes to enjoy all the beauty.
8. Walking, talking, listening, believing . . .
9. Blogging & sharing ;-)

I can go on and on, but I don't want to bore you! Please take a few minutes to write down all the things YOU are thankful for. The "little" things in life are the essence of living!

Thank you for taking time to read my blog and for your encouraging, kind words of support. I am thankful for YOU!

OrangePeel Vision Boards

2009-11-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

I am sharing this message from Linda Boertjens, OrangePeel Vision Boards, just as she wrote it in her "A Splash of Inspiration" e-newsletter, because it makes a lot of sense and Linda says it very well:

Something struck me the other day. When you are crystal clear on your vision for life, making choices actually becomes so much easier. Do you know why? Because all you need to do when you you are in the process of making a decision, is to ask yourself "what choice would fit best with my vision?" Which option will help me realize the life I am envisioning? Ultimately, all the choices you make and all the actions you take need to bring you closer to the achievement of your goals. If they don't, why make that specific choice, right?

Your Vision Board can be a very good partner in this process. As it is a direct representation of your vision and your goals, you can actually use it as a "road map" for your life. So each time you are about to make a choice -big or small- just have a look at your Vision Board and ask yourself "is what I am about to choose in line with my bigger aspirations, my life vision?"

Say you are looking for a new job, and you have two options to choose from. One gives you a higher income, the other allows you to work 4 days a week. Which one would you choose? The answer could be found on your Vision Board. If it is your goal to spend more time with your partner and/or children, the last one will get you closer to achieving it. However, if it is your goal to increase your income to save up for a new home, the first option may be a better one to choose.

When you think about it, even the most every day choices like what food to eat, what books to read or how early you get up in the morning can be inspired by the goals on your Vision Board. So make sure to have total clarity on your vision and have it all around you as a daily guide toward your life goals.

Click on the title of this posting to check out OrangePeel Vision Boards; if it is not a good fit, take the time to make up your own . . . now is the right time to get started!

So Lucky!

2009-11-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

So many people resort to the "you're so lucky" phrase when they see you doing what you "want" to do and they don't get to do what they want. They usually resent you, or maybe even hate you! They think of you as a "lucky brat" who just stumbled into "the good life". Perhaps there are some "lucky" folk who were born into the good life; but this "good life" is not reserved for them alone, AND it is not about what people see on the surface, either!

"You're so lucky" they say; "I wish I could do that." Do they, really? I have made this assumption myself a few times (I'm sorry to say). Until one truly pursues her/his passion in life, one does not understand how others do that . . . and how determined, clear, and focused they are on their vision. It IS a choice that each one of us makes -- every day.

Doing what you want to do requires discipline; it requires going against the flow and encountering many challenges along the way. This is not a "brat" lifestyle that I am talking about, but it is a beautiful and fulfilling lifestyle; one that is worth every sacrifice* you choose to make along the way.

You may want to refer back to the short blog I shared on August 16: "The Art of Living".

Pursue excellence in everything you do and live the life you want and deserve to live.

*Sacrifice here is not the kind most people like to believe it is (family, integrity, etc.) in order to make themselves feel good about their excuses and lack of discipline (I know this sounds harsh, but we all make excuses -- much more than we think!). This is merely sacrificing small stuff in order to obtain the more important and meaningful things of life.

Healthy Love

2009-10-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Below is a passage from "The Prophet" by Gibran Khalil Gibran:

"Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone;
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music."

"Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping;
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

My brother shared this with me . . . it is very powerful. Remember, loving others requires that you love and know yourself!

Bikram Yoga

2009-10-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

You have probably heard of this style of Yoga (Hot Yoga). A friend told me about it and I intended to look into it, but time went by and . . . well, you know how it goes . . . we get busy and forget.

One day my husband came home all excited about this new thing -- Bikram Yoga -- he heard about. He searched online and read some testimonials, then he decided to go to a class one morning. When he came back, he couldn't stop talking about it and encouraged me to try it. I was afraid of the 'heat' part. I am not a fan of sitting in a steam room or sauna; I get very claustrophobic and panic sets in.

BUT, I decided to give this Bikram Yoga a try. It was quite an experience! I made it through part of the class, then started to wonder how much longer I could stay in there . . . panic started to creep in and I asked the instructor if I could leave the room. She encouraged me to stay, even if I just lied there and waited for class to be over. I did and the class went on as I lied there wrestling with my fear and limiting thoughts.

It was a good day for me -- great lessons learned! With the help of the instructor, I was reminded of lessons I teach my own clients and I practice myself in different areas of my life. It is amazing how powerful our minds are and how much more we can do if we would just reason with our thoughts and discover for ourselves whether they are true or not.

Our thoughts lie to us most of the time, until we learn to pay attention and examine them. We are the gatekeepers of our mind, so we must be very diligent in making sure we only allow good, healthy, wholesome thoughts to get through the gate. As we choose our thoughts, we develop a healthy mind; when our mind is healthy, then our brain is healthy; when our brain is healthy, our body is healthy -- because the brain is the command center from which all orders originate.

Take care of your foundation (thoughts) in order for the rest of you to function at optimum levels . . . spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, financial, etc.

It has now been almost a month and I continue to go to Bikram Yoga classes. I CAN handle the heat. I CAN make it through class -- at my own level, of course. Some days are better than others, but I do my best each day . . . as I did (and still do) with Napa Adventure Boot Camp when I first started over 3 years ago. I have taken 100% responsibility for my well being; therefore, I must take action toward achieving my desire for wellness in all aspects of my life.

Thank you, Sylvana (Napa Bikram Yoga), for opening one of the best Bikram Yoga studios around (I've heard it from so many people; even instructors that have traveled and taught a LOT over the past few years). www.BikramYogaNapa.com.

Dream Stealers

2009-10-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. Denis Waitley says it perfectly . . . reflect and enjoy!

BEWARE THE DREAM STEALERS
by Dr. Denis Waitley

Although your own internal measurements are the most important, you will occasionally need to seek external feedback on your progress toward your goals. When you do, be sure it is from people who are truly interested in seeing you succeed. Don't seek feedback from fair-weather friends, competitive peers, or any person who doesn't have your best interests at heart. Neutral doesn't count. Get feedback from someone who is on your side but will still be objective and honest with you.

I've observed time and again that misery truly does love company. Jealousy creates some of the most miserable people I know. Surpass the achievements of your particular social crowd or your business colleagues, and look out for the slings and arrows of those who wish you were back where they are. You have to dodge the snide remarks and catty comments. Let them roll right off you. Don't internalize them.

Only pay attention to feedback from those who have similar goals or who are working actively alongside you to achieve goals of their own. Motives and fears run deep. Study them in others. The sympathetic fair-weather friend who supports you and comforts you when you're down, may like you best when you are in just that state: down and dependent.

Ultimately, nobody else is responsible for your life but you. Nobody else is accountable for your actions but you. Therefore, nobody's expectations for you and opinions about you are as important as your own. So make sure those take precedence in your mind over all others, and if you do need to consult with someone else, think very carefully before you choose exactly who.

Equally important, be prepared to sell your ideas to an indifferent world. As passionate as you are about your business and the fact that your products and services will have positive, life-changing benefits to everyone you meet, you are going to find resistance every time you tell your story.

People are most interested in their own dreams and goals. They have difficulty believing that you have found a better way than they have to reach them. They are suspicious and guarded when anyone tries to sell them or change their minds. Rather than have others steal your dreams by raining on them, ask questions and find out about their dreams before you launch into your sermon. People buy what they want first, then what they need. Find what turns them on. It may not be what turns you on. By helping others get what they want, you’ll get what you want too!

100-Day Countdown

2009-09-26T18:22:00.001-07:00

September 23, 2009, marked the beginning of the last 100 days of the year. As the year flies by, we tend to lump the whole last quarter into one huge holiday . . . waiting for New Year's Eve to make resolutions and start another cycle of new beginnings that end up tossed aside as "life" sets in and we fall back into old, familiar habits.

I challenge you to make the last 95 or so days of this year really count. Ninety-five days . . . spend them wisely!

Remember again what Jim Rohn said: "We must all experience one of two pains -- the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." Choose wisely :-)

As you discipline yourself to spend the last 95 days of the year wisely and on purpose, you will find you are getting a very good head start going into 2010. Why not have the edge?!

Imagine That!

2009-09-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Many studies indicate that a large percentage of first graders show all kinds of signs of creativity, innovation, and even entrepreneurialism! Unfortunately, our schools drill this out of students through a system of teaching that presents a right way -- only one "right" way -- to think about and do things! As a result, the natural impulse of children to be their own people is dampened.

Carl Schramm said: “Learning entrepreneurship [or anything creative/intuitive, for that matter] does NOT begin by teaching accounting, finance, and business plan writing. Much more important is learning how to apply creativity to a business idea.”

Each one of us matters . . . our ideas, choices, and careers/businesses; we DO make a difference! The process of becoming a responsible, independent thinker is an ongoing learning experience; but it gets tricky and, sometimes, difficult when our experience is "tampered" with by well-meaning people (and some not so well-meaning) like family, friends, teachers, colleagues, the media...

The question for each of us as entrepreneurs, business owners, employees, parents, and good citizens is, “What am I doing to promote true purposeful living in my own life as well as my children, family, community, employees, etc.?

Are you practicing and encouraging daydreaming and imagination? Are you then taking action to make those thoughts/visions a reality?

Go ahead . . . get started now!

Labor Pains -- New Life . . .

2009-09-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Twenty-one years ago, on Labor Day, our first born was ready to begin his life journey . . . to face the world. I can't believe it's been that long! Now go with me on a little imagination trip -- what if . . .

What if I had been given a choice on that Monday in 1988 to go through the pain and have my beautiful baby OR just take my time and be spared the pain? What might my decision have been -- especially if I had been overcome by my labor pains?

Remember, I said if I had a choice -- a way out. Could I have thought:
This is way too hard, I just cannot do it now . . .
Maybe I'll go back home for a while and get some rest . . .
Perhaps I'll be better prepared another day . . .

It sounds strange, I know, but most people can do so much more than they think they can especially when they have no other option -- no way out! It really is amazing how strong and powerful we are, if we just let go of fear and keep moving forward no matter how hard trials seem at the time we are faced with them.

I recall feeling so helpless and tired of the excruciating pain I was experiencing. I wanted my baby, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could take the pain!!! Thanks to my husband and my mom, I kept going for just a little bit longer -- and that's what it took, just a little longer!

That's usually the way it is with all successes in life: a little bit longer . . . a little bit further and we're there! Most people give up just when they're about ready to "deliver" -- sadly, because they can!!!!

Life is a beautiful mix of joy and sadness, triumph and failure, work and rest. Enjoy your journey. When you live on purpose, you know WHY you make certain choices . . . that's how you endure "labor pains" even when you have a way out.

2009-09-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." Henry Ford

It has often been said that it is easy to make a dollar, but difficult to make a difference. If your bottom line is your only concern, you are not likely to succeed in the long run. If your true bottom line includes the impact you have on others, the influence you have in your community, and the value you provide to everyone you interact with, then, and only then, will you have achieved a bottom line worth talking about.

Certainly, we all need to make money -- if we cannot make a profit, our ability to influence or add value is limited and will be short lived. However, financial success should simply be a by-product of the value we deliver. Ask yourself, “What kind of difference is my work making in the lives of my customers, employees, or community members?”

Look for opportunities everyday to reach out, lift up, and give back. Do you have the chance to engage in worthwhile projects? Can you increase the value of your customers' experiences? Are there ways you, your colleagues, and/or employees can contribute time, money, talents, or resources?

Making a bottom-line difference should be a top-line priority. Remember, a business that makes nothing but money is a poor business . . . indeed!

Action Overcomes Fear

2009-08-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

From fear of failure, rejection, and letting loved ones down, to fear of the unknown . . . fear is a dominant and persistent force in our lives; but successful people have developed strategies for overcoming it.

Action is the answer to fear -- focused, deliberate action. Fear must give way to such action; it is a universal law.

We are surrounded with bad news -- TV, radio, [bad]newspapers, magazines . . . they are paralyzing the masses with their "big" news. In order to immune ourselves against such fear viruses, we must recognize them for what they are, then take the "risk" of moving in the direction of our goals anyway!

You see, risk-taking is the only path to the security we seek!

A wise man once said, “Walk to the edge of the light and even one step into the darkness; there you will find that the light will extend one step further on your path to success and achievement.”

How do you deal with your fears? Do you face them head on, or do you cower down and let them over take you? Take action today and watch your fears disappear like the deep darkness in the awakening of dawn.

Attack something today that fear has been keeping you from doing –- it will change your day and your life . . . forever!

"Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will."W. Clement Stone

The Art of Living

2009-08-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion ...

He hardly knows which is which ...

He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing ...

To him he’s always doing both!"

James Michener

Delusion or Discipline?

2009-08-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

There is a fine line between having inspiring and lofty goals and being deceived by your visions of grandeur. The cord which keeps you moving in the direction of those dreams, rather than being deceived by them is discipline.

The root of the word discipline is “discipulus” - a learner, one who is committed to a path or cause. Far too many view discipline as a negative word – “Discipline is something you do to your children or employees when they misbehave or under-perform.”

In reality discipline is a powerfully positive word which holds the key to all true and lasting success. Discipline is what keeps the musicians practicing the tedious notes and monotonous scales which ultimately empower them to perform with ease and excellence. Discipline is what keeps the sales people on the phone or on the street pushing through rejections and on to a meaningful sale.

Can discipline be developed? YES! By overcoming the barriers to discipline: procrastination, feeling overwhelmed, being overconfident, lack of planning, and lack of focus -- all of these undermine discipline. If you find your discipline lacking, do a quick assessment and look for clues or reasons why your discipline has fallen. Just breaking things down into smaller pieces can often help both your confidence and your discipline.

Discipline is what determines our ultimate success. Do you have what it takes to continue? Can you stay strong in the face of adversity? Will you push forward regardless of the odds, seeming lack of progress, or shouts of the nay-sayers? This is the test of discipline.

Remember what Jim Rohn said: "Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion." He also said "Everyone must experience one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." Which "pain" will you choose today?

Word Power

2009-08-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

A good friend shared this with me . . . hope you enjoy and apply in your own life.

From an interview with Argentine director Lucrecia Martel in Bomb Magazine:

“It doesn’t matter how real or true the facts are; the issue is how something that somebody says is transformed into something that will change the world. . . I can say something -- it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not -- but your reaction and the emotion it generates within you are real. It happens a lot in lovers’ quarrels, where people say things that they probably don’t even mean, but once stated, they are reacted to as if they are true. It is actually the person being spoken to who gives these words their power.”

Thank you, Mechele :-)

Keeping it Simple

2009-07-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

How often do you find yourself chasing the complex at the expense of the simple? It seems to be human nature for people to waste countless hours pursuing, exploring, evaluating, recreating, and ultimately discarding complex solutions to problems or opportunities when a simple solution could have done the job.

Norman Vincent Peale said: "We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities." Why not focus on the small things that make a big difference in our relationships and our lives?

Evaluate how you are spending your time and how much you are chasing complexities versus simplicities. And even more importantly, are you chasing complexities at the expense of simplicities?

Whatever you are choosing to chase, make sure you are chasing it by choice and not by chance or default.

Continue to live in awareness . . .

Tomorrow

2009-07-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

"The greatest thing about tomorrow is that I will be better than I am today. And that's how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That's the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will apply tomorrow, and I will be better." Tiger Woods

Learning from today -- from each perceived setback -- is critical to creating a better tomorrow. We are human beings, not human “becomings” which is why we must enjoy, cherish, and value who we are and where we are right now while preparing for where we will go and what we will become tomorrow.

How will you be better tomorrow while living today?

What are you committed to that will make you excellent today and extraordinary tomorrow?

In Control

2009-07-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

"We feel good about ourselves to the exact degree we feel in control of our lives." Brian Tracy

Your ability to remain confident and positive in any given situation is directly related to the level of control you create. This has nothing to do with being a “controlling” person. Controlling people attempt to take charge of things which are beyond their control while "in control" people simply take charge of their lives.

Gaining control of your life comes from having a clear vision of where you want to go and a plan of how you will get there. While your plan may change, having something to change from makes a huge difference.

Without a vision and plan you will find yourself twisting in the wind of current economic storms and rocked by the changing sea of societal uncertainty. Knowing your vision and daily plan provides you an anchor of serenity.

Take a moment to evaluate the level of control you feel in every area of your life – personal and professional. If you find that you are not feeling good about who you are and where you are going, there is a good chance you need to spend time now clarifying your vision and solidifying your plan.

Interdependence

2009-07-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Another passage straight from EDGE--iLearning Global . . . that I thought is very appropriate to share on this beautiful Dependence Day weekend. Enjoy!

"Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness." Thomas Carlyle

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are more likely than any other group on the planet to have truly found their life’s work. The great Scotsman Carlyle understood long ago that the freedom to make that choice is one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon humankind.

So if ever the challenges of being in business for yourself become daunting or overwhelming, just consider the alternative of working for someone else – that should enable you to tap into the energy required to move forward undaunted and confident. Remember that you chose your entrepreneurial path, in part, because you could choose that path. The freedom to freely choose your path and work, in and of itself, is worth celebrating - daily.

Throughout history, every society, which has enjoyed any level of freedom, has had a day, a time or a season to celebrate that liberty which enabled their dreamers, their innovators, their visionaries and their entrepreneurs to choose their life’s work. This weekend we invite the entrepreneurs of the world to pause and ponder, contemplate and celebrate the freedom they possess to pursue their entrepreneurial dream.

Above all, we encourage every entrepreneur to engage with other entrepreneurs and establish new and meaningful connections. The age of entrepreneurial interdependence has dawned as a small glimmer of hope on a dark and dreary global economy. What the world needs most is for entrepreneurs to rise up, reach out and restore humanity’s belief in the inspiration of big ideas and the power of people to achieve the extraordinary.

iLearningGlobal and the EDGE team thank you for your contribution as a member of the elite and growing group of entrepreneurs and business owners who are making the world better and creating societies where every person, young or old, has the freedom to choose their life’s work and the blessedness that brings…

Entrepreneurial Vision

2009-06-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

"When the entrepreneurial vision is lost the zest for the climb is turned into a terror of heights. The face of the rock becomes something to cling to rather than to scale. Exhaustion becomes common and exhilaration rare!" Michael Gerber

Vision brings with it the zest, exhilaration and determination required to achieve extraordinary things. If the execution of your day-to-day business has become similar to the grueling grind of your life before you saw the entrepreneurial light, it is time to return to your vision.

What was and what is your vision? During difficult days and trying times as an entrepreneur it is wise to sit in the refreshing and renewing glow of a glorious vision of what is yet to be.
Never lose sight of your vision.

Another iLearning Global EDGE excerpt.

Five years from now . . .

2009-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

I will be sharing a lot of great insights and ideas that I receive through iLearning Global with you . . . so you can get a little taste of this great organization.

"You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read." Charles “Tremendous” Jones

The answers to the challenges of life and business may not be found in the books you read or the people you meet, but often the answers come from what you discover about yourself as you interact with great principles and great personalities.

Over the past five years, what were the principles (from books/audios/videos) and who were the personalities (people) that have made you who you are today? Make a list of both and the impact they have made on you -- your personal life and your career.

Five years will come and go and you will be somewhere else in 2014. Don’t end up there by chance! Choose some books/CDs/DVDs as well as some people to interact with that will make you a better person, a better entrepreneur, and a better member of society.

Brain vs Physical Endurance

2009-06-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

"Use your brain, not your endurance." Peter Thomson

One of the most important, and often overlooked, skills for entrepreneurial success is the ability to think and think deeply. Far too many entrepreneurs and business owners rely more on their ability to persevere and endure than on their ability to think strategically to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities.

Scheduling time to just think is mission critical to your success. In our fast-paced world fewer and fewer executives are carving out time to think strategically about their business. With text messages beeping, cell phones ringing, email notifications popping and twitter tweeting – there is a steady barrage of interruptions which end up preventing focused, meaningful thought.

Wise entrepreneurs block out specific chunks of time for thinking. Committing even fifteen minutes per day to uninterrupted thinking time can make a huge difference. Guard and protect this time with your life because ultimately your thinking time will be a life or death factor for your business.

Remember it is better to rely on your brain than on your endurance.

Perseverance

2009-06-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Remember Dan Caro? Seven years he persevered in order to accomplish one "simple" task. You see, Dan's arm muscles were no good, and he had no fingers! So it took him a while to be able to tie his shoes. But getting through this particular obstacle helped him strengthen his muscles . . . muscles he continued to use as a drummer!

So, what happens once you do this thing you set your mind to doing? Now that you've "arrived," do you stop . . . quit?! Ever wonder why after two people in love get married, they lose the "spark" and can end up in a nasty divorce? Yeah, they quit . . . quit doing the things they used to do to impress the "love of their life." They stop nurturing the relationship they worked so hard to build.

It's like planting a garden. You work hard to get the ground ready, then you plant the seeds/plants you want to grow. Now what? Do you walk away and say, "job well done" and never come back? I doubt it. The only way to keep a beautiful garden is through constant work -- watering, weeding, trimming . . . The same goes for relationships, dreams, etc.

Hold on to your beautiful dreams; look for and embrace great ideas; and then go to work to make them happen . . . get through the obstacles because the challenges they pose make you better and stronger!

Ask . . . seek . . . knock . . . persevere!

Excuses Be Gone!

2009-06-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, back in March I attended the Launch Conference for iLearning Global. One of the amazing speakers at the Launch was Dan Caro. I was so impressed with this man, I can't believe I didn't blog about him then . . .

Anyway, today as I was relaxing and flipping through TV channels, I saw Dr. Wayne Dyer on PBS. Of course I stopped and paid attention. He was talking about his "Excuses Be Gone" book and sharing parts of his seminar (I can't wait to get the material . . . yes, I ordered it!). Much to my surprise, Dr. Dyer told the story of this young man (Dan Caro) and brought him on stage to share a little of himself with us. I suppose it is now time to tell you a bit about Dan.

At the age of 2, Dan was playing as his mom watched him. He got out of sight for just a little bit -- made his way to the garage where he managed to find a gasoline container. He played with it and spilled it . . . there was a water heater near by . . . you can tell where this is going. In just moments, there was an explosion. Mom ran to save her little child -- about 80% of his body badly burned.

This beautiful little boy went through surgery after surgery in the next few years. He has no fingers, but Dan told how after having surgery to get a thumb on his left hand, he proceeded to learn to tie his shoes -- he was 5 years old. It was a very hard task with no fingers except the left thumb and no muscle strength in his arms! Dan kept trying until 7, yes SEVEN years later he bent over to tie his shoes one more time and . . . he did it!

Seven years to tie his shoes! What are your excuses? How quickly do you give up? What is it that you think is too difficult to do or too much to take?

Dan always wanted to play the drums. How can you hold drum sticks with no fingers? Well, he figured that one out, too! He showed us how he tied a drum stick to one hand and held the other stick with the other (the one with a thumb), then gave us a little taste of his music.

What did you say your excuse was? I can't hear you! I can't hear my excuses, either!!! Make life happen. Go after what you really want . . . with God ALL things are possible . . . NO EXCUSES!!!!

Watch Dan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVvC1bGe1Xc

Life is beautiful, enjoy every moment.