As you set your New Year’s resolutions, what do you really expect to accomplish in 2008?

Now, think about this for a moment.  Really think about it. 

How many times have you set a goal or New Year’s resolution that you knew, deep down, was just absolutely crazy?  Losing weight, making a million dollars, quitting your job to start your own business, or finding the love of your life are all achievable goals, if you truly expect them.  But do you?  Here’s what I mean.

Your conscious mind creates wants and desires all the time; all day, every day.  However, your subconscious mind holds beliefs that either match up with those desires, or goes against them.

For example, let’s say you want to lose weight next year.  Consciously, you know it is possible to eat right, exercise, and control your caloric intake and expenditure in such a way that you could lose how ever many pounds you want.  But subconsciously, you believe that doing so would be difficult, time consuming, and not worth the effort.  So, guess what happens?  No lasting change.

Money is another good example.  One reason that most motivational gurus teach us to set our goals at something we believe is reachable is because they know that setting a goal that is not in line with the subconscious is setting yourself up for failure.  While it’s great to have big goals and dreams, those really grand accomplishments are best left with no deadlines, and not within a New Year’s resolution context.  So dream big, and plan to take it one, logical step, at a time.

What you consciously desire and what you subconsciously believe about that desire must be in agreement in order to succeed.  Gain the support of your subconscious mind, and all your dreams will come true.

“Well, that’s great, Debra.  But how do we do that?”  (See, I can hear you thinking even before you read this article.)

The first thing you have to realize is that your subconscious mind is like a one-way street, and the direction it always goes is, “Yes.”  So if you say to yourself, “I want to make more money,” your subconscious will agree, “Yes, I want to make more money.”  But then if you turn around and say, “Money is evil,” the subconscious will say, “Yes, money is evil.”  And what we usually do is give our subconscious mind so many conflicting messages that we end up going in circles, experiencing no real results.  When that happens, we say, “See, all this positive thinking stuff is just crap – it doesn’t work..  I knew I couldn’t lose weight and keep it off.  I shouldn’t have set my expectations so high.”

The universe responds to your vibration.  Your vibration is born from your beliefs and your beliefs are rooted in your subconscious.  Here’s the good news:  Your beliefs are nothing more than the thoughts you think over and over and over again.  Control your thoughts, control your beliefs.  Control your beliefs, control your vibration.  Control your vibration, control your experience.  Control your experience, get what you desire.

Go back and read that again if you need to.

Let me give you a simple example of this.  A client of mine, “Greg,” is having trouble with an employee, “Nancy.”  Actually, several other employees are having trouble with Nancy as well.  Her attitude is negative, even though she thinks and claims to be trying to be a positive influence.  Nancy does admit that she struggles with her attitude, but only because Greg is so negative. 

Greg blames his negativity, when it flares up, on Nancy.  Needless to say, this is bringing down the morale of the entire team.  But here is what is really going on.

Nancy is not performing well on her job due to personal difficulties at home.  Greg, who has a lot of stress on the job, expects Nancy to perform at her best, like the other employees.  When she doesn’t, Greg becomes upset and gets on to her.  Nancy, wanting someone to blame, throws it back in his face saying, “If you didn’t have such a negative attitude, I wouldn’t perform so poorly.”  Greg, in his defense says, “If you would just do your job, I wouldn’t become negative!”

Both parties say they want and are willing to change, but neither expects it to happen.  Both Greg and Nancy go to work each morning with the subconscious expectation that the other is going to mess up, or become hateful.  Both parties are giving their control to past conditions, and giving knee-jerk reactions that will continue to play out time after time because the law of attraction responds to their true expectations.  They are vibrating what is instead of what they want.

It’s the same with your New Year’s resolutions that you make, repeatedly, year after year.  You say you want change, but you don’t really expect it, so you don’t end up doing anything differently, and end up with the same results.

So, how do you break the cycle?

Now that you are aware of what is going on, you can use my four-pronged attack. 

1. Create affirmations to change the beliefs in your subconscious mind.  Here are just a few examples.

• I am healthy and fit.
• I am making more money every day.
• I am doing good things with my money.
• I am grateful to have Nancy working for me.
• I am grateful to have Greg to work for.

What’s even better is to find statements that back up your affirmations.  For example:

• I’ve lost 2 pounds and I’m eating much better and drinking more water.  I’ve given up soda and I’m exercising every day.
• I just got a raise at work.  I am no longer impulse buying and saving money can be just as good as making more money.
• I gave some money to my charity last week.  I gave some of my good belongings that I no longer use to Goodwill.
• Nancy hardly ever misses a day of work, and once she learns something, she is really good at it.
• Greg is a good employer.  He really cares about the work he does and gives his customer good, quality results.

2. Focus on what you really believe is possible – visualize it.  What would you look like 10 pounds lighter?  How about 20?  Do you have pictures of yourself at your goal weight?  Get them out and put them where you’ll see them.  If not, buy an outfit you’d like to wear when you get down to that weight and hang it where you will see it every day.  I’m recalling a commercial from a few years back where a bikini was hanging a woman’s bedroom wall.

Imagine depositing more money into your bank account or writing a check out to charity.  Obviously what you envision will depend on the belief you are attempting to reset. Use your imagination and get creative.

Greg and Nancy need to envision the work relationship they want to have.  Do you know that you can actually change someone else’s behavior just by truly expecting it?  I’ve done this many times, but it first required a change in me and my attitude toward the subject or person.  And that’s the good news – all it takes is a change in your own attitude toward the other person.  Why is that the good news?  Because you can’t change someone else’s attitude.  Honestly, most of use can barely control our own!  Sure, motivational speakers can inspire us to make a change in ourselves, but the change has to come from within.

3. Develop a plan.  I love a good plan!  I think it’s because a good plan is the best way to set up the proper beliefs in your subconscious mind.  If you develop a plan to lose weight that you can consciously accept will work, your subconscious will say yes to it and, BAM, success guaranteed!  If someone you work with gets on your last good nerve, a good plan would be to avoid that person until your beliefs have time to change.  A break just might be what you both need.  In the case of Greg and Nancy, Greg could assign Nancy to duties she’s good at and not expect quite so much from her.  Nancy, likewise, could realize that her mistakes cause her boss to lose his cool and do better at her work, (which would require another belief change), instead of expecting him to yell at her every time she makes a mistake.  (Can you see the double-whammy belief system here?)  Nancy is not only expecting to get yelled at, but also setting herself to make mistakes.

4. Catch yourself in the act.  When you catch yourself having a knee-jerk reaction, and you will now that you are aware of it, stop yourself and ask, “What is it that I really want out of this situation.  I’m vibrating here—but I want to be over there.  What would it feel like, look like, be like, to be over there?”  Focus on that.  Expect that your plan will work and if you don’t, re-work your plan. 

Don’t give your power to others.  Expect that everything will go smoothly at work today and that everyone will get along fine.  You can have that experience even if others do not, and if they choose to have a bad experience, realize that it’s their choice, but it doesn’t have to be yours.  Seven people can go to work in the same office, share the same space, the same customers, the same hours, but have seven different experiences.  Or, six people can give in to the temperament of one who is in a bad mood, and all seven will have a bad day.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could become evolved enough that if only one person showed up in a good mood, that that would be the mood we all attract and our days are transformed?  A good leader will do that – but that’s another post!

What do you truly expect for 2008?

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GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

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Technorati Tags: New Year’s resolutions, Motivation, Weight Loss, Law of Attraction, Inspiration, Success, Writer, Speaker, Consultant

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

Have you ever felt like something was holding you back from reaching your full potential but you didn’t know what it was – you just couldn’t “put your finger on it?” I’ll often hear someone say, “I must have an energy problem; I can feel something keeping me from my success, but I’ve made every attempt I can think of to get rid of the blockage and it’s still there.”

Most people need look no further than their own home. The biggest energy drain on the human psyche is clutter – all clutter, physical and mental.

It amazes me how so many people will hold on to things out of guilt or fear. Guilt and fear are the two most wasted human emotions and yet we hang on to them relentlessly by hanging on to Grandma’s doilies fearing that she’ll haunt us from the grave or from guilt over not spending enough time with her before she passed away. I’ve known people who hang on to things from a divorce because “it was the only thing she didn’t take – I hate the item, but it’s the principle.”

Let it go. Let it all go. The Quakers had a saying: “The beauty of an object is in its usefulness.” If you’re holding on to something that doesn’t serve your present dreams, give or throw it away. If it brings you joy to look at, put it somewhere that you will see it on a regular basis. If you’re holding on to a belief that no longer serves you, let it go. We are constantly evolving and becoming more.

I had a rather unique experience with evolving and becoming more while writing this post that I’d like to share with you. I’m sure many of you will remember taking Speech 101 in undergrad. For my demonstration requirement, I prepared a recipe. It was made of simple ingredients that we could purchase at the store on campus and was prepared in a microwave. Several of my classmates told me for a couple of years after that class that they had prepared that dish on their own, several times, and really enjoyed it.

In searching for something different today for lunch, I thought of that dish for some reason. (-had no idea I would be writing about it.) I got out the recipe, checked to see if I had all the ingredients, I did, and I prepared it. It was . . . okay, but not something I’ll ever fix again. (Trust me – I made a note on the recipe.)

My point is that I used to love that recipe. And although it tasted exactly the same, it didn’t appeal to me any longer. My taste buds have advanced, along with my cooking skills!

After writing a note on the recipe, it occurred to me that maybe I should take a second look at the other recipes I had marked from all those years ago. As I perused through the cuisine of my past, I decided to throw the entire book away – who cooks in a microwave anymore? Then I remembered what I was writing about and thought, “how appropriate.”

Sometimes it takes more than one run-through to get rid of everything. I’ve kept that cookbook for several years now even though I haven’t used it. My husband is finally on board with the de-cluttering philosophy and I’ve been cleaning out our basement. The more I get rid of the more I want to get rid of and I’ve made three passes over just one wall. Some items have been down there for over 26 years and I’m just hoping that they are not the structural support for the house at this point! One thing’s for sure, we’ll find out.

Now it’s your turn to find out how freeing and energetically uplifting de-cluttering your life can be. Use this list as a guide but obviously add your own.

1. Clean off and out your desk, both at home and in the office.
2. Throw away all the useless stuff in the kitchen drawer, and any other “junk” drawers in your home or office.
3. Donate to a school or library all of the books you’ve hung onto and will never read again.
4. Empty your purse and put back only what you really use.
5. Organize your wallet.
6. Rid your bathroom vanity of toiletries you brought home but decided you don’t like. (Anything collecting dust probably needs to be thrown away.)
7. Give or throw away all those ugly ties that you received as gifts but you’ve never liked or worn.
8. Throw away your old underwear, socks, and shoes.
9. Toss the pile of magazines by the bed or next to the sofa, or anywhere they might be piling up.
10. Recycle everything you can around your house. If it can’t be used, get rid of it.
11. Weed out your closet. Take out anything you don’t wear or love and send it to Salvation Army or Goodwill.
12. Grab a trash bag and a vacuum, and clean out your car.
13. Clean out the garage.
14. Clean out your refrigerator.
15. Chase out the dust bunnies in the basement.
16. Empty all your wastebaskets and clean them out.
17. Return all your wire hangers to the dry cleaner.
18. Get rid of all the ugly sheets and towels you’ve had since college.
19. Clean out your cleaning supplies - pitch out the half-used and clumped up Comet, the dried up and filthy sponges, and the gray pieces of soap.
20. Clear up unfinished obligations and commitments.
21. Clear out your inbox and Outlook tasks.
22. Pay any money that you owe.
23. Resolve any arguments from your past if you can, or just let it go.
24. While you are at it, throw away any bad attitudes and the tired old stories of misery and failure as well.

Life is great. It really is. You just have to let it be. Get rid of anything, anything, that tells you or reminds you of times when life was anything but great.

Until next time,
Live joyfully!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Technorati Tags: energy, success, clutter, guilt, fear

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

The topic of de-cluttering can be very overwhelming and I’ve found that people who struggle with it the most are the ones who need it the most.  That just makes sense, doesn’t it? 

Today, I’ll give you some motivation, education, and inspiration for getting started on your path to a clutter-controlled existence. Over the next two posts, I’m going to share with you some of the techniques I’ve found to work best, and some of the paradigms I’ve found most inspirational.

1.  Start with your immediate surroundings.  Office, home, home-office.  I always teach that the best way to test this theory of, “Clutter Around You Creates Clutter In Your Brain,” is to clear off your desk except for the one thing you want to work on.  You will be amazed at the increase in your clarity and energy level.  Once you get that one project completed, take a few minutes to organize and prioritize the remaining paper on your desk.  Move on to areas that you see every day.

2.  Listen to your mind.  Clutter is anything unfinished.  What do you think about?  What weighs on your mind?  What area comes up to mind frequently of something that needs to be dealt with?  When I’m feeling confused or overwhelmed as to what to do next, I just get quiet, and ask my subconscious mind for guidance.  Whatever subject pops into my head is what I do and this has never failed me yet.  Your mind knows exactly what order to take things in so let it help you.  Often, we approach things from an overly analytical methodology and that is what holds us back. 

3.  Observe the most commonly overlooked area - your computer.  Clear out your Outlook tasks – one way or another.  In the days of paper-based time management systems, we used to train people that if they had to carry a task over more than X number of times, it probably meant the task was not really important to them and that they probably needed to just drop it.  With electronic systems, it’s easy to just leave the task undone.  This, however, creates mind clutter.  Your subconscious brain knows it is there and every time you open Outlook don’t you get that overwhelming sense of “I’ll never get it all done.”  If you have trouble finding files when you need them, you also need to organize your “My Documents” folder and other areas of your computer as well.

4.  Break big areas down. Basements, attics, seldom used closets and drawers are the areas you always see the gurus on HDTV and the like “making over,” and these are the areas that, once you get them under control, will make you feel truly organized.  It is very liberating to have a spotless home and these are the areas that make it so.  I always focus on them last because it does you very little good to have an organized garage if your desk is still a mess, or there is something more relevant going on in your subconscious.  However, having all of your life de-cluttered and clean will free your mind and energy for use on other, much more productive things, like creativity and intuition.

For most of us, the reason clutter collects in these areas to begin with is because the task of organizing them seems so overwhelming.  But have you ever watched one of those television shows I mentioned earlier?  Even if a team of people go in and get the, for example, garage cleaned out all at once, it still takes them 2-3 days to accomplish it.  Realistically, it’s going to take someone who works full time about a month to tackle just one of these areas.  But, once it’s down – oh, what a feeling!

The mistake most of us make, is that we set our expectations too high.  Don’t necessarily expect that you’ll get the entire basement cleaned out in one day.  Start with one area, perhaps the most critical – the one you use the most.  Once you’ve accomplished that, you’ll feel more motivated to move on to the next area.  In time, you’ll have it the way you want it.

5.  Hire help if necessary.  I am getting ready to hire a woman to come in and help me clean out our basement.  One of the reasons it is still in the shape it is in, is because there are items I cannot move on my own.  Also, if I dedicate a day for it and I’m paying someone, I’ll definitely get as much done as I can.  That’s the advantage to hiring someone over getting your friends to come over and help.  Too often, you end up chatting and reminiscing and get less than desirable results on the de-cluttering.  Trust me, the amount you pay this person will be recouped in many ways.

6.  Conclude unfinished business.  As we get ready for the New Year, let “auld acquaintance be forgot” if necessary.  Forgive those who have hurt you, so that your ego can let go of the memory, and free your mind for better things. People who hurt you are only hurting themselves. When you forgive others you release yourself from their energy and take your power back from them. When you refuse to forgive someone, you are allowing them to hurt you over and over again each time you remember the occurrence.  It was bad enough that they hurt you in some way, but why are you now doing it to yourself?  Forgiving says, “I take back my life.  I choose to live in joy, not hurt.”

7.  Hold on to nothing negative, physically or mentally, so that negativity doesn’t get a hold on you.

In my next post, we’ll explore this topic a little further; I’ll give you some specific guidelines for de-cluttering and we’ll talk more about the importance of letting things go.

Until next time,

Live joyfully!

Technorati Tags: de-cluttering, Motivation, Education, Inspiration

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Motivation, Success

Are you suffering from this disease:  I-want-this-but-if-I-can’t-have-it-right-now-forget-it–itis? 

Well, it is Christmastime, after all.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?  Wishing for something, telling your friends what you’d like to receive as gifts and then getting everything you want a month or so later?

Don’t worry.  This is not going to be a lecture about the true meaning of Christmas; there are plenty of places all over the web where you can get that.  Instead, I want to reflect on how we teach our children some very dire habits during this season.  Maybe your household is different, but here is how things went when I was growing up.

About a month, maybe two, before “the big day,” my friends, teachers, extended family, and parents would start asking me what I wanted for Christmas.  It started with Santa Clause:  “What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?”  Then it moved into, “Santa will bring you toys, we will get you other stuff, what do you want?”  Then it became; “We give each other gifts to show how much we love each other and to celebrate the birth of Jesus – God’s greatest gift to the world/mankind.”

Have you ever stopped to think about the paradigm this sets up – in all of us?  Let me explain.

A few weeks ago when my book came out in print, I gave a copy to a mother and her response was, “Great!  I remember you talking about this and wondered what ever happened – I just thought you gave up on it.”

Now, I had told my mother when I finished the book and when it became available as an e-book, and that I was working on self-publishing.  I know she didn’t understand all of that but here’s my point:  When the book didn’t materialize in the 2-3 months she perceived it would take to write, edit, and publish a book, she thought I’d given up on the idea.  Why?  Because that tends to be about how long she gives something to materialize.  Then, upon reflection of this, I realized that’s about how long a lot of my family, friends, associates, and acquaintances give a new idea.  In fact, this way of thinking seems to be running rampant among almost everyone I know and it’s as detrimental to one’s success as a disease.

When I started to ponder where this attitude comes from, it just happened to be around Thanksgiving.  That’s when it occurred to me that this whole concept of writing a letter to Santa and having things gloriously arrive under the tree is sending the wrong message to our youth, and , many of us grew up with that way of thinking:  Wish for it for a month or two, and you’ll get it.  If not, you’ll just have to wait until next year and by that time, you’ve moved on to wanting something else.  I call it, “I-want-this-but-if-I-can’t-have-it-right-now-forget-it—itis.”

You will know that you have this ailment if you frequently give up on your goals.  If you set deadlines and, when you don’t meet them, you change the goal to something less than what you truly want.  In other words, if you catch yourself settling for the next best thing in most areas of your life, you’re infected.

So how do you overcome it?  Here’s my 7-step cure.

1. Stop setting deadlines.  There is no December 25 when it comes to getting what you really, really, really want out of life.  Most goal-setting teachers will tell you to always set a deadline to your goal.  That’s okay unless the deadline is bumming you out.  Big dreams may take a while to materialize.  Unless you know exactly when you’re going to die, there’s no point in setting a deadline to your life’s purpose.�
    

2. Don’t expect someone else to deliver.  Most of the time, what we truly want is self-actualized.  Think about it for a minute.  Aren’t the things you’ve worked hardest for some of your proudest accomplishments?  There’s a great deal of satisfaction in earning something yourself.  Even children know this.  The baseball glove that your child “earns” by doing chores around the house will mean more to him or her, and they will take care of it better than the one Santa brings.  They worked for it, they earned it, they appreciate it, and they understand the value of it.  They are proud of it, and for good reason.  Take a moment to reflect on similar situations in your own life.
    

3. If you’ve really got this bad, in other words, you’re never reaching goals; you’re constantly settling for less, do this:  Stop accepting gifts.  Really.  Don’t take anything this Christmas, accept nothing for you birthday – just start saying, “I create my own happiness.  I do not need material things from others to feel worthy.”  Now, a lot of my spirituality cohorts are going to say, “But, Debra, accepting good into your life is part of the cycle of giving and receiving.”  Yes, if you’re at that level.  But some people take and take and take, and give only out of obligation, and never learn to give to themselves.  They get into this cycle of “I have to tell others what I want and hope they will bring it to me.”  Have you ever been Christmas shopping and saw something you’d really like to have but said, “Oh, I can’t buy that for myself, it would be too selfish.  I can only have what other people decide to give me for Christmas.  Besides, it would blow my budget since I have so many gifts to buy for everyone else.”  Then what happens?  Every gift you get that year is a disappointment.  Guess why?  No one can read your mind!  Then, you resent the fact that you spent so much on everyone else getting them what they said they wanted when you got nothing but a Goodwill pile.  When you start to give to yourself in a positive way, and give to others because you want to, things will start to line up for you and you will begin to receive what you truly want – from others and yourself.
    

4. Create a list of things you will purchase in the next year for yourself.  Give yourself one gift every month, and plan them now.  If you’re living on a budget, start with a pack of gum – something fun and delicious – just make it something you’ll look forward to.  You can always change them if you want to, but decide now what you want next November, knowing that you’re going to have to wait until then to purchase it.  Practice delayed gratification.  The principle here is this:  Between now and November, you know that this really fantastic thing is on its way, you just have to wait. It’s coming, it will be here, it will materialize, and you know all of this, so you’re going to be joyous in the waiting.  Choose something really fun for that far away, but choose something for every month.�
    

5. Keep a list of these items and add to it as you think of something.  Before long, you’ll start setting “fun” goals for two years away or more.  Some things you’ll have to follow step #1 and not set a deadline because you don’t know when you’ll be able to do it, but the fun is in the wanting and in seeing how long it takes to get it.
    

6. Start a separate journal where you track how you feel along the way to your accomplishments.  Didn’t have the money to fulfill one this month?  What happened?  How do you feel about it?  What are you going to do about it?  Brainstorm ways to get back on track.  Say to your higher self, “I wonder how I could make up for this?  I wonder how I could get caught up with my fun gifts to myself.”  Listen.  The answers will come.
    

7. Be playful and easy about it.  Did you ever throw a fit when you were little over not getting something you wanted?  Or were you the type who got depressed and decided that no one loved you – not even Santa Clause?  Not even your own parents?  I remember throwing pity parties like that.  See, that’s what happens when your happiness depends on what someone else does or gives you.  Accept responsibility for your own happiness, your own gifts, your own toys, and your own pleasure. 

You can overcome “I-want-this-but-if-I-can’t-have-it-right-now-forget-it—itis”, you just have to want it, and be willing to wait for it.  The joy really is in the journey.

Until next time,

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

Whew!  I don’t know about you, but I am busy and can hardly keep up!  Add to that the fact that it’s cold outside, the Holiday season, and I don’t want to work right now and it becomes really tempting to just leave the computer off and go into hibernation for a week or two.

Since you, like me, probably cannot do that, I’ve come up with a way to make our loads a little lighter until we can get our grooves back.  I call it, “The 3-Items Rule.”

First, remember to focus on what is truly important to you.  It just might be that taking some time off will help you regain your perspective.  If you’re like me, though, and have 48 items appearing daily on your to-do list, and you’ve become a do-it-now person, it’s difficult to find that balance between relaxing a little and not letting things pile up.  What I’ve discovered is that deciding to just do three things makes a difference in my life and helps me maintain that balance.  Here’s how I pick my three.  

I choose one item that gets me closer to my long-term goals.  Today, for example, this was starting the process of submitting my book to Amazon.  I always choose a task that seems overwhelming, but that I know I can break down into doable steps.  Then I promise myself to just take that one step today.  Once I’ve started, I can stop once that step is completed and record what to do next, or I can keep going if my energy level says it’s okay.

Next, I choose one item that I must do – one urgent task – and get it over with.  Often, this is something that I know will weigh on my mind if I don’t get it done.  For example, my husband came up one shirt short for this week.  I could iron it at the last minute, it’s not the most important task on my list, but if I don’t get it done, all day long, I’ll lose energy just by thinking, “I have to remember to iron a shirt for BJ.”  I do it so I can forget about it.

Last, I do one task that I know, once it’s completed, I’ll feel better.  I let myself have one task that I just want to do.  All of this is energy work.  It’s a lot like clearing clutter and realizing that you can’t do it all at once, but that just cleaning out a little makes you feel better.  So this last task is one that I wouldn’t have to do, and it’s not necessarily career-related.  (Although, almost everything is career-related when you work for yourself.)  Today I reviewed my goals list and made some changes – upgrades, if you will.  Doing this boosted my energy and allowed me to joyfully complete a few more tasks.

So, if just for today, pick 3!

Until next time,

Live joyfully!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

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GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Education, Leadership, Motivation, Success

I’ve had some amazing e-mails lately from people who have completed my book, Wake Up and Create the Life You Want.  Most of the time, the reader is thanking me for writing it and giving general praise, but this last week, I received this:

Dear Debra,

 

I just wanted to thank you for writing your book, Wake Up and Create the Life You Want.  I am not quite finished because there is something that I just can’t get past.  I was doing really well until I hit Chapter 33:  Clutter Around You Creates Clutter In Your Brain, where you talk about how keeping a clean house helps you in all other areas of your life. 

 

I have been, for as long as I can remember, a complete and total slob.  I’ve lost friends, lovers and needless to say, roommates over it.  I always defended myself saying that if they couldn’t love me for who I am, then to hell with them – it’s their problem.

 

When I first turned to page 187 and read the title, I thought, “Oh, great.  Another person who is going to tell me that ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness.’ That’s just what I need right now.”  So I decided just to push through the chapter to get it over with.  (By the way, I really like how you’ve broken the book up into shorter chapters.) 

 

Then I hit paragraph four.  Where you say, “Try it.  Right now.  If you’re having trouble staying on task, clean off your desk – completely.   Put back only one thing to do.  Focus on that one thing until it is finished.”  I thought, why not?  Why not give a try to see if it works.  I’d tried other stuff in the book and it had worked, so why not?

 

Well, it worked.  In fact, I’ve been cleaning and clearing clutter for over two weeks now.  Everyone in my life thinks I’m dying or getting ready to commit suicide because I keep giving things away!  When I try to explain to them that I’m actually just starting to live, they look at me strangely.  When I try to explain what I’ve gotten out of your book, they think it’s a religious book and roll their eyes. 

 

I guess the reason I wanted to e-mail my experience to you was to let you know how much you have helped me in my work life.  I cleared off my desk that day at work and I was able to focus a lot better. So much so, that the report I had to turn in was probably some of the best work I’ve ever turned in on this job.  My boss noticed it, and told me today that he is considering me for a raise at the first of the year.  I am so happy!

 

I’ve also been clearing things at home and I’ve gotten to the point that I just can’t stop.  I don’t even have time to finish your book – but I will, I promise.  I’ve become obsessed with neatness.  “A place for everything and everything in its place” has become my motto, and the clearer thinking I’ve had because of it is overwhelming.

 

I’m also overweight, but have lost 10 pounds just from being focused on clearing the clutter when I get home instead of sitting in front of the TV snacking all night.  I spent the last two weekends throwing or giving stuff away and I have so much more energy that I’m thinking about going out this weekend.  I’m usually too tired to do anything come Friday night, but some friends have invited me to a Christmas party and I think I’ll go!

 

Debra, you have changed my life, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  If there is every anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.

 

Susan Merino

Omaha, Nebraska

Wow!  What a testimonial, Susan, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me and for agreeing to allow me to publish your e-mail on my website.

My regular readers know how I like to take a person’s e-mail and tear it apart, sort to speak, in order to show them, and others, how their own thinking is limiting them.  In this case, there is nothing to “tear apart.”  But I do want to take just a few minutes to explain what is happening in Susan’s life.

First, as she clears the clutter in her environment, at home and at work, she is clearing her energy.  My research and personal experience have evolved somewhat since I wrote my book and I’ve been learning more about physical, psychological, and spiritual energy.  Clutter around you, in any way, shape, or form, diminishes your energy, pure and simple. 

Those of you who are regular readers may recall an article I wrote (it’s also in the book) about how my mother-in-law’s house is so clean it sparkles.  Interestingly, the bank where my father-in-law was president had its 100^th Anniversary back in the summer, and someone said of both of them, “they sparkle.”  I had a private “Aha!” moment when I heard that!

I am discovering that there are five primary areas that you need to focus on to keep your energy clear and clean.  I’ll be writing a lot more about this in 2008, but to give you a little introduction and then get back to today’s post, here are the five:

1. Your home

2. Your office

3. Your car

4. Your computer

5. Your subconscious mind

Your home, office, and car are simple enough and I’ve blogged about that before.  The role your computer plays in this is something I’m going to be blogging about in the future.  And there can still be clutter lurking around in your subconscious mind that will need to be cleaned up before you can really be free and clear and have your energy soaring at its highest level, and I’ll be blogging about that too, very soon.

But couldn’t you feel the excitement and higher energy level of Susan as she wrote?  I got chills when I read her e-mail and I could sense her sincerity and genuine new-found passion for her life. 

And how ‘bout those 10 pounds?  Isn’t that fantastic?  A lot of you have been e-mailing me lately about my weight-loss system as well, and maybe Susan’s story is another clue for you – clear some clutter!  It can’t hurt, right?  See, when you’re energy level improves, everything in life your life will improve – your attitude, your outlook, your work, and yes, even your weight.  It can’t be helped – that’s how energy works!  I’ve spoken to Susan offline and she had no clue about my weight-loss system; she found my book through a Google search on motivation – she wasn’t even a regular reader of my blog.

Finally, I want to draw attention to what got Susan started in the first place – the challenge I give in the book to “try it – right now.”  If you’re wondering if something truly works, why not try it?  Take Susan’s attitude of “I’ve tried other stuff that worked, why not try this?”  It doesn’t have to be one of my ideas – maybe the reason you’ve ended up reading this post today was only to get you to try something else – someone else’s idea.  Whatever it is, here’s your challenge:  Try it – right now.

Until next time,

Try something new!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

In Friday’s post, I talked about the many benefits of getting around the top people in your field or industry.  Mostly, I was discussing taking advice from these people as opposed to people who have no clue about you or your business. 

As a result of merely mentioning his name, Alan Weiss posted a comment on that article.  Can you believe that?  The man who is possibly the highest paid consultant in the world posted a comment on my site!  I was so stoked!

I ended up on Alan’s site for a few minutes and came across an article titled, Non-Intellectual Non-Property.  If you’re a consultant or speaker, you really should read it.  At the end, I wanted to post a comment saying simply, “AMEN, BROTHER!”  But I’d lost the internet connection I’d hacked into while sitting outside a church waiting for my husband to practice with his praise band.  So—

I did what any decent blogger would do and have written my own article instead.  For those of you who are too lazy to click over there and read the article in full, (this would be the consultants – for whom the article is primarily targeted), Alan is essentially pointing out that one should not plagiarize another’s material.  This is getting to be an issue in both the speaking and consulting industries.  I agree with Alan 100% and just want to add my own experiences to the docket.

Brian Tracy actually told me I could use his stuff.  I’m paraphrasing here based on memory, but his words went something like this:  “A lot of people are all about, ‘mine, mine, mine,’ but I’m not like that.  If you hear something today that would help your audiences, take it and use it.  There’s some good stuff here and it can really make a difference in people’s lives.”

I thought, “Wow!  What a great guy – he’s the real deal!”  And he is – isn’t he?  And so many of the top people I’ve heard speak at the NSA are like that as well.  I remember Nido Qubein telling us, and again, this is paraphrased, “If you’re so pathetic that you have to worry about others stealing something you said; if you’re so pathetic that you can’t think of something new, you need to get into a different line of work.”  In other words, you should constantly be coming up with your own unique stuff – and move on.

With all that being said, do you have the right to copy someone else’s work?  What if they give you permission?

Here’s my take on this.

As sweet as Brian’s offer was, I would never, never, deliberately plagiarize him.  (Or anyone else for that matter.)  Here’s why.

First, it’s just wrong.  To claim something that someone else wrote or said as your own work is just dishonest.  I’ve often had people send me e-mails with “suggestions” for my blog.  Some are pretty good.  But when I start doing the research, there either is no source or there is a debate over the correct source.  Something a friend sent to me several months ago was very good – a poem about women.  I wanted to use it.  In my attempts to find a source to link to, I found out the article had been stolen from a magazine writer.  I decided it was too much trouble and just came up with my own post instead.  After all, it’s really not that hard for me to do.  Which brings me to my next point–

It’s not necessary.  I am unique.  I’ve had unique experiences. I can talk (or write) for hours and hours on my subjects.  Shoot, I can talk or write for several hours on no subject!  I can always talk for longer than what people hire me to talk.  Seriously, my clients will hire me to speak for an entire day on a subject about which I could speak for an entire week!  At my last NSA conference someone said of speakers, “They’re the type of people who can open the refrigerator door and talk for 20 minutes about what’s in there.”  That is also paraphrased and I don’t remember who said it – but I’m not claiming it as my own – get it?  If the person who said it wants a link to their website – they’ll get it.  If they want it taken off, I will comply.  We do our best here – and I’m going to talk about there a little later.  For now, moving on to my third point–

I don’t like to worry.  Somebody, somewhere, at sometime, is going to “catch me.”  Even if I have permission from Brian Tracy to duplicate his work and even if he never sues me, I will have forever lost favor in the eyes of that person, and anyone else that person tells.  Of all the people who read my blog and books, there are at least a few who also read Brian’s.  When you read my work don’t you think it’s my own?  Don’t you assume that I’m pulling from my own learning experiences?  Of course you do, why shouldn’t you?  I’ve had some of my blog posts stolen.  The latest is at towels4us.com.  I don’t know who “hand towel” is, but he or she has plagiarized a lot of bloggers. 

“What if I do it by mistake?”  Okay, it is possible, when you read hundreds of books and articles on your subject, that your own thoughts will be affected by those influences.  That’s what learning is all about.  General concepts are just that – general.  Typically, if you give a definition of, for example, net profit, as “gross profit minus expenses,” no one is going to get upset with you – that’s a general concept.  But I have never known someone to “accidentally” steal someone’s entire system.  For example, if I wrote a book, gave it the title “Point of Focus” after Brian Tracy’s “Focal Point,” then proceeded to copy his outline and just tweak a few things here and there – that’s stealing.

What I will do, and can legally do, is read Brian’s book, jot down some of the ideas that really struck a chord with  me, quote him as the source, and then relay my own experiences and what I’ve learned along those same lines.

Can you tell I have a lot of books that were written by Brain Tracy?  I have only one by Alan Weiss. Which brings to mind the question:  Do people buy books in direct proportion to how nice someone was to them at the end of a seminar?  Hmmmmmmm.  But that’s another post!

(Now, you’d better be good this time, Alan, or I’ll tell your wife about that night in Tampa!)

Until next time,

Live with Integrity!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Education, Leadership, Motivation, Success

Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary.

Warren G. Bennis

One of the best reminders I got from yesterday’s podcast, was that you need to be careful who you take advice from, especially in business.

My husband is building a new dental office.  If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you know that B.J. is not an ordinary dentist, or an ordinary person for that matter.  He loves dentistry, will probably die over top of a patient, and many of us would trade a limb to have his drive and passion.  He’s the only person I know who has been in the same profession for over 25 years and, God willing, will be doing it for another 25!

One lesson that he has taught me is that you can’t do things like everybody else and expect greater results.  If you want to be the best, you have to put yourself around the best, find out what they do, and then, to the best of your ability, copy them.  One of my favorite college professors told me, “”Tis better to copy genius than create mediocrity.” 

B.J. spent the first 18 years developing his clinical skills, and while that certainly paid off it its own right, it wasn’t until he started doing things from a business perspective like the greatest in his field do it that his business really started to take off.  Now, he is a brilliant business man as well as a fabulous dentist.  He attributes his continued success to systems, and the copy genius philosophy.

His clinical skills are so extraordinary that he has former employees who now work in other practices but send their friends and family to him when they need dental care above and beyond the routine cleaning.  We’ve had team members leave our office for personal reasons, but then beg to return because after working for the best, they couldn’t stand to work in a “regular” office.

When you sincerely strive for excellence, it shows.  And although you might miss the mark a few days here and there, it is your attitude and desire for being the best that others will see in you and make them want to be around you and do business with you.

So how do you get there?  Isn’t everyone trying to do their best?

Actually, it goes a little deeper than just wishing and hoping.  Personally, the biggest copout I hear is, “Well, I’m trying to do my best, and if that’s not good enough . . .”

Striving for excellence means investing in yourself and your business.  But you can’t just throw money at something and expect it to succeed.  You have to search out the genius, and eliminate the mediocre.  A wise business person, as Diane said yesterday, will talk to consultants and experts in the field to find out how to best invest those dollars.  From my personal experience, the best advice comes from those who are achieving your desires right now – the exemplary.  They are 3 to 5 rungs ahead of you on the ladder of success and this is by your evaluation, not someone else’s.  You know how successful you are based on how successful you feel; and only you can know that.

With all that being said, here are 5 tips on what to watch out for when receiving advice.

1. Surround yourself with the best in your industry.  This has been invaluable to both me and my husband.  This means going to seminars and lectures and instead of being the first one in line at the cash bar, network with the speakers and other top names attending the same event.  You’ll be surprised at how open they are to share their “secrets” with you.  A lot of people think, “He probably gets tired of having his brain picked all the time just because he’s successful.”  Or, “I bet he would charge me to give me any real advice.”  In reality, neither of these statements is true.  Most people, if you approach them nicely with a specific question, are more than thrilled to talk about how they climbed the ladder of success and what they learned along the way.  Remember, people love to talk about themselves, especially if the other person seems genuinely interested.  In the rare event that you come across someone who doesn’t want to talk, just leave them alone – they probably have their reasons.  You’ll find someone else; just keep at it.  Trust me; this works.  I approached Brian Tracy after one of his seminars once and he was so nice!  So was Nido Qubein, Jack Canfield, Jerry Hicks, Bob Bly, Alan Weiss, Patricia Fripp, Tom Antion, and many others.  I have met, and would be comfortable approaching again, some of the most successful people in my industry.  So has my husband.  Have you?
    

2. Copy genius.  Once you get those golden nuggets of success, do them.  If the most successful person in your industry has 20 assistant and attributes that to his success, go out and hire 20 assistants.  One at a time, of course, but you’ll get there.  See, if you keep doing things like the average Joe, you’ll continue to be average Joe.  Remember the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over again expecting to get different results.  What you want to do is find those systems that achieve the results you want, and then do those over and over again.  What successful systems are you using?
    

3. Don’t listen to those with no experience.  One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is taking advice from friends and family.  Unless they are in the biz, or are willing to do some serious research, they are not going to be able to help you.  All they are pulling from is their own experience and it is true - “The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere.”  They falsely perceive someone else as “doing alright” and think that means you should copy what they do.  If you were to talk to that person directly, you would probably get an entirely different story.  So know where the research and advice are coming from before you act on it.  Are you acting on any ordinary advice right now?
    

4. Don’t listen to those who don’t know you.  I was seated next to a lady on a recent flight who, after finding out that I’d written a book, decided to give me her advice.  She’s never written a book, but has read about people who have.  (!)  She told me I needed to start speaking on topics related to the book in order to promote it.  (!)  Then she suggested that I get a website. (Again, !)  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that my book came from my speaking experience and was created to support it, and that I’d been blogging for over a year and had had a website for two.  But this is what friends and family will do as well.  They still see you as the snotty-nosed kid you were when you were 10.  They rarely truly recognize your accomplishments because they “knew you when.”  The closer the friend/family, the less they see who you have become and are becoming.  Do you see your close friends and family as they really are?
    

5. Have faith in yourself and your calling.  Sometimes family members will discourage you out of their own sense of fear.  You need to know that while they mean well and don’t want to see you get hurt, you must not let their fear hold you back from the success you deserve.  If you feel a sincere calling to do something, that is your Source energy, the God-force part of you, calling you toward it, and it is in everyone’s best interest that you follow that calling of Source.  To what mission is your Source calling you?

I am very excited about my husband’s new building and am very proud of how he is handling things.  We have had some major obstacles, but he has definitely kept the faith.  Wednesday, after ordering over $200,000 in equipment, the bank reneged on $50,000 in promised funding.  Not to worry:  BJ is so focused on his calling and our overall well-being that another funding source immediately stepped up to fill the gap.

See, when you’ve tuned in to your life’s calling, the universe will fulfill every need as designed by the Almighty.  But you have to keep your eyes looking upward; look to those who are above you on the success ladder.  Don’t model those below you, unless that’s where you want to be.  Eventually, you will become the model for those looking up to you.

Until next time,

Find a genius to copy!

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

I have a real treat for you today.  I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to sit down with Diane Clark, the founder and managing director of Fairy Dust, Ltd, Inc.

Diane is the naturally creative type who has used her imagination to create an entire company.  Her story is truly inspiring, mixed in with a lot of practical business advice!  Enjoy!

Podcast with Diane Clark

(Right-click the link above and choose “Save Target As . . .” to save the podcast to your hard drive.  Just be sure to remember where you saved it to, so you can go back and play it!)

Until next time,

Follow your dreams - wherever they take you.

If you’d like to sign up for retreat information as it becomes available, click here.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW When you’re ready to create the life you want, purchase my latest book to get started on the right path. I share my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment is helping many others do the same.  If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success

A new reader recently e-mailed me to ask how I was able to lose 25 pounds in one month.  Unlike many others who have e-mailed me with that question, this reader seemed genuinely interested and open to the truth.  So I shared it with her.  My “secret” is simple and applies to every subject.  But before I share it with you, I want to cover all the bases first.

I didn’t set out to lose that much weight that fast, it just happened.  I wanted to lose 25 pounds, but I didn’t care how long it took.  The calorie-counting system I came up with worked a lot faster than I ever dreamed.  I’ve had scientists e-mail me with encouraging words, teasingly saying things like, “Duh, Debra, of course it worked.  Anyone who would approach the subject like you did would lose that much.  The speed will vary from person to person, depending upon many other factors of their physical health and body, but most people would find it to be very fast.  It’s just how science works.”  Then I’ve had, of course, the nay-sayers who say, “You lost nothing but 25 pounds of water.  You’re either crazy or a liar and shouldn’t mislead people this way.”  I’m guessing the diet didn’t work for that person! 

Of the people who have used my system and had results, but not as quick results, they admitted that they had trouble at first, but that once they “got it,” that’s when things started to turn around for them. 

“Getting it” means this:  You understand that anything is possible if you believe it strongly enough, AND, you believe that so strongly that you are excited about it.  The real power is in the excitement.  If you’re excited about something, you’ll stick with it because you know/believe it works and you don’t modify it because there is no need to do so – you understand/know/believe it will work and are excited about it.  The trick is to maintain your excitement, and that’s what I want to talk about today.

Think about the last time you were excited about anything.  What was it?  Did something miraculous happen?  If you kept your excitement to yourself, either deliberately, or just because you didn’t have time to tell anyone about it, I’ll bet you had a fabulous experience.  Every time I get excited about something, if I can maintain that excitement, which usually means keeping it to myself, I will get what I want out of the situation.  Let me give an example not related to weight loss.

I just attended one my National Speakers Association meetings.  I love the NSA and am very proud to be a member.  Every meeting I attend brings such great benefits to me I cannot even describe them to you with words.

At the first general session, if I am quietly excited about the meeting and what I hope to gain from it, I’ll find myself seated next to members who feel the same way, and are vibrating the same energy.

If I sit down next to someone and start talking about how excited I am about the meeting and what I hope to gain from it, that person invariably starts sharing previous negative experiences at other conferences and brings me down.  I’m sure you’ve had experiences like that.

The reason I was able to lose my weight so quickly is that I was able to quietly maintain my excitement level about the subject of losing weight.  I didn’t share my goal with anyone, so no one discounted my theory or the fact that I needed to lose weight, therefore, no one brought me down and I was truly expecting to lose the weight.  Then, when I began to see results after only one week, the momentum of my quiet excitement, combined with actual results created a synergistic effect to produce quick weight loss.

Now this, in my mind, brings up the question of “contagious enthusiasm.”  A lot of you are probably asking the question, “Are you saying that we should never show our enthusiasm about anything?  Wouldn’t that be kind of a downer in and of itself – if we couldn’t be ourselves or try to share our enthusiasm with others?”  No, I’m not saying that.  Here’s the difference.

In my seminars, I always start with upbeat music and stretching exercises, and then get the group to dance a little.  I find this wakes everyone up and gets their brain juices flowing sort to speak.  Doing this shows my enthusiasm for the subject of the seminar and gets my audience excited, in general, as well.  When you go to work or do whatever it is that you do, it would be fantastic if you could show a general level of enthusiasm for life.  Your life, your everyday life.  That’s great if you already do that. 

BUT . . .

When you have a subject that you are struggling with, whether it is weight loss, finances, work relationships, personal relationships – whatever – you will be better off if you can find a way to become excited about the possibility of things on that subject moving in the direction you want, and then keep that to yourself.  Here’s another example.

Have you ever been excited about a business prospect, shared it with someone, only to have them say, “Oh, you don’t want to work for/do business with them?” 

I could go on and on with examples like this, but I think you’re starting to get the picture.

I now want to address this from the other side as well.  What do you do when someone shares what they believe is a really great idea with you, but you don’t think it’s so hot?  Do you tell them?  I say no – keep your mouth shut.  What do you know about that person’s vibration, energy, and purpose in life?

Most of us would be much better off in our own lives if we could learn to “live and let live.”  That is, after all, what allowing your own well being is about:   Allowing good things to happen in your life means allowing others to have good things as well, whatever that means to them.  We weren’t put on this earth at the same time to be alike.  We are here to experience the contrast, grow with, and help one another.

Oprah recently had Sara Blakely, the lady who created Spanx, on her show.  I was so glad I got to watch that. (I was watching a repeat late at night, so I really don’t know how recent it was, please forgive me.)  Sara went to several people trying to give birth to her product idea, only to be turned down by everyone.  But she maintained her enthusiasm, quietly, and gave birth to it herself, starting her manufacturing company in her apartment. 

There are many stories like this out there. 

So, today, I challenge you to pick up an idea that you maybe once were excited about, but you let someone talk you out of pursuing it.  Yes, some ideas need to be tweaked a little in order to work.  That’s okay.  Edison had over 1000 versions of the light bulb.  Where would we be today if he had let everyone talk him out of his excitement?    

Don’t live life in the dark; be quietly excited about what you want, and don’t squash others’ enthusiasm for their ideas.  Let’s work together for a brighter world, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and energetically.

Until next time,

Live in the Light of Quiet Enthusiasm!

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