Tag Archives: commitment

My Higher Self REFUSED to be Fooled Today

Posted in Practicing Self Mastery by

mocha moments

I don’t like tricks being played on me so I tend to lie low for April Fools. My friend Sally Ann did catch me though with a Facebook post that she’d been up all night because one of her dogs made young ‘uns. I was ecstatic thinking to myself that since I no longer had Tosca and Tula (my former Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde Labrador/Rottweilers), an entire OTHER story, I could take one of the pups off her. It turned out to be a joke. I’d been punked. One joke…hopefully no more for the rest of the day.

I didn’t have too many conversations today but I did have a very significant one with myself. I’ve been in the rear view mirror of my life recently – reviewing how things have progressed thus far – what I could do differently – what I needed to do more of. One of the things that kept popping up was that I simply needed to have more COURAGE. Courage seems to be MY word for this leg of my journey.

So this morning I revisited something that Sandra Walston said about courage:

“All you have to do is decide whether this forgotten virtue is worthy to learn. If Stephen Covey’s “8th-habit” – leadership – calls you to “help others find their own voice,” then making that a habit requires declaring your courage. Leadership qualities are defined by courage, such as asking for the tough project no one wants or staying focused on the results (regardless of the sacrifice). What would motivate you to explore today where this ancient virtue fits into your work life? If you are receptive, you will find sometimes you’re on balance and other times you slip down a step. The fact is you cannot learn courage by doing something you already know.”

I want to inspire others to build their courage muscle and UN-stick from wherever they’ve been stuck – Lord knows how long. But I realize that it’s not going to happen based on ANY of my own expectations. I have no idea how long or short it will take, But I’m taking my own advice and sticking with it for at least 18 months (you’ll see how it all unfolds).

Self then has a conversation with self about fitness. “You know you need to practice what you preach. Everyday for the month of April, you will take a walk after dinner.” This claim was reinforced by something I read in the ‘Poke the Box Workbook’ by Seth Godin – Is there an area of your life that needs poking? Can you make things better for you and those around you?
• If you never pick the restaurant, can you make reservations next time?
• Can you be the person in your family who exercises consistently?
• If you’re laid back, can you start initiating and planning activities?
• If you wash the dishes every day and someone else cooks, can you switch roles?

The second suggestion had my name written all over it. I would be the leader and walk.

Except right after dinner I started negotiating with myself…telling myself that I would start TOMORROW! Does this sound familiar? But my higher self refused to be conned. Up until this time I didn’t share my commitment with anyone so it was easy to change my mind and start on another day. The next thing that happened is I heard myself saying to Ana – “I was thinking about going for a walk.” Now someone else KNOWS. I then asked her if she wanted to go and she said “Yes! Let’s go now because it’s getting late.” And BOOM! We walked – down the hill and back up again.

This was me, flexing my squishy  underdeveloped courage muscle today. But I am encouraged by a pin I saw recently which simply said:

take one stepAnd I did…I did indeed. Thanks for ignoring me today Higher Self. You refused to be fooled today! What small courageous step will you take today?

you'

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Is There Room for Poetry in Business?

Posted in Developing the Possibilities Mindset, Practicing Self Mastery by

Where do you search for new business ideas? Business books perhaps? Where do you seek inspiration? Why from other successful business persons of course! “Being in business is a serious thing” you say. But what if we are taking business and ourselves far too seriously? What if we are closing off ourselves to answers that lie along other corridors in our library of information or in the wider library of life?

Recently while watching the Tony Awards I was greatly reminded of the need to be open to receiving insight, even if it comes outside of my hours of work, and delivered by someone that I may not necessarily look to for business advice.

In what apparently has become a Tony Award tradition, Mark Rylance took the stage of the Beacon Theatre after his name was called as Best Actor in a Play for Jerusalem and shared a poem with the expectant crowd. Because I didn’t know this actor, nor did I hear his acceptance speech in 2008, I must admit, I was a little lost. And in a minute you’ll see why. Rylance began without preamble, and used the words of ‘Walking Through a Wall’ by prose poet Louis Jenkins to accept his second Tony Award. Perhaps it was the way he delivered the poem but it was definitely one of those moments where my intuitive self nudged me to ‘pay attention.’ So here’s the poem…

“Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot making or driftwood lamps. I got started at a picnic up in Bowstring in the northern part of the state. A fellow walked through a brick wall right there in the park. I said, ‘Say, I want to try that.’ Stone walls are best, then brick and wood. Wooden walls with fiberglass insulation and steel doors aren’t so good. They won’t hurt you. If your wall walking is done properly, both you and the wall are left intact. It is just that they aren’t pleasant somehow. The worst things are wire fences, maybe it’s the molecular structure of the alloy or just the amount of give in a fence, I don’t know, but I’ve torn my jacket and lost my hat in a lot of fences. The best approach to a wall is, first, two hands placed flat against the surface; it’s a matter of concentration and just the right pressure. You will feel the dry, cool inner wall with your fingers, then there is a moment of total darkness before you step through on the other side.”

If after reading this, your answer to my question about room for poetry in business is a resounding “No!” I won’t be offended. But if you’ve got this far, you might as well read through to the end as I offer what I got after hearing the poem <smile>.

This one poem spoke to me of business success – that it is possible and far more the rule than the exception although you must be wise in deciding which business is best for you. So many people go after businesses because of its potential for making big bucks. It says that you may have to try several businesses before you find one that’s right for you and that when you do, you will survive – intact. Sometimes you might be lured into businesses that look ‘solid’ but once you’re involved might take on the personality of a wire fence, costing you much more than you bargained for and in the process – leaving you in a loss position.

The best advice though comes at the end. Whatever business you do get into, don’t be half committed – place ‘both hands’ in your business. Focus on what you’re about and with the right amount of effort you will begin your journey towards the success you seek. This journey is not without its share of dark moments, the darkest moments sometimes coming just before your breakthrough but you must have faith in knowing that you will get there, no matter what!

I am reminded of an interview that I saw with Howard Schultz – Starbucks CEO – who looks for answers for his business in Homer’s The Odyssey. Motivated – I did go out and get a copy – although I’ll admit – I am intimidated by Homer.  And close on the heels of that is the fact that I formed a mental block against Homer and have not really tried reading it. What’s my point? You never know where you’re going to get your answers. Don’t get yourself mired in the mindset of a sectioned world – where business is business and everything else lies outside of it. Business is life and life is organic – moving, shifting, shaping, reshaping, and changing. Now where’s my copy of Homer’s The Odyssey?

We all have the capacity to achieve so much more in our lives than we give ourselves credit for. Click here for a FREE guide on How to be Authentic, Make a Difference, Profit and Prosper

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If You Don’t Commit – You Won’t Get It!

Posted in Developing the Possibilities Mindset, Practicing Self Mastery by


Barbara Corcoran was a guest on the Nate Berkus Show yesterday and I am  really happy that I caught the episode. She was giving advice to young designers and artisans, critiquing their presentations and helping them to better sell their wares.

At the end, Nate asked her to summarize what she has learned over the years. She listed three things but I only remember one.

Commitment.

Barbara stated quite emphatically that she noticed that whether it was a good idea or not, once she was committed to it 100% or greater, that she would succeed. If she was half-hearted or even only 90% into the project or idea, things would not go well. These aren’t Barbara’s words exactly; they’re my interpretation but I hope you get the point.

If there’s something in your life you’re considering – stop trying – and DO IT! Commit to it and get it done. Give it your all. Quit worrying about whether it will work or not. The idea may not fly but you would have been a bigger help to yourself from the experience and information you gained in the process.

Again, this is probably why Napoleon Hill asks that you have a Definite Chief Aim – a Definite Purpose that you’re working towards in Think and Grow Rich. No vacillating, no dilly-dallying – just a decision to commit to one purpose.

Then Barbara says, it seems as if the Universe conspires to help you bring it about!

I’m seeing this unfolding in my life right now. Phone calls that I wasn’t getting are now coming more frequently; gigs that I once dreamed of are now coming to life. Why? Because I made a commitment to a definite purpose. And I know that I will get it!

cartoon from http://www.aprncipledaalife.blogspot.com

Our Invisible Assets – The Real Source of Our Wealth

Posted in Developing the Possibilities Mindset, Practicing Self Mastery by

In business when you prepare a balance sheet you compile a summary of your assets and liabilities. Under assets you may have real estate, cars, equipment, furniture, cash, jewellery, securities and any other tangible assets. Under liabilities you would include all debts, obligations, mortgages, bank loans and any other promissory notes. When you subtract your liabilities from your assets you come up with what is known as your “net worth.”

Most people assess their wealth based on these facts alone however if we want to determine our true wealth, we need to include our invisible assets. What value did you put on your original business idea? What about your creativity, determination, persistence, commitment and knowledge? What about your valuable skills: selling, marketing, persuasion? Yes – we tend to take these for granted, and sometimes don’t even charge for our expertise, yet get upset when our customers also take what we do for granted.

A huge asset many business owners overlook, are their contacts, relationships and connections. Perry Marshall, author of ‘the Definitive Guide to Google’ says “it’s simply amazing how many companies are sloppy about what is arguably their most valuable piece of intellectual property: Their customer database. That’s right, no matter what you do, what you make, or how smart you are, the most valuable thing you own is your list of customers. And the second most valuable thing you own is your list of prospective customers, those people who have expressed interest in your product or service.”

Think about Amazon.com. Their customer database is listed as an asset on their balance sheet. Amazon tracks everything you do and so is able to recommend more books to you based on genre or author. Amazon will suggest people who bought the book you bought and what else those folks purchased and of course they will always encourage you to buy more books. The model works. Don’t go off thinking that you have to have the infrastructure like Amazon to make it happen. Think: Do you capture the name, address, phone number and email address of everyone who calls you? Do you stay in contact with them, letting them know what’s new and always reinforcing your sales story every time you contact them? Does this require complex software to achieve? No.

In order to get a clear picture of your true wealth you also need to list your liabilities. The list may include laziness, procrastination, poor organization, fear, hesitancy, perfectionism, pettiness, small-mindedness, anger, poor organization and a bad reputation.

We give money far too much power than it deserves. We put all our energies on sales tactics and trying to ‘force our client’s hands’ almost – particularly if we’re desperate! Instead of focusing on sales tactics and techniques, focus on building trust. In their e-book ‘7 Reasons why High-Paying Clients aren’t Choosing You” authors Rudy Nelson and Traci Feit Love suggest: “Learn to see the world through your clients’ eyes so you can speak to them on their terms. Share meaningful insights with prospective clients so they learn to trust your expertise. Make sure that you assess prospective clients’ needs before proposing a solution, so they know you are proposing something that will work for them. We all prefer to buy from people we trust to look out for our best interests.”

If we’re experiencing a financial setback it is very difficult to remember that what we possess – our unique way of doing what we do – is a valuable asset. Sometimes we make it so complex that the customer can’t find it in the confusion that we present to them. Nelson and Love’s prescription: “Focus exclusively on what really matters to your ideal clients. Describe the value of your services in concrete terms. Make sure you’re saving your clients time and effort. The easier it is for your prospective clients to understand what you’re offering and how it helps them, the easier it will be to bring them on as clients.”

In these economic tough times, it is so easy for us to confuse our own value with the fluctuating value of our work in the marketplace. So when clients are calling us or we’re getting work we’re happy and if they stay away – we get depressed. Well of course! That seems perfectly natural except deciding to be down is not an effective response. Use that energy instead to continue to take action. Refine your offers. Tweak your website. Do what you can do every single day to create a thriving business whether or not you are seeing results in the short term.

And always remember this Universal truth: You don’t have wealth – you are your wealth.

For a FREE copy of “7 Steps to Up Your Game and Get Your Phone Ringing” send an email to possibility2profit@gmail.com

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Stop Teaching and Start Doing the Work

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I’m sure you’re all familiar with the saying ‘We teach what we most need to learn’. Regardless of the service we provide – whether we are teachers, insurance executives, or massage therapists, we can often get so caught up in the “service part” to others that we forget to do our own work on ourselves.

If you’re not practicing what you’re preaching you are going to find yourself in a lot of hot water.  Before you go trying to sell anything that you do, you need to be sold yourself. Remember the last four letters in enthusiasm – IASM – I am sold myself! Use your own product – walk yourself through your service steps – are you happy?

Customers are like blood hounds when it comes to sniffing out authenticity. You need to believe in what you’re offering when everyone’s behind you but you definitely need to believe when others are laughing at you in your face.

I saw the movie “Wall Street” recently and in it one of the main characters – a young broker – is fully committed and betting on great things from a start up clean energy company. He talks about it in meetings, he brings it up any chance he has to, he’s telling other brokers about it and in the end almost loses much in his life because of it. He was willing to put his own money behind his recommendation. How many of us believe in what we’re doing to the point of being charismatic?

But this is not just about believing in your product or service, – sometimes you need to use the very thing that you’re recommending on yourself. At that point you must stop teaching and do the work.

For example – young lawyer Alex Neely was quite successful. She had her own law firm but avoided the issues around legal, insurance, finances and taxes – just a little too long. According to her not having her legal stuff set up right, and having the wrong insurance in place, messed up her financial systems and poor tax planning cost her nearly $800,000 plus stress, worry and heartache.

While we are busy recommending that others should get their taxes in order with our new XYZ software that makes filing income tax a breeze our own tax situation is horrific. Why don’t we do the work on ourselves? Well we think that if we keep our mouths shut and deal with our stuff quietly AND privately we won’t have to seem negative and maybe not have to admit just how painful whatever it is we’re going through really is. We are ashamed.

What we don’t realize is that we are not alone. There are others suffering just like us simply waiting for us to bring the truth into the light so that they can learn and perhaps find a solution to their trauma. These problems don’t have to bring us down but we must be willing to confront the shadows, quit avoiding it and transform it by bringing it into the light.

If you focus all your energy on making more and more money so you don’t have to deal with your own stuff and stuff that perhaps your own products or solutions might solve, then you’re in big trouble because no matter how much you work and how much money you make it would never be enough — not when what you’re doing is really a distraction to avoid looking at the things that are hard for you to look at – like in Alex’s case – the legal and financial parts of her business.

From ever since I first started to work, I’ve been studying how and why some people are successful in life – and why some people are NOT. It’s interesting the answer because it all comes down to a few key principles and techniques.

One of the most important things a person can do to make themselves successful – both personally and with money – is to access opportunity. The thing with opportunity, according to Robert Collier in “The Magic Word” is that the door to it is never ajar. Always closed we have to knock, we have to seek, we have to be persistent. Alex Neely created a LIFT foundation System and Toolkit – LIFT an acronym for Legal, Insurance, Finance and Taxes – showing others how to do business with their eyes wide open so they wouldn’t get taken – as she did.

Think about the nuggets you might find if you only stop teaching and start doing the work you’ve been avoiding – perhaps far too long!

Cartoon from http://www.bettercartoon.com

Time to make a step change…

Posted in Developing the Possibilities Mindset, Practicing Self Mastery by

mocha moments

In her own infinite wisdom, my best friend shared a concept with me that I think is about to change my life!

We were simply discussing my own life and business and stuff I was working on.

“You need to make a step change” she said quietly.

“Step change?” I asked puzzled. Up until then I never heard that phrase. She then went on to explain that at her job, if they had a mandate to double their production – they couldn’t take baby steps towards this objective. They needed to do something significant!

I didn’t respond but that thought stayed with me.

A step change is:

a significant change: a change that makes a significant difference in the size or value of something or the way in which something is done.

I realized then and there – that I had been playing small. Yes I was doing stuff and making progress, but boy was I taking baby steps.

After my master mind meeting today I made some commitments to myself and I intend over the next 30-60-90 days to STEP UP my game!

Where in your own life do you need a STEP CHANGE?

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