Is Gratitude Contagious?

Lately, I've been focused quite a bit on gratitude. You know, I can't even honestly say I've been focused on it -- I'd say it's more like I'm immersed in it. (Focus seems to imply some effort or force, whereas this seems completely natural to me right now.)

I'm wondering if gratitude is contagious, since it's surely coming back to me tenfold.

The amount of emails from expressing thanks for everything from my recent teleclass series, to an in-depth phone conversation, to people just randomly thanking me for doing what I do and being who I am -- it's truly overwhelming (in a good way).

People are even thanking me for my new free wealth resource and my NEXT course, which is about to launch any day now.

And opportunities truly abound. For example, in the past 24 hours, I've had 2 requests for an interview, I've had contact from Mark Joyner, and I just might be featured in an upcoming issue of Women's World magazine.

Wow.

I can't say I'm entirely surprised...after all, it's what I created for myself. And as much as I've been personally giving adn practicing gratitude lately, it's no surprise that it would come back to me tenfold.

But it definitely feels good...and it brings on more feelings of gratitude, more blessings in my life to be thankful for. So I guess gratitude is, in fact, contagious.

How appropriate, considering the season that's approaching. But more about that to come...now I've got to get ready for "what's next" and man, I am super-charged about it. (Details forthcoming...)

Your QoD:
In what ways are YOU expressing gratitude in your life? Are you seeing this come back to you in interesting and unexpected ways? How can you incorporate a greater sense of gratitude into your own life and daily routine?

For the Sheer Joy of It

There are things I should probably hire someone to do, but I do them myself because it's interesting. Or it's something I want to learn.

Or sometimes, it's just plain fun and it makes me happy.

For example, I just got inspired to set up a Cafe Press store.

No reason, really. Just thought it would be fun -- don't be fooled by the pricing, the markup I chose isn't much. This is not about making a profit, it's about making stuff and having people want to buy it.

Go take a look: http://cafepress.com/amygrant

I've only got a few items selected (I'm just trying it out -- I literally created the designs adn posted everything in about an hour). But when you're inspired, and you act quickly (remember, money loves speed) it doesn't have to take long to get something done.

And to think, all this time, I've been telling myself I'm not a graphic designer. I think I did pretty darn good, with my limited knowledge of Photoshop.

I'm sure there are other programs that could do stuff faster and easier and more professionally, but hey, I had fun.

Depending on what other ideas strike my fancy, I'm thinking of expanding -- upgrading my brand new Cafe Press store to a fully customizable storefront.

Not that I'm getting distracted from my main focus: human empowerment and transformation. That's priority #1, and the online store is just an inspired diversion...

At any rate, if you like what you see, feel free to buy some. I'd be tickled purple if you did. :-)

QoD: How often do you take immediate action on your inspired ideas? When you don't, why not? What is stopping you? After all, YOU got the idea, so who better to take action on it than, oh, I don't know, YOU???

Go for it.

99 Ways to Wealth

If there are at least 99 ways to measure success, then surely there are at least 99 ways to wealth.

That's what I'm calling my latest website.

Check it out.

Karrie King and I are interviewing some of our friends (in other words, "ordinary people experiencing extraordinary results") and we're talking to them about how they created a shift in their money mindset.

In other words, how'd they do it?

Sure, I know how I did it. Karrie knows how she did it. But it seems people who are "on the path" are always interested in certain things about wealthy people, including:

1 - what was the biggest block or obstacle you had to overcome to make the shift?
2 - how did you find out what your limiting beliefs were?
3 - what was the defining moment when everything started to shift?
4 - how'd you make your money? (this is what people ask when they know they want to be wealthy, but they don't know exactly which route they want to take to get there)
5 - what tools or techniques or methods did you use to release your blocks around money?
6 - how long did it take you? (which, incidentally, is irrelevant. It takes however long it takes. Some people are an overnight success, while others take longer)

etc

So we're asking these burning questions and we're recording the interviews and posting them here:

http://99waystowealth.com

It's a free resource -- just go sign up and it won't cost you a dime.

Consider it a gift, to assist and empower you on your journey of success and prosperity.

Meanwhile, here is your QoD:

What do you think is the single most important block that's holding you back from achieving the massive success you know you could have?

Answers to Your Burning Questions?

I get a lot of emails (doesn't everyone?) but sometimes I get an email that includes some outstanding questions -- what I call "burning questions" because these are questions that a LOT of people have and really want answered.

Today I got one of thohse emails, so I thought I'd share my answers with everyone. Naturally, I won't reveal the person's name or situation.

Normally, this is the kind of coaching in which I'd work with you personally (and charge $275 an hour) but I'm feeling generous today, so here goes.


QUESTION: What can I do if I want to buy a course that costs $1,500 but I have a maxed out credit card and I'm living off savings, what would you suggest I do other than give myself time to get the money and/or allow Law of Attraction to work in its own time?

MY ANSWER: Keep in mind that Law of Attraction works as fast as you let it. It's best not
to limit it with time constraints (but of course LoA is happy to comply when
you do.) And of course, to keep affirming that you don't have the money right now produces what...? Yep, you got it -- more situations where you don't have the money right now and you're waiting until you do. Putting life on hold until you have enough money is a slippery slope and it can leave you paralyzed where you are.

So here's the thing:

If you say it will take a year, it most likely will.

If you say it will take 2 months, it most likely will.

When I first got started in network marketing, I told my advisor I wanted to quit my job within a year and he laughed. He actually laughed at me and said, "Well, let's see if we can't do better than that."

As I expanded my mindset, I was able to stretch my thinking of what's possible and I pushed that goal up to 6 months...then I pushed it up to 4 months...then I pushed it up to 2 months. I quit my job (forever) within 2 months of setting that goal.

Get my point? You set the time. Don't be afraid to push yourself to think bigger and see what it would like if it happened a lot sooner than you're thinking?

Also consider that the moment you get COMMITTED to a goal, the Universe aligns to put things in place for you. But the doubts (based on what you're seeing in your present reality) are what prevent you from getting 100% committed.

You can't step fully into the future when you've got 1 foot stuck in the past. Capisce?

Next question (when the person mentions "Chapter 5" she is referring to The Success Method):

QUESTION: You say in Chapter 5 not to worry about the how, but then ask that we break down the
goals into "objectives" with target dates. If this is not concerned with the "how" of things,
I must be misunderstanding something here. What I have started doing (since I just
started reading Chapter 5 today) is writing down the steps as they come to me and
ones that I know I can definitely take action on (meaning ones that cost me time as
opposed to cash).

ANSWER: Outstanding question! I think the answer is best illustrated with an example.

Let's say your goal is to get a new car.
You don't care how you get that car, you just want a new car.
Winning it in a contest, getting an unexpected gift from a relative, buying it, etc.
You create a plan (consisting of objectives) as to how you can visualize it being created -- you give yourself milestones, you create an action plan (later chapter) and then you work your plan.

HOWEVER...

the secret is to have no attachment whatsoever as to what ACTUALLY occurs as you're working your plan.

In other words, you are committed to the GOAL, you are not committed to the way in which it manifests.

Look at it another way:

Let's say you are planning a dinner party with good friends.
You are committed that everyone (including you) have a fabulous time, that the food is delicious, the conversation is scintillating and a wonderful time is had by all. You envision a superb evening.

If that's what you're committed to, you don't worry that you can't afford to serve prime rib. You don't care if you have potatoes or rice. It doesn't matter whether you start at 7PM or 7:30PM. You don't stress if your best friend suddenly can't make it. You don't worry that you can't find your soup ladel. These are all just details -- you're committed that everyone have a fabulous time, and that's the ultimate outcome you want to see.

But does that mean you don't plan a menu? You don't invite people? You don't prepare?

Of course not! But you remain committed to your goal (wonderful evening) and you take steps in that direction. If a friend calls and suddenly tells you they have company in town, can they bring their company to the dinner? You don't freak out that you won't have enough places set -- you say YES because you've got to trust that these "new additions" can only enhance the fun and enjoyable evening you're committed to.

And what if you wanted to serve lamb and you've called every butcher shop and meat market in town and there's no lamb to be found? You don't sweat it because you know the evening will be fabulous. You switch to plan B. Or you remain committed to your fabulous evening and suddenly get a call from one of hte participants who offers to bring a lamb appetizer "out of the blue." These are the kinds of things you can expect when you are committed to something.

This is what I mean by setting objectives without getting hung up on the "how."

Moving on...

QUESTION: My understanding with Law of Attraction is that you're not supposed to put dates on
what you want to manifest.

ANSWER: It depends.

If you're gonna obsess over the date (some of us will) then you're better off without a date. If you're thinking "Ack! Only 3 days left and I still don't have it yet" then what kind of vibration or message are you sending? Clearly, it's "I don't have it yet" so you'll get more of that.

If you really require something within a certain timeline, be specific in asking to receive it by a certain date, and then be very open to following nudges here and there that may at first glace seem to be compeltely unrelated to your request. And be very, VERY open to how it happens.

It's one of those things where you gotta see what works for you.

And TRUST that you already know what you're doing. You do know enough. You CAN have anything you want. Seriously.

And on another note, carefully guard your use of the word "want."

As I'm fond of saying,
You'll get what you ask for, so be sure to ask for exactly what you want.
But don't ask as though you want it (because then you get more wanting, which leads to not-having).

Be thankful that you claim it now -- it's already yours.

Dont' be surprised if these answers invite more questions. It's all part of the conversation.

I've been attempting to phase out my coaching program for some time now, and yet, I continue to attract more and more interesting people who request my coaching for reasons that interest me.

So I'm not attached to the "how" and I'm accepting these coaching clients. When I put my own agenda aside, the greatest good of EVERYONE (myself included) can be achieved.

So there you go. If you're ready to coach with me, here's how you do it:

1 - email me at success@newsuccess.org and put "COACHING REQUEST" in the subject line. This ensures you get top priority as I go through my hundreds of emails.

2 - schedule a 20-minute interview with me where we evaluate why you want coaching, to make sure we are good fit (if not, I can usually direct you to someone who is)

3 - be prepare to pay for your coaching package prior to your first session. Here are my rates:

One session: $275 for 60 minutes
4-session package: $1000 (10% or $100 off)
9-session package: $2000 (10% or $200 off PLUS ONE FREE SESSION)

Your question of the day:

In what areas are you currently struggling, where coaching (either through myself or someone else) would benefit you immensely? Are you resistent to acquiring coaching, either for reasons of money, time, or level of comfort? What would be possible if you had someone to bring light to your blind spots and help you blast through your current blocks? Are you open and ready to have an experience like that?

Avoiding Major Money Mistakes - Part II

OK, here is the second installment on that major money mistake I was talking about. If you missed part one, click here to access it.

In the last installment, we were talking about BE - DO - HAVE and "living as though it's already so."

This is where a lot of people get hung up. And hung out to dry.

I warned against going out on spending sprees and running up your credit cards because you're "acting as if" you're already wealthy.

The difference is that you must believe that money is always flowing in to you, even now, even in this moment, no matter waht your checking account may say.

It's not about spending in fear or "well, if I spend what I don't have, then I have to trust that it's coming in."

No, no, no - that's back to have - do - be thinking, and we arleady know that doesn't work.

If you practice be - do - have, then you are being wealthy first - you are being abundant. You are being generous. You are being free. You are being at peace.

None of these things are derived from spending.

Spending is a "do" not a "be" item.

Spending is what you "do" when you are already "being" wealthy.

See, if there's a shred of doubt about your true wealth, spending is going to bring that to light. And then you get results that you didn't wnat and didn't expect. But of course that's the way it works.

When you are being wealthy and living in true faith that you claim your abundance right here, right now, then spending is a natural "do" that comes next.

But not spending crazily. Like I said, wealthy people don't do that anyway (not normally). They don't have to go crazy in a single shopping spree...why? BECAUSE THEY ARE WEALTHY. The wealth is there, any time they want it. So the money isn't burning a hole in their pocket, desperate to be spent in case it's not there tomorrow.

But wealthy people do see somthing they want, decide they will have it, and then go spend to buy it.

That's what you will do once you are BEing wealthy.

and then the money will naturally flow in.

Not BECAUSE of your spending of course, but because of your belief and expectation that it would come.

Get it?

In case you don't, here is your QoD to help you get clear:

The next time you are deciding whether to spend -- when it's one of those "discussions" that goes on in your head about "should I or shouldn't I" and "can I afford it or not?" then stop, practice BEing and take a breather. If by tomorrow, you still want the thing, and you can really BE wealthy about having it, then by all means go get it.

And let me know how it turns out.

P.S. The first of the "wealth interviews" is complete and will be posted within the next 24 hours. Sign up for my mailing list and be among the first to know when it's available...

Manifestors Beware

Part II of Avoiding a Major Money Mistake is coming soon...but I felt compelled to share this first. And yes, it is oh-so-relevant.

Have you ever manifested something so quickly, so instantaneously out of thin air that you were left feeling a bit shaken?

This happened to me just last week.

My family and I decided to take a little picnic. We were headed to a wooded trail area near our home where we hadn't explored before.

My daughter wanted to see animals. I told her we might see bunnies, and she should keep her eyes peeled.

Then I immediately thought (and said out loud) or we might see a snake. So let's be on the lookout for that, too.

After a moment, we stopped as we saw a bench up ahead. It was in full sunlight, and we were standing on a paved walkway in the shade. We were debating whether to walk up ahead and eat in the sun (it was a bit warm that day) or to just sit where we were and eat in the shade. We were looking down at the ground and there was nothing there but the shadows of the trees above us. My husband suggested eating on the bench, so we started walking again.

As I looked down, I suddenly saw a little brown snake, where there was previously nothing. It was moving extremely slowly yet it was already across the pavement, with its head nearly reaching the grass. At first, my daughter and husband didn't even see it, until I pointed and said "there." It was literally as though it magically appeared.

He scooped up our daughter and we kept walking. But I was so freaked out that there had been nothing just a moment earlier, and just a few moments after I said "we might see a snake" that I knew I wouldn't be able to relax. So we headed back to teh car and went to our favorite playground (snake-free, as far as I know) to have our picnic and let our daughter play.

Now I know, intellectually, that our words are infinitely powerful and our language creates our reality. I know that the person who masters this and lives in perfect integrity can say the word "chair" and have a chair fall out of their mouth.

And time to time, things like this happen that remind me of my own power. Perhaps you've experienced this as well. Saying "I wonder how so-and-so is doing" and then the phone rings and guess who's on the line, out of the blue.

But when they do happen, I am a bit reticent to practice intentionally.

A couple of months ago, I was driving well over the speed limit (I was trying to avoid being late for a commitment -- note the word "trying" and the word "avoid" so you can see whre this is going). Like a flash across my brain, I saw red and blue flashing lights in my head. I frantically dismissed it, focusing again on the time and my desire not to be late (note the "not").

Sure enough, within 90 seconds, I sped past an intersection where a policeman was waiting to cross. Flashing lights, ticket, the whole nine yards.

Those ignorant of law of attraction would call it coincidence. Others might imply some psychic activity on my part. But it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, because I know the truth.

Now here's the kicker...

YOU are no different than me.

YOU could think red and blue flashing lights and get an instant ticket. YOU could say "snake" and have a snake fall out of your mouth.

Or YOU could do what I spend most of my time doing -- focusing on creating what I really want to attract.

But no matter how good I get (or YOU, for that matter), the occasional snake may still fall out of my mouth.

QoD:
So what will YOU create today with your all-powerful self?

If you're ready to create wealth...stay tuned. The 90-day course of the century is coming soon, courtesy of yours truly.

And you know I never, ever exaggerate
;-)

Are You Making This Major Money Mistake?

There's a fine line, and sometimes we can't help but cross it.

Of course, there's a difference between choosing to cross the line, or to disregard what we know works, vs. not understanding the subtle difference and floundering financially as a result.

Allow me to explain.

We talk quite a bit (and of couse, by "we" I mean "I") in this blog about the concept of Be-Do-Have. In fact, it's what our license plate reads: "BDOHAVE."

Put simply, most of hte world operates in a space of "HAVE - DO - BE." It shows up in language like "If I only HAD such-and-such, then I could DO blah-blah and then I would BE (happy, successful, healthy, etc."

Like, if I could only lose 15 lbs, then I would feel better about exercising and then I can get into shape and be healthy.

Or, if I only had more money, then I could quit my job and do what I really want to do and then I would be happy and not stressed anymore.

Get the idea?

Trouble is, that's a cruel joke because life really works the OPPOSITE way.

As soon as you can BE a certain thing, and I mean feel it in your bones, you will DO what a person like that would do and then you will HAVE all that comes with it.

Put another way,

if you could BE healthy and fit now, you would naturally DO what a healthy and fit person would do (exercise and eat well) and then you would HAVE what a healthy person has (a fit body).

If you could BE wealthy in your mind and live as though you are, you would naturally DO what a wealthy person would do (act on ideas, create partnerships, spend wisely, earn easily, etc) and then you would naturally HAVE what a wealthy person has (money, nice things, peace of mind aorund money, incoming flow of abundance, etc.)

But here's the caveat, and where some people get lost. It's that one pesky phrase that says "live as though you are."

This one can get you into trouble if you don't understand it completely.

See, at first glance, it seems like a license to spend, and in some respects, it is. A wealthy person would spend freely.

Not crazily, mind you. Wealthy people don't have to go on sudden spending sprees to buy everythign they ever wanted in a single day. Why? Because they're wealthy! They know that wealth will still be sitting there, waiting for them tomorrow, next Tuesday, next month and next winter. There's no need to go crazy spending if you're wealthy.

But sometimes people who are choosing to "act as if" forget this simple fact and go nuts, running up their credit cards or going into debt, or depleting their savings. Not cool.

Here's what else:

When you spend and "act as if" you are spending, knowing hte money is on its way to you. Always flowing in, ever-abundant, never-ending.

what happens to some people who go spend-crazy is this: they get into a space of abundance, they go out and spend, and then they freak out when their bills arrive.

When you freak out, you're sending out the message that "there's not enough! I can't pay for all this!" so guess what you get? Yep, you got it. It's like shutting off the faucet for awhile, until you can get yourself back in a space of abundance and receiving.

IT's a slippery slope, and I've found it difficult to master.

There's also a difference between buying things you require (even if unbudgeted) and things you really, truly want, vs. buying to numb yourself, avoid paid or discomfort, or just make yourself feel better.

These things never work. Ask anyone who'll be truly honest with you -- wealthy or otherwise.

So don't make the mistake of confusing BE - DO - HAVE with going on a spending spree.

What's the answer?

Well, that's coming up in my next post...so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here is your QoD:

Do you have a tendency to go on spending sprees? What do you think is at the root of this? What goes through your mind just before you whip out that credit card and run up a bunch of unplanned splurges? What do you think you're really searching for? Is there a different way to satisfy those urges other than spending?

P.S. I always love hearing from you - thanks so much for your comments and emails, I really appreciate how much you enjoy these messages!

P.P.S. if you liked today's post, you're gonna love what I'm working on next. I'm partnering with one of my favorite people in the whole world to bring you the ultimate, most comprehensive wealth mindset training you'll find. We're putting together a 90-day program that goes in-depth into concepts such as these, and combines knowledge and understanding with powerful, applicable tools that you can begin using immediately. This is unlike anything we've ever done before, and if you've enjoyed my blog postings on wealth and abundance, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. We're gonna include the best-of-the-best-of-the-best. I can hardly wait to share it with you! Look for more info in the coming months....program goes on sale before year's end (extremely limited spacing -- that's so we can offer personal coaching) and will start in late January. Hold onto your socks!!!