Word Games and Emotional Charges

I am always fascinated by how we can be touched in such different ways by a single thought or message. It's so interesting to me how our own personal filters can bring us a dramatically different perspective on virtually any issue.

You've seen this before -- just think of any time you've had a misunderstanding with someone over something you said and meant one way, but the other person took it to mean something completely different.

But word games aren't just key in determining how we relate to other people -- they can also unlock secrets and reveal hidden limiting beliefs.

Here's an example.

I consider myself to be fairly lazy.

What comes to mind when you imagine a lazy person?

Do you think of a homeless person or a millionaire relaxing on vacation?

Is the image you see "yucky" or pleasing?

Do you see a dirty bum sleeping on the street, or a well-groomed person taking a nap?

Do you imagine an overweight person watching TV, or a whole family hanging out and smiling?

A lot of -- well, probably MOST -- people have a negative charge tied to the word "lazy." Which is perfectly understandable. From a very young age, we're taught to work hard to get what we want. Work, work, work, it's all about work it seems.

Personally, for ME (a former control freak, perfectionist and workaholic), laziness offers me a welcome freedom I had never experienced until I let go of my obsessive need to control every single detail of my life.

Once I learned to be lazy, my whole life got easier, and now I can truly embrace the idea of laziness. The word/idea "laziness" holds no negative charge for me, only positive, good-vibe feelings.

I love being lazy. I own being lazy. I thrive as a lazy person.

For me, being lazy means I attract more money, resources find me more easily, and I
have more peace and joy in my life.

Of course, it wasn't always like that. I used to think the harder I worked, the more I would achieve.

Now I realize that the harder I work, the harder I work.

What do YOU believe about hard work?

Take a minute and think about it honestly -- you just might uncover something that's been holding you back from achieving what you really want.

You can actually use this same technique to uncover your hidden feelings around any word that you suspect has an emotional charge attached to it.

Here's another example.

One of my favorite words is POWER. Just thinking or saying that word conjures up deliciously rich images for me, and I instantly feel more confident and strong.

But if you asked someone in a 3rd world country what comes to mind when they think of "power" they would most likely have an entirely different perspective (one that's not nearly as favorable as mine).

And hey, you don't have to travel to the 3rd world to get a different perspective. Talk to someone who has a tyrant of a boss, someone wtih an overly-controlling spouse, or someone who was abused and I'm sure they'll have a perspective on POWER that's vastly different from mine.

This is what I mean by the personal filters that are always at play, giving us a unique viewpoint from other individuals.

Fortunately, we can change the filters. We can reprogram and hit the backspace key to rewrite beliefs that will support us.

Actually, that's my specialty. It's exactly what I do when I coach people in my Power Coaching program.

QoD: What do you really want right now? Ask yourself what you think about someone (not you) who already has that in abundance. For example, if it's more money you want in your life, you might ask yourself what comes to mind when you think of "rich people"? Take an honest look, and you might be surprised by what you find!

Go for it -- explore and clear the way so you can get what you REALLY want!

Another "First" for Me

Today was the first time in my life I've ever played golf, and I have to say, I quite liked it.

A friend (neighbor) dropped by today, his golfing partner had to cancel and he invited us to join him for a 3:06PM tee time. This was around 11AM. We were able to quickly secure a babysitter, and I was off for an adventure.

Unfortunately, by the time I was getting the hang of things, it was time to call it a day. But I have a feeling I'll be back!

Being willing to try new things is part of being successful, and I absolutely LOVE to try new things. I realize not everyone shares my enthusiasm! And golf is something I've been wanting to try for several months

This morning, I was flipping through teh Robb Report, and I was reading an article about green golf courses (the enviro-friendly definition, not the color) and I thought "I really want to play golf" then I forgot all about it until Dan came knocking on our door.

Don't you just LOVE the Law of Attraction?

QoD: What have you been wanting to do, that you haven't taken the time to set an intention for, or take action toward?

Just go for it!

Money Started Talking To Me...

Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but all sorts of stuff is talking to me now. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's been talking all along, I just haven't been listening.

You know those gentle nudges we sometimes get? That strong sense of knowing that floods in from time to time? Well, I am beginning to think it's always there, always speaking to us, but sometimes we are more open to listening, and so we can receive clearly.

This might sound insane (has that stopped me before?) but now MONEY is taking to me.

Well, to be precise, it's not so much coming FROM money as it is coming ABOUT money.

Here's an example of a message I got today (do with it what you like -- I figure your "inner knowing" is either giving you goosebumps becasue you resonate with this as true, or you think I'm full of crap. Either way is fine -- just trust your own inner knowing about what you're about to read):

In the beginning, we all had a sense of plenty. A sense that no matter how much we used, we could never run out. A sense that supply was inexhaustible.

Then, as we progress, we are taught that there is a finite supply of everything -- money, patience, love, understanding, forgiveness, brotherhood, connectedness, you name it, there's not enough of it.

We begin to adopt these newly related beliefs as though they are real -- as though they are Truth. And in doing so, we forget what is True from Source.

If you could once again see from our (these unseen beings) perspective, you would realize how silly your fear of lack truly is. It is as though you are a fish, swimming in the ocean, wondering if there will be enough water to sustain you through the day. This is what it is like when you worry about not having enough money.

Again, please understand that money is just money. It can no more change itself or its quantity than a fish can split into 4, or change itself into a giraffe. Money is not the problem. The quantity of money is not the problem. All there is to tweak is your perception of money.

Imagine for just a day that you had a well in your back yard, and that this well was not filled with water, but with $100 bills. Imagine that any time you wanted some money for something, you could go out back and fill the bucket with $100 bills, and then raise the bucket up and take all you wanted. Imagine that every living human had access to their own money well.

We would invite you to also imagine that you know in the core of your knowing, that this money well is coming from a spring source -- one that comes from sources unknown, but that can never dry up. Imagine further that everyone on the planet has their own well, and all wells spring from a single Source.

Are you getting the picture?

This is exactly what money is/does/makes available to you.

And yet, you continue to run around like headless chickens, frenzied about where your next $100 bill will come from.

Your own well is right under your nose. It's been there all along. It makes no difference to the well, whether or not it is used. The well is simply in existence, content to be drawn from...or not. The well is indifferent to all your comings and goings, to all your worries and concerns, to all your calls from bill collectors, your unmet needs, your unwillingness to shift your perceptions around this inexhaustible supply.

Are you ready to end your struggle with money? Are you ready to discover the well that's been there all along, and to dip your bucket into the richness of it, and pull up as much as you desire or require?

The first step is to be willing. The rest is easy.

Energetically, it is important for you to understand that money is an entity in and of itself, but it is not outside of you. It is not separate from you. It is distinct, yet fully integrated. You and money are made from the same cosmic ethers, and you are connected deeply. This is why money can continue to just "be money" while you are struggling and feeling as though you do not have enough.

In order for you to have all the money you desire and require, you must first love yourself fully. Love yourself enough to create a sense of order -- not just around money, but around the structure of life. Clutter -- whether mental or physical -- prevents the natural flow of money and all forms of good. Begin to clear out the dark and dusty corners of your home, your mind and your heart. Look for areas that have been neglected, look for areas that are longing to see the light of day, and look for areas you have attempted to sweep under the rug.

Bring these out into Light and clear what needs to be cleared in your energy field. Focus on order and put things in their proper places. Maintain this sense of order and watch how your entire reality shifts toward what you've been seeking all along.

If you think (and we know many of you do) that a messy closet, desk drawer, basement or file cabinet have no impact whatsoever on your ability to create and allow what you want into your life, you are truly mistaken.

It may not seem to make sense to you right now, We invite you to experiment and see for yourself. Money will tend to flow in the direction of order -- towards sensible arrangement, and away from confusion and chaos.

If you want to allow more money into your space, create a space of sensible arrangement and refined order.

Anyone can do this. However, it may require you to be willing to let go of comfort patterns you've created, and it may require you to take some time to work on areas you've been procrastinating about addressing. It may also require you to let go of physical things and mental patterns you've clung tightly to, for a very long time.

If you are willing, you can begin to clear your space (physical, mental, and spiritual) in order to create an opening for increased flow.

Now is the time to take action. You have procrastinated long enough, but until now you may not have seen the consequences as a direct result of your unwillingness to take action. Begin to take action today -- right now -- and witness what appears as a result.

Share your "awarenesses" with the group. If it appears that nothing is happening in the physical realm, continue to create a sense of order and seek out other areas that are requesting "clean up." There is far more to do than you will see at first glance.

Begin now.

Now, if you ARE resonating with this message, let me just stop you before you start to tell me how brilliant it sounds. Seriously, I can't take credit for writing this -- I'm more of the transcriptionist than the author.

If you want to send me kudos (who doesn't love praise? And I'm not afraid to ask for honest feedback, especially when it's favorable ;-) then you can thank me for having the cahones to put it out here.

Let's face it, not everyone is receptive when you tell them you "just got a message from money." So it took a little courage for me to post this blog entry. But apaprently, there are some folks who would like to hear it, and the message wants to be shared. So here I go.

If you think I'm off my rocker, there's no need to tell me so. I already admitted this all sounds wacko, and I'm well aware how "out there" and "woo woo" it all sounds. I'm sure the Wright brothers thought their idea sounded wacko at first, but when an idea won't go away, we sometimes have no choice but to share it.

I am clear that I am to share the information I'm receiving. So look for more of it here.

(And if you want to find out whether I have specific infomration for you, email me RE: private coaching. I have been helping folks release long-standing limiting beliefs in a fast, easy, and virtually painless way using this same method, and it's transforming the whole face of my coaching. More about that coming soon.)

Your QoD:

Do you tend to listen to (or ignore) the "messages" you receive? What do you notice when you listen? What do you notice when you ignore? Which brings you more peace and joy?

Go for it!

Do You Snooze and Lose?

Something very interesting happened yesterday. I took it as a great reminder for myself, and an opportunity to teach a valuable lesson to my preschooler.

A few years ago (maybe 3 or 4 years), a friend of mine was telling me about an idea he had for a children's book.

I thought it was a great idea -- it was about a yawn that starts out innocently enough, and then travels from person to person.

Recently, I asked him if he had done anything with it. He said no, he had given up on that dream.

Yesterday, I was at Sam's Club and I always browse through the children's book section to see what's new.

Can you guess what I saw?

I saw a children's book about yawns...how they travel from person to person (only in this book, it was from animal to animal). It was an adorable book, but it was NOT written by my friend.

Some guy in England published the book in 2006. It was now making its first U.S. edition in 2007.

Too bad my friend won't get any of the blessings that come with publishing a successful children's book -- but then again, he didn't take the steps necessary to fulfill his dream.

Have you ever had a wonderful idea, done nothing about it, and then seen your idea for sale on TV or elsewhere?

If you're like me, your first reaction was probably: "Hey! That guy STOLE my idea!"

But the fact of the matter is that THAT GUY took action, and YOU did not. HE was commmitted to the fulfillment of his vision. You were not.

Kind of a tough pill to swallow, but completely true.

I took this opportunity to teach my 3 1/2 year old a lesson about taking action on her own great ideas. She then informed me that she had a great idea, one that involved her and ice cream. That's OK, I know the lesson was sinking in.

QoD:

What great idea have YOU had lately that you're not taking action on? What 3 steps could you take TODAY to move you closer toward fulfilling your vision for this idea?

Just go for it!

Thoughts on a Mountain Top

Did you have a wonderful weekend? Mine was absolutely spectacular!

I abandoned my laptop for nearly 3 days (probably a record for me) and we took the whole family camping. It was the girls' first camping trip and I must say it was spectacular, despite some rain Saturday night and Sunday morning.

We drove down to Cascade, Colorado and pitched a tent at the Lone Duck Campground there. Wow -- I feel like we hit the jackpot of campgrounds with this one. A huge playground for the kids, heated pool, fishing pond, shaded grassy camp sites with electrical and water, hot showers, decent toilets, great views, pancake breakfast every morning, the works. PLUS - the office stayed open 24 hours, selling just about everything you could possibly need to have the most fun camping ever.

Of course, we hadn't been camping in forever, so we forgot to bring a lot of stuff. I think we ended up buying as much stuff as we brought (not quite, but it felt like it) but it's all good. Everything was very reasonably priced and much more convenient than having to drive 10 miles to the nearest Wally-World.

We did some geocaching over the weekend (Sally calls it Treasure Hunting) and had a blast. We also drove to the Summit of Pike's Peak (14,110 feet!) which was a white-knuckled drive but absolutely gorgeous nonetheless. Views from the Summit were simply breathtaking. Made me wonder how I've been living here 2 years and haven't yet seen it.

The kids were so great, it was a delight to take them camping. Even though the girls had a giggle fest and didn't want to sleep when it was time for bed on Saturday night (believe it or not, Sydney was the instigator -- at 9 months old!) But it was much easier than I anticipated, and we are looking forward to enjoying more camping for Andy's birthday this weekend.

Seeing the terrain at the top of Pike's Peak was truly amazing. I found myself thinking about Zebulon Pike, making up his mind to scale this bad beast (withOUT any roads!) I thought about how THIS is the mountain that inpsired the lyrics to "America the Beautiful." I thought about old these rocks must be, how amazing it is that anything can live -- much less thrive -- up here in these conditions, and I thought about what a small blip we humans are on the radar of planetary existence.

Yeah, it was one of those thought-provoking kind of days.

I also found myself thinking of the Aboriginals, living off the land. OK, I had no segue there (from Colorado mountains to Australian outback and bush), but it's just what was on my mind. I thought about how disconnected I had let myself get -- how all of us get -- from this earth, this land that supports me.

Did I tell you I recently started recycling? Yes, I know, shame on me for living this many years without recycling. The point is, I'm doing it now.

And I am amazed every single day at how much stuff I can recycle. I mean, we consume HEAPS of stuff that can be recycled (my Aussie friends are thinking, well, duh Amy, we already know that) but really.

I mean, if every American only recycled every water bottles we use, I'll bet that would double the amount of recycling that's going on in the U.S. right now.

I'm even recycling toys now that we're geocaching. As the girls get bored with something, I pop it into my swag bin and take it with us on caching runs. Sally gets to pick out something new from the cache, and she learns to put something in. I think the whole experience is great for her. And of course, Syd just loves coming along for the ride.

What a great opportunity for teaching my kids. But of course, I look at everything that happens each day as a great opportunity for teaching (and for my own learning). It's part of why I'm here.

QoD:
Do YOU know why you're here? The sooner you get that figured out and start living it, the happier you'll be. Trust me, I speak from experience.

So if you do know, are you doing THAT every day? Why not? When do you think would be a good time to start (oh, how about NOW)?

If you don't know -- why not take the time to work on that now? Just ask for guidance -- you're sure to be amazed at where answers can show up.

And share your breakthroughs with me if you feel so inspired -- it's what keeps me going in this work. :-)

Go for it!

FORGET Get Friday!

After reading the 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss, I signed up with GetFriday.

On their home page, they explained that excess demand meant they were running 3 weeks between signup and assignment of an assistant.

After waiting more than 4 weeks, I was finally assigned an assistant.

My first task was to have her create a simple 1-page website. I provided all the copy and the design template.

By the next day, I heard back from her, saying she could not complete this, but she would forward the task to the pool of in-house experts. She said she would get back to me, to let me know when I could expect to have the work completed. Fair enough.

The next communication I get from her is a bill for prorated hours for the month (since they didn't assign me an assistant until the last week of August). This email had a request for more work, specifically, "You didn't assign me any tasks yet."

Hmmm, that was a bit frustrating. Well, maybe it's just the language barrier, I thought. I replied back and asked when I could expect to have my website completed.

No answer.

A few more days passed, and I wrote again. I am STILL waiting to find out when I can expect to receive my completed task. No answer.

Today they charged my credit card for a full month's services.

Do you think I was pissed off? Not nearly as pissed as my husband.

I told him there was no problem -- the company has a 7-day trial period, and I can cancel for any reason. Seems I have reason enough, seeing as they haven't done squat except waste my time.

He decides to call them immediately. Now THAT was a waste of time!

It took him 10 minutes to get a supervisor on the phone, who turns out to be a team leader who is committed to "saving" our account (and didn't seem to have any authority whatsoever to process a refund). My husband explains in no uncertain terms (at least it seemed plain enough to me, even for a person who uses English as a second -- or third -- language) that we can not be saved, please refund our money now.

The conversation did not go well.

Apparently, it will take 3 hours to get a supervisor on the phone, which I am pretty much expecting to be another series of pleas to "give us a another chance Sir."

Bummer.

The whole thing turned out to be a colossal waste of time.

I'm not worried about my money -- I have copies of all the emails I've sent them asking for follow up, and I also have a record of all the times I called (during the 3-actually-4-week waiting period) and no one answered. If they refuse to refund my money today, I will contact my credit card to initiate a chargeback, so no worries about that.

But what's the lesson here?

For starters, it would be smart to get more than an author's recommendation before using any overseas service. I even have a friend in Alabama who tried the service -- but I didn't think to ASK HIM before I signed up. Big "duh" on my part.

Also, since I am definitely a "right now" kind of person, what on earth made me think I could stand to work with a company that could wait A MONTH to get me started?

Lessons learned.

ONLY For Internet Marketers (Current and Aspiring)

This post is only intended to reach internet marketers and those who aspire to be an internet marketer.

Interestingly enough, this is a category I considered myself to be a part of until very recently. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that my life's work is directed elsewhere, and while internet marketing may be an important part of how I spread the word about my own projects and my own work/opportunities, it is no longer my primary occupation.

However, while I was doing it, I did make a nice chunk of money (and learn a TON about marketing) in the process. Not to mention, I hooked up with some very interesting folks.

One of whom is none other than Pat O'Bryan, and today is the day he launches his "Your Portable Empire" book.

If you're not looking to build an online empire, this book is not for you.

If in fact you ARE looking for a how-to guide on internet marketing, get this book. And I'm not just saying that because I'm one of the contributing authors. :-)

Also, please note, I am no longer offering internet marketing coaching services. I recommend that you join Pat's Portable Empire University. It's only like $30 a month, and there's a ton of info there.

Enjoy!