Quick Update

Just a quick update - not feeling very good at the moment.

I spent the day looking up ad agencies in the Denver area and sending my information to them. I've got another 30-40 on my list so that is exciting. Next week starts the follow up and hopefully the interviews. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Tomorrow I'll send more emails to the agencies and more thank you notes for the giveaway gifts. There is plenty to do and it's up to me to do it!

Enjoy the Clayton Makepeace article below and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Create a nice day,

Lara

Sleepy Sunday

What a lovely day!! I feel rested, refreshed, rejuvenated.

I spent the morning washing and cleaning my much-neglected baby, Kala...most of you would call her a Toyota Rav4 but I call her Kala (sounds like Kuhla) because she's my doll. I missed my car so much when I was back in Wisconsin that I wanted to give her some TLC today.

I ran errands, played with the cats, etc and after I grab a quick snack I'm going to send out more thank you notes for the giveaway gifts I've gotten.

I'm quite thankful for today - it's been an excellent day and it's only going to get better because I'm off to dance the night away with some of my Cozumel friends. It's a foam party!! Don't know what that means but it sounds too fun to pass up!

Happy holiday weekend.

Create an even better tomorrow.

Lara

Decision Time

Well we've come to a crossroads of sorts. This month hasn't produced the results I needed. We've definitely made progress which has been wonderful and I'm thankful for that. Now it's time to make a decision.

It's been a tough call for me. I've felt as though I've failed because this wasn't my vision. My vision was to be fully and gainfully self-employed by June 1st. Because I became attached to that vision I've caused myself some misery the last few days. So instead of being down on myself, I'm choosing to see this as a hurdle. Choosing to work for someone else full-time is simply a new path to follow that will one day lead to bigger and better things.

In the mean time it will keep a roof over my head.

Honestly many copywriters work for other people as employees before going out on their own. The greats like Clayton Makepeace, John Carlton, etc. Who am I to argue with their paths?! If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

Keep your fingers crossed for me - I've got about 30 (ish) days to find a job and get a new place to live. Lots of possibilities and opportunities but somewhat stressful.

Which means it's time to focus on what I'm thankful for and what I appreciate in my life because gratitude helps me keep things in perspective.

Today I choose to be thankful for the day, for my willingness to explore possibilities and options, for my family, friends and loved ones, for bright, beautiful skies, for love, peace and joy, for all the wonderful people in my life who are here to help and guide me, for every challenge and hurdle I face because as Napoleon Hill once said: Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.

Isn't that a wonderful quote to remember? I'm thankful for that quote! And for Hill's priceless book "Think and Grow Rich". I'm so grateful for the teachers in my life in all their forms and influences. I'm also grateful for the optimism I find in wondering what lies ahead. Even though events may not unfold exactly as I had hoped for there is always education in every experience.

And so I am off to enjoy the day in all its splendor! I hope you will do the same.

Create a nice day,

Lara

And the Suspense Continues...

Remember the client call yesterday? He wasn't there when I called so I left a message and will call back later this morning. So I have to work through the excitement and anticipation all over again! It's hard not to put too much on this call. If he wants us to help him I will be set financially for at least another month. If not, I may have to get a part-time job when I get back to Denver.

There's a lot riding on the call from my end but I just remind myself that whatever happens is ok and I'll make it. My desires don't change the situation - this is about what he wants and how we can best help him achieve those desires.

With that in mind, I plan to call him again later this morning.

In other news, I'm working on our gadget package, drafting an email to send to the other man I met in Cozumel and my apprentices have disappeared.

So my tasks today will be to make the client call again, finish the other client's email and get back to sending out more thank you notes. There is plenty to do as always so I am thankful for that!

I'm thankful for the bright, beautiful day outside, for yet another day on this planet, more opportunities and potential growth experiences, for my family, my friends and other loved ones and for all the goodness, beauty and joy that surrounds me! I greatly appreciate myself for how far I've come and how far I'm continuing to go in every facet of my life. It's been an amazing journey which will continue!

I'm thankful for the Universe and for the role I play in it.

Create a nice day,

Lara

A Big Day

Well this afternoon is our big call! I'm excited...more excited than nervous actually. I find that surprising to be honest. I have adopted the attitude that whatever happens is ok.

Naturally I want to work for this client and I'd like to earn quite a bit while helping him to earn 10X what he pays us. It would be fantastic! So here's hoping that happens and if not, I'll be fine. I'll keep you posted. :) Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Yesterday I spent the entire day with family...the day turned out well even though I didn't get any work done. I guess it is what I needed!

I'm quite thankful for yesterday...it was relaxing and fun.

I'm also very thankful for today! It's a wonderful Wednesday.

And the list of my appreciation goes on....

I'm so thankful for my family, my friends and loved ones. I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with them yesterday and over the course of the last 2 weeks.

I'm thankful for ...

• opportunities, challenges and possibilities of today
• world I continue to create for myself
• lessons I learn every single day
• me!
• the partnerships I create
• the clients I work for and will be working for
• the love, joy and peace all around me
• the abundant creations in all areas of my life :)

Indeed, there is much to be thankful for! I hope you feel the same.

Create a nice day,

Lara

A Morning of Thanks

Today I'm thankful for the day. It's beautiful, sunny and warm outside. I love sunshine rays and blue skies!

I'm thankful to be in Wisconsin with my family while I'm still thankful to live in Colorado. :) I'm grateful to spend time with my family and friends here; I appreciate how much I love them and how much they love me. The love is real and genuine and I'm thankful for that.

I'm thankful for the opportunities today will bring...the challenges, the possibilities and the achievements. I'm thankful for all that today will bring and all of the people in it!

Most of all, I'm thankful for me!

On to the day...I'm taking off to spend the morning with my grandmother and then I'll be back in the afternoon to work on our latest project. And to prepare for our client call tomorrow. YAY!!!

Create a nice day,

Lara

Making Progress

There are definitely days that test my strength and my persistance. For some reason today was a day like that. Perhaps it's the pressure of a looming deadline for payroll ($2K by May 30th) or maybe it's just the stress of having been on the road for the better part of the last month.

It's nice to work from anywhere but it can also be a test of patience. Have you ever tried to write an email with two teenagers fighting next to you? Or with toddlers underfoot?

As always, there are pluses and minuses to every situation and there are definite drawbacks to only spending 6 days in my own home. I miss my dog! I miss my bed! I miss having quality quiet time with myself.

So I am a bit stressed. This is the first real test I've put myself under as a business owner. The world won't stop turning if this doesn't happen but I would strongly prefer we reach our goal!

I battled through the doubt, anxiety and fear today along with herding my apprentices.

On the plus side, I made two sales! Yipee!!! I did a little happy dance. It's a nice pre-birthday gift for me. :) Tomorrow's the big day, my birthday. It would be so fun if my sales would double or triple tomorrow! :) A girl's gotta dream.

So stay tuned and see what happens in the next 26 hours. I'm excited!

Til then,


Lara

More Promotion

I spent the day sending out more thank you emails (got a sale!) and moving the apprentices forward.

It would've been much easier to give them an audio recording of their instructions but step by step emails will work just as well. As long as they get going I'll be happy. It's a lot of work to do this by myself.

That's my exciting news for the day - I hope tomorrow I'll have more sales and more apprentices to tell you about!!!

Til then,

Lara

Here We Go!

There are 6 apprentices ready to join me on our latest endeavor. I'm so thrilled to have more people on board! I enjoy the process we're going through so it's great to have more help. I'd much rather do this as a big team.

The more the merrier I always say!

I'm back in Wisconsin for the next 2 weeks and I'm so happy all of this great stuff is happening now. As much as I celebrated in Cozumel being able to share in my achievements is that much more special when I share with my family.

My family has been very supportive of me through the rough times so I'm incredibly appreciative of the chance to show them I can and do reach my goals. Woo hooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a busy weekend of weddings, visiting friends and family and Mother's Day activities so that's my update. :)

Til tomorrow...

Lara

Are You Willing to See Both Sides of The Coin?

Most of us think we want to be rich, famous, etc but very few are willing to accept both sides of those coins. If you want to be a millionaire, you must do what millionaires already do. You can't continue to act the way you are and expect different results.

A lot of people aren't aware of that fact however. I have become aware of this truth in recent months.

And being self-employed has had a lot to do with that. It has been a painful process for me at times, internally and externally. I have had to examine my internal beliefs, actions and thoughts around money specifically.

It took some reflection for me to see that my once low self-esteem led to a negative (almost perverse) relationship with money. I'm letting that go finally.

Money is merely a tool that makes life easier. And it most certainly is a reflection of how you value yourself...or at least it is for me. I am finding it much easier to create situations where money will flow from; it's much easier to develop these relationships because I believe in myself and because I love myself.

I don't think I ever really did before or at least not consistently and my results expressed that belief.

I still have miles to go in the financial arena but at least I see progress. Any sign of positive progress is beneficial because I can look back on it and draw from one growth experience; I can build on it to create more. Isn't that cool?!

I do see that money is beneficial for me and I can do so much good with it. It's merely a way I show myself how worthy I am. And I am so very worthy. :)

Money isn't the devil manifest or the root of all evil. The worship of money can be viewed as such I think. The only thing I want to worship from now on is love, joy and beauty in all things and in all people. And so I shall!

Peace and love,

Lara

A Three Hour Tour

Today we rented scooters and drove around the island to see something other than our resort and beachfront. What a gorgeous glorious place we're in! It's incredible, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I feel so blessed to be here.

Yesterday I was retelling my scuba story to some of the people in my group when another group of folks joined us. They are from the Bellingham, Washington area and are professional divers (some are pros, some are recreational I should say). A few of the men were telling me they had similar experiences when they began diving and that I should definitely try again when I have more one on one attention so I can take my time getting accustomed to the underwater breathing thing.

Well one of the men and I began talking on our own and eventually we got to talking shop (business). It turns out his business is very much in need of some press releases (and more PR). He donates some of his work to charities and does great things for them. That is the absolute perfect story for a press release.

So of course we exchanged information and continued talking about other stuff. Eventually we made plans to meet up today and rent bicycles to check out the real Cozumel. We planned to meet in the lobby at 3pm.

Today I arranged my scootering around the 3pm bike ride. I arrived back at the hotel around 3:15pm, a few minutes late because we took a wrong turn on our mopeds. He was nowhere to be found and I have not seen him since.

I'm sure he'll pop up again before the week is over and if all else fails, I have his business card so I can be in touch.

I did find it fun to talk to him and get to know his business, his family, etc. It's so great meeting so many wonderful people and finding ways to help them! Whoever thought I'd get paid for it?! I love it!

Now I'm off to dinner. I'm feeling a little under the weather so this post is very brief.

See you soon!

Lara

Another Day By The Sea

Well not a lot to report in the way of copywriting news today...just spent the day hanging out by the water and relaxing under the sun.

We've got a few new apprentices who have come on board recently and one who has risen from the ashes. I thought she had fallen by the wayside but she emailed me yesterday and asked to join in again.

So we're well on our way to my goal of 10 world class copywriters. My goal was April 2008. I'm excited to see us create that, I believe it will happen.

You should definitely be here in Cozumel. Sand, sun and surf. It's amazing. I feel so incredibly at peace (well except for last night's drama but that's for my personal blog). I really needed this trip! I had no idea how tense I was. Well, that's not entirely true. I knew I was fairly tense and concerned about life but the more I unwind and decompress here, the more I see just how high strung I felt!

No photos from last night yet but they are floating around out there. I just have to make sure they're suitable before you see them! We've got some wild and crazy people in this group...I am not one of them. I just enjoy watching them do wacky things!

There are about 40 of us, almost half men and half women...I believe all but 4 of those 40 are single. Yeah, it's made for some interesting situations already!

So I'm off to snack before dinner and have a drink. And then more dancing, dancing, dancing! I have been voted the Dancing Queen of the group so it's time for me to uphold my title. It's salsa night so we'll see how that goes! Should be fun.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

Fate or Circumstance?

Well you've seen that I can create situations based on my desires. This week has been a virtual waterfall of experiences in that vein. Today was the same.

I woke up at 3:15am (yes, 3am) and prepared to leave for Mexico. We made our flight with time to spare, got settled and eventually we were in the air. I sat next to a woman named who is part of the social group I'm in Mexico with and on the other side of me was another woman. I actually never got her name. She was nice but quiet and clearly wanted to be alone. (Most of us had been awake since at least 4am so I can understand not being interested in conversation with a stranger).

Eventually the no-named quiet woman got up and left. She switched seats with another man for some reason and he sat down quietly, absorbed in a book.

After about 2 hours of flying, we all got restless and started chatting and hanging out in the aisles. My friend interrupted the man next to me to apologize for our chattiness. He was cordial and we all began talking.

He runs a property management company based in Colorado but with rental properties in Cozumel (where we flew into today) and Playa del Carmen. We chatted a lot about what he does, how he got into it, what he loves about it (makes good money, travels, meets great people) and what he doesn't love (misses time with his kids and wife). After about 20 minutes of learning about him, he asked what I do. I told him I'm a copywriter and that I create content for web sites, press releases, ads, etc.

His interest perked up and he was curious to know more. He asked if I'd be willing to look at his web site and give him feedback in terms of what we could improve and what it would take for me to make those improvements (ie payment). I said it would be my pleasure to help him and that I'd be in touch when I got back from Mexico.

So we may have stumbled upon a client who has a terrific business (he gainfully employs 19 Mexican residents and provides them with significantly more income then they'd make elsewhere), terrific product and good cashflow.

And he's a terrific guy to boot! I had a great time chatting with him. We must've talked for at least an hour.

So what do you think...fate or circumstance?

I think neither. I think it was my intent and request to the Universe.

I must admit, I'm fairly impressed with myself. :) I'm even more excited to see what will happen. It's only the first day here - we could 7 new clients by the end of the week!

That's it for me though. I've now been awake for way too long and I'm simply exhausted. But it's a long night ahead - dinner, drinks and dancing!! Hopefully you'll see some crazy photos.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

Off To Mexico - Think You Can Fit Inside My Luggage?!

The countdown has begun...in about 9 hours I will be on a flight to gorgeous Cozumel. If you can fit inside my suitcase you're welcome to come! I'm just so excited.

Since I have to get up in about 5 hours, I'll quickly recap the day's activities and then sign off.

• 7am breakfast networking meeting...I met 3 fairly strong leads. Now I simply have to quote them a rate and see what they can do with that. I also picked up a man who is interested in the apprenticeship program. He has plenty of clients who need copy and he's tired of writing bad sales copy for them. Voila! We fill his need and as our apprentice, he learns how to write great copy. Cool huh?!
• Met with the other 2 folks til almost noon today. There's potential there, we'll see what happens.
• This afternoon I uploaded more keywords to MSN.
• I also made a few phone calls to friends who have leads for me.
• We sent our weekly status report and then I packed. :)

So now I'm off to bed so I can get at least a few hours of sleep. I have to admit the 5 hours of networking was pretty exhausting! It's wonderful to be a part of a business owner's vision and dreams...definitely energizing. It's also very easy to get caught up in their conversation.

Today I learned how to better keep someone on task when discussing their business. :) I'm improving, there is still plenty of room to for growth though!

Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'll see you in Mexico!

Look At Our Newest Apprentice!

I was so impressed with this young man's first copywriting assignment. I think you will be too. View it below:

http://edwardwrites.googlepages.com/lara.html

Pretty good huh?!! Boatloads better than my first solo ad was!! It's exciting stuff we've got going on.

Like I said, it's only going to get better and better...like starting Friday when I'll be writing to you from the sandy white beaches of Cozumel. Jealous aren't you?! :) I'd be if I weren't already going.

Wish me blue skies, happy fishes and wonderful new friends of all kinds.

Quick recap of the day and then I've got to get to sleep early tonight because I have a 7am networking breakfast. Frankly, I don't usually roll over til about 7am so this is going to be a stretch! Thank heavens someone invented coffee.

Today I met with a friend about copywriting projects for her. Things are picking up in her arena and we'll projects are coming in.

I did have to spend part of my afternoon reinstalling all of my information on my computer. The hard drive died on this laptop about 2 weeks ago and the new hard drive arrived. The essentials are installed and working properly.

Beyond that I did some more networking at the gym tonight, got my business cards ready for tomorrow and contacted a few other friends about working for them. Things are picking up and the energy is flowing. It feels good as I know I'm in control of the situation and its outcome. It is definitely time to put the grapes under some stress and create an exceptional wine.

Did you know that vineyards actually stress their grapes? There is a certain level to which grapes must be stressed in order to produce fantastic wine. Wine makers know this and they stress their grapes and bring out their very best.

Interesting when you think of that as a metaphor for life. I know I think of myself in that respective and it completely changes my perspective on things. I am thankful for the opportunity this challenge presents. It is yet again moving me out of my comfort zone which is wonderful! This is the very best thing that could happen to me.

I guess I didn't give you the details did I?! Currently I live rent-free in exchange for cooking and cleaning for my roommate. He has decided he needs to rent out my part of the house so he can buy a home in the mountains. Good for him and even better for me! No more cooking and cleaning, no more messy roommate! Although I will miss his dog a lot but for what he's asking in rent money, I can afford to get my own dog. :)

So now I'm in a situation where I would strongly prefer to increase my business profits and fully support myself. My goal had been to do this by August of 2007 but we'll just speed up the process. (There's a definite theme here...I move much slower than the Universe wants me to. How long do you think it's going to take me to figure that out???).

Although at times I am nervous as I don't know where I'll be living in June...wouldn't you be?! But then again, none of us really know anything beyond this moment do we?! We don't and if you think otherwise you're fooling yourself.

Anyway, we are now generating more revenue and moving right along. I'll have plenty of money by June...in fact, my business will be awash in green energy by then! It already is. :)

Now I'm off, time for my one lovely hour of Holosync and then sleep! What a busy bee kind of day...very fun.

Til tomorrow...

Lara

When Does Attraction Work?

Life is an ever unfolding story and today was another exciting chapter! We landed our first copywriting project.

Let me tell you the tale...

Yesterday I went to church (Mile Hi Church, check it out when you're in the Denver area. It's based on Ernest Holmes Church of Religious Science) and set out the intention of creating one new client by this Friday, April 27th 2007. After attending service, I filled out a prayer request with the same intention and then I went about my day.

Last night I came home to work on a few things and received a PM from a woman in the Warrior Forums. I had offered to help her and provide a testimonial for her new book. She gave me the link, thanked me and offered to help me in any way she could if I would only ask.

So I did. I explained that I was a copywriter and was bringing on more clients. Perhaps she might know of someone and she could pass my information along. Free consultation I offered. :)

She wrote back and said she needed a sales letter for the book and would I be interested in writing it?

Well of course I would! I was ecstatic to say the least!!! And so our relationship began. I sense she is a very kind person, at least from all of her posts and from our email exchanges (along with her book which is wonderfully written in a loving manner).

And that is the story of how I created our first client. Wonderful isn't it?!

Naturally I spent part of my day analyzing and wondering how I had manifested this situation. I like to understand things fully so I can recreate them (or not create them again if they don't serve my highest good).

And I came to the realization that it was three steps: decide, commit and act. Or thoughts, feelings and actions.

I thought about what I wanted, I became very clear about it.

I felt how joyful it would be to have that client (and in so doing I committed myself to the goal).

And then I acted. Now that was the tricky step because at first I didn't see how I created this relationship or what actions actually achieved this goal. I know that I have helped others and it hasn't resulted in a client (not in such an immediate fashion anyway).

As I was analyzing and turning this over and over in my head (which is something I love to do by the way), I came to the understanding that simply because my thoughts, feelings and actions where in alignment I was bound to create my goal in some way. I realized I didn't have to know exactly how it was going to happen, just that it (my goal) was going to happen.

Let me tell you, that is not the simplest concept for me to grasp. And do you know why? You probably guessed it long before I did but it is because I have to trust, I have to trust the Universe, I have to trust myself and my role/responsibility in the creative process.

Trust has been an ongoing issue for my entire life. I admit it, I own that aspect of myself and I am changing it. I am trusting more and I am giving more and I am opening up myself much, much more.

And as I do, wonderful things unfold and happen all around me.

So I have committed myself to trusting more and learning that as long as my thoughts, beliefs and actions are aligned I can create whatever my heart desires.

I am trusting that I don't have to know exactly how things will happen, I just have to know that they will and act accordingly. It's so much easier and makes me feel so much lighter, calmer and relaxed! What a miraculous discovery!!

Til tomorrow...

Lara

P.S. I know I promised you a video clip about generating more traffic so you will have it tomorrow!

My Top Five Daily Success Steps

This post was inspired by Joe Vitale's post which you can read here. Joe lists the top 10 things he does every day to be successful. And as you all know, I am a big big fan of Joe and his teachings. He asked his readers to post our top five and link back to him so here's my list.

1.) Gratitude
Every morning when I get up, I say thank you outloud. I thank the universe that I am alive and kicking that day! Each day is a new chance to learn, grow and create. Those are some of the best reasons to give thanks!

I also keep a gratitude journal and write a one page list of all the things I'm thankful for. My final line each day is the same: I'm so thankful for me, for the Universe (we are one and the same) and for the life I am creating. Gratitude is so powerful and it sets the tone for my day. It's a practice I learned from one of my other favorite teachers, James Ray.

2.) Write my goal and carry it with me.
Each morning before I start my work day, I write my goal on a post-it, tuck it in my pocket and keep it on my person all day. I take it out and review it at least twice a day (morning and evening)...usually more often. This is a tool I also picked up from James Ray (I think this may be a Stephen Covey technique..not sure).

I should add my goal and how I write it because that's important:

I'm so happy now that I'm creating $100,000 in profits for my business and am working with a team of 10 world class copywriters who also create the profits they desire.

You'll notice I write it in the current tense which is key. It puts me in a state of feeling the experience, not wishing or desiring it. That may sound like a slight distinction but it's very important.

3.) Get Outside!
This usually comes in the form of exercise whether training for my half-marathon or just walking the dog.

And I love the outdoors, it invigorates my soul and recharges my body. I live in the glorious state of Colorado where the sun shines over 300 days a year. I moved here roughly 3 years ago from the cold, overcast Midwest (Wisconsin to be exact) and the sun blesses me with her glory. And when I'm outside, I'm always thankful I had the courage to move across the country and settle in a place I love!!

4.) Read
Joe and I share this common daily tactic. I'm a voracious reader and am often reading 4 or 5 books at the same time (another trait Joe and I share). I've steered away from fiction of late and read most anything I can get my hands on in the realms of spirituality, psychology, copywriting, marketing and personal development. There's simply so much knowledge to be gained and explored. I honestly wish everyone read more! Go to the library people - it's good for you!! :)

5.) Holosync Daily Meditation
You can review my earlier posts about Holosync. I simply LOVE it. There aren't enough words in the English language for me to express my gratitude, joy and love for Bill Harris' amazing technology.

I have always enjoyed meditation but wasn't as disciplined as I could've been. It can be hard to sit still for an hour...especially if you don't see the results. That is not the case with Holosync. I feel so amazingly alive and vibrant. My world is clearer and more intense. Anyone who has ever had an incredible meditative or yoga session can understand what I'm expressing. Holosync is the only thing I have found that helps me create this same feeling every single day.

Not only that, it allows me to be clearer about my thoughts, feelings and intentions. I have a better grasp of me! How wonderful is that?!

And I'm only on the first level. Woo hooo!!!

I'm excited for the adventures, explorations and discoveries I'll uncover in next 11 levels!

6.) Top Six List
Yes I said I was only going to list five but I remembered a sixth step I take every day. I write down my top six items to accomplish the next day that will move me towards my goal. This was something I heard James Ray, Dan Kennedy and a few others say they do on a daily basis.

After I write the top six, I circle the one thing I fear the most and decide to conquer it first every day! That's a Robert Allen trick. Good one right?!

So there you have it, my top six daily tips.

What are yours? Link back to me and to Joe's blog..share your secrets!

Til tomorrow....

Lara

P.S. I'm also adding a 7th technique: to say I love you every single day and feel it!

Why Do We Do What We Do?

Today I made a mistake or what I now prefer to call a learning experience. The phrase learning experience doesn't have the same connotations attached to it as does the word mistake (or so it goes in my mind).

I sent out an email without prior approval and didn't include all the information necessary. I wondered why I did this since I have been waiting to release several other emails for a few days. After pondering I came up with a few options. I sent it because I wanted to stay on top of my tasks (true). I sent the email because I thought I could do it myself (doubtful). I sent it because I thought I should send it myself (true).

My main reason appears to be that I wanted to prove to myself that I still needed someone to check me out for the best possible copy. That's a good reason really...it's much easier to work as a team than it is to work on your own. Things get done faster, better and smoother. So I perhaps I simply wanted to reassure myself that the team approach is best. And it is!

That wasn't my only learning experience today. I admit I had another struggle in some respects. I'm still learning to release negative thoughts and emotions...especially when it comes to money. It (money) was definitely on mind today. Through experience I've seen that the less I worry about my finances, the easier things are. So why worry? Not sure...but today I got hung up in those thoughts.

So I practice letting it go of those feelings and get back to my center. It will come in time. I'm also considering buying a Holosync CD designed for money and wealth creation. The level one program is working well so I'm pretty sure this CD would be good too.

Holosync has a terrific program! The customer service is pretty good but the best part is they go out of their way to take care of me. :) On Tuesday I received Bill Harris' latest book called "Thresholds of the Mind" and on Wednesday I received more free stuff...some CDs! They sent me a 6 disc set of Bill Harris speaking at a past Holosync retreat and a disc called "Making Change Easy".

If you recall from my post yesterday...I make change difficult. I've improved markedly in that area but my mind still fights it for awhile. Despite the struggle, I do end up going through that wall and the resistance either lessens or sometimes disappears completely. But I believe this CD will make things even easier. Perhaps the wealth CD will help in the financial arena. I could use it about now.

Back to today, I rewrote that mistake email (which took about 20 minutes), sent our apprenticeship email to the Listdotcom.com crew and updated my new laptop.

Tomorrow I'm going to get the details worked out for the apprenticeship program fees, edit the OTO one last time and see what other tasks I've got to take care of. Fun stuff!

Til tomorrow...

Have You Created Your Own Story?

Or have you let others create it for you? It's an interesting question to ponder and consider. Most of us have let others create it or we've simply created by default. Before the apprenticeship I had built most of my life by default and not by conscious choice. One of the few exceptions to that was my move to Colorado 2.5 years ago. I choose to be here and I choose when I came here. But I didn't learn the lesson in that choice clearly enough to apply it to the rest of my life. When I decided to move here I made the decision, I committed to it (my deadline was before I was 30. I actually made it here when I was 28) and then I acted on it. I had no clue how I was going to make it happen but I knew I'd figure it out. Eventually I did.

But the point of my explanation there is that I didn't apply that approach to the rest of my life because I didn't realize that was how you create your life instead of letting things happen. Letting things happen to me has never worked out well for me. I'm quite stubborn and strong-willed so it's much better if I just create my dreams into reality. It works out well for everyone. :)

Today I learned many lessons...and I think I only recognize a couple (the create your own story being one of those lessons). I also learned a little about negotation and about living with your purpose in mind. I'll get to the purpose-driven living in a moment but first I'd like to share my negotation story with you.

I needed a chair for my office. I have a nice desk and a nice laptop to go on that desk. However I did not have a chair (there's a definite metaphor there but I'll let you delve into that..I'm a bit tired after a serious gym workout). So we decided it was time to get one so I could sit at a proper desk like a proper world class copywriter. But instead of just walking into a store and buying whatever suited my fancy, we decided I should negotiate my way into a good deal. And we practiced. And practiced. And practiced..until we were both exhausted. I was not a fan of negotiating and hadn't done so regularly. Mainly because I didn't believe I was worth the effort and I didn't feel I was helping the other person. But we changed that today (YAY! Another pattern bites the dust!!!).

After our practice sessions, I found a used office furniture store, called them, got directions and went for a visit. The nice receptionist, Carla, found a salesperson for me, Dave. Dave and I chatted about what I was looking for..mainly interested in chairs under $50. They're used chairs so it was viable.

Dave and I strolled the showroom looking at different chairs and testing them out. I didn't find anything at first but after our second stroll down the aisle I found a nice black drafting chair. I LOVED it...wanted it immediately. So I asked Dave if we could see it, sit in it and roll it around. We did.

Dave looked at the price tag and said..well it's $49.99. I could go down to $25 for you. And I said "Well Dave, how about $20?" And he said "I'll meet you in the middle. How's $22.50?" I said "Perfect! You've got a deal!".

Now here's the really interesting part...when we rehearsed this negotiation our rehearsal was almost word for word the exchange I had with Dave. BUT in our rehearsal I asked the sales person if they could go down to half of the price (in reality Dave already went down to half the price..I didn't have to ask). AND in our rehearsal we practiced that same exact line that Dave said "How about if I meet you in the middle?"

Fascinating right?!! Did I create that story? Well we created that story but you get the idea.

So if I can create a simple negotiation for an office chair (and it's a fantastic chair I must tell you), why not create every other experience? Sure! I'm all for it. The negotiation was fun. Dave made a sale, I saved some money and everybody wins! In fact, that's exactly what I said to Dave...everybody wins. I took his card and will definitely give him more business because after he gave me that discount, he even loaded the chair into my car for me. I didn't have to ask - he just offered. And that offer was another part of our rehearsal.

Are you finding that as "trippy" as I am?? I'm just fascinated by it. Absolutely fascinated.

So before I go off into la-la-land to explore that let's get back to the purpose-driven living. I told you I had created my personal mission statement...but I never told you what it was. I think I was tired and lazy that night. Here it is...

I was born to inspire others with my growing personal greatness through my writing, my teachings and my abundant creations in all areas of my life.

I like it. It could be summarized I'm sure but I started with about 10 sentences and this is what fits for me right now. It basically says I want to lead a life to inspire myself and others and I'm going to share my stories through writing and teaching. That word teaching includes mentoring, public speaking and one on one coaching.

At first I thought it was a bit lofty but I realize I already do it almost every day. I talk to the people in my life about my experiences and they see the changes. They see how I'm much more positive, hopeful, joyful and loving. I'm a better me and I want to share that story with the world.

I understand there will be challenges in that journey but what fun is life if there aren't challenges? I read a quote recently that said something to this effect:...don't ask for an easier life but ask for the strength to embrace challenges and surmount them with greater ease and elegance.

I really like that idea. I don't want an easier life...that's boring. I believe with great challenges comes great opportunities. And if you want to improve your life, you take advantage of great opportunities.

I want to wrap my arms around each day and face the challenges head on with joy, love and grattitude. And to do a big ole happy dance at the beginning and end of each day!

That's what I call fun!!

Til tomorrow...