The Road to Fabulous.

Get Ready to Jump

Madonna says, and I’m paraphrasing; “There’s only so much you can learn in one place, the more you wait the more time you waste. It’s time to make your way. Don’t be afraid of what you’ll face- be afraid to stay. Are you ready to jump? Get ready to jump. Don’t ever look back, oh baby. Just take my hand, get ready to jump.”

I hear from a lot of you that you’re really great at getting the inspiration. You’ve got all kinds of great ideas, sometimes it feels like too many great ideas, you don’t know where to start.

The hard part happens when it’s time to JUMP.

You’re standing on the cliff, the wind blowing in your hair, your heart is pounding, the butterflies are dancing- heck, the butterflies are having a friggin’ rave in your belly.

How do you JUMP? Here’s what you do:

1. First, take comfort in the fact that what you are feeling is completely normal. We are designed to seek comfort. Our brain is supposed to be on the look-out for potential disasters. That’s what all that chatter is about running around in your mind. It’s just your naturally designed instincts protecting you from all the ‘what if’s’. So don’t judge or beat yourself up. Everyone feels nervous when they are about to jump.

2. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. The breath is always the quickest path to your wisest self. Get centered, feel your body begin to relax, let the breath take you deeper and deeper. There is a place inside of you that has the answers, knows your next step, and will guide you through your jump…. You must go to that place. You are safe.

3. Put your toes on the edge and throw your arms up in the air. This is it. You are guided, you are connected to your wisest self, trust your instincts and JUMP! Yes, it’s a little scary. Yes, it will take your breath away. Yes, your heart will be pounding. But believe me when I say- “Baby, YOU ARE READY!”

4. Just take my hand, you’re ready to jump. I’m holding out my “virtual hand” for you to grab- get ready to jump! Find the fun and the excitement in this big jump. I believe in your vision. Even if it’s a little fuzzy right now, I’m here to help you get that clarity. Let’s do it!

Join me for the fabulous Million $$ Mogul - Jump Start Virtual Vay-K. Starting in just a few days:

• If you’ve ever struggled with procrastination.

• If you feel a little stuck and want to Jump Start your next big thing, this is THE THING for you!

I designed it specifically for those of you who weren’t able to get in on my private coaching, it’s more affordable, streamlined yet extremely effective and of course, Super Fun! We are going to rock your world in just 90 days. All you have to do is fill out an application and fax it in- we’ll explain the whole thing, answer all of your questions and determine if this is a good match for you. Click here to read the FAQ and download the application. Hurry! The spots are filling up fast- “don’t be afraid of what you’ll face, be afraid to stay. It’s time to make your way. The more you wait, the more time you waste. Just take my hand, get ready to jump!”

~Have a faaaabulous week, Dahhhhlings~

 

 

 

 

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Sandy Grason is a Rock Star Author, Int’l Speaker & Hot Mogul.    Put your name on the Guest List for Sandy’s next Virtual Cocktail Party, gain access to private videos, articles, tips, tools and strategies. Take the Hot Mogul Quiz and get Free Gifts including: the MP3 download Visioning Exercise at http://www.sandygrason.com/

 

you had me at "I accept"

okay, maybe it's PMS, but I cried through Barack's entire speech. Is it just me? Or do you feel like your heart is going to burst open and gush all over everybody? When he said "it's not about me....." I actually sobbed out loud.
I don't usually write about political stuff, but this just feels so much bigger. no matter what your political persuasion.... whether you consider yourself a democrat or a republican or libertarian or green party or whatever.... I am overcome with emotion when I see a black man standing on that beautiful stage with his two little girls, so close in age to my girls, accepting the nomination for president. A stadium filled with 80,000 screaming, hopeful spirits, it makes me very happy.
WOW.
really cool.

Can U See It? Can U Feeeel It?

I'm back from Vancouver and my looooooong travel days.  I stopped off for a quick layover in Los Angeles and spent 12 faaaabulous hours with my lil’ sister- we had so much fun. I definitely needed a break after that - so me & the fam hung out at the beach all weekend... here’s a pic of Em & me... check out that beautiful lighting ~ it looks like a fake backdrop, doesn’t it?

Do you ever have trouble getting that clear vision? Today’s blog is filled with tips to make your visualizations super easy, fun and effective!

Today, I have a few tips for you on Visualizing that will put you in the perfect frame of mind to attract what you want- right now!

You’re seated in your favorite spot, you’ve got your candle burning and the soft, inspiring music is playing and then... Wha-wha-wha... Nothing.

 You want to spend time visualizing, but it doesn’t feel real. Or your mind keeps wandering back to the grocery list and the emails you’ve got to get through.

Here’s the thing, until you are able to completely ‘go there’ in your mind, your vision will always be a little fuzzy - and fuzzy is not good when it comes to creating a vision for your life. (Fuzzy-Wuzzy wasn’t a very good manifester.) Clarity is the key. But how do you visualize with complete clarity? Does it ever feel uncomfortable or forced? Don’t worry, I’m here to bring some simple steps that will make it easy and have you rockin’ that big vision in no time.

I have to admit, that visualizing has never been a very big problem for me, I’m a big picture gal. I tend to get lost in the details and execution... but that’s another article.

So here’s what I do when I’m working on a visualization:

Set the Stage:

Prepare Your Environment. I need to put a little preparation time in before sitting down for serious visualization. I turn off my computer (or at least turn off the sound), phone and make sure no one is going to disturb me.

Settle into a comfortable space. This spot or space changes for me, depending on my mood. Sometimes I sit on my couch, staring out at the fountain in the pool, I find the water very grounding and relaxing. Other times I might sit at my desk or even on my bed.

Choose your props. Music, candles, journal, pen... These are all things you can bring into your space to set the mood. You want to feel relaxed and nurtured. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, allow yourself to shut out the rest of the world and all of the responsibilities that are calling you, start with just 10 minutes. The world won’t fall apart in 10 minutes without you.

Set a timer. I have this really beautiful alarm sound called “Notifier ChiGong” that sounds just like someone ringing a gong. I set that to go off in 10 minutes or 20 minutes, however long I’ve got. That way I can really relax and not worry about falling asleep or missing something.

Helpful Triggers:

I find having a few mental, emotional and visual triggers in front of me before I begin my visualization helps me get a clear vision quicker.

Pull some pictures from magazines, vacations, special events that put you in touch with your vision.

Have your Vision Statement in front of you (this is the succinct, passionate sentence that perfectly sums up your Big Vision, it can very specific to one thing you are manifesting or it can be a very broad and general life vision) and read it before you begin.

Music is a big trigger for me. When I’m visualizing I will pick a song that ‘takes me away’. Some songs inspire me with their lyrics, some songs remind me of certain moments in my life and other songs seem to be the perfect accompaniment to creating my vision. You can download my “Sandylicious Playlist” from itunes here: My Playlist

Rock Your Vision:

1. Take a few deeps breaths and feel your body relax. Imagine that each new breath is sending clear white or golden energy all through your body, bringing you back to a peaceful, grounded, calm and centered state.

2.  Remind yourself of your vision, see the pictures you’ve chosen to symbolize it, remember the words you’ve chosen to express it and listen deeply to the music you’ve chosen to bring you closer to your vision.

3.  Now, in your mind, begin your day, living your vision. Or choose a moment that’s happening in your vision. It can be a proud moment, a big, important moment or it could be something completely simple and mundane. The difference is that you are living this vision already. Notice the details, create these sensations in your visualization now. What does your hair look like? What shoes are your wearing? What do your surroundings look like? Who is there with you?

4.  Look into your own eyes as you are living this vision. Who are you? What do you notice about yourself? What does it feel like to be here? Who do you have to *BE* to live this vision?

Bring It On Home Baby

1.  Do this everyday for the next 5 days, for only 10 minutes.

2.  Each day the vision may change, new things may pop into your head. Just enjoy experience.

3.  There is no wrong way to do this! If you find yourself wandering around the grocery store again, mentally checking off your to-do list, just gently bring yourself back to your vision.

4.  After 2 or 3 times, you will notice that your vision gets clearer. The feelings and emotions will get stronger.

5.  You can do this as many times a day as you like. Allow yourself to daydream and play with the new feelings and experiences you are bringing into your life.

6.  Jot down any inspirations that come to you in your journal.

I keep my vision board right by my desk, with a few photos, my vision statement and the big picture of my latest projects. Each time I glance over at it, it gives me energy and makes me smile. I try to stay in the feeling state of my visualization as much as I can throughout the day.

Send me your questions and experiences with visualizing - I’d love to hear what works for you or help you with any challenges you might have.

If you’re ready to *really* rock your vision, check out my coaching programs, I have several different programs to suit your goals, business, vision and budget. Click here to read the FAQ and download an application.

Have a faaaabulous week.

Are You Avoiding It?

I’ve done absolutely everything I can today to avoid writing this blog. I’ve balanced all of my bank accounts (even though I recently hired someone to do that for me), I’ve done laundry, returned emails, baked banana bread with my daughter... You name it.

The funny thing is, there is no greater sense of freedom and accomplishment than when I press ‘send’ after the blog is written, edited and proofed. It’s the best!

So why do I avoid it? Today’s article addresses this very subject. Why do we avoid doing the things we know we need to do. Read on!

Are You Avoiding IT?

It’s 6:28pm... I’m late... I was supposed to have this article finished 3 ½ hours ago, no wait. I was supposed to have this article written 1 day and 3 ½ hours ago!

I’ve done everything but my writing assignments today. (And apparently yesterday too) From balancing bank accounts to baking ~ and believe me, I don’t really like either one of those activities.

The funny thing is, I really DO love to write. It’s one of my passions. There is nothing quite like the feeling of falling into that state of flow, when my crazy mind stops editing every, single word that I type and the thoughts are formed faster than my fingers can peck the keys. It is one of the MOST delicious feelings to wake up to that fabulous ezine in my box that’s from... (drumroll puuleeeze…) ME!

And there is nothing quite like the day my article goes out to all of YOU, The Most Fabulous, Smart, Gorgeous People ever! I get the best responses and feedback! I get to read stories of what you are going through in your life and how my ezine touches your heart, or lifts you up when you are having a bad day or just makes you laugh. That is the BEST!

So why do I avoid doing something that brings me so much joy?

Is there anything in your life that you are avoiding?

Is it something you know you should do- right now?

Here are a few of my theories on why you might be avoiding stuff...

1. We avoid doing what we know we should do out of fear.
What do we fear? Well, there are endless amounts of things we fear; rejection, looking silly, doing it wrong… the list goes on and on.
2. We avoid doing what we know we should do out of laziness.
This is my own personal favorite. I always joke that I’m a lazy mom. I’m not the one with the super-clean house or the daughters who are dressed perfectly, (you’d think my house would be clean from all this writing avoidance)... but nooooooooo.
3. We avoid doing what we know we should do because we are comfortable.
This is a big one. Our comfort zones are invisible to the naked eye, yet the line that holds us inside this zone is wired with 99,000 watt electric fences and mean, angry guard dogs. Each time we attempt to ‘do what we said we would do’ our comfort zone keeps us in place. “It’s so much easier to just stay put. Don’t grow. Don’t learn. Don’t stretch yourself. Stay right where you are.”

Would you like to stop avoiding and start rockin’ & rollin’?

Allrighty then!

Let’s get busy... I’m going to break it down for you.

Step 1: Do something, anything. Get up, out of that chair and do one thing. It can be big or small, doesn’t matter. There is momentum in taking the smallest action.

Step 2: Now that you’ve done one thing, call someone and tell them what you just did! Send an email to a supportive friend and tell them you need a celebration email right back. (it’s okay to give your friends/loved ones specific instructions on how to celebrate you - I tell my husband “I just want you to listen and tell me how fabulous I am, no other advice, comments or feedback is needed at this time”)

Step 3: Make it a party. Figure out a way to make the thing you’ve been avoiding FUN. Right now, I’ve got my headphones on and I’m rockin’ some Gwen Stefani on my ipod..."if I was a rich girl, na,na,na,na,na,na"... what can you do to make your life fun right this very second? Light your favorite candle and make your desk smell fabulous, make a cup of tea in your favorite oversized mug, invite a friend over and work together or side-by-side and then go celebrate with margaritas when you’re both done!

Debbie, my fabulous assistant & I crack ourselves up with the emoticons on yahoo IM and Skype. We send each other silly messages back and forth as we edit new materials or finalize projects we are working on. The other day she taught me how to make the Smiley-face-guy pull his pants down like he’s “mooning”!

 

 

These are just a few ideas to get you started. I’d love to hear what you come with to stop avoiding doing what you know you should be doing!

Okay- time to stop reading and start Rockin’ your project!

Have a faaaabulous day.

Stop Procrastinating

I’m just back from filming in New York for Grandparents.com. If you’re not already a member, sign up now (if you are a Grandparent or if you have a grandparent), there’s tons of cool stuff there and this Fall we’re launching this faaaabulous video journaling project – it’s going to be amazing! Can’t wait for you to see.

 
If you absolutely can not wait one more minute to find out more, you can go watch some behind-the-scenes footage and a video update from me here:New York Video

Stop Procrastinating & Get Your Groove On, Baby!

So, WOW. What an overwhelming response to the tele-class on procrastination! We had the most registrations for this call than any other I’ve done. We also had the most people on the call *live* than any other I’ve done, and it was at 1pm in the afternoon!

I had *so* much great information to share with you, and only 1 hour to get it all in there, so I thought I would re-cap the call and give you some specific action steps for this week.

How’s that? So, here’s what dictionary.com says about the word “procrastinate”:

Procrastinate:
1. To defer action; delay needlessly: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
2. To put off until another day or time; to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. To postpone doing what one should be doing.

Wow, that hurts to read. So here’s a little secret. I’m a huge procrastinator. I am! I wait until the last possible second to do most things I need to do. I rarely seem to be running ahead of schedule, especially when it comes to my writing assignments. (just ask Debbie how many times she’s waiting on me to send in my article for our bi-weekly ezine!)

However, even being the procrastinator that I am, I’ve still managed to double my business every year since JOURNALUTION was released and last year my business increased by more than 135%. How did I manage that?

 I put systems in place that make it extremely uncomfortable to not do what I say I will do.

I created accountability for myself, even though I’m my own boss and no one will knock on my door if I stay in my pajamas for 3 days straight. No one will tell me “you’re fired”, if I don’t get my ezine out, or write that new book or article.

Here are a few of the things that have helped me the most:

1. Decide. Try to imagine your life 1 year from now, and you still haven’t done this ‘thing’ that you are procrastinating on….. how will you feel about it then? (that should give you a clear decision point)

2. Stick-to-it-ness. Create a productivity ritual, I call this going into my “Major Hot Mogul Mode”. My ritual includes but is not limited to: setting a timer, using a scented candle to spark creativity, drinking ‘Tea of Wisdom’ from Republic of Tea, out of my “Major Hot Mogul Mug” (a special mug that makes me feel really hot & powerful). LOL

3. Banish Overwhelm from your vocab. Using “overwhelm” is another form of self-sabotage. Stating that you are overwhelmed just gives you the excuse to do nothing. (I know this one intimately - it’s my most over-used phrase - ever). When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, close your eyes, connect to your Hot Mogul Self and ask her, in your most authoritative Inner Voice, “what’s the one thing I can do that will have the greatest impact right now?” then be quiet and listen for the answer.

Finally, accountability is the #1 thing I use to keep me from procrastinating my life away. I have a coach that I speak with regularly and she keeps me focused and clear about my next steps. It helps to have someone who inspires me to step up and get things done. I love having her tell me to ‘get off my butt and make it happen”.

If you’re looking for more results and accountability in your life, check out my coaching programs. I’ve got 4 more slots available for private coaching *and* we have a Group Coaching session starting in September, but spots are going fast, so don’t procrastinate! Click here for Coaching Information

Have a Faaaaaabulous day.

Are You Pregnant?

Did my subject line get your attention?

I was referring to the consistent, exciting and yet sometimes frustrating state of feeling ‘pregnant with possibility’.

• Have you been laboring for a long time?
• Are you just stopping by the drugstore to pick up the pregnancy test?
• Are you in your 1st trimester? Or are you long over due?

No matter where you are in your process, today’s blog will help you out by giving you:

5 Tips to Get Through the Labor and Give Birth to Your Possibilities.

Do you feel like you’re juggling an insanely high number of projects at the same time? Including trying to have a personal life that’s meaningful and makes a difference in the world?

Do you have lots of really great ideas, but have trouble putting them action?

How long have you been writing, speaking and planning your dream life, but you still feel like you’re not much closer to realizing it?

I’ve been studying my own life lately and have come up with some tools that have helped me move forward with ease, grace and speed. I think you’ll find them useful too.

1. Reconnect: This is always the first step... Whatever is happening in your life, if you’re feeling like you’re running in circles and not very inspired, here’s where you start. Breathe. Reconnect. I know, I say that every time, but seriously, you should be doing this everyday! At least once a day. You know I don’t like rules, but here’s one rule I try to follow. Every single day, breathe. (ha) I mean breathe deeply, with intention. Your intention is to get back to that space of knowingness. It’s there. I promise.

2. Give Your Self a Break: Many of the highly successful “go-getter” women I work with, tend to go-go-go-go and rarely stop to take a break. So when you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and aren’t sure what to do next. The very next thing you must do is stop. That’s right, stop what you are doing and give yourself a break. When you move from one task to the next to the next, it doesn’t matter how much you are accomplishing, you are only focused on ‘what’s next’. So stop, breathe, congratulate yourself on all that you are doing today and all that you have done. I call this my “Look What I Did List” and if you’ve never done one, do it now!

3. Write Your Big Vision: Okay, so now you are beginning to feel relaxed and reconnected. You’ve created some space inside of yourself and you are ready to bring that possibility into the world. It all starts with a vision. I like to pick one big thing that you are working on or one great idea that you’ve had and then write about it as “A Perfect Day”. Imagine that you are getting ready for this ‘vision’ and it’s happening today, or tomorrow morning. How would you be spending that day? When would you wake up? What would you eat for breakfast? What would your house look like? Who would be living or visiting in your house? Remember, we’re talking “perfect day” here, no time to be realistic. Just get that really, big, scary, fun, exciting vision down on paper. (for more inspiration on creating your perfect day vision try the Journaling Prompts cds, I give you a relaxing, reconnecting journaling prompt with soft music to write to, it’s like having a personal journaling session with me.- available as 2cd set or mp3 immediate download)

4. Share Your Big Vision: Now that you’ve got a working vision down on paper, go share it with someone. This is the power of the mastermind that Napoleon Hill talks about. “Two or more gathered together creates miracles”. A few guidelines here:

a. Pick someone who will support you unconditionally in your Greatest Vision.

b. Tell them before you read, “I just want you to listen and tell me how fabulous I am, I’m not ready for feedback or brainstorming yet. I just want you to hold this vision for me.”

c. Read your Perfect Day vision to them exactly as you have it written.

d. As you read your Perfect Day, notice if anything feels off. Change anything that doesn’t give you an immediate feeling of ‘yes!’. You want this Perfect Day to energize you when you read it.

5. Take One Inspired Action: Okay! Here’s that moment. As you are reading your vision, ask yourself, “what one thing can I do today that will have the greatest impact on my life?” Then go do it! Don’t judge your idea, don’t worry about what that inspiration has to do with the big picture. Don’t try to figure out what’s going to happen next. Just go do it. Now!

I’ve given birth three times. Twice it resulted in two amazing little people that I share my life with and once it resulted in an international revolution called The Journalution. Each time I went through long, strenuous months of developing, growing and creating the magical possibility that was living inside of me.

Each time there were many, many moments when I felt lost and alone. I thought I was the only one in the world who ever felt this way. All three times I said “I can’t do this. It’s too hard. I don’t know how anybody can go through this!” But when it was all over and I was holding that incredible, life-changing, living, breathing ‘baby’ in my hands, I was so grateful that I did it.

I was in awe of myself. I am still in awe of myself. I want you to feel that way too. You have this glimpse of possibility inside of you for a reason. You are meant to give birth to it- or you would not have been given the vision.

Yes, some days it’s hard, and I feel like I want to give up. I ask myself ‘why am I doing this?’, and from deep within me, comes that voice and it says, "because this is what you are meant to do in the world. You must be the Greatest version of Sandy-licious that you can be.”

Now it’s your time- go shine, go be your fabulous, delicious Self.

 

You Rock.

 

What's Stopping You from Your Delicious-ness?

Last week my mom was visiting and I decided to take some time off to spend with her and the girls. Toward the end of the week, I realized that I had slipped into a state of overwhelm. Sitting at dinner with my family, staring off into space, not really listening to the conversation and thinking of all the things that were piling up in my office I realized that overwhelm is what seems to stop me most often. It stops me in my business and it was stopping me from enjoying that perfectly wonderful moment with my family. What stops you?

• Do you get stopped when something feels difficult or uncomfortable to you?
• Is it worrying that you might be making a wrong decision, so instead you make no decision?
• Or do you spend all of your time researching and preparing and “getting ready” to start and never actually finish anything?

It doesn’t matter what’s stopping you right now, what matters is that you get moving…. right now. Don’t waste anymore time trying to ‘figure it out’, looking for that ultimate ‘a-ha’ moment. Just move it! Take action! Don’t worry if it turns out to be a GI-NOR-MOUS mistake, you’ll have new momentum and a new direction.

Promise me you won’t let overwhelm, “doing-it-wrong-syndrome” and fear of failure stop you from living an opulent, FUN life and sharing your magnificence with the world!

Try This: “I Like to Move It-Move It Exercise”

Take 3 Really Deep Breaths – Have you ever noticed that all of my tips start with this one? That’s because I believe, everything in life starts with your breath. Breathing will bring you back to your Self, it will give you energy - it will relax you. It is magical. It’s better than a Dirty Martini! (Although, there’s room for a little of both in life, right?)

Put on Your Favorite Tune & Shake It – Find something upbeat and play it LOUD. Dance, jump, sing and laugh until your heart is racing. Experiment with some new moves. Let yourself be silly. Your intention should be to bring all of your awareness back into your body. Feel the energy coursing through every finger and toe. Wave your hands, kick your feet, wiggle your shoulders and shake, shake, shake – shake your booty!

Now You Are Ready – The purpose of Steps 1 & 2 is to get you out of your head and re-connected with the amazing energy that resides inside of your body. You are more than your brain. Your brain tends to go off on tangents throughout the day, reminding you of all that you’ve forgotten, all that you should be doing and all that you’re doing wrong. Your brain is trying to help you, it’s just doing it’s job. Unfortunately, it’s your brain that is stopping you.

Yep, you’ve got to turn off your brain long enough to let your Inner Wisdom guide you. So now that you’ve got that fresh, juicy energy flowing freely- USE IT.

• Use it to make that call you’ve been putting off.
• Use it to write that email or new marketing piece you’ve been procrastinating about.
• Use it to sit your butt down and make some progress on your book, your business or your Billion Dollar Empire.

Before you know it, you’ll be rockin’ and rollin’ again. Print this blog entry and file it under “Getting Unstuck”. Create a new file with inspiring quotes, ideas and exercises to get you moving the next time you find yourself stopped.

Have a Faabulous Day!

Defying Gravity

"Something has changed within me. Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second-guessing. Too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts. Close my eyes, and leap! It's time to try defying gravity.”

 (photo by Joan Marcus, 2003)

What is that feeling that rises up within me? Where does it come from?

I call it The Glimpse. You get a glimpse out of the corner of your eye of what is possible. Sometimes it’s a little blurry, but it’s definitely you, operating at your greatest.

And then what happens? The Inner Critic pops up and says things like; “you can’t do that.” “Who do you think you are?” “You don’t have enough _______”.

What? What does your inner critic say?

The Inner Wisdom whispers and the Inner Critic yells. It’s time to quiet the inner critic and allow your Inner Wisdom to drive the bus. Perhaps your Inner Wisdom is whispering that it’s time to upgrade to a jet? Or even a rocket ship? Can you hear what your inner wisdom is whispering today?

Here are a few tips to guide you in honoring your inner wisdom and defying gravity:

Breathe – close your eyes right now and take a deep breath, in through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and then slowly release the breath out through your mouth. Go. Now go do it 2 more times, but this time, notice the breath going in and out. Feel the coolness of the air, fill your lungs completely, and let the new energy of this fresh air fill your body.

Connect to Your Greatest Vision – here’s where that Glimpse comes in. Can you see it? Does it scare you? Do you have little butterflies in your belly? Good. That means you’re on the right track. Keep breathing as you close your eyes again and allow yourself to fully go into this vision. The YOU that wants to come through. The YOU that sees everything and knows exactly what is right for you. Can you see her (or him)? If you have trouble connecting to your ‘glimpse of greatness’, try journaling about a time when you felt completely on purpose in your life, let yourself dream big.

Take Action – here’s the tricky one, now what? You’ve got this vision and it’s nowhere near the life you are actually living today. Now what do you do? The answer is: Just One Thing. Close your eyes again and ask that wise, powerful energy that is living inside of you; “What one action can I take today that will have the greatest impact on my life?” Write down the first thing that pops into your head. If you do nothing else, take that one action toward stepping into your greatest glimpse. Send an email, make a phone call, write a letter, read an article. There is a place inside of you that knows exactly what you need to do.

I understand, defying gravity can be challenging. I feel it too, in my own life, every single day. Sometimes it feels like we are so small and our inner critic is screaming “who are you to have that dream?”

Just one thing. That’s all it takes. One small action today, tells the universe that you are serious. You are declaring; “I am ready! Bring it on!”

Here are the other 2 verses of Defying Gravity from the play Wicked. Go sing them as loud as you can! You deserve to fly.

"I'm through accepting limits,’ cause someone says they're so. Some things I cannot change, but 'till I try, I'll never know. Too long I've been afraid of losing love, I guess I've lost. Well, if that’s love, it comes at much too high a cost. I'd sooner buy defying gravity- Kiss me goodbye. I'm defying gravity, and you can't pull me down.

So if you care to find me- Look to the western sky. As someone told me lately: "Everyone deserves the chance to fly!" And if I'm flying solo, At least I'm flying free. To those who'd ground me, Take a message back from me: Tell them how I am Defying gravity. I'm flying high, Defying gravity. And soon I'll match them in renown. And nobody in, all of Oz. No Wizard that there is or was. Is ever gonna bring me down!"

Have a Faabulous Day!

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4 S's of Happinessss

 

 

This is a picture of my amazing nephew, Anderson.

He’s actually about 5 times this size now, but I just love this photo of him. All snuggled up with me. Soon he’ll be running around and won’t let me hold him anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Four S’s of Happinessss:

Simplify, Space, Settle In and Surrender.

Simplify: Get rid of the junk. What are you filling your life up with that is completely unnecessary? Look at your calendar from yesterday or last week or last month, write down all the things you did that are contributing to your life today or tomorrow. Now write down all the things that you worried about or fretted over or rushed to accomplish that really didn’t make much of a difference in the Big Picture of your life. When my to-do list begins to run past the 2nd page marker, I love to ask myself, “Is anybody going to die if I don’t get this done?” The great thing is, there is absolutely nothing on my list that’s going to cause death or destruction! How cool is that? Be willing to let go of anything that is not serving you.

Space: not space out,(although, I do plenty of that, too) as in Create Space for Magic to Happen. If my calendar is crazy-busy every minute of every day and I’m rushing from one thing to the next, there’s no time for the magic. You’ve got to leave some open time to just ‘be’, and when you’re hanging out, doing nothing, an amazing idea will strike, or a serendipitous phone call will come in. Try it. Literally, carve out 1 hour this week (you can divide it into 15 minute or ½ hour increments, if you like) and write on your calendar “Blank Space for Magic” in permanent marker (preferably in a fun color like red or purple!) Welcome the Magic into your life, expect the magic!

Settle In: In other words, BREATHE. Stop reading right now and close your eyes. Take a deep breath, feel the fresh air go into your nose, your lungs and deep into your belly. NOW... GO... WOW, wasn’t that great? When was the last time you took a really deep breath? It’s so simple, yet we hardly ever do it. Your breath is your ticket to peace and well being. No matter what is going on around you, breathe deeply and you will feel the peace.

Surrender: I’ve always resisted this one or at least found it very difficult to do in my own life. How do you really, truly, surrender? How do you know when you’ve truly, completely surrendered? For me, it’s when I have returned to ‘myself’. When I need to surrender, it’s because I’m not settled, not breathing, I’m running around ‘out of my body’. When I return to my Inner Wisdom, I feel peace again. And very often, ‘the answer’ or the magic appears.

Well, I feel better. I’m going to go back and read my own writing a few more times and see if I can apply it now.

Have a great day!

 

 

Share Your Story

 

May 2005, Miami, FL
“So, what happened with your father?”

I am standing in front of a small crowd in the bookstore and the question comes from an older woman sitting in the front row. This is the 2nd most popular question I get at book signings, right after “How did you get your book published”.

Everyone wants to hear a happy ending. They want to know that after writing that letter to my father and forgiving him for everything, he came back into my life and we all lived happily ever after. But that’s not exactly how the story goes...

As I said in my book, I realized that I had been waiting my entire life for this imaginary father figure to ride in on his white horse and make everything okay….. and he wasn’t coming. I realized that I had to figure out how to fill myself up and nothing ‘out there’ was going to do that for me. Not my husband, or my kids or my career. I had to fill myself from within. That moment, with my father, was the catalyst for me getting really serious about writing a book. That began the journey of figuring out what fills me up. The act of writing, as much as I resist it, writing is part of what fills me up.

But the bigger ‘a-ha’ came many months later, when, at yet another book signing, a woman raised her hand and asked; “So what happened with your father? Have you heard from him since your book came out?” My response was not planned and surprised me. After giving her the normal monologue I wrote in the book about filling myself up with good energy, blah, blah, blah… new words came tumbling out of me.

“Beyond your greatest pain, lies your greatest purpose. If I hadn’t been so hurt by my father leaving us, if I hadn’t been so driven to heal that part of me that felt broken because of it…. There would be no Journalution. And I know for sure that starting the Journalution is part of my highest purpose.”

That has become a bigger part of what I teach today. Whatever it is that is the most challenging to you in your life, whatever situation you are going through, that is where you begin to look for clues to your highest purpose. That is where your greatest lessons will come. And you are meant to go out and share your life lessons with the world. Each one of us comes to this earth to share our story. Your story is important. And whether you share your story in a book, or through a song or painting or in your business or just sitting around a dinner table with family and friends, I encourage you to view your life from this ‘larger lense’ and glean the lessons so that your life can be an inspiration for others.

Standing in front of almost 100 women in Santa Barbara this weekend and seeing the recognition of this truth in their eyes was confirmation. That no matter what you are experiencing in this moment, it is part of the purpose of your life. And you must go out and share this purpose with the world.

I guess that is a happy ending, after all.