My Goldilocks “Just Right” Adventures


How did Goldilocks find the three bears' cottage without a GPS? 

I believe her inner GPS—her heart's desires—led her there in three easy steps.  

She knew what she wanted. She encountered what she didn't want, but used that feedback to gain clarity. And then she attracted her desired results. 

I'm going to share how I learned to manifest a life that is "just right" in so many ways. And I did it with simple shifts in my thinking that anyone can learn.






Six years ago, my husband passed away after a long illness. When his cancer was diagnosed three years before that, we sold our award-winning construction company.  In the course of over twenty years, we'd created custom swimming pools, ponds, and waterfalls for A-list clients like Brad Pitt, Will Smith, James Coburn, Aaron Spelling, John Stamos, and more.

While my husband Bill's health declined, so did the housing and stock markets. My financial safety net collapsed.  After Bill died, I embarked on my long-held dream of being a full-time writer, but success eluded me.  I fell prey to my mindset that Bill was the one who knew how to make money—not me!  I had never even closed a sale. How would I support myself in my dream life?

I knew that if I didn't change something fast, results would spiral downward, so, about five years ago, I began studying with great teachers in personal development. I became a certified coach, so I could share the process of transformation with others.

A year ago, I decided to sell our big house. My husband was gone. Our daughter was engaged and living in New York City. I knew that I had a choice: feel upset at leaving after fifteen years in a wonderful view home, or manifest a fabulous new adventure as a single woman in her golden years.

 

What Is The Purpose Of Life? The Top 3 Ways To Finding Meaning In Your Life (It’s Never Too Late)


I began picturing my ideal daily life. How would I feel waking up, walking my Golden retriever Sugar Bear, writing, coaching clients virtually, stargazing, socializing? Images in my mind led me to a 1953 ranch house that most people would've scorned for being too rustic. Yet I've enjoyed a magical, creative year here, writing four books, starting three more, and launching a new venture as a toymaker.

Now it's time to move on. My writer's retreat will soon make way for a house befitting its multi-million dollar neighbors. I must bid farewell to four-legged friends I visit daily: horses who trot to greet me, and Danny the alpaca who has a sweet tooth for grapes.

To get ready for my next phase, I began visualizing  another "just right" home. I looked at rentals online, and some in person. They were too hot or too cold! I held to my vision and expectations that what I desired was already mine. And we found each other. Further, since our heavenly Creator loves to surprise and delight us when we align with a beautiful life, the garden features my favorites: roses, jasmine, lavender, and a lime tree. Neighbors have dogs; Sugar Bear is welcome. The piano teacher next door feared a new tenant would complain about classical music—I invited her to drop in and inspire me to play my own piano again.





"Just right" adventures don't happen by chance. But we can learn how to deliberately entice them into our lives. What are your thoughts attracting? Is it something you'll love when it lands at your doorstep? Or will you try to fling it away and declare, "I never ordered that cold porridge!"

I used to think my circumstances were a matter of luck. Today I understand we can have 100% control over our thoughts, and choose the results we want to experience and enjoy. Life can and should be a fun and delightful "just right" adventure in creativity, joy and expansion. 

Evelyn Brooks

Evelyn Roberts Brooks is a bestselling author, speaker, success coach, and toymaker. She's offering an exclusive gift for Insight of the Day readers. Use code INSIGHT to get 50% off all e-courses and products in her online store through August 15, 2014. To visit Evelyn's store and claim your bonus gifts, go to: http://evelynbrooks.com/store 

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Presentation Secrets for Entrepreneurs Ready to Tell, Sell, and Compel

Speak up for your Business
Speak Up for Your Business: Presentation Secrets for Entrepreneurs Ready to Tell, Sell, and Compel

Dr. Michelle Mazur

ISBN 9781936984459
Format Paperback
Publisher Difference Press
Published 25th April 2014

Do you love your business but don't know how to talk about it with others?

Is the fear of public speaking keeping you from taking your business to the next level?

You know public speaking is a great way to establish your credibility, create buzz about your business, and attract your perfect client, but you have no idea what to talk about or why anyone should listen to you.

Or are there a million ideas swirling in your head but you don't know the presentation secrets of crafting a message that resonates? Do you fear that people won't like you or want to do business with you because of something you said-or didn't say?

Fear public speaking no more.

Professional public speaking expert Michelle Mazur is here to help.

With a Ph.D. in Communication and hundreds of speeches under her belt, Michelle knows exactly the presentations skills you need to engage your audience, persuade people to believe in your message, and ultimately, get the sale or business relationship you desire.

In Speak Up for Your Business, Michelle reveals how you can:

Develop your presentation skills so that you persuade and motivate your audience

Stop feeling sleazy about selling with this one presentation secret

Create a strategy to cope with your fear of public speaking

Embrace your Inner F-Bomb (it's not what you think)

Organize your presentation in a sexy way

Give your audience real value

Create an experience through story with four essential ingredients

Begin your presentation with a win & close with a bang

Adapt your presentation on the fly

Handle those wing-nut questions that threaten to derail your speech

Land more speaking gigs

michelle_mazurAbout the Author: As a Speech Designer and Idea Architect, Dr. Michelle Mazur guides introverted business professionals and entrepreneurs to ignite the smoldering fires within them so they can speak up, speak out, and make their impact-one compelling presentation at a time. Her passion is helping super smart people get their ideas communicated to the people who need to hear it most. Michelle earned a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Oklahoma, and as a professor, she inspired university students to find their voices and share their messages for more than ten years. She is the author of Speak Up for Your Business and contributing author to the Amazon Best Seller Ted: ology: Presentation Secrets of TED Talks and Master Presenter: Lessons from the World's Top Experts on Becoming a More Influential Speaker. Her writing has appeared on 12 Most, PR Daily, Ragan.com, SOLD Magazine, PR Europe, and Business2Community. Her blog, Relationally Speaking, was listed at #11 of the 101 best online resources for public speaking. She resides in Seattle, Washington with her loving fiance, two obsessive felines, and a huge collection of Duran Duran memorabilia."

Buy the book

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"Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem.  The greatest success stories were created  by people who recognised a problem and turned it into an opportunity." 
 Joseph Sugarman
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[Quotation about public speaking] Understanding and communicating the essence of things

"..... understanding and communicating the essence of things is difficult,

takes a lot of thought, and has a big impact.”

— Carly Fiorina

 

Carly Fiorina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Fiorina served as chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard 
 from 1999 to 2005 and previously was an executive at AT&T

Image: "CarlyFiorina49416" by Antônio Milena/AB - Agência Brasil [1].
 Licensed under CC-BY-3.0-br via Wikimedia Commons.

 

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How to Love Life As Much As Surfers Love Surfing

What if you could spend both your work and personal life in The Zone? 

Created by Bruce Kasanoff, author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk, available at: goo.gl/xP6F3Z

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"If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader."
Dolly Parton

           
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[Inspiration] Do you have one foot on the brake?

brakes

"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain.

The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?"

Mary Manin Morrissey

Original image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/truk/3558806/

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How Can I Do It All?

We tend to want to do a lot. Those of us who are overachievers, go getters and want more out of life tend to get into too many things and we lose focus. Those of us who want to do it all will soon be disappointed because we can't but that doesn't take away the feeling we have and the desire to do it all.
There are many things we can think about and do when that feeling of wanting to do it all overwhelms us. There are many things we can do that are good and some that are bad so we have to be sure we know what to do when we get the feeling we want to do it all. Here are a few things to do:
FOCUS
It takes focus. Focus seems to be the topic that comes up a lot lately. If we want to do anything well, we need to focus. However, for those of us who want to do it all, we can't really focus on all of it, can we? No. So what do we do? How do we focus on just that one thing that needs to be done right now?
POWER
It takes power of our mind, our thoughts and attitudes to be able to focus on just one thing. It takes strength to put aside those outside issues that keep coming up so we can do that one thing. However, it is attainable when we practice. When we practice, we become stronger.
MOTIVATION
It takes motivation. To stick with anything, we need motivation. Focus and power is good but motivation keeps us going. Our "why" motivates us. Our reason for doing what we are supposed to be focusing on is what should motivate us to continue on.
How can we do it all? We can't but focus, power and motivation will help us to do one thing well. Doing it all is not a realistic dream. Focus is. Focusing on what we do well, gaining knowledge on that one thing and finding others we can help by doing that one thing will give us a good feeling of knowing we have accomplished something. It will also take away the desire to do too many other things because we know that one thing we are doing is going to make a difference.
What is your one thing you have been called to do?
How can you stop desiring to do it all and stop being distracted by those who want to pull you into their world?
What are three things you can do today to begin to focus, to change your thinking and stay motivated to work on that one thing today?
"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days." Zig Ziglar

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Frances Lucas has lived in Birmingham, Alabama for 40 years. She is a working mother with three children and has progressively improved her life through mistakes, persistence and a sense of humor. Her passion in life surfaced after a major setback in life which proves good things can come from bad experiences. Frances coaches in career and personal improvement, facilitates self-improvement classes and writes articles.
Website:http://www.francescopelandlucas.com 

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Nothing is lost upon a man who is bent upon growth; nothing wasted on one who is always preparing for... life by keeping eyes, mind and heart open to nature, men, books, experience.... What he gathers serves him at unexpected moments in unforeseen ways."

-- Hamilton Wright Mabie

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Words – the powerful persuasive potion

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
― Rudyard Kipling

misused_words
Is it a drug you need to persuade people when you speak?

We spend a lot of our time speaking to persuade – persuade people to adopt our ideas, persuade them to buy our products or services, persuade them to employ our skills – sometimes just to pick up their towels from the bath room floor.

Is it a drug you need when you want to persuade?

We can drug ourselves into belief with the stories we tell ourselves.

Undoubtedly we can drug our audiences into belief just as well with the power of words.

We can create emotion with words. And emotion is one of the most powerful persuasion devices there is.

We can build a relationship with a audience to take them with us into the behaviour we want.

Let’s start with emotion.

You can attach emotion to an idea with words that will give it a positive energy or a negative energy or remove either of those.

Associate an idea with positive words and make it attractive. We would all rather a glass half full than a glass half empty. Generally we prefer something with the words “New and Improved” attached. Advertisers use adjectives that build the positives of their products – adjectives like more, increased, amazing, best, fastest, greatest. And I would far rather take up reading, if I were a child, if I knew it would give me a pleasant experience rather that because it would keep me out of mischief.

Reduce the negativities of an idea by using words that diminish that side. So we refer to “layoffs” rather than “downsizing”. We refer to “Intensive Interrogation techniques” rather than “torture” and refer to “used” Aston Martins as “pre-owned”.

On the other hand, associate certain words with a person or an idea and create a negativity around them. Adjectives again, like “infamous”, “malicious” and “stingy” all attach an emotional negativity.

These are powerful emotional drugs to use in persuasion.

Underlying this communication, though, are the word choices you can make that build your credibility for your audience and encourage their trust.

Perhaps the most important word you can use is “You”. Every audience member needs to feel that they are the centre of your attention and that meeting their needs is your prime objective. Focus on using the word “You” and you are forcibly reminded to turn your own thinking and your language that way.

Beyond this, though, the best words to use are “we”, “together” and “us” because they give the impression that you and your audience are of one mind, working towards the same outcome. Take them with you to that outcome. Speak to them, too, in their own language, avoiding words they might not understand and jargon that excludes them.

Validate them and their ideas whenever you can. Use words like “Thank you” and appreciate”.

We have talked already about the adjectives you can use for various reasons. Try to avoid adverbs. Use, instead, very evocative verbs.

Mark Twain again -
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.”

What can you use instead of “said”, for example? “Whispered” or “screamed” will communicate far more useful emotion. This is so much more effective than “said quietly” or “said loudly”. It also uses fewer words. We often associate verbosity with someone who is trying to cover something. So to build trust, keep it simple and use simple powerful words.

Now, how to reword my requests about those bath towels??!!