There's Something Happening Here!

There's definitely something happening here,
and what it is, it's so very clear.
It's the Law Of Attraction In Action!
It's happening so often and so consistently I KNOW it's not just coincidence.
And all the bright neon signs in front of me, there's no denying that being deliberate, and living intentionally works.
It works, it works, it works!!
WHAT YOU PUT YOUR ATTENTION ON GROWS!!
A few days ago, actually it was Saturday night, I downloaded an E-book from Lisa Valencia called "If She Can Do It So Can I." (I wrote about it in my last blog entry.)
Lisa had a dream of moving to Costa Rica and she made it happen. She writes about her real life experience and adventures. I received an email from her thanking me for my online order. I wrote back letting her know how much I enjoyed reading about her travels and her life. The way she writes is like being with a friend telling a good story. I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. That evening I finally put the E-book down long enough to watch a DVD I had ordered from Netflix. It was a DVD of "The Secret." I'd watched it a while back with my husband and wasn't too impressed, I guess I was expecting more since so many had been raving about it for so long. I decided to give it another try. This time I looked for what I DID like about it. I found a lot of things that I didn't notice the first time.The first time I was busy critiquing it. I liked the level of manifesting that the people in it have acquired, it was impressive.I like how positive all of them are and that inspired me. I like seeing that these people were no different than you or I (some of them had some serious hardship in their lives) and the only difference is THEY went towards what they wanted and believed.
They were successful because they did what it took to get there AND they kept believing in their vision. I'm writing this not to tell you that I watched the Secret again and this time I liked it...
I'm writing this because the most amazing thing happened.The next day, I got an email back from Lisa Valencia and she told me how much it meant to her to receive my email. She also mentioned that she had watched The Secret that day (Saturday) and it was uplifting. She had also seen it before. So here we are, two people that didn't know each other the day before, in two different parts of the world, watching the Secret about the same time....and that she would even mention watching it in her email.
Now tell me if that isn't a message from something much bigger than ourselves?
Law Of Attraction is real. It is! Just like gravity is real.
Intentional living works! It just does...try it and you'll see for yourself. It makes life so much more fun.
Check out some of my past blog posts if you want to read some amazing examples...too amazing to be just coincidence.
Beautiful Fruit- About manifesting a place to live on an acre with a beautiful organic fruit orchard!
A Great Law Of Attraction Story- The story of finding our new neighbors dog a couple of miles away and we had never seen the dog before, but knew it was hers.
Today Is Your Lucky Day- After writing a blog post titled Today Is Your Lucky Day, I heard that same phrase within an hour from two different people.
Believe-The story of meeting my estranged biological father after 44 years...and he was living 40 minutes from where I was living at the time.
A Mothers Love- This is about missing my daughter and meeting the young man from Italy on the beach in Hawaii that was missing his mother.
It goes on and on...too many stories to write about.I have things happening everyday...all day.
It so much fun...most of the time. If I'm not disciplined with my thoughts, all kinds of interesting things can happen. Some, obviously from what I had my attention on and other things by default.

Here's another law of attraction manifestation from an email I received yesterday.
It's A message from Liz Green of - Live Your Dream with the Law of Attraction on Powerful Intentions: Law of Attraction Community:

"Liz Green founder of Live Your Dream Mentoring took the final step in her life changing journey of free enterprise. A life of total freedom and choice away from Corporate stresses."

-- Monday 21st September 2009, for Liz Green of Live Your Dream Mentoring, this is a day which will go down in personal history. After serving 14 years in the Corporate world she has finally declared her FREEDOM! After only 7 short months as an authorized representative of LifePath Unlimited she has found total freedom in every sense.

Thinking outside the box and being open to new and fresh opportunities really has served a purpose. Liz is now mentoring like minded people to create the life of their dreams on a full time basis. Working with like minded leaders to make a change and give people what they want. Total personal and financial freedom.

Let this be an inspiration to everyone, you really can Be, Do and Have anything you want in life. It's true!

Daring to risk is an essential step to self empowerment. This is the key to breaking out of stuck thinking and behavior. It is about breaking through the comfort zones and barriers. It is about experiencing new levels of mind and feelings. It is about experiencing more life.

If you would like to learn more about Liz and her services at Live Your Dream Mentoring, just ask.... http://www.liveyourdreammentoring.com

Start today! Don't delay!


Here's a link to The Powerful Intentions Group:

http://powerfulintent.ning.com/profile/LizGreenLiveYourDreamMentoring





What are you wanting to manifest in your life?
What do you have your attention on?
What are you thinking? Is it something you want to manifest?

Feeling Alive

What makes you feel alive and enthusiastic towards living?
What makes you eager to jump out of bed in the morning?
What is it that you've always dreamed of doing that you would like to do?
I've just finished reading an E-book by Lisa Valencia
called "If She Can Do It So Can I"
I found her book while looking up information about Costa Rica. My husband and I have been invited to spend time with some friends there.
It's funny because a few days before finding the E-book, I had just written the blog post titled
" Oprah Did It And So Can You"
There's the law of attraction once again!
Here's a link to Lisa Valencias website: http://www.travelexperiencecostarica.com/
Her writing is captivating and takes you on a journey. I couldn't put it down.
She writes about her desire to live in Costa Rica and her real life experiences along the way.

I found it refreshing to see that someone has their dreams and hearts desire as a priority in life as opposed to living from a fear based reality. She did what it took to make it happen and believed it could and would.
I've noticed that what a lot people don't know is, in order to follow your dreams and desires it takes work. It's not as if it just happens. It takes one following through with their dream...believing in it. It takes planning, determination, being creative, resourceful and doing whatever it takes to make it happen.
It's a different kind of work than going off to a 9-5 job everyday. The kind of work that, the more you do it the easier it gets and the bigger the payoff. But you still need to do it to make things happen...or maybe I should say to allow.
This is when the universe, god, our angels or whatever you call it starts to work their magic...giving a helping hand along the way. It seems that once you get excited about what you really want and take the steps to get there, that is when opportunity begins to show up in many different ways.
Once you've decided on WHAT you're wanting, that is when you need to stay,
(as Abraham -Hicks calls) tapped in, tuned in , turned on, and allow.
That's when you'll begin seeing what you've always wanted and living the life you dream.
What I enjoyed most about what Lisa Valencia wrote is that she is vibrating joy in her words.
She's happy and positive while pursuing her dream. It's fun to feel that through words, and be able to go on that ride with someone vicariously. Thanks Lisa for sharing your life and for inspiring others to go towards their dreams.
Another good read if you want to go on a fun, real life adventure is Dan Mackins book
"Reflections of Paradise."
Dan Mackin is the artist that did the illustrations in my book "Danny and the Dolphin." After the Vietnam war, Dan and his buddy took a trip on a 26 ft sailboat from Newport Beach Ca. to South America. It's also captivating, fascinating and a lot of fun. You can find his book here along with his beautiful art work: //www.danmackin.com/


If you'd like to find out more about staying tuned in to receiving what you ask for,
then check out this video clip by Abraham-Hicks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBmuc8_GySQ

Here are some questions that might prove to be interesting if you'll ask yourself...
What makes me feel alive?
What would it take to have these things in my life?
Am I willing to do what it takes?

Some things that make me feel alive :
yoga
fresh picked fruit, especially mango
passion fruit
concord grapes
good watermelon
fresh squeezed tangerine juice
fresh peach juice
fresh air
stars on a clear night (Hawaii is a great place for that)
sailing
snorkeling
being in any water, playing, swimming, soaking
riding waves on a boogie board
body surfing
being around dolphins
watching a colorful sunset
the songs and sounds of birds
chirping of geckos
a night owl hooting
crickets
the sounds of frogs outside
watching a hawk or eagle in the sky
watching animals in the wild
singing
listening to good music, especially good live music
playing with children
laughing
riding a bike
hiking
swimming under a waterfall
nude sunbathing
rain, hearing it, seeing it, smelling it ,walking in it (when it's tropical rain and warm out)
snow skiing (when the sun is out and I have warm snow gear)
anything fun, alone or with friends
exploring new areas
travel
taking pictures with my camera
watching a good film
good conversation
reading
writing



Today I appreciate my life.
I appreciate all the opportunities I have.
I appreciate the law of attraction and the beauty it brings.

Oprah Did It And So Can You!

“There’s no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love.

There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.”

- Wayne Dyer









Here's an article I found online about Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is an exceptional person because she stands out from the norm. She has deliberately CHOSEN to rise above her challenges and she keeps choosing with her determination to accomplish what she wants in her life. Oprah is really no different from anyone else, except that she believes and follows through with her goals and dreams. And so therefore she is living them...just like we can be!


Against All Odds - The Story Of Oprah Winfrey
by Pradip Ranjan Sinha

When the going gets tough, the tougher gets going. Are great leaders and entrepreneurs born the way they turn out to be or do they become what they are in the process of time? Going by the story of Oprah Winfrey the second option seems to be the obvious answer. In fact, a look at some of the successful entrepreneurs in the history reveals that success has often been commensurate with the hardships a particular leader faced during his/her formative years. Richard Branson, Dhirubhai Ambani, Karsanbhai Patel, Steve Case, Sandy Weill, Bill Gates, to name a few, have all achieved unprecedented success not just by mere fluke but by their hard work, dedication, determination and an attitude of standing against all odds.

So it is proved that not all the great leaders and entrepreneurs are born; they can be developed so, by setting goals and making transformation from within and moving with the changing needs and demands of the time. Oprah Winfrey is a classic example of how a person, despite of all types of odds, has made a mark for herself in this male-dominated world.


A look into her life reveals how she deals with her fame and fortune in her good as well as bad times, and how she realized her childhood dreams one after another.

She has climbed the heights with good foresight, achieving one goal after another. Oprah, who started her career as a simple TV anchor, went on to become the hostess of a popular TV show named after her (the Oprah Winfrey show), to an actress, to a businesswomen to a producer and finally becoming the "the queen of the soul" of millions all over the world, crossing international, racial, and demographical barriers.

How many people have got the show, which they host named after them? Not many. She was criticized for being too tough with her employees. And the biggest criticism came when she expressed her views on the show of April 16, 1996, which was about the mad cow disease. But for great leaders and entrepreneurs, ups and downs are the part and parcel of life. They never get demotivated, and if they go down, they always come back with a bang.

And Oprah did exactly the same thus proving all her critics wrong and their arguments baseless. She is unarguably the queen of the souls.

Oprah started her life with insurmountable troubles from her childhood. Her parents got divorced when she was very young. She was first sent to her grandmother, then to her mother and finally to her father. She was sexually assaulted by her very own cousins and uncles, which she even revealed in public. Not many would do that, which just reflects her determined approach towards life. But all this misfortunes could not stop her from thinking that life can be a better one than this. This is the key attitude most entrepreneurs have in them, the attitude to think that there is always a scope for improving things. Oprah had this habit of reading books and doing social activities from her early days. She knew from the beginning that life was always full of obstacles but loaded with opportunities. Her own life reflects this She has personally transformed herself from a kid to a teenager to a woman and now to the souls of over 26 million viewers all over the world. It speaks volumes of her will power and determination to succeed against all odds.

The number 26 million is so big that others can easily get envy of her popularity. It's a delight to watch Oprah on her show. She just says with her heart, and she thrills the audience with her warmth and charismatic personality. She always believes in change. It is one of the vital features of the great entrepreneurs that they keep on changing with time. As change is the essence of life and is inevitable, you cannot ignore it. Despite her impoverished and troubled childhood, she became familiar with millions of viewers all over the world. This is just incredible.

She joined her first broadcasting job as a part- time radio announcer at age 17, an age when most of the people concentrate on their studies thinking about their future. She moved on further to do some reporting and anchoring job here and there. In the year 1984, she joined the WLS-TV Chicago, a TV talk show, which later became her identity as the show time was increased from 30 minutes to one hour and the show was renamed as the Oprah Winfrey show, because of the growing popularity of Oprah among the millions who watched her, especially among the women belonging to the age group of 30-50 years.

It took no time for the show to go national and become the number one talk-show of the country. What made all this quick success possible? It was not a miracle, but it was simply because of Oprah's sweet, friendly and energetic conversational tone which was added by her sheer hard work and her innovative style of handling the talk-show. She also tried her luck of becoming an actress by playing a role in a Steven Spielberg film. Not only was she nominated for the prestigious Oscar and Golden globe awards for the best actress category, she even got accolades from many critics. She even went a step forward in establishing the Harpo Productions Inc, and by doing that she also became only the third women in the US history to own a movie production studio, which in itself is a matter of pride. Later, she also became the first ever women in history of television to own and produce her own talk-show by acquiring the ownership and production rights of the "Oprah Winfrey show" from American Broadcasting Corporation. All these do reflect her skills, versatility and her passion towards her work.

Leaders need to change themselves and their style, depending on the situation and the market trends. She also changed according to the time by changing the focus of her talk- show after a decade of nonstop success from dysfunctional families and their problems to a positive show _ that inspires people to rise above and achieve their dreams. This change promised to help change lives for the better, and that too being the motto of her entire life to have a better place to live in. It was a huge success. She went on expanding her business into various fields such as publishing, music, film, health and fitness and education.

Oprah even ousted names like Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michel Jackson and other huge celebrities from the Forbes list of `Highest Paid Entertainers'. She got immense success for her O magazine, which was considered a reflection of her life. But as the old saying goes, "old is gold". This applies for Oprah also, as despite her success in different fields, her `Oprah Winfrey show' still continues to be the number one talk-show on television, being aired in 107 countries and being the number one show for a record 16 continuous years. It simply speaks of Oprah's huge popularity and fan following all over the world crossing all boundaries and barriers. The key factor, which played a major role in her popularity, is her ability to empathize and communicate intimately with her audience and her strong will power in sharing her personal life experiences on the talk show, which many would consider uncomfortable.

She was equally determined in doing something for the society, especially for bringing down child abuse. It is her continuous efforts that had led the president of USA to pass the `Oprah bill', a law made for the child protection against any sort of societal abuse (The national child protection act). How many have made such an impact to the society? She has also contributed millions of dollars to charities and higher education institutes but without seeking any media attention.

Like the two sides of a coin, a person's life has also got both the positive and negative sides. It applies in the case Oprah Winfrey also. Like Jack Welch, Steve Jobs and many other leading business leaders, Oprah too has been criticized on many counts; foremost among the criticisms is her way of enforcing strict rules on her employees and giving them a tough time. Her employees complained of not getting any special attention from her whenever their project got recognition or won ratings or awards. She was more interested in completing the project.

She was also criticized for her statement that she would never eat a hamburger again in her life. Some cattle producers blamed her statement saying that it was the reason for the drastic collapse of the sales of their products, and some even filed a suit against her.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. She was proved to be innocent of the mad cow disease case, as the court clearly stated that whatever she had said were her personal views, i.e., her statements were not illicit and one could not consider her the reason behind the collapse in their product's demand. Talking about the employees of Oprah, you cannot have the guarantee, that they would not have said anything harsh of her work culture, if Oprah would have praised them while making it to the awards and ratings, and not when they have completed the project. Some people have the habit of sensing dissatisfaction irrespective of what they have. They keep on stinking for this or that. Oprah did what she was doing from the very beginning of her career. Entrepreneurship taught us to accomplish the goal and not the awards or ratings and recognition. She feels that awards and recognition will come to an individual once he/she achieves his/her goal. She did exactly that by praising at the time of completion of the project, thus matching with the norms of entrepreneurs, which matter the most.

According to the entrepreneurship center at Miami University, Ohio, the definition of entrepreneurship is: Entrepreneurship is the process of identifying, developing and bringing a vision to life. The vision may be innovative idea, an opportunity, or simply a better way to do something. The end result of this process is the creation of a new venture, formed under conditions of risk and considerable uncertainty.

The awards she received and the recognition she gained as an idol in the minds of millions of people, itself speak of her hard work, popularity and success. One of the important characteristics of entrepreneurs is their consistency with which they perform things. And her record reveals her consistency in being among the top three positions while talking of favorite TV personalities from 1993 to 2001. No one can ever get closer to her unique feat. Her talk-show has been the number one show for 16 long years and this clarifies and further proves her popularity. The love her audiences have for her further clarifies that she is the most trusted woman in the history of television. She was ahead of her time and set an identity for herself, which will be an inspiration for the upcoming young women. It is not just that whatever she achieved was based on fluke; she had worked hard for whatever she is today. Her empathy, courage, gut feeling, honesty towards her work and of course the love of people have made her one of the most beloved and memorable women in America. It's a delight to read, think about and watch her. The way she dealt with her success, wealth and fame by not allowing them to distract her attention from her goal is a sign of great mental maturity and humbleness. Her show is a delight to watch. One should at least watch her show once and he/she will sure become a fan of her from that very moment; such strong is the character of Oprah Winfrey. Undoubtedly and unarguably, she walked through the fire and instead of letting the fire overtake her she forged the fire within herself. The numerous rewards and honors won by Oprah Winfrey and her work are ample proofs of her entrepreneurial excellence. Clearly, Oprah has developed into a successful entrepreneur. She will always remain as the `queen of the souls'.

Lessons one should learn from the life of Oprah Winfrey.


1. "One becomes what one believes-"There is always a chance of betterment in life, i.e., there is always a scope for improvement.
2. Entrepreneurs are not born, rather they are made.
3. Successful entrepreneurs build a team, an organization, and a company and then learn to lead and work with others.
4. Change is inevitable and one should keep on changing with time as change is the only constant and pure thing in the Universe.
5. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. There's always a possibility to triumph.
6. One should listen to his/her feelings /instincts, i.e., be ones self.
7. There is nothing like luck in this world. Luck is simply preparation meeting opportunity.
8. You have to have the courage to go sometimes against the crowd.
9. Never loose your focus of your life, i.e., not to become complacent.
10. One should have the gut feeling to take quick decisions.



21 Suggestions For Success
by H. Jackson Brown Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.

What is it that YOU have always wanted to do and aren't doing?
What would it take to start moving closer to having your dreams become reality?
It CAN be as easy as taking the first step and then another.You'll be that much closer to having the life you love and feel good moving towards your goals.
Life is what we make it...you may as well make it something you enjoy!


Today I appreciate my life and the way I choose to live it.
I appreciate the freedom I have.I appreciate happy enthusiastic people that inspire me.

The Blue Ribbon

Several months ago my husband and I were in the Honolulu airport waiting in line to check in for a flight. I noticed that the person in front of me had some colored yarn tied to their luggage.
I've seen people do this for years and on this particular trip I had intended to get some colored ribbon and tie it to my bags so it would stand out easier in the baggage claim.
I realized that I forgot to do this when I saw some colorful yarn on the luggage of the people in front of me. I thought to myself, "I wish I had some ribbon for my bags" and then I looked down and there was this beautiful royal blue ribbon (which just happens to be my favorite color) laying on the ground next to me. I picked it up and tied it to my bags!
I now have it tied to my purse that I carry as a daily reminder that manifesting CAN be that easy...if we allow it.
I must have been allowing it that day.
I love the Law Of Attraction and the ways it shows up!

Living Outside The Box

How much time do you spend outdoors?

So many Americans spend a large percentage of their leisure time on their computers, cell phones and/or watching television. The media is molding most peoples minds...especially the young ones. That's a scary thought. They're selling a lifestyle and we're all buying. Here's a book by Barbara Brock about eliminating television altogether and tuning in to living your life.

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Outside-Box-TV-Free-Families/dp/1597660140

How often do you actually get out into the fresh air and sunshine, under the trees? Taking time to smell the roses isn't just a catchphrase. It's actually required for life to stay healthy, happy and balanced. We ARE a part of nature and need to be out in it. Modern society and the modern lifestyle is creating withering humans that are surviving but not necessarily thriving.

I suggest we all get outside and take a walk each day, notice the birds and the beautiful flowers, the smell and feel of the fresh air. Feel how happy your lungs and body are to be outside, breathing, moving and stretching. Connect with what is real and alive...connect with nature and with yourself. While doing this, give some thought to what YOU want out of life. What would it take for you to thrive?

Some fun ways to be outside are:

snorkeling

swimming

surfing

kayaking

walking

skipping

jogging

hiking

riding a bike

playing tennis

stretching

swinging

climbing a tree

doing yoga

tai chi

Here's an interesting article on fresh air and sunshine:

The Fresh-Air Fix

The simple way to boost brainpower, improve health, and feel great, spend time outside

By Sarah Mahoney , Sarah Mahoney writes from her home in Durham, ME.

Sure, people say they love summer. But instead of enjoying it, the average American spends most of the season stuck in stale offices and living rooms. Even kids today spend 7 hours more on academics and 2 hours less on sports and outdoor activities per week than they did 20 years ago. Annual family vacations have decreased by 28%, while national park attendance has fallen steadily.

But all this indoor living isn't doing much for our health. Children who get more "vitamin G"--what experts call time spent in green spaces--have lower stress levels and more success in school. Simply being in sunlight triggers skin to make vitamin D, which is shaping up to be a potent immune booster.

"We may also exercise and socialize more in nature-activities with proven health benefits," says Frances Kuo, PhD, director of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Even in the bleakest housing projects, the addition of just a few trees cut crime by 42% in one study, encouraging people to venture out.

So get moving: Here are six ways your family can capture the benefits of an I-love-summer lifestyle.

Make Outdoor Play Mandatory
The National Wildlife Federation urges parents to institute an outdoor "green hour" for kids. Start by suggesting just one more activity each weekend--a family bike ride or an after-dinner walk. Next, add a weekday event. Some other ideas (find more at greenhour.org):

Invest in fun boots and let kids splash in puddles.

Pack a picnic snack and dine in a shady spot.

Look for constellations or catch fireflies at night.

Grow a Love of Gardening
Besides getting fresh air and exercise, kids who garden eat more fruit and vegetables, research shows. Plus, a study of 647 grade-schoolers found that students who grew plants scored about 12% higher on academic tests, compared with those who didn't. To make it fun for everyone, choose easy, hardy crops, like squash, tomatoes, and radishes. Visit kidsgardening.org for more advice on getting started.

Bring the Animals Closer
Add parsley and bright flowers to your garden to attract caterpillars and butterflies you can watch all season. To lure wildlife straight to your window, help kids make a bird feeder out of wood (kits available at home-improvement stores) or an orange juice carton (see how at prevention.com/links). Keep binoculars handy--birdwatching is one of the country's fastest-growing hobbies.

Move the Kitchen Outside
Get the whole family outdoors by having some meals outside.

Sleep Under the Stars
Backwoods camping isn't for everyone: too many bugs, too few showers. But even a family "sleep out" in the yard counts as communing with nature; pitch a tent and switch on a portable radio or open a board game. Getting kids excited about camping early on may encourage them, as teens, to pursue wilderness programs such as Outward Bound or the Student Conservation Association; these programs enhance self-confidence, motivation, and independence, according to Yale University research.

Pave a New Path
You'll get greater health benefits exercising where it's green--even if it's only once a week. A 2003 Swedish study found that people who ran in parks felt 15% more restored than those who ran on treadmills or through city streets. And hiking or biking with the kids can be a great break from mundane weekday workouts and inspires family-wide fitness. Interaction with nature reduces de promotes healing, sparks creativity, and even increases life expectancy--upping survival odds by about 15% over 5 years in one Japanese study

I also found this article online by Elizabeth Tull. She's a Professional Excellence Coach who lives with her two children outside of Atlanta Ga.

A client of mine told me of a post recently by a woman who feels professional coaching is teaching “New Age” philosophy and that we promote thinking outside-the-box. She feels that way of thinking is not an encouraging idea to promote because it is unrealistic and a waste of time for people who want to live successfully in today’s society. I had to laugh. She posted on a 12 Step chat room! Where would she have posted if Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and Microsoft had NOT thought outside the box?

My answer to this woman is: I don’t know much about New Age but cheers, high five and AMEN for any encouragement and current day success stories that promote outside-the-box thinking! Thank you Bill Gates and Christopher Reeve to name two practical and easily recognizable outside-the-box thinkers that have lived outside the lines of “normal and reasonable thinking.” How about some older examples? Jesus Christ, Galileo, The Pilgrims, ancient Greek democracy and philosophy, early American colonists, The Beatles and most recently stem cell research which brought Americans out to the polls in record numbers this election? Talk about your catalysts!

The treasure that I have found my way back home to is personal greatness.

In my experience, living and internalizing personal greatness means not always being comfortable, reasonable and “realistic” according to today’s society. That living-in-the-minute and having real freedom, full self-expression, creativity, innovation, excitement and joy is the result of saying yes to challenges, people or my own voices that point out “it” may be hard or “it” wont be easy as well as using my outside-the-box thinking and understanding that I might feel vulnerable, uncomfortable, stretched or just plain tired at times. That’s not an extravagant price to pay for freedom and excitement in my book.

Laugh in the face of danger I say! Swim with the dolphins! Surf the pipeline!! I am not promoting unsafe measures, rush of adrenaline living or fantasy. I have had a re-awakening to a tool that I hold, live and learn by in which my highest self is captured, inspired and triggered:

Doing the unthinkable, being unreasonable and living outside the lines.

What is reasonable and unreasonable anyway? Tell Cro-Magnon man that we’ve put a man on the moon and he’s left in bewilderment speaking as if we are Gods. Share the same thing with Galileo and he wants velocities and time factors.

I took a powerful seminar a few years back called The Landmark Forum, www.landmarkeducation.com in which they defined it for me:

Being reasonable: honoring the reasons why I can’t.

As I honestly look at my life, I can recall memories or experiences from childhood up through today in which my disappointment, fear, frustration or doubt was re-invented into an awesome feeling of pride, victory and accomplishment. The times when I’d either thought or were told that I could NEVER pull “it” off. “It” was impossible, too hard, unrealistic, selfish or great for others, but not for me.

I have heard those reasons my whole life, though as a child I wasn’t listening. I was unreasonable. I was too busy discovering and inventing ways to make it work. My attitude back then was, “Watch me.” I didn’t comprehend the words: “ No… I/you can’t… It’s a waste of time… No one has ever pulled that off...That’s impossible… What will people think?”

So why is it that at 39, I am only just rediscovering that part of the power in personal greatness that is being willing and intentional in taking on hard, difficult or risky projects? Where does that undefeatable kid spirit go?

What happens to some of us as we reach numerical adulthood in which not only do we hear the “you cant's,” the “you’ll fails” and the “it’s a waste of times,” but we buy into it hook, line and sinker? That only being cooperative and socially reasonable is what makes you a successful member of society? (Successful to them maybe, but how fulfilled are you?) Could these messages come from the media, our parents, peers, society, co-workers, religion, living in our own mistakes, or this one:

“Act like an adult.”

Some, like myself, buy into the smear campaign unintentionally sent out by those looking to protect us and keep us safe and a few, perhaps, even out to keep us small.

Today, I am an adult. Today, I am fully responsible for family AND I am once again a risk-taker and visionary reaching for glorious heights and thriving from Higher Purpose Living. I am once again rolling up my sleeves and saying “So what?” or “Yes it will” to challenging or difficult opportunities.

Today, I am unrealistic and unreasonable as far as society’s definitions and my own self-imposed restrictions. Today, I love living outside the lines and thinking outside-the-box. Once again, I am an explorer.

Today, I understand that the personal heights I achieve are directly proportional to the whats, hows and whys in creating my life. The larger my goals or vision, the larger the call to action. I don’t need results or outcomes to turn out the way I envisioned them anymore--it’s all in the climb, knowing when to surrender and when to ask for support from others.

So for you reader, I wish you extraordinary challenges, glorious heights, unreasonable opportunities and life outside-the-lines.

When you hear “It might be hard,” reply with, “So? What’s your point?”

Live Gloriously,

Elizabeth Tull

Elizabeth@agapelegacycoach.com

website: www.agapelegacycoach.com

Thank You- Elizabeth!

Here's another article I thought was interesting:

http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/News_Articles/2009/galinskyresearch.aspx

12 RULES FOR LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX

1. Always be willing to think for yourself.

2. Never live your life based on the uninformed or
negative opinions of others.

3. Always be open to new ideas.

4. Associate with other people who think for themselves
and are successful in life.

5. If you find yourself "going along with the crowd,"
always ask yourself where the crowd is going.

6. Make the decision to believe in yourself, no matter what.

7. Frequently ask yourself the question, "Am I thinking
inside the box, or outside the box?

8. Be willing to take responsibility for your own choices
and your own actions.

9. Set goals and stick to them. Don't let other people
deter you or hold you back.

10. Don't be afraid to be different. Most of life's
greatest accomplishments are achieved by people who break
the mold.

11. Never be negative yourself. There is a lot of good in
yourself and in the world around you. Practice seeing the
good.

12. Enjoy your choices and enjoy what you do. Never let a
day go by without being thankful for the fact that you get
to be here in the first place.

Are you willing to do what it takes to have what you want in life?

Heading in the direction of what you want can be as simple as a short walk in the fresh air to clear your head. Listen to your intuition and see where it guides you.

Ways To Achieve Your Goals

“If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got.”

~ W.L. Bateman

Are you living the life you always hoped and dreamed it would be?
Do you feel fulfilled, excited and happy to get out of bed each morning ready to start your day?
Or are you dragging yourself through life wondering what your purpose is?
Are you bored and lacking motivation? I've always heard that only boring people get bored.
I've been a boring person lately, meaning that I haven't been striving for what brings me the most joy in life.
I've been a bit lazy with creating the life I want.
So this post is a reminder mostly for myself, that life is what we make it...nobody else is going to do it for you.
There are so many good books available right now that offer ways to create your life the way you love. One of my personal favorites is Ask And It Is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks. It has exercises that are easy to follow and they really do work. You can check it out here:

http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/askitisgiven.php

Wayne Dyer also has some good material to help guide people looking for their purpose in life.
His books The Power Of Intention and Manifest Your Destiny are filled with wonderful tips and tools to help you transform your world into what you've always wanted. You can check out his website here:

http://www.drwaynedyer.com/

I've been listening to some audio seminars online by different speakers, one which is Sandy Forster at WildyWealthy.com You'll find some helpful tips in obtaining your goals here:

http://www.wildlywealthy.com/top10prosperity.php

Sandy Forster is a International speaker, Millionaire Mindset Mentor, Bestselling Author, Award-Winning Business Owner and mother of two beautiful children. She flew to New York recently to be honored as 2008 international Mentor of the Year - an amazing achievement in itself, but even more rewarding for Sandy as just 6 years ago she was a single mom on welfare, and through discovering the Law of Attraction and following her own Mentors, she's been able to transform her life and now mentors others around the world to do the same.

The Life Coach Institute has some great goal setting and life coaching tips.

http://www.lifecoachinstitute.com/audio.html

And I really like the tips these two websites offer:

http://www.success77.com/index.html


http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html


What would you be doing if you were living the life of your dreams?
What would it take to get there, and are you willing to do what it takes to make it happen?
Check out some of the information posted here and see if it can help you decide what some of your life goals are. It's never too late, today is the first day of the rest of your life!


Today I appreciate having the desire to strive for more and the tools to achieve my goals.
I appreciate all those that share their techniques and wisdom.
I appreciate those that set an example of what is possible when applying oneself.

Persistence Pays

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

-Calvin Coolidge

Publishing my book has been quite the journey.
I never realized how much work went into getting something into print. I thought writing it was the work...was I ever naive!
There are so many steps that are required and if you want to see it completed you can't stop or put it off until later.
I've been working on publishing my short childrens book for over a year now. It's made me think about, and appreciate what kind of work goes into a novel...or a movie and even recording a song.
Getting all the images in order and designing the interior for my 42 page book has taken much more time than I ever imagined. We've been editing for months and there seems to always be one last thing! It's been fun, exciting, exhausting both mentally and physically, sitting in front of the computer editing day after day.
It's also been the most rewarding thing I've ever done.To see a dream of having a story that I love turned into a book. A book that will be around forever, for future generations to enjoy.
So today's topic is on persistence.
Persistence does pay off. If it's something you love and want badly enough, you will persist AND you will accomplish your goals and desires.
Here's some info that helped me along the way.

An audio tutorial called Healthy, Wealthy and Wise by Derrick Sweet.

http://www.healthywealthyandwise.com/index.html


Here's a short tutorial on writing successful affirmations:

http://www.attractorgenie.com/newsletter/6th.php


Some Encouraging Quotes On Persistence:

---

Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. it's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.

- Barack Obama

Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent.
-- Marilyn vos Savant

Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.
-- Brian Tracy

Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting.
-- Christopher Morley

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.
-- Dan Rather

Decide carefully, exactly what you want in life, then work like mad to make sure you get it!
-- Hector Crawford

Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.
-- Author Unknown

Effort is a commitment to seeing a task through to the end, not just until you get tired of it.
-- Howard Cate

For now you know one of the greatest principles of success; if you persist long enough you will win.
-- Og Mandino

Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there's love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.
-- Ella Fitzgerald

Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.
-- Charles F. Kettering

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
-- Confucius

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has to get down to work.
-- Pearl Buck

I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
-- Christopher Reeve

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.
-- Flavia Weedn

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.
-- Mary Pickford

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins; not through strength, but through persistence.
-- Author Unknown

Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can.
-- Author Unknown

It is by tiny steps that we ascend the stars.
-- Jack Leedstrom

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.
-- W. Somerset Maugham

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity.
-- Louis Pasteur

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
-- Thomas Edison

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
-- Dale Carnegie

Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.
-- Author Unknown

Never give up on what you love because some one makes fun of you. Never quit or give up. You will make it through.
-- Jessie Zaylo

Never, never, never, never give up.
-- Winston Churchill

No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.
-- Agnes De Mille

Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
-- John Heywood

One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.
-- Col. Harland Sanders

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
-- John Quincy Adams

Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.
-- Julie Andrews

That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

The human will, that force unseen, The offspring of a deathless soul,Can hew a wall to any goal, Through walls of granite intervene.
-- James Allen

The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.
-- Napoleon Hill

The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the top.
-- Dr. Joyce Brothers

We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are.
-- Tobias Wolff

We can do anything we want as long as we stick to it long enough.
-- Helen Keller

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'
-- Author Unknown

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.
-- Author Unknown

When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.
-- Author Unknown

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
-- Harriet Beecher Stowe

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

You have to keep plugging away. We are all growing. There is no shortcut. You have to put time into it to build an audience.
-- John Gruber

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.
-- Isaac Asimov

You will never stub your toe standing still. The faster you go, the more chances there is of stubbing your toe, but the more chance you have of getting somewhere.
-- Charles F. Kettering

You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.
-- Marian Wright Edelman

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance.
- Lee Iacocca

Today I appreciate the life I have.

I appreciate the freedom to do as I choose.

I appreciate the time I have to write and accomplish my desires and live my dreams!