Nike’s most famous quote. Sounds so easy. Just Do It. But up til now, not so easy for me in building my business. Too many head stories that kept me in inaction.

This past week was one of a lot of self reflection and contemplation of the realization that NOW is the time to take 100% action towards my desire.

Haanels Master Key System part 13-22 states:

In the first place, we must put our knowledge into practice. Nothing can be accomplished in any other way. The athlete may read books and lessons on physical training all his life, but unless he begins to give out strength by actual work he will never receive any strength; he will eventually get exactly what he gives; but he will have to give it first.

So there it is. I must reset my focus to doing. Taking action. Getting it done. Doing the work. Doing what it takes.

Now I’m ok with it. With taking action. I’m not sure why it took me a couple of years to get to this point… maybe confidence. Maybe I wasn’t ready to fully commit. Not sure… but I do know I am ready to do the work… take action, and move forward in my business.

 

 

Who is this person? I once knew how she would respond to frustration… with anger. Or how she would procrastinate and let life pile up. I remember how unfocused she was in her search and chase for the new shiney idea or project.

Today I know a very focused person. I see someone with absolute clarity of what she wants and taking steps to making it happen.

She is happy, joking, and not having the need to be a control freak.

She finds the higher good in all that happens.

She is forgiving.

She loves herself and others.

She has patience.

She has her spark for life once again.

And I’m so glad it’s ME.

Thankyou MKMMA!

This is my weekend of servant leadership as I crew our team retreat in Lake Las Vegas. We have early mornings and late evenings… and being on crew means we are there in the room an hour before the participants, and when the participants call it a night, we go off to prepare the items for the next day. Our objective… to fully support the participants and speakers so they have an amazing event.

The topic… leadership. But it’s not just about our businesses… it is really about the relationship we have with others and especially with ourselves.

So I brought all my readings and notecards, and am making the time to stay present with my promises to MKMMA.

Everywhere I see examples of the 7 Laws. I am becoming more and more aware of the Law Of Attraction. I am especially seeing this in interaction between participants at our retreat… subtle nuances like the outgoing and vocal people hang out and choose partners that are of like personality. Same with the timid and more quiet ones… they hang together.

A topic that was discussed at great length was how our beliefs from childhood affects our adult performance.

The speaker made a simple statement that seemed to be almost dismissed but hit me square between my eyes.

Eagles don’t fly, they just DO.

I really thought about that simple statement for quite a while. I rolled around in my mind all the excuses I seem to have in my mind that make total sense to me as to why I don’t go out and DO what it takes to make my business grow the way I want it to. All the beliefs, fears, and insecurities… all the thought power expended in trying to figure it out and “heal” the mind game. All to no avail.

What if I simply just DO instead of THINK.

After all, I really want to be the eagle and fly…..

I love Scroll 3.

Just as I was feeling frustrated last week…. I remember that my thoughts are everything.

Then, Scroll 3.

I will persist until I succeed.

That’s all I needed. Thankyou Og Mandino.

 

Last week Haanel’s sit exercise had us visualizing starting at an end result and working backwards to its’ inception. I found this to be easy and then applied it to my goal and had a relatively easy time with it.

This week’s sit is reversing the process and starting at the beginning and visualizing to completion. He has us start with our favorite flower…. to take its seed and plant it. Care for it and see the roots growing, a new stem emerging, and eventually blossoming into a flower.

Again, I tried applying it to my goal. In this direction, I found it to be much more difficult to visualize. I would get stuck at the same point every time. Coincidentally (or maybe not), it is the point at which I get stuck in real life.

The more “sits” I would do in applying Haanel’s exercise to my goal, the more frustrated I became…. and realized that I am actually training my subconscious backwards to resist this point. It even caused me at times to question my decision of working a network marketing business. Doubt has reared its ugly head and in moments of clarity I see that this spot I get to and resist is really my big nut to crack to be able to move forward TO my goal.

I must keep my clarity and remain open to the process and possibly get feedback from someone who is already past that point to help me see what I am not yet seeing.

I will keep my promises to do the work and continue forward as I am driven to break through this!

Visualization, imagination, future self, goals, mindest, self talk, and all the buzz words of the self help industry have been a standard in my life for the past 16 years.

In 2000 I attended my first of many Anthony Robbins seminars which opened the proverbial rabbit hole of personal development for me. Then came neurolinguistic programming and the law of attraction with Esther Hicks. With each era many new learnings took me that much farther down the hole into understanding who I am and how I create my experiences.

This past week though, I had a very big ah-ha that through all my past learnings, I never realized.

If I do not see my future self as me…. I cannot imagine my accomplishment of a goal.

Let me give a bit of background around this thought.

In 7-10 of Master Keys, Haanel goes on telling the story of Nikola Tesla and his method of visualizing his inventions before attempting to work them out.

Having first built up the idea in his imagination, he holds it there as a mental picture, to be reconstructed and improved by his thought. ‘In this way’, he writes in the Electrical Experimenter. ‘I am enabled to rapidly develop and perfect a conception without touching anything. When I have gone so far as to embody in the invention every possible improvement I can think of, and see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete, the product of my brain. Invariably my device works as I conceived it should; in twenty years there has not been a single exception’

Understanding the huge influence Tesla has had on our understanding of the law of vibration and electricity, I took this paragraph as being very instrumental in being dedicated to visualization of MY inventions… my goals. And realizing just how PRECISE I need to be in all aspects of what I want to accomplish.

So I set off last week with a great week of visualization and getting even clearer on my desired goals.

In comes week 8 and the discussion of our future selves. Mark spoke to the awareness that we need to see our future self as our friend not as a faceless stranger…. after all are we more likely to go out of our way and help a good friend or stranger?

This is where my thoughts begin to take a sharp turn on overload.

In 8-11 of the Master Keys Haanel states that “imagination is the constructive form of thought which MUST precede every constructive form of action”.

Now, I REALLY want to achieve my goals I claimed at the beginning of this mastermind…. No…. I MUST achieve them. For I have lived way too many years of my life doing things for other people that did not interest me or excite me. I refuse to die without living the life I know I am meant to experience.

When I read 8-15, I knew this was a key learning:

Constructive imagination means mental labor, by some considered to be the hardest kind of labor, but, if so, it yields the greatest returns, for all the great things in life have come to men and women who had the capacity to think, to imagine, and to make their dreams come true.

In my usual visualization of my goals on Monday and Tuesday, I realized that I was having a very difficult time mentally seeing my future self in my visualizations. If at all, it was represented as a shadowy figure with no descriptive features that would even suggest that it might be me.

Then on Wednesday, right after I did the “sit” exercise of mentally visualizing an object and imagining the creation of it backwards in time…. going from a battleship to the raw metal in the foundries being forged into the ship, to the architect designing the ship, to the discovery of how large objects float in water…. etc, I did this with my goal.

I figured if I can do this with an object, why not with my goal and maybe receive some insight into what else I may need to think of or do to accomplish it.

So as I sat and visualized my goal… working on getting even that much more clear on details… I started at the endpoint… The actual accomplishment. Then I worked my way backwards to present day…. visualizing what I knew already that I would need to do along the way, and using my imagination to fill in the gaps…. I came to present day.

IT THEN HIT ME.

As I visualized my already accomplished goal… I saw myself as I was a year ago. Pre cancer, pre chemo. I was 20# lighter (yay) and had long beautiful brown hair (double yay).

BUT…. THAT IS NOT WHO I AM TODAY. That past person is basically a stranger to me. Someone I once knew but am very different from today.

It took me YEARS to grow my hair that long.

It took me months to put on weight.

It took weeks for me to lose my hair.

I don’t want to wait years subconsciously because my hair might need to grow long again before I accomplish my goal.

I don’t want to “try to lose weight” before allowing my goal to come into being.

I need to see my future self as me as I am. The me I know now.

Maybe this is what is referred to as time traveling…. I have had many cool conversations in my head about this awareness this week…. and somehow trying to explain the profound awareness of all of this has fallen flat and seems woo-woo and out there. Yet I KNOW this is very important for me. To be able to see ME in accomplishment of my goal and not some fuzzy dark nondescrip image achieving my goal.

I feel a lot like the video posted this week! I laughed so hard as I watched it for the 2nd and 3rd time! And wished I could be a fly on my own wall to watch myself go through all the readings and sit this week.

This week feels like the week of pulling it all together for me. Finally alot of the exercises are just making sense. Not sure what the magic moment was, but definitely understand now what Mark means by all this being cumulative.

Actually I’m also feeling quite peaceful and patient. And as the week goes on, it is much easier to stay in the flow of positivity. My family has joined me on the mental diet and we are seeing some amazing results from this combined effort.

Feeling like this is a short blog post as I still am assimilating all the cool feelings and new awarenesses of the week.

Peace out!

This past week has been an eye opening week for me. I think it is pretty safe to say that most everyone agrees that multitasking is not as productive as it seems to be.

All my adult life as long as I remember I have multitasked everything all the time. I figured it was my Aries nature. Always in a hurry with too much to do, what other option is there than to do 1-2-3 things at a time?

The topic came up at our tribe call before our weekly webinar last Sunday and I committed to go the week without multitasking and report back to my mentor as to how it went.

It didn’t. Yet I was very aware of when I was doing it and the results were less than preferred. I discovered that although I felt that I was accomplishing more while multitasking… It actually took me longer to complete tasks. I also realized that I was irritable and easily distracted during those times.

And when I made the effort to be singly focused on one task at a time…. I got it done quicker with less stress and irritability.

During the reading this week of Part 6 in the Master Key System by Haanel I resonated with these sections:

19. Attention or concentration is probably the most important essential in the development of mind culture. The possibilities of attention when properly directed are so startling that they would hardly appear credible to the uninitiated. The cultivation of attention is the distinguishing characteristic of every successful man or woman, and is the very highest personal accomplishment which can be acquired.

So then I realized that I spent my entire adult life multitasking everything… To the great dismay of not specializing or accomplishing anything great in any one area. I always had lots of projects, interests, even jobs. Always busy… But not really moving forward greatly in any one area of my life. At least not like how I wished.

21. So with the power of thought; let power be dissipated by scattering the thought from one object to another, and no result is apparent; but focus this power through attention or concentration on any single purpose for any length of time and nothing becomes impossible.

By dissipating my focus onto many things at one time I actually was sending the success cycle into reverse…. It is no wonder that I did not accomplish e great things I wanted to accomplish… I truly believed to be successful was to be busy busy busy with multiple things and projects at the same time!

Now I see the error of my belief! To be focused on one task… One project… One thing at a time actually gives the time spent on it more energy to move it forward.

I am now committing to be singly focused and present when I do a task. Whether it is housework, cleaning, work, or hobby… Even spending time with my family and husband… To be completely present and focused…. Not only will I have better results… My family and husband will appreciate my undivided attention I know!

 

 

Oh yes… I have been one of those people for LOTS of years of my life. I get all excited towards November of each year with the hopes and dreams of all the goals and changes I want to accomplish in the new year. With November 1st being less than a week away, I already feel the excitement of getting out the old magazines and glue sticks… and to put a day on the calendar to redo my vision board and swear to myself that THIS TIME, THIS NEXT YEAR will be the year of profound change to the life I truly desire.

Yep. How’s that working for ya Wendy?

In reality… it’s worked ok. Kinda lukewarm. But still I get some results. But not the PROFOUND results I secretly hope for.

I stumbled upon a thought last night. I’m sure I have had it many times before, yet it registered in my awareness differently this time.

I was reading my nightly reading of The Greatest Salesman In The World by Og Mandino… Scroll One:

Today I begin a new life.

And I make a solemn oath to myself that nothing will retard my new life’s growth. I will lose not a day from these readings for that day cannot be retrieved nor can I substitute another for it. I must not, I will not, break this habit of daily reading from these scrolls and, in truth, the few moments spent each day on this new habit are but a small price to pay for the happiness and success that will be mine.

What I was struck with was the realization that I had formed the habit of depending on tomorrow. Putting things off until…. it was comfortable to do, or I knew “how to do it”, or until I felt like it.

It didn’t make sense. I SAID I wanted it. Really desired it. So much so that I made a super sized vision board encompassing everything I wanted to be, do, and have. I looked at it daily. Matter of fact for the 8 months I went through cancer treatments this year, I would spend most of my time laying in bed so tired from chemo and radiation…. and when I didn’t sleep I focused on these boards.

But last night these words that Og Mandino stirred my innards differently. I can’t put off and wait till tomorrow anymore. I was given a gift of new life this year. I am still alive but with no promise that tomorrow comes. And isn’t it really true for everyone no matter what their health condition is like?

This missing piece from my vision boards was the sense of urgency. The “I really get it now” sudden moment of realization. What the heck I was waiting for all those years?

Doesn’t matter. I am now committed to stepping up my game. Like last week.. 100% but now the urgency has kicked in and it has kicked the game up.

 

 

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In our weekly online class last Sunday, Mark made a statement that was a pivotal moment of realization for me.

He was telling us about his discovery in a moment of time during his life where he realized that he did not give 100% effort to the things he did. It was 70-80%

Just this one thought has stuck through me all week. Am I giving my 100%?

He said that this week would be a determining week for a lot of us in the class. Many of us would decide that giving 100% would be too hard and time consuming… thereby making a decision to let go of attending the class.

Mark also said that some of us would realize that we needed to up the ante and decide to play full out and give our 100% to stay in the class and even make more effort to our weekly readings and homework.

I went through this week with a continuous conscious thought in everything I was doing… “am I doing this (thing) with 100% of my effort?”

Many times it was a “no” followed with a surge or renewed desire to do better… and doing it. Sometimes it was the realization that I was not motivated to do something at 100% and wondering why the motivation was not present to do better.

I think the real gift in the exercise of this week for me was the conscious awareness of my effort vs lack of effort in all I did. Surprisingly, I found that there were many things I did not give my 100% and for no apparent reason.

In Haanel’s book “The Master Key System” part 4-9 reads:

If you cannot do these things it is because you have thus far not made the necessary effort. Now is the time to make the effort. The result will be exactly in proportion to the effort expended. One of the strongest affirmations which you can use for the purpose of strengthening the will and realizing your power to accomplish, is, “I can be what I will to be”.

I really want to change my life to the one I dream of living. I have wanted and tried for this change for alot of years. Time to stop trying and start doing 100%

It must have been 4th grade…. or maybe 5th. You know that age where kids still listen to their parents and teachers with absolute respect and fear? And do as they are told?

I remember sitting next to my mom in the classroom with my teacher. It was early evening hours and it was parent teacher conference time. Somebody thought it was a good idea to have the young student present at the meeting to sit as if invisible while 2 of the most respected people talk about them.

Somehow my dad was absent from this meeting… it was clearly my mom’s job to make sure I was a good student and following all the rules. Deep down inside I was secretly grateful he wasn’t there… he was the Enforcer of Discipline.

I hated school by that point. Too much sitting… not enough coloring and art… and I didn’t have the social skills to make friends. I’d rather be out playing or making art.

My memory of that meeting is very blurry but the words are burned into my psyche that to this day hurt… “Doesn’t apply herself”… “Doesn’t follow through”… “Doesn’t work to her potential”… “Never finishes anything”… “Could be better at making friends”.

Who’s idea was it that it would be a good idea for the student to be present for this?

So this week… working on my homework for my mastermind requirements I notice some very familiar patterns rearing their ugly heads.

Like- not following through on the required reading every day, not pushing myself to do the work like I say I want to, not finishing the requirements until the Very. Last. Moment.

But what really sealed the deal… icing on the cake… nail in the coffin… was when Mark confessed on the webinar that at one point he realized that he was defiant… NOT doing something just because. Needing to be different.

And I realized THAT’S ME TOO. DON’T MAKE ME FOLLOW ANY RULES.

In my quest to be me, somehow I linked the need to be defiant with being different. In my quest to stand out… to be SOMEBODY… important… unique… I needed to be defiant.

And here I am… near retirement age, and still wondering when I get to live my life. When do I get to be ME and be successful. And just now realizing that to learn from successful people means I need to follow what they did… what they think… instead of my old blueprint that was given to me by a (probably well meaning) teacher.

Wow… the impact of words. The importance of choosing words to empower. The grace of choosing words of encouragement. Especially when talking to yourself.

I’ve been a personal development junkie ever since my first Tony Robbins seminar in 2000. That opened the rabbit hole and I willingly jumped in with both feet and never looked back.

Just when you think you’ve hit a level of growth in understanding yourself, life, relationships, there is a new level found. And for the true junkie… this is like shooting personal development mainline into the brain.

So naturally when I started Mark Januszewski’s Go 90 Grow Program earlier this spring and heard about the Mastermind program…. it was a no brainer…. Yay! I get another hit of my drug of choice.

Got my app in on time. Bought all the materials requested. Set up my blog, and social media links as required. OOOOHHHHH SO EXCITED!

I have been in the same industry of photography for 35 years… seen alot of changes in it. Some great, some not so great. All in all…. My husband and I (we are business partners) realized this year that we are just tired and ready for a change in profession. Something we can make more money that what we have been in the last 10 years…. and something that we really really enjoy. Mind you not that we don’t enjoy the photography…. just ready for that new change.

We decided on a network marketing company because we really believe in the business model. After being in a traditional business for 35 years… with rent for a storefront, 7 employees, and overhead large enough to kill a small horse, we are ready to do away with all that. No more inventory. No more employees.

So…. seems like change comes in waves. And when it comes, it comes big. No sooner did we make our decision to build our network marketing company, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Another change to deal with. This was back in March of this year, and at the time, the prognosis was maybe 80% with a long road of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.

This setback caused us (me specifically) to come to a halt in building the business. I became very sick with the chemo. I was unable to focus and spent most of my days in bed sleeping.

I needed to let go of the urgency and desire to build my business fast. I needed to give my body the time and love to heal. I let go of attending the Go 90 Grow webinars and homework as I couldn’t keep up with it all. But it was one of the best choices as again, this gave me a huge personal development learning. It allowed me to become more accepting of myself. More gentle and tolerant. More loving and accepting of others. HUGE.

August 19, 2016 I had surgery. I was pronounced 100% in remission! NO CANCER!

I learned the power of my thoughts through this journey…. I had a mantra I said all the time through chemotherapy…. and in the shower every morning… and whenever else during the day it struck me…

“I am so happy and grateful in how quickly my body heals all on its own.”

I BELIEVE this is why I am cancer free….. healthy.

So… back to Master Keys Masterminding…. when I got the email announcement saying that applications were being taken for the fall group… I KNEW it was the right thing and the right timing to do.

I intend to have this experience help me with the push back into my business building and to also help me to release the extra weight that I accumulated during my journey with cancer.

My excitement can hardly be contained and am so happy to have a new focus on my next journey in life of building my business, learning how to build a team, and also to give back to my fellow classmates where I can. 35 years of being a successful business owner, happily married…. I’m sure I have experience that will benefit some others in our group.

YAY! So happy to be a part of this new, next journey! Thank you Mark and the Fabulous Davene and Team!