Around the Web October 2011

Around the Web October 2011

Ah ha! I found the couple of missing posts from the database debacle . . .

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Some cool articles from the Around the Web that I’ve read recently . . .

So, that’s all for Around the Web this time. I’ll be back soon!

Oh – and a brand new installment of the Badass Trailblazer Newsletter is coming out tomorrow so sign up now if you haven’t already. Just put your name and email in the box on the right.

Until next time . . . keep blazin’!

Kelly Clarkson – Dark Side video

Kelly Clarkson – Dark Side video

One of the posts that got eaten when I lost my database over the weekend was about Kelly Clarkson’s new album that just came out earlier this month. (And yes, I did pre-order it!) This song – Dark Side – is one of my favorites from the new album. The video below was taken from Kelly’s recent VH1 Unplugged set.

Until next time . . . keep blazin’!

Wishing you success, love + fire in your belly

Dear Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature

Last night, the weather forecast included possible snow showers this Friday. Now, I don’t know about you, but I *hate* snow. Oh, sure, it’s pretty and all that. But it’s too damn cold for me! It really makes the tendonitis and bursitis in my arm and shoulder act up which causes A LOT of pain. I often end up staying indoors wrapped in blankets and wearing gloves. Really kinda not a fun way to spend winter.

And what is with the winter weather in Seattle, anyway? I mean, we don’t often see much snow in this area but for the past 3-4 years, we’ve had several inches of snow a few times throughout the season. Definitely a rarity. But WHY does it have to be THAT much? For days on end?

In 2008, we had 15 inches. That stuck around for more than a week. That’s a REALLY long time for the Seattle area and we’re not prepared for that kind of weather. Normally, we will get an inch or two that lasts for 24-48 hours and then it’s gone. I can handle that. But this other stuff? That’s for places like Montana and North Dakota and Minnesota. NOT HERE!

Ok?

Thanks!

—————-
Until next time . . . keep blazin’!

Wishing you success, love + fire in your belly . . .

So, I f*cked up

So, I f*cked up

Over the weekend, I accidentally deleted the WordPress database for this blog while I was doing server maintenance. OOPS! So, I lost a couple of the most recent posts because for some weird reason, the database backup plugin wasn’t working which meant the last backup I had access to was from late October.

Anyway, all is well now. ;-) I think. If you notice anything funky on the site, please email me so I can fix it as soon as possible.

Also, if you’re reading this in your reader or email, you might want to just hop on over to the site because I made some changes. I hope you like it! Chances are, I’ll make a few more tweaks in the coming days but this is it for now.

I’ll be back soon with more.

Until next time . . . keep blazin’!

Wishing you success, love + fire in your belly . . .

Resistance is futile

Resistance is futile

Sometimes when life tries to kick us in the ass and get us moving in the right direction, we ignore it. Instead of heeding that call, we put our blinders on and cover our ears hoping to shut it out.

But the Universe is a stubborn leader and it will continue to nudge us in the right direction until we get the message.

Sometimes the Universe will shout so loudly to get your attention that it seems the entire world stops to listen. Everybody but you, that is. ;-)

Here’s the thing -

Your resistance is futile.

It’s futile because the Universe will keep bashing you over the head until you wake up. And because you have a purpose on this planet. When you allow the Universe to guide you to that purpose and along that path, your life will begin to flow with ease.

Now, that’s not to say there won’t be some obstacles now and then – there will be. Sometimes those obstacles will be other people – the naysayers – and sometimes those obstacles will truly be beyond your control.

Listen closely because this important -

Most of the time, regardless of what you may think, YOU are the obstacle.

Your ingrained thoughts and beliefs will be limiting exactly what you can do. At times, you may not even realize it. These beliefs might be so natural feeling to you that you dismiss them as unimportant or “just the way things are.”

Well, you know what?

That’s bullshit.

The truth is – nothing is “just the way things are” – you have the power to change them. You must have absolute faith to change them. A faith so strong, the Universe has no other option but to deliver it to you. An unwavering faith so absolute that you can move mountains.

How do you do that?

Ignore those little voices in your head that say it’s impossible. The ones that say you can’t, that try to interfere with your faith. Just ignore them. Tell them to shut up and go the hell away.

Let me tell you something else -

Don’t put a price tag on it. Don’t expect it to come to you a certain way. The problem is that we get so attached to the how we forget to listen to the quiet whispers that guide us in the right direction.

We might want something so badly, we start putting all kinds of expectations (also known as limitations) on it. We refuse to acknowledge a certain path because it’s too plain, too simple or too ordinary. We think there is NO WAY we can survive living a cozy farmhouse on the edge of town. We think we have to have the biggest, grandest, newest house money can buy.

Because sometimes what we want isn’t really the thing we think we want. What we really want is the end result. What we really want is the security, the familiarity, the idea of the thing. What we forget is that everything starts with a dream. And it’s the dream we are after.

Until next time . . . keep blazin’!

Wishing you success, love + fire in your belly

Clearing the past

Clearing the past

Clearing the Past

As a life coach, I often speak with people who linger in the past. They let their past rule their present and dictate their future. And because of this fear of letting the past go, they feel as though they never move forward. They feel stuck. Lost. Abandoned. Forgotten. Unfulfilled. They often feel as though they’re running around in circles. They’re stressed out, exhausted and irritable.

Does this sound like you? If so, this article will give you tools to clear your past, learn to forgive others and more importantly, learn to forgive yourself.

First, let’s identify a couple of things:

  • What is fear?
  • Where is it coming from?

Fear can be many things. Though it’s often identified as something else – not having enough money, not having enough time, being too fat, too old, too young or any number of things. But these feelings of inadequacy are just a cover-up for the underlying problem – fear.

So what is fear? According to the American Heritage Dictionary, fear is defined as:

NOUN: 1a. A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. b. A state or condition marked by this feeling: living in fear. 2. A feeling of disquiet or apprehension: a fear of looking foolish. 3. Extreme reverence or awe, as toward a supreme power. 4. A reason for dread or apprehension: Being alone is my greatest fear.

For the purpose of our discussion, let’s use 1 and 2. This definition tells us that fear, then, is an anxiety caused by danger or a state marked by this feeling. When we fear something, we’re feeling as though we’re in danger, that something is going to hurt us. It could be physical pain, emotional pain, or even psychological pain.

Many times this fear is psychological – it’s something we perceive might happen to us as a result of not having enough money, not enough time, being too fat, and all those things we mentioned earlier. Psychological or perceived fear is usually the culprit behind lingering in the past and those feelings of inadequacy that we talked about in the beginning of this article.

Now that we know what fear is, let’s explore where it’s likely coming from.

Often, fear is a result of negative or limited thinking. These thoughts, or beliefs as most experts usually call them, are ideas that you’ve learned from those around since you were very young. They are passed to you from your grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, teachers, siblings, friends, and any other person who has had influence in your life. These people are often called your circle or sphere of influence and they likely did not intend to create limiting beliefs in you – they’re simply doing and saying what they know, just as you are now.

It is possible to get passed the fear and in doing so, you’ll find that those other feelings simply fall away.

The first step to getting beyond the fear is to acknowledge it. Realize it does exist. Accept that it is there. You don’t have to accept the fear itself – just accept the fact that it is there.

Some experts will tell you to analyze the fear and try to discover the limiting beliefs that are holding you back and causing that fear. However, I have found it isn’t always necessary. If you feel it would be helpful for you though, go ahead and do it. I prefer to simply acknowledge those thoughts as they come up for me, giving them neither credence nor value nor second thought. I find that if I linger on them and try to analyze them, they continue to hang around because I’ve given them merit by analyzing them. So for me – and for many of my clients – just acknowledging the fact that those thoughts are there is enough.

The second step is acknowledging those in your past whom you feel have hurt you in some way. Include people who are still in your life as well as those who aren’t. Include people you care about and love as well as those you may dislike. Include family, friends, co-workers, employers, teachers, and anybody else. Even that guy who cut you off on the freeway last week. Acknowledge that they’ve hurt you.

Once you have done that, you’re now ready to move on to step three.

You will need a few pieces of paper and something to write with. There is no perfect length here, so just write as much or as little as you feel inclined to. It could be half a page or 20 pages. Write on both sides or only one side. It doesn’t matter. It simply matters that you write.

Now write everything you’ve acknowledged in the first and second steps. Don’t think in depth about it, again, unless you feel like doing so – just write it all down. Write until you can write no more. Write quickly, write slow. But write. Write everything behind the fear, everything behind the hurt, everything that you feel is holding you back or no longer serves who you are or where you’re going. Take as much time as you need and then move on to step four.

Are you ready for step four, then? Great!

Next, we’re going to write a couple more things. This time though, we’re going to turn it around and re frame all those thoughts. We’re going to open our hearts to forgiveness. This is a big step so if you’re not sure you’re really ready, wait a little while. If you can’t find it within your heart to forgive your past, it will be difficult to continue and reap the benefits of truly letting go.

If you’re ready to forgive, it’s time to write it down. Write down that you willingly and completely forgive every limiting belief, every angry thought, every ounce of jealousy, and discontent. Write down that you forgive those who have wronged you. And again, most importantly, write down that you truly forgive yourself.

Just as in the previous exercise, don’t think too in depth about it just write it all down until you can write no more, taking as much time and paper as you need to do so. Some people find it is helpful to write as though they were writing letters to each person or each fear, especially when they get the point of writing about themselves.

Move on to step five when you’re finished.

Finished? Ok then . . . on to step five.

Gather your paper or papers, a metal bucket (or something fireproof) and a match or lighter. You can go somewhere special to you such as the beach or the woods or wherever if you’d like but it’s not required. Just be sure you won’t disturb anyone else and that you are safe.

Take one sheet of paper at a time, starting with those from step three, and light it. Reflect for a moment and feel those limitations leaving you. Imagine the fire is taking those things out of you, turning them into smoke and then push them as far away from you as possible, somewhere out into the universe so far away you can’t see them anymore. Let the paper drop into the container and continue this exercise until you’ve burned each one.

Now, take the letters you wrote in step four and do the same. Only this time as the you’re pushing the smoke away from you, say in your mind or even out loud if you’re alone and feel like it, that you forgive whomever or whatever is written there. Feel the forgiveness enveloping you and them.

When you have completed step five, return and complete step six.

Great, you’re back! I hope at this point you are feeling better about yourself. Some people notice a difference right away and others don’t. It’s important not to get discouraged if you still feel like the same old you. It’s okay.

At this point, you’ve likely had some aha moments. You’ve gotten in touch with things you had no idea were causing problems for you. And you may be beginning to feel the spark of hope. I’m excited for you! You are a powerful being!

This next step is really just about feeling that hope, that excitement of what the future holds. Released from the chains of fear and limiting beliefs is a liberating feeling. You may feel an inner peace and you may still feel some fear but it’s a different fear – it’s a feeling that knows you’ll get beyond the fear when it rises again.

So step six is two-fold. The first half is reveling in the new feelings of peace and joy that you’re experiencing now. And the second half is creating some new beliefs, setting some goals and learning that whatever happens is for your benefit.

You were created as a unique individual. And it’s ok to be afraid – but realize that allowing the fear to stop you is where the problem lies. Instead of letting the fear grip you and control you and keep you in a little box, use it as a catalyst to change, to do great things, to be yourself.

Fear wasn’t meant to hold you back, it was meant to propel you forward.

Your focus needs more focus

Your focus needs more focus

This week has just flown by! Seems just yesterday was Sunday evening and now today, it’s the beginning of a new week. And here I am with all these thoughts and ideas flying around crashing into each other in my brain, just waiting to get out.

Apparently, my focus needs more focus!

(That’s a reference to the remake of the 80′s classic The Karate Kid which stars Jackie Chan and WIll Smith’s son, Jaiden Smith. Very good movie – and I don’t usually like remakes much.)

Anyway, this week has been bursting with so much stuff that even though I’ve gotten a lot accomplished, there are still so many things that need doing and so I’m feeling a bit scattered.

But the biggest accomplishment was formatting my eBook and getting it setup to sell on Kindle. It is live on Amazon’s website so won’t you head over and buy a copy? It’s only $3.99. ;-)

Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow

Of course, if you subscribe to the newsletter, you can get it FREE. But you know, if you really don’t want to subscribe or you just want to have another copy specifically formatted for your Kindle, well, that’s cool too and I’d be thrilled if you’d purchase a copy. (And yes, that’s an affiliate link, in case you’re wondering.)

And you know what? Two awesome people have already purchased the book for Kindle! A blogger friend of mine who is running a challenge on his website right now (that I’m happy to be a part of) bought one and one of the other challengers bought one. I am so grateful and so thrilled!

Next up on my never-ending task list is another eBook (which is actually an excerpt from a larger work I’m writing) about the Law of Attraction. This eBook will be free to newsletter subscribers and I think I may list it on Amazon for free as well or maybe just .99¢. Not sure yet. It’s a very short eBook so I don’t want to charge too much.

Plus, I have about 12 other book ideas swirling around in my head and it’s rather crowded in there! LOL So, I’m trying to be a writing fiend and see if I can whip out the majority of them before the end of the year.

And lastly, I’m offering a VERY special, rock bottom price on WordPress website design right now over on my design site. If you’re at all interested in working with me to design your website, NOW is a great time to get that off the ground. Just head over to asaMedia Labs and purchase your special deal. It’s $299 for a very limited time. I’m anticipating only being able to handle about 10 at this price and I expect them to go quick. I’ve made it really easy for you to buy it right from the page with a Google Checkout button. Just like PayPal, only better. ;-)

So, with that, I’m off to write some more and will check in with you again soon.

Until then, as always . . . keep blazin’!

Wishing you success, love + fire in your belly!

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