Neale Donald Walsh in his book, The Storm Before the Calm states, “Humanity appears to be stuck….one conversation from paradise. Imagine, a single conversation that could change everything. The seeds of great ideas are often generated from the most mundane conversations with the right people. ”

Not too long ago I had a little a-ha about this myself…

I’m a pretty positive person but I discovered that I was unconsciously having conversations that were draining my life force.

As good of a coach as I am I found myself “buying in” to beliefs about what was possible simply because it was the dominate conversations around me.

I started playing to the “common denominator” instead of focusing on what I do best. I found myself creating new programs at ridiculously low prices vs. staying the course. Not that any of what I created wasn’t powerful and necessary – but it was a deviation from my real genius!

If you find yourself in one of these conversations it might look like:

• Having a series  of failed enrollment conversations with prospects – and believing that what you are charging is too high
• Getting into let’s-help-others-turned-gossip conversations about “who is over-charging, not delivering, taking advantage of others, or not in integrity”
• Only spending time/talking with peers and friends who “think like you” (aka allow you to wallow in your crap)
• Hearing rumblings from your peers of how sales are down, people aren’t buying and they are rapidly running out of cash you start to panic and hoard money
• Watching a news program about one of the many world issues then spending hours proliferating THEIR opinions on Facebook, Twitter and your blog posts.

Inevitably, by being in these kind of seductive conversations you STOP believing in yourself, your dream and the direction you are headed. Influence by the negativity you find yourself focused on problems, challenges and fears. This is a dangerous and ineffective place to make decisions about the future of your business my friend.

A couple of month’s back I attended an event where I spent some quality time with some of my colleagues that I had not seen in a while…and something shifted.

The conversations were different with them.

Instead of feeling drained and discouraged I was inspired and my mind shifted gears. I had a profound epiphany – by buying into the “downslide” I was selling out on my real genius. The predominant conversations I had been having were seductive – good people with real problems with a limited ability to see the truth in the midst of uncertainty.

Listen, lots of people are making LOTS of money right now. There are thought leaders doing great work all over the world. If you are not having the experience you deeply desire then it’s time for you to engage in better conversations!

If you find yourself in a seductive down-slide conversation, you MUST take control and like changing the dial on a radio station to something you like better, change the “conver-station” quickly!

1. Take 100% responsibility for co-creating high energy frequency, positive, life-affirming conversations. Be willing to start and continue powerful conversations designed to inspire others to their greatness…not their fears.
2. Invest in and spend time at events that attract people who don’t just SAY they are about change but LIVE as a positive conversation starter in the world.
3. Steer clear of gossip disguised as “spreading the word.” You can easily shift gears by saying, “I appreciate your opinion and I think we would get better results by focusing on what we DO want to create in our lives.”
4. Get active in communities that are designed to co-create new possibilities (like New Era Success and the soon to be announced Global New Era Leaders Association.)

So which conversations do you need to stop having…and how will you actively seek out more powerful conversations that uplift and inspire you to your greatness? Let’s share some ideas in the comments below.

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Here’s another great conversation to get involved in….and its free! Marcia Wieder, Barbara Stanny, Cynthia Kersey, Drew Gerber, Robin Fisher Roffer, Arielle Ford, Adam Urbanski, Elyse Hope Killoran, Lissa Boles, Liora Mendeollf, Wendy Yellen and myself all sharing insights, resources and strategy to do what you love and profit in your business. Join us now at Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit.

(Discover more great resources to profitably thrive with your calling during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

I’m a huge fan of a kooky comic strip called Sacred Cows.  The first time I ran across it, I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.

I love it because it blends an undervalued form of pop-art with a unique (& relationship-building) business offering with cultural/spiritual whistle-blowing to wake up (and chill out) those of us whose mind and hearts aren’t free enough to see where and how we’re locked into a way of thinking that we can’t move past.

Never mind dream, innovate or lead ‘a way’ from…

I love it because it’s whimsically audacious.

I love it because its crafty irony snuck right up on me, which made it all the more startlingly funny and powerfully effective in delivering its message.

I love it because it’s a great example of a cool product with heart, purpose and profit potential up the wazoo (think free-trade organic hemp t-shirts, screen savers, apps), as well as a great reminder (I’m a BIG fan of leveraged purposing).

The truth is that when you’re committed to being a thought leader who’s on a mission to serve in ways people have never been served before, creating value where none’s been seen to exist before – all while building a business like nobody’s business (restoring the soul of business along the way)…

You must be free.

• To be audaciously bold.
• To be craftily and creatively daring.
• To do (or be) the fresh and unexpected.
• To trust our senses and follow where and what they point to.
• To mash-up stuff that doesn’t seem (at first glance) to go together.
• To stand for what you alone are meant to stand for, in the way only you can stand for it.

Free to think, speak, act, create and see – really see – for yourself, as yourself.

Free to re-imagine business and life. Art and service. Spirituality and profitability.

And to be that kind of free, you’ve got to make a habit of serving up some Sacred Cow.

Starting with your own.

Steak anyone?

About the Author: Known as the Soul Mapper™, Lissa Boles is a professional optimist and CEO of SoulFullFilled Living, a group of companies dedicated to helping thought leaders and innovative entrepreneurs answer their life’s deepest callings —in business, at church, or on the yoga mat.

A seasoned serial entrepreneur, Lissa goes light years beyond inspiration and motivation to reveal each client’s intended purpose path, breathing life into the sacred desire to create a world-changing legacy, particularly in business.

To uncover more nuggets of navigating through your business and evolution, join Lissa and 11 other experts for Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit!

Guest Article By Liora Mendeloff, Founder of Women Speakers Association

(Discover more great wisdom during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

How many books do you have to read? How many tapes or cds do you have to listen to? How many seminars or workshops do you have to attend? How many $100,000 inner-circles do you have to join? How many teachers, mentors or therapists will it take until you get…there is no guru OUTSIDE of you!

You might be wondering, “how can the President of the Women Speakers Association be saying such things?” Here’s my point…I’m not dissing teachers, mentors, mastermind partners…all are essential players to have on your team. My question, however, is “when will you be enough that you don’t HAVE TO look outside yourself for validation, guidance, approval, acknowledgement?”

The truth is…you already are your own guru. All the answers, all the guidance, all the love, everything you are seeking, lies within you.

The key is to stop or slow down long enough to tap into that endless well of unlimited abundance that is the very source from which you came. It is there that you will find what you are seeking. It is there, that you will know (in your heart, in your gut) what step to take next, which move is the one to make.

When you can get that YOU are your own guru, all the gifts that come to your through your mentors, teachers, colleagues, etc, are just icing on the cake.

About the Author: Liora Mendeloffis a Speaking Industry Expert, with 20+ years of experience behind-the-scenes with some of the world’s greatest thought leaders, government officials, celebrities and entrepreneurs, in helping them fulfill their vision. Liora’s driving force is to facilitate getting women and their core message out into the world, the purpose behind her newest venture, the Women Speakers Association. Liora also created InstantMediaKit.com, the secret tool used by the Pro’s to get seen, get booked and get paid!

To uncover more nuggets of navigating through your business and evolution, join Liora and 11 other experts for Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit! 

(Discover more great wisdom on Achieving Your Dreams during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

No one, who has ever followed a dream, has taken a direct, unobstructed path and arrived at his or her destination effortlessly and on time. Following a dream is not a direct highway but a bumpy road full of twists and turns and occasional roadblocks. The journey requires modifications and adjustments in both thought and action, not just once, but over and over.

Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop, used creativity to overcome challenges that would have stopped the vast majority of new business owners. She broke just about every rule in the book when she started The Body Shop and she’s still breaking the rules today. Of course, such irreverence has its consequences. In Anita’s case, the consequences read like this: The Body Shop now has more than 1,500 stores throughout the world, is worth over $500 million, and has influenced the products and marketing of all its chief competitors. And those are just the consequences in the business arena. The Body Shop is also a powerfully effective vehicle for social and environmental awareness and change; as far as Anita is concerned, that is the most important consequence of all.

From the moment in 1976 when Anita first conceived the idea of opening a shop to sell naturally based cosmetics, she was thinking in a most unbusinesslike manner. Most entrepreneurs set out to establish a company with growth potential that will make them wealthy someday. Anita was just looking for a way to feed herself and her two children, while her husband, also a maverick, was away on a two-year adventure, riding a horse from Argentina to New York.

Her first challenge was to find a cosmetics manufacturer to produce her products. No one she approached had ever heard of jojoba oil or aloe vera gel, and they all thought that cocoa butter had something to do with chocolate. Although she didn’t realize it at the time, Anita had discovered a market just about to explode: young female consumers who would prefer their cosmetics to be produced in a cruelty-free and environmentally responsible manner. When manufacturers failed to have the same foresight, Anita found a small herbalist who could do the work she required.

Since Anita was not the typical entrepreneur, she saw no drawbacks in starting her company with almost no capital. To save money, she bottled her cosmetics in the same inexpensive plastic containers hospitals use for urine samples, encouraging her customers to bring the containers back for refills. Because Anita couldn’t afford to have labels printed, she and some friends hand printed every one. Her packaging couldn’t have turned out better if she’d planned it that way. With the improvised packaging, her product now had the same natural, earthy image as the cosmetics themselves.

Anita opened the first branch of The Body Shop in her hometown of Brighton, England. When she first opened, neighboring proprietors made bets on how long the store would last. Less amused were the owners of local funeral parlors who insisted she change the shop’s name. No one, they complained, would hire a funeral director located near a place called “The Body Shop.” She stuck to her guns and the name stayed.

The first store was only minimally successful. Nevertheless, Anita decided to move ahead with a second one. The bank questioned the wisdom of her plan and refused a loan. So she found a friend of a friend who was willing to lend her the equivalent of $6,400 in exchange for 50 percent ownership of The Body Shop. Today that person is worth $140 million. Signing over half of her business was the only real mistake Anita ever made. But it wasn’t the only decision that looked like a mistake. Here are three more:

• She has never advertised even when she opened shops in the United States. People told her it was suicide to enter a new market without massive advertising support.

• She doesn’t sell in any outlet other than The Body Shop stores. (Some of her Asian stores are the only exception and are located within department stores.)

• She resolved early on that her shops would be a catalyst for change, not just in the business world, but in the world at large.

These decisions turned out to be some of the most inspired “mistakes” in the history of retailing. Even though Anita has never paid for advertising, her unconventional ideas have inspired hundreds of articles and interviews generating tremendous publicity.

Her first shop in New York was packed with customers from the day it opened. At one point, a thirty-five-year-old woman on roller skates threw up her arms and shouted, “Hallelujah! You’re here at last.” So much for advertising.

A new branch of The Body Shop opens somewhere in the world every two and a half days. Occasionally, Anita has had trouble opening stores in shopping malls. But having a past that was filled with challenges, Anita is accustomed to coming up with creative solutions. For instance, when one mall refused to lease her space, she organized every mail-order customer within a 110-mile radius to write letters to the management of that mall. Within a few months, a branch of The Body Shop was open.

Anita also had this nonconformist idea of putting ideals ahead of profit. From the start, Anita wanted not just to change the faces of her customers but to change the entire face of business. She envisioned a company that was socially responsible and compassionate. “I see the human spirit playing a big role in business. The work does not have to be drudgery, and the sole focus does not have to be on making money. It can be a human enterprise that people feel genuinely good about.”

Some of the raw materials for her products are harvested by groups of people in underdeveloped regions, thus generating an income for them. The Body Shop has launched campaigns to save the whales, ban animal testing in the cosmetics industry, help the homeless, and protect the rain forests. All of these campaigns have been eagerly supported by loyal customers.

Employees of The Body Shop are actively involved in these efforts. Each month, employees receive a half day off with pay to volunteer in the community. Some employees, for example, went to Romania to help rebuild orphanages. In the stores, customers are encouraged to register to vote, recycle their plastic cosmetics containers, and bring their own shopping bags to save paper and plastic. Because of all these activities, people have suggested Anita’s company should really be called “The Body and Soul Shop.” Customers emerge not only looking good but also feeling good.

“Business as usual” isn’t part of Anita Roddick’s make up. But as far as she’s concerned, doing what is not usual has made all the difference.

Action:

Anita said that what saved The Body Shop over and over was their willingness to recognize what wasn’t working and quickly identify a new way to approach a problem. This is a crucial strategy because everyone who starts a business is going to face challenges. Things never work out exactly as intended and creativity will play a key role in enabling a new business owner to conquer daily battles. If you don’t come up with alternative solutions, your dreams will die.

The first step to expanding your creativity is to clearly identify the problem you’re experiencing. Maybe you’re struggling in sponsoring people who are interested in working the business and not simply purchasing the product. Or maybe you’re having a hard time finding new prospects period. Write the numbers 1 through 10 vertically down the left side of the sheet of paper. Finally, write ten possible solutions to your problem. Make sure they are viable options, but stretch your imagination.

Remember, the solution to every problem lies within you. You may need a few minutes of quiet time to complete the exercise effectively, or you may need to brainstorm possible solutions with a friend. Feel free to do whatever you think is necessary to connect with your inner knowing. When you’ve completed the exercise, you should find that the solutions you have found will renew your sense of possibility and your commitment to your goal.
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Cynthia Kersey, best-selling author of two books, speaker, entrepreneur, and Chief Humanitarian Officer of the Unstoppable Foundation knows first hand that giving is not only good for business, it’s good for the soul.

Let Cynthia and 11 other leading success and life purpose experts pull you out of your rut and give you their blueprints for waking up and answering the ‘CALL’ to your big adventure in life in the Answering The Call Virtual Summit.

As I read this book I thought, wow, this is good information. I immediately picked up the phone and invited her to be one of the experts in the Answering The Call Virtual Summit.

Why?

Because if your money-stuff isn’t healed you won’t feel confident about saying yes to your calling.

Here are ten insights from the book that will get you to start thinking about where you may be sabotaging your success:

1. Giving away your services, bartering, bad-talking people who have money and blaming others for your bad money situation are all key indicators of being a pattern under-earner. (Her quiz for identifying if you are an under-earner was really powerful.)

2. All under-earners share a common trait of a high tolerance for low-pay. You can earn six figures but still under-earn because you don’t pay YOURSELF.

3. Under earners CRAVE comfort and rarely do what makes them uncomfortable.

4. Under-earners use the same methods to manage their money as they do to make most decisions: avoidance and delusion.

5. Bottom Line: UnderEarning is a condition of low self-esteem. Inside every under-earner lies some degree of hopelessness or helplessness.

6. What you have in your life now is a reflection of what you intrinsically believe you deserve.

7. The most efficient way for entrepreneurs to overcome under-earning is to raise their prices. If you resist this then you are going to continue to under-earn.

8. Create the habit of respecting money by having a good money practice — save, know what your money situation is weekly and read on money savviness every day. A lack of good money habits will be counter-productive to ALL great business growth strategies.

9. Create community with others who are creating healthy wealth systems. Those that “go it alone” will fall prey to their old beliefs, habits and practices faster than those who surround themselves with a healthy money game in life.

10. When you shift out of being an under-earner and make a stand for financial success in your life, you will find that every goal, dream and calling you have will be more “do-able.”

Where have YOU been a pattern underearner? We’d love to hear your journey in the comments below.

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Barbara Stanny is one of 12 of the world’s leading experts on achieving success by following your passion in the  Answering The Call Virtual Summit!  Join us free today!

Being financially successful wasn’t really liberating – it was actually making me feel massively trapped inside my business.

I knew that following “the system” meant creating “the money machine” to do what worked at the expense of what felt right.

Having a big team meant having a big responsibility – I had to do what would make money over what would bring me more joy and align with my truth.

I could finally admit that striving for a million dollar business was actually making me lose what was unique about me (and putting me massively in debt in the process.)

I also started to understand that using my logical, rational brain to make decisions was shutting off my most important leadership asset – my intuition.

A rebellion began to brew inside my soul – and I had absolutely NO idea what would happen next. I felt “the call” to make a huge shift in how I was running my business.

Looking back at this fork in my journey I now realize that this was the moment I began to define the new rules of success – a set of guidelines that would allow me to thrive in this new era of entrepreneurship.

The rules are simple – and yet many entrepreneurs struggle to live by them. With a world full of smoke and mirrors and our human “wiring” for a magic pill, these rules seem too obvious.  The new rules have actually been around for lifetimes – but we forgot them. They were banished by clever marketers who needed psychological hooks to get us to buy more stuff, pursue unlimited wealth, and an instantiated drive for more accolades.

The new rules of success generate a different kind of result than most of us are currently experiencing – authentic alignment with our true calling. When applied, the new rules dissolve struggle and discontent and generate fulfillment and sustainable wealth.

Here’s my invitation to you – if you have felt called to shift your life, your business and your approach to creating success, join myself and 11 of my colleagues for free as we reveal these new rules of success in Answering The Call Today.

If the idea of collaborating and setting new standards for success is inspiring to you, share with us in the comments below and share this post through Google Plus (at the top of the page) or one of the share links below. Let’s co-create this shift together!

Guest Article By Drew Gerber, co-founder Wasabi Publicity and PitchRate

(Discover more great wisdom on Achieving Your Dreams during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

Why bother?

Why would I?

Why me?

Why not?

The perennial whys. Truth is, we have reasons for just about everything thing we do, from why we chose vanilla over chocolate to why we decide to run our first marathon. Depending on the choice in question, our reasons for various things have different “weights,” don’t they? You may not need a huge, emotionally-charged, majorly significant reason for choosing vanilla. But to run your first marathon? Personally, I’d need a big, fat, loud, massive reason to get through all those muscle-aching, lung-gasping hours of training! “Because it sounds good” just wouldn’t cut it.

Fortunately for you, the weight of your reason for writing your first book is somewhere between choosing vanilla and running a marathon. You need a little more than “because my colleague wrote one” and quite a bit less than “because the future of the human race depends on it” — though if the future of the human race does depend on your book, let me know and I’ll help you get it done!

Writing a book can be simple and is relatively easy compared to all you’ve done thus far to build your career. But it can get “hard” and there are definitely times during the process where we all need a strong reason to keep keeping on. So for me, the first step of any project is clearly analyzing and defining why the heck I’m doing it in the first place.

There are a zillion compelling reasons for writing a book: To tell a story that needs telling. To preserve a bit of cultural or personal history. To get all those crazy thoughts out of my head and on to the page! For many of us non-writers, the urge to write a book has something to do with our career or our passion – which, if we are fortunate, are one and the same!

So why would you, a non-writer who has probably never attempted writing a book before, write a book related to your career or your passion? Your reason will be unique to you, and you need to find a reason that is particularly compelling to you. But here are five possibilities to consider:

Credibility: Even in today’s world, where half of your neighbors are YouTube stars and the other half have enough friends on Facebook to populate a small country, being a published author is still rare and respected. Your book gives you particular credibility, an aura of authority that’s hard to create in other ways.  And having credibility helps you with your…

Public Relations: The media (TV, radio, magazines and newspaper) are always looking for new stories or for experts to fill out their stories with commentary and data. To create a good platform to promote your career or work, you definitely want to be one of the media’s go-to experts. And nothing screams “knowledgeable expert” to the media like the fact that you have written a book.

Teach a Topic: Think of the classroom: What’s the main resource teachers have? Books! Information from the internet is great. But to really study a topic, to learn something in depth, many of us still prefer a clearly-written, well-organized book that we can mark up, throw on the bookshelf, and refer to later.

Spread a Message: By authoring a book, we can increase our sphere of influence exponentially because our books end up in the hands of people that we would not otherwise meet or touch. And often a passionately-written book can inspire others to action, adding their support to the cause or objective we care deeply about.

Make Money: Every year, a few non-fiction titles become blockbusters and rake in millions of dollars. Could yours be one of those? Maybe. But even authors whose books don’t hit the New York Times best sellers list have found ways to generate income from their books. From eBooks to audio downloads, books can be sold in a number of formats to a wide variety of audiences through a myriad of venues.

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About the Author: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. As the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, lauded by the likes of PR Week and Good Morning America, he sparks “ah-ha” conversations that lead to personal and business success. His PR firm is known for landing clients on Dr. Phil, Oprah, Anderson Cooper, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, and other top media outlets.

To discover how to write the book the media loves that skyrockets your credibility, join Drew and 11 other experts for Answering The Call Today Virtual Summit! 

How our economy continues to decline.

That unemployment is at an all-time high.

Company leaders that are downright lying to the public and their employees so they can continue to build their personal wealth.

How bankruptcy and foreclosures are as common today as credit card approvals were five years ago.

Millions of people who are struggling to put food on the table, let alone discover their purpose and create a thriving business.

Sometimes I want to run up and down Melrose Boulevard screaming “Stop the Madness People!” Well, not really, but the thought has occurred to me that somewhere, somehow, this madness has to shift.

I’ve found that picking up a paradigm-shifting book is the best way for me to re-center myself. Last week I finally started reading “The Storm Before the Calm” by Neale Donald Walsh. As I was browsing through the first few pages this quote literally jumped off the page at me.

“What is needed here is not a revolution on the ground but a revolution of the mind.”

What he is referring to is that we, the people who inhabit this planet, have to stop looking for solutions and fixes out there and start shifting what’s going on inside our heads before anything will change.

Whoa. That’s a lot of responsibility. Create a revolution in our own mind.

But that’s exactly what we have to do…

And here’s how we can do it:

1. Know that everything is made up

Every single thing that happens is neutral in meaning until we as humans attach a meaning to it. What that means is just because something is happening doesn’t mean its bad – or good – it’s just happening. What could happen if we attach a meaning that has more value to the outcome we are pursuing? Heck if it’s all made up anyway then why not make it more fun, more empowering, and realize that we can actually do something about it?

Take for example, your current financial situation. What if you knew that right now in the moment you could actually create the money you are seeking – without struggle or frustration? This paradigm shift is a radical thought for many but its actually possible. Most people just tell themselves it can’t be done.

2. Stop buying into everything the media (or anyone) says

Just because it’s someone else’s reality doesn’t mean it has to be yours. For eleven years I’ve been unraveling the beliefs and decisions that no longer support my clients. The crazy thing is that the reason they are stuck and don’t have the life or business they want is because they listened to what someone else told them – and made it THEIR truth.

Even the media distorts reality — they want you to watch their show. Sales people distort reality – they want you to buy their stuff. Your family/friends distort reality – they have THEIR own experience of the truth. The only thing that matter is what YOU believe and how you act from that belief system.

3. Reconnect to what gets YOU fired up

One of the fastest, most effective ways to revolutionize your thinking is to reconnect to your purpose in life. It’s easy to forget, to let it slip away as we get focused on paying the bills and getting the daily grind of tasks done. Our passion is what fuels our momentum and drive to push past resistance and roadblocks.

When you are connected to your deepest “calling” you are an unstoppable force — a force for good to be reckoned with. If you aren’t on fire, then you haven’t really answered the call to your greatness.

4. Learn how to create your own reality

You can create the success you want by changing the story you tell yourself. It’s what Walsh meant by creating a revolution in your mind first. For anything to change on the outside you have to change what’s happening on the inside. It starts with us then it begins to impact and influence everyone and everything we are involved in.

Take the idea of creating a new reality around money. One of the presenters in the Answering The Call Virtual Summit, Elyse Hope Killoran, teaches “The New Wealth Game: How to Create the Prosperity You Deeply Desire on Demand.” I have found it extraordinarily fascinating how I can shift my financial experience instantly by making up what I want – not what I don’t want!

So what’s your revolution about? Which of these four steps do you know would help you awaken to your full calling in life? We’d love to hear you share it in the comments below. And be sure to join us for the Answering The Call Virtual Summit today!

(Discover more great wisdom on Achieving Your Dreams during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)
During these challenging times what are you thinking? Are you focusing on your dreams or your doubts? Are you moving toward what you want or immobilized in the face of the unknown or uncertainty?

If you are not consciously managing your mind, what you may wind up with (by default) are limiting negative thoughts or beliefs that can lead to the demise of your dreams and your happiness.

How do you manage your mind? By consciously paying attention to what you are thinking and proactively choosing what matters to you. Your attitudes and beliefs are never neutral. They either move you forward or hold you back. But a lot of us have forgotten that we have the power and ability to choose what we want. Choose to believe in yourself and your dreams.

Why? Because without this practice you open the door to a litany of negative thoughts that sound like, “You’re not good enough, smart enough, and successful enough.” Or another version might be “you’re too old, too young, or inexperienced.” Sound familiar? Our attitudes and beliefs determine the choices and decisions we make. Negative thoughts usually lead to inertia, procrastination, even self-sabotage. While positive thoughts can lead to the fulfillment of your dreams.

Negative beliefs will hold you back while positive or empowering beliefs will give you the strength to take risks and move forward. So the big question is how do you manage your mind and ultimately build this important muscle?

Think of a time in your life that you didn’t believe something was possible that now you know is. Use this as your new reference point. Manage your mind and you will have a new level of freedom in your life and in achieving your dreams.

But let’s face it. It’s not enough to just think it. You have to prove that you really do believe in yourself and your dreams by taking action. First, the way to move from a negative thought to a positive one simply requires choice. But for most of us that feels like nothing short of a leap of faith. So, for the rest of us I suggest…

1. Willingness
   The willingness to choose a different thought or belief simply because it matters to you is an empowering and profound way to live.
2. Courage
   The courage to act on it to make it real (rather than just a nice idea) and then the practice of doing it again and again until it moves from being a negative belief or thought, to being a positive thought and ultimately through to being transparent or non-existent. This means it’s not even on your radar anymore.
3. Practice
   A simple practice you can put into play is what I call “catch yourself in the act.” Pay attention to what you are thinking and if it’s negative or destructive, hit the proverbial pause button. Notice what you were thinking and STOP. Choose another thought and try that on.

Saying it out loud can be powerful. Yes, I am encouraging talking to yourself. We do it all the time but mostly it’s negative. Say something good to yourself about yourself or the situation. Ideally change your behavior or take a small action step to prove to yourself that you believe in yourself.

As you shorten your reaction time you can break this default pattern of negative self-talk and manage your mindset. This will translate into you believing more in yourself, being more positive and taking more risks. I’ve heard some teachers say this is a path to enlightenment. Change your thoughts and behaviors and shorten your response time. There are dream killers out in the world. You don’t need one more and by the far, the most destructive often lives inside of us. Don’t waste one more precious moment or thought being negative.

What’s YOUR dream…and what do you notice about YOUR thoughts that are helping you (or hurting you) as you pursue them? Share them in the comments below!

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Marcia Wieder is a best-selling author and speaker who is known as America’s Dream Coach®. She’s known for giving inspiring and moving talks to AT&T, The Gap and American Express. She appeared several times on Oprah and The Today Show. She also writes for The San Francisco Chronicle. For more information, to receive a free audio e-book, “Jump Start Your Dream”, to join her community of Dreamers, or to share your dream in the Million Dreams Campaign – please visit the DreamCoach site.

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Ready for to go for your big dream? Join Marcia and 11 other Success Experts for Answering The Call Virtual Summit and discover easy, profitable steps to navigate through the evolution of your business.

(Discover more great wisdom on Reinvention during Answering The Call Virtual Summit, starting February 7th)

Strategies for responding to “Tell me about yourself”

Last week I was in a pitch meeting with a television network. I was in the president’s office seated with six of his key executives on chairs and sofas around a large coffee table. The informal setting was cozy and the vibe was warm and friendly. After introductions, my prospective client said, “Tell me about yourself and your company.”

I started at the very beginning – sharing that my dad was a single parent who taught my sister and me the ad business at an early age. Then I gave a quick overview of my days working in radio, newspaper and finally television, where I helped launch TNT and turn CNN into The World’s News Leader. To conclude my story, I walked them through a few relevant client case studies and shared my branding philosophy and process.

Here’s what I didn’t do: whine about not having a mom growing up, elaborate on personal challenges, complain about difficult clients, lie about my accomplishments, go off on tangents, diminish my talents, overstate what I could deliver or drone on without focus.

Building a captivating story about yourself involves sharing the epic moments in your life that reveal your true character.

To arrive at your answer to the question, “Tell me about yourself,” it’s important that you think deeply to uncover a time when you overcame adversity. This could be the beginning of your signature story – the one where you played the superhero. Michael Margolis, Dean of Story University, talks about how most of us are reluctant or accidental heroes. He says, “Remember, you are not born a superhero. Superheroes are created based on circumstances and a choices.” What were yours?

If you walk into a pitch meeting or give a presentation without a signature story and just go though the motions of showing your work, you’ll miss making an emotional connection with your audience that will set you apart from your competition.

In addition to creating a signature story, it’s important that you demonstrate thatyou’re on a heroic quest. I always finish my story with my life’s mission, which is to “help professionals fearlessly achieve their potential.” I want my prospects to know that beyond delivering a transformational brand strategy, I am purposeful in my desire to inspire their employees.

If you want to play big and really make an impact in business, begin by sharing an epic story about you. The universe is waiting for you to proclaim your unique qualities. Your target audience wants to know that you can really make a difference to their organization.

When you reveal yourself through story, you honor your accomplishments and set the stage for your next triumph.

Here are some different forms of storytelling you can adopt courtesy of success guru Brendon Burchard:

• Woe to Win – when you were down and out, and then you came back
• Finding or stumbling upon the magic bullet – and everything changed
• David versus goliath – when were you the underdog?
• The tough choice — the other choice would’ve been easier, but this choice made you a better person
• The switch from victim to victor — everyone has that story
• The switch from self-absorbed to service minded – when was that point for you?
• Family play – when did you decide that your family was important, and when did you sacrifice for them?
• The no one believed I could do it story
• The experience epic – 2-4 years of crap and then you came out of it a winner
• The turnaround — when you finally decided to pursue something super meaningful

Start today writing a few different versions of your story and see which one makes you feel better about yourself. It should express what you were born to do and at the same time have a universal theme that everyone can relate to. In the end, your story should be one you feel proud to tell the world.

A quick note to those who are in the middle of a sad story: don’t let your present circumstances define you. Think back to another time when you overcame a difficult situation and let that be your story for right now. The more you tell it, the more you’ll start to believe that you are a superhero and you’ll find yourself transitioning right into a happy ending.

If your story inspires you, it is sure to inspire others.

Share what inspires you in the comments below…we’d love to hear your story.

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Robin Fisher Roffer
Ranked among the World’s Top 5 Most Influential Brand Gurus, Robin Fisher Roffer provides the rocket fuel that has ignited the launch pad of dozens of brands all over the world. Crafting brand-building strategies and marketing plans for major corporations like Sony, Time-Warner and 20th Century Fox, as CEO of Big Fish Marketing Robin’s dynamic spark has unearthed the soul of some of the world’s most beloved brands and in turn defined a who’s who of successful ventures. Robin’s mission is to help professionals fearlessly achieve their potential and shares the secrets from 20 years of branding some of the best loved companies in the world in her products and programs, teleclasses and weekly success blogs.

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