Have you snapped up the complementary introduction of  Danielle LaPorte’s new book, “The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms?”

What are you waiting for? There is no way you can read this introduction and *not* start taking action. Danielle’s book is available for pre-order at Amazon and will ship on April 17th.

INSIDE THE BOOK! DECLARE YOUR SUPERPOWERS, SESSION 1 + INTRODUCTION FROM THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS, DANIELLE LAPORTE

HOP INSIDE NOW!

“Danielle LaPorte is scary smart, yet so kind and practical that she kindles the fire in you without causing you to feel consumed by the flames. She has the knowledge you need to succeed. Lean in and listen close. What she has to say is what our spirits need to hear.”
—Martha Beck, author of Steering by Starlight

“Any occurrence requiring undivided attention will be accompanied by a compelling distraction.” 

- Robert Bloch

This Spring it seems as if each of my life coaching clients are feeling overwhelmed by the abundant distractions that keep showing up in their lives, and the limited amount of time available to participate in each experience. Too many “Shiny Lures” of distraction seem to be everywhere causing acute experiences of pleasure and pain.

These powerful women want to have it all, but occasionally get lost in the land of potent distraction. Here are some ways you can address the anxiety surrounding an attractive diversion, get clear about your choices, and move forward on the path of your choosing.

I learned a great lesson from Arleen Boyd (better known as “Aloha” Arleen) when I interviewed her for my new book, Life on Your Terms. She said: “Just because you’re an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you’re living life on your terms. Recognize your purpose, and stay vigilant on that path. What I’ve found is that you can have it all—you just can’t DO it all at the same time.”

This is sage advice from a woman who started her own telecommunications company in the early 1980s and enjoyed the cutthroat business world and her CEO status until she realized that she was not running her business: it was running her. My recent conversations with powerful women like Arleen nudged me to share some supportive ideas about living in a world filled with desirable distractions. I am happy to report that today, Arleen brings her expertise to companies in the area of social media, building her clients’ internet presence to lift awareness, build brands, generate income, and keep customers. She strongly believes in surrounding herself with a network of peers who are also in positions of leadership. This network has allowed her to reach out and collaborate, and to stay grounded.

Supportive tips to keep in mind when you are snagged by the provocative shiny lure:

Experience and dream about the potential of the interesting, inviting and sexy opportunity – Part of the joy of being an entrepreneur is following your passion and making your own decisions. Another part is allowing yourself to dream and explore enticing opportunities. You don’t have to say YES to every exciting offer. Remember that you have only so many units of you to share with the world.

Allow 24 -48 hours or more to make decision on your investment or involvement – Have you ever been fully drawn into something immediately, only to find that a couple days later the thrill is gone? When I am read to chomp on a shiny object, I allow myself to get fired up and then let the idea / opportunity simmer. Immediate deadlines be damned! Let the idea sit and then revisit your energy in a day or two.

Explore the potential outcome of letting the shiny object pass you by – What is the worst case scenario if you do not pounce on the object of your immediate affection? Can you live with this potential outcome? Is this an experience you can enjoy a year from now?

Is the fear of loss motivating you to take action? – Often we can get caught up in a brilliantly crafted offer and lose our sense of balance out of the fear of missing out on an opportunity. Marketers know how to push our buttons. You know the drill: Only 2 spots left for blah blah blah… Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. RIGHT. When an offer resonates with you and is in your best interest, things will naturally fall into place. Do all you can to blow off fear-based involvement in ANY activity.

Does this shiny opportunity fit in with your vision for your business and your life? – This question will help you make solid decisions. If you don’t have a vision for your business, it is time to begin creating one. I’ve found the people I work with who have a plan or dream have a much easier time discerning which lures to chase. For those of you who have a voracious appetite for all things shiny and new, I feel for you. Remember that you can have it all–You just can’t fully enjoy and experience it all at the same time.

I have to share excerpts from Chris Brogan’s latest newsletter. Why? Because I respect him as a person and he wrote about the power of professional Coaching.  As a life coach and transformation enthusiast, I know that coaching is a supportive way to accelerate and experience powerful transformation.  I work or have worked with a nutrition coach, speaking coach, business coach and mentor coach. Each relationship accelerated my personal and professional growth. In the following excerpt Chris shares his newfound awareness of the value of coaching.

I’m Surrounded by Coaches – Chris Brogan

“Jacqueline has certifications for being a nutrition coach, personal trainer, fitness coach, a certified endurance coach, a yoga instructor, and many more skills. She’s like a coaching machine. She’s learned how to help people in a gazillion ways. So why wasn’t coaching very much on my radar?

Rob is a Touchpoints coach and a professional educator, and that’s one of the ways I work with Rob, is that I get him to coach people as it pertains to our business. How could I be surrounded by coaches and not still realize how important that process is to success?

I interviewed Harvey Mackay a little while back,  and he talked about many things, including just how many coaches he used still to get the results he wanted. Harvey has a tennis coach, a business coach, a speaking coach, a writing coach, a joke coach (I’m not joking), and more. He uses lots and lots of coaches to get where he goes. He runs a hundred million dollar plus business, is a multi-time New York Times Bestseller, and still gets coaching.”

Does your life need a coach?

Do you work with a coach?

What does coaching do for you?

Interested in learning more about coaching? Check out the True Balance Website for more information about the power of coaching.

You can subscribe to Chris Brogan’s newsletter at http://humanbusinessworks.com/newsletter. Chris is one of the most generous and down to earth entrepreneurs out there. You will LOVE HIS ENERGY!

Balloon Festival – Traverse City

As life coach and transformation enthusiast, I help creative people reinvent themselves and discover their true passion.  This self-exploration involves enormous amounts of curiosity, creativity and focus. Are you ready to live your truth? Here are some ideas to get you fired up.

Five steps to uncover your passion and fly:

1. Awareness

Make time to take inventory of what you love about your life. What are you involved with that feels right?  What crazy-making areas of your life can you let go of? Begin paying attention to your daily actions. When you’re aware of your actions, you can make mindful choices leading to a future filled with purpose and passion.

2. Positivity

Begin to train your brain to become more positive. Begin now.  How often to you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts? Self defeating thoughts can often lift off like a hot air balloon without a pilot and crash land in the middle of nowhere. Be mindful of the nature of your thinking.

If what you are doing now is stale and uncomfortable, try focusing on the parts of your job that you love.  How can you look at your current job with fresh eyes? Many of us have to take “combat pay” for a period of time in a position that no longer suit us.  If you are in this situation, do what you can to improve your current reality by exploring your options outside of you current job. Sometimes the exploration process will balance out your discomfort. You may even uncover opportunities within your environment that seemed hidden before your introspection.

3. Reality

If you are working for people who are disrespectful and your daily life is a living hell, it is time to move on.  Your life is more important than you can imagine. Years ago some of my peers thought I was straight-crazy to leave my corporate job. What they didn’t understand is that no amount of cushion can absolve an abuse of power. Sometimes you have to save your own life and move on.

4. Clarity

What do you want for your life?  Have you taken any time to dig deep and answer this question? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? What would you learn if you were to ask your closest family and friends what they see you strengths are?  How can you use your strengths to answer the first question?  Get Clear. I recommend reading the book Callings by Greggory Levoy.  You will also find support with the Life on Your Terms Accelerator Series.

5. Creativity

Have fun diving in and exploring your options by playing with a creative process like mind mapping (visual brain storming) to uncover your career options. Keep the activity light and fun. There is no room for judgment here. Let your ideas flow and get them recorded.  Check out MindNode for a cool mind mapping application. After this process is completed you can begin researching your options.

Discovering your passion includes mining for what you love as well as what you can release. You simply must cultivate a positive attitude and be realistic about your current situation. You deserve to get clear about what you want for your life, and creatively explore your options. If not now, when?

Discovering your groove and creating a luscious life is all about allowing for grace through your next transition.

Entrepreneurial Spotlight

Leo Babauta

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.”- Thich Nhat Hanh

I had the pleasure of interviewing Leo Babauta for Life on Your Terms. I’ve been reading Zen Habits since his inaugural post and am moved by his courage, passion and writing style. Leo is the writer and creator of one of the most prolific blogs on the Internet. I am grateful he made time to generously share his story with the Life on Your Terms community.

Leo’s interview from Life on Your Terms

Chapter 5 – Unconventional Wisdom

In 2007, Leo Babauta found his true calling, and quit his job to pursue his passion as a personal development blogger. He is inspired by others’ success stories, and is grateful to know he is not alone in his quest for happiness.

One of the first steps Leo took on his path was creating a list of the things that were most important to him. When he found that his life did not reflect those things, he changed his focus, and started building his life around what really mattered: family, writing, reading, and running. Leo cleared his life of clutter by saying “no” to things that interfered with his core values. This freed him up to pursue the things he loves most with passion and determination.

Q: Tell me about you and why you chose to become an entrepreneur.

All my life, I worked for others, as a journalist, legislative analyst, and speech writer, until 2007 when I discovered my true passion — blogging. In that year, I found my true calling, and decided that I wanted to make a living doing it, and that I wanted to quit my day job so that I could be free to pursue this passion. So I dedicated myself for an entire year to making the transition from employee to entrepreneur.

It wasn’t easy, and I had to be really focused, but since I loved what I was doing it was an exciting journey. When I quit my day job in January 2008, I was elated and ecstatic. I’ve never loved anything more than I’ve loved working for myself, and I hope never to be anything other than an entrepreneur.

Q: What inspires you?

I’m inspired by so much! What inspires me most is seeing the positive changes I’ve helped others accomplish — when you’ve contributed to a life change, it is gratifying and it makes you want to continue to do good. I’m inspired as well by the successes of others — the people who prove to me daily that miracles are possible, that I’m not alone in my quest for happiness and fulfilling my dreams.

Q: How are you living your life on your terms?

Four years ago I made a list of the things that are most important to me: spending time with my family, writing, reading and running. My life didn’t reflect these four things at that time, but slowly I’ve built my life around these four essential things. It took a lot of focus to clear my life of clutter so that I’d have room for the things I love, and to say “no” to everything that tried to take my time away from these things. Today I’m happy to say that my life is based around the things I love most — the life I’ve always dreamed of.

I’m also happy to say that I’m my own boss for the first time ever. I am answerable only to my own dreams and values, which is an incredibly liberating thing.

Q: What have you learned from mentors and role models in your life?

Probably not in the traditional sense of someone who took me under his or her wing and guided me along the way, but I’ve had many people who have inspired me in what they’re doing — people like Gina Trapani and Adam Pash of Lifehacker, J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly, Darren Rowse of Problogger, Brian Clark of Copyblogger, Stephen Covey and many other bloggers, writers, authors who have inspired me with their writing and some who have even offered their help and advice at different points along the way. I’m grateful to all of them, even if I can’t name them all.

Q:  Please share one tip for living a full life:

Be passionate about whatever you do — whether that’s your work, spending time with loved ones, getting fit and healthy, taking up a hobby, creating, starting a new business. If you haven’t found something to be passionate about, start looking now, and don’t stop until you find it. And then don’t be afraid to pursue it with all the passion you have!

Q: What would like your legacy to be?

My grandfather died a short time ago at the age of 81, and he lived a full life with a great career and traveled the world, left behind a large and loving family, and was mourned by hundreds of friends. I would like to leave this earth with a life and friends and family behind me like that. I’d like to say that I loved and was loved, that I helped others and learned from them.

Leo’s Message:

Identify how you want to live your life and make small changes toward those goals. Take stock of your values and ask yourself if you’re living in a way that honors them. When you find your calling, pursue it with passion and purpose.

You are welcome to visit Leo’s Blog: Zen Habits

From the Zen Habits website:

Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, find happiness.

It also happens to be one of the Top 25 blogs and Top 50 websites in the world, with about 237,000 readers, and is uncopyrighted. Zen Habits features one or two powerful articles a week on: simplicity, health & fitness, motivation and inspiration, frugality, family life, happiness, goals, getting great things done, and living in the moment.

Entrepreneurial Spotlight

Michelle Casto AKA “Bright Michelle”

“You were born with potential… You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings! You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings…. Learn to use them and fly.” -Rumi

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

For me, I kept trying to put my big SOUL into a small hole, in terms of socially sanctioned jobs and career paths, and it never worked out anyway! I once was reprimanded for being too passionate. I realized early on that my creative thinking just did not fit into “corporate work mode,” that my light was a bit too bright, and that in order to be happy, I needed to follow my own unique path to success and destiny. Fortunately, I discovered this early on in my 20′s, where I took some coaching courses, and found what I had been looking for. Soon after, I began writing books, and I knew that I could never go back to a boring, routine job ever again. I knew that I was born to make an impact on the world and that the best way to do that was through my own brand of business.

How have you created your life on your terms?

I love that being an entrepreneur with a virtual business allows me to build my work around my life, and focus on the lifestyle that I want to experience. I spent 8 years living on an island, which fed my desire for simplicity and beach bumming. In addition, when you own your own business, everything you do is a reflection of you, your personality and mission in life. For example, my coaching practice is Bright Light Coaching, and that reflects my belief that we each have an inner light that wants to be turned on and shared with the world. Through running my own Personal Transformation company, I also get to set the way the work gets done, including days on and days off, as well as who I work with. This also gives me a great deal of creative freedom to say what I want — allowing me to develop the platform to get my message about living a life of purpose and destiny out into the world.

What have you learned from role models and mentors in your life?

The word mentor in Greek means “highest advisor.” And I am a huge proponent of working with guides and mentors along the journey of life and especially business.

I have worked with many along the way, and each had a key to unlock an aspect of me, for instance, the ability to clarity about my Purpose, stay true to myself, learn heart-centered marketing, and the ins and outs of social media. I believe success is a team sport and we do much better with the help of a guide to help us get to where we are meant to go. It’s also important to become a master at the inner and outer games of Success, and modeling others who have achieved what you would like, is essential.

Please share one tip for living a full life.

My tip is a question:  Why Are You Trying to Fit in When You Were Born to Stand Out?

What would you like your legacy to be?

A world of people awakened to and living their Purpose and Destiny.

What is your overall message to a someone ready to follow there passion?

It is your time to SHINE. Make a plan, get support and go for it. Like NOW.

Please tell us about your new book that will be available at Amazon on January 17th.

“The Destiny Discovery”

Find Your Soul’s Path To Success teaches readers how to connect with their Soul to live their greatest life. This book will touch and inspire people from all walks of life who are looking to wake up to their purpose, access their personal power, and be a contribution to themselves and the world.

The Destiny Discovery is a guide book for humanity’s awakening to a higher way of living that involves loving yourself, others, your life, your work. At this critical turning point in our history, millions of people just like you will finally answer those haunting questions of Who am I? Why am I Here? How Can I Help? You will release the old paradigm, step fully into the new consciousness by discovering your destiny and using the power within you to live that destiny.

You were encoded for greatness and possess everything you need to achieve that greatness in this lifetime. You don’t have to wait until next time around, clear your karma, or any other previously held belief system that limits you in anyway whatsoever.

In this enlightening book, Michelle L. Casto combines her proven Destiny Discovery Process and professional expertise in life transformation, personal growth, and career guidance to take you on an exciting journey of discovery toward the destiny that already lives in your heart. There are more than a dozen practical exercises, tools and insights in this book that will guide you to transform hidden self-limiting thoughts and beliefs, increase your self-knowledge, and empower you be your greatness.

The Life on Your Terms community is invited to sign up for the Complimentary Discover Your Divine Destiny Telesummit, Jan 10-12, 2012.

Sign up Here: ==> www.LiveYourDivineDestiny.com

About Bright Michelle

Whether you are changing careers, making a major life transition, starting or building a business, you can benefit from the support of an expert guide to assist you with navigating the tough spots of walking your highest Destiny. Michelle Casto, known as “The Destiny Doctor”, is one of the most effective spiritual and life transformation coaches in the world.

Learn more about Michelle at www.liveyourdivinedestiny.com

Entrepreneurial Spotlight

Nic Askew, Founder of Soul Biographies

“I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door.  It opens. I’ve been knocking from the inside.” – Rumi

It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Life on Your Terms entrepreneur and film maker, Nic Askew.

Nic is an entrepreneur because that’s the only way he can be. For him, the entrepreneurial spirit is everywhere. He is inspired by observing ordinary people living in extraordinary ways. He is inspired by noticing the life that runs through everything.

He has created a life on his terms by asking himself questions such as, “How do you live a life full of space? How do you live with a sense of wonder?” He believes life to be a beautiful place although he has noticed that fading eyesight can obscure its experience.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR?

I’m not sure I am in its most usually used sense. But living a life of self invention has been a constant in my life. It faded on occasion, but that is less and less the case now.

I’m inflicted with a quiet curiosity. For life, and for people. And so I ask many questions, but have noticed that I seldom require the answers. Perhaps that’s a reasonable definition of curiosity.

I see the entrepreneurial spirit as a way in which a person could approach life. Surely the greatest entrepreneurial act is the creation of a life fully lived.

And I’ve noticed that with respect to a ‘life fully lived’, the way a person IS, is so much more important than what a person DOES.

As a film maker, I’ve filmed characters with the most magnificently dramatic stories of overcoming extraordinary circumstance. But the stories had lost their charge and the adventures had become stories of self importance. There was no life running through our time together.

And I’ve filmed characters who live the most ordinary of lives in the most extraordinary of ways. And our time together had life running through every sentence. I see these people as leading truly entrepreneurial lives. Lives full of ‘I don’t knows’, of unbridled curiosity and of wonder. Such lives often slip by unnoticed.

HOW HAVE YOU CREATED YOUR LIFE ON YOUR TERMS?

It seems to me that a life is lived outside any ‘imposed terms’ when you ask yourself how it can be lived through a sense of wonder. Such wonder exists despite the things of life but doesn’t exclude them.

I am unsure if ‘any life’ based on ‘any terms’, even my own, could exist as a life in true flow. My own terms seem to change often. They seem not to be able to make their own mind up. I try to ignore them. Paradoxically, a life conspicuous by the absence of the usual goals seems to have allowed me to create a life without too many terms. And without the need to become someone (else) or be somewhere (else).

TELL ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM MENTORS & ROLE MODELS IN YOUR LIFE

I’ve never had a particular mentor, but everything in life has been a mentor in one respect.

I always wondered about the wisdom of wanting to be like someone else. And as such the events of someone else’s life haven’t been inspiring in themselves but have always held the capacity to trigger something deep inside of me. And I’ve realised that the translation of such an event is down to my own observation.

I enjoy the encounter of those who hold a light in their eyes. And have noticed that everyone has that capacity.

SHARE ONE TIP OR KEY TO LIVING A FULL LIFE

I once wrote a few words entitled ’the adventure of uncertainty’.

‘ … there was a time when I looked for certainty. Certainty in the outcome of the events of my own life. And then I realised that there was only one certainty. And that was that it’s all OK. That there’s something that could never die. And now I realise that the total uncertainty of the events of life is the adventure. And that’s the wonder.’

If I had a tip, I imagine it to be hidden somewhere amongst these words.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR LEGACY TO BE?

To provoke a sense of wonder. Through anything I happen to have created, or left behind.

NIC’S MESSAGE

There is life running through everything. Live not for ‘things,’ but live for a life full of wonder. Live so that you’re forever curious. Live knowing that there is nowhere else you need be and no one else you need become.

Vist Soul Biographies Human Portraits in Film to learn more about Nic and his creating offerings.

Get ready to be inspired.

“We can not live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie.”  -Carl Jung

Last week while inbox spelunking I found the most beautiful subject line I’ve ever received: ‘Cry of Joy and Excitement’.

A lovely woman found me on LinkedIn, resonated with my corporate career transition story and eventually migrated over to “Life on Your Terms.”

Here is part of what Collette shared with me:

Shann, I can’t say how excited I am that I have found you. I just ordered your book this weekend and have a coaching call scheduled with you Wednesday. For the last few days I have been listening to every audio interview I can get my hands on.  Hearing your story sounds so much like mine… I look forward to our call.

Collette was no longer alone. My personal career transition story gave her what she needed at the time she needed it most.  Validation. Comfort. Possibility.

And, her “aha moment” and Cry of Joy and Excitement email fully validated my intention for writing Life on Your Terms and creating this growing community.

From the Introduction of Life on Your Terms:

What if I shared my story—and the stories of entrepreneurs who are living life on their terms—with even just one person, who in turn might tell one friend? Would the wisdom begin to spread across the global landscape?

 

WOW! This was a powerful exchange for both of us.

I had the pleasure meeting with Collette via an accelerator coaching session. We learned that really did have lots in common, and uncovered the action steps needed for the next stage of her transitional journey. What a joy to share time with a woman who is summoning the courage to follow her passion.

Thank you Collette!

• Are you ready to make a career transition but have no idea how to begin?

• Are you tired of being chained to someone else’s dream?

• What choice would you make today if you knew you could not fail?

You are not alone. The life one your terms community is full of people who are summoning the courage to follow their passion. Explore the LOYT blog posts and read the 1st 40 pages of the book. You will find support from several inspirational entrepreneurs who made the choice to life life on their own terms and have never looked back.

Ready to learn more about navigating through transition now? You are welcome to listen to my most recent teleclass. Click HERE to listen now.

It’s never too soon, nor too late to follow your passion!

As we celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving and explore our hearts to define gratitude, abundance and generosity…I share with you this beautiful video. Enjoy!

Big thanks to Shelley Irwin, hostess of  The Morning Show at WGVU – NPR for interviewing me this week. We discussed transition coaching strategies for people ready to reinvent themselves.

You are invited to Listen to our interview HERE.