5 Simple Mini-Retreats You Can Take Yourself On

June 9th, 2010

  

 Find Yourself, By Taking Time For Yourself

  “The myth is, when you focus on yourself you are being selfish.  The reality is, if you don’t know your true self and cultivate an ongoing relationship with her, you can’t truly be with or give to anyone else.”  Jennifer Louden, Author of The Woman’s Comfort Book

  “No Boys Allowed!”  I recall being 9 or 10, and creating a girls-only club with my best girlfriends.  We created our exclusive clubhouse out of sheets and dining-room chairs, and we hung our sign, No Boys Allowed!  Did we always know, even back then, how important it would be for us women to retreat?  And, what exactly does it mean to retreat?

  According to Jennifer Louden, in “The Women’s Retreat Book,”    “A woman’s retreat springs from and is guided by a woman’s inner knowing.”  Perhaps we did have this internal knowing when we were 9 that it was important for us, at least for a period of time, to shut ourselves off from the noise and distractions of our outer world.  So, if this is true, what is this woman’s innate guidance trying to tell us?  Louden goes on to say, “A woman’s retreat is about stepping out of your ordinary existence to listen to and attune to your truest, most authentic self.  It is about being self-referenced to become self-restored.”  Somehow I know that I did always know that particular truth.  And that is the reason I have been doing mini-retreats with girlfriends and clients my entire life.   Read the rest of this entry »

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Your Passion Is As Close As Your Very Own Breath

May 12th, 2010

  

   

What Stands In The Way Of The Personal And Business Success That You Want?

   Have you ever felt like you are working so hard, doing everything you know to do, and still feel like you aren’t achieving the level of success you know is possible for you?  Have you felt exhaustion and frustration because you know there is more for you to do, be and have but don’t know what else you can possible do to make it happen for you?

  When I ask my audiences in my public presentations, “How many of you have reached the personal level of success you would like to have?” very few raise their hand.  So, what is it that blocks us from being all that that we can be?

  The women who come to me are on their own journey of self-discovery.  They tell me they wake up in the morning with a yearning, wanting something more for themselves, but don’t know how to tap into it.  They’ve tried fulfilling that yearning by getting yet another credential, moving up on the corporate ladder, reading spiritual and self-help books and attending workshops and yet nothing has filled that quiet, yet intense call deep within their heart. Read the rest of this entry »

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Looking For Me In All The Wrong Places

May 5th, 2010

 

 You are unique in this Universe.  There is only one of you, and you have a special place and purpose in this world to fulfill which no one else can.  This purpose is already within you.  It has been with you since before the day you were born, and will be with you until the day you leave this earth.

 Do you know what your unique purpose is?  Have you discovered what it is that is so special about you that no one else possesses the same gifts, strengths and passions that you possess?  Do you have a knowing, deep within your heart, that you are here to serve in a bigger way?

 Henry David Thoreau said:  “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”  Of course, that quote was written in 1854.  Today, I’d be willing to rephrase it and say that “Most people lead lives of quiet desperation.”  And, according to Dr. Sherry Buffington, author of the book, “The Law of Abundance,” as many as 84% of the people she did her studies and research with were unable to articulate what gave their life meaning, or what they were passionate about.  Dr. Buffington also comments that, “almost everyone reported a strong desire to have meaning and passion in their life.” Read the rest of this entry »

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5 Simple Steps to Tune into Your Divine Purpose

April 21st, 2010

 

 What Is Your Divine Purpose?

  We all have a creative genius within us, and this genius presents itself only when we are living in alignment with our divine purpose.

  Let me ask you this, have you ever felt like there is a part of you that has not yet been tapped into?  Do you feel like you are living a comfortable life, yet still looking for that thing that really makes your heart sing?  Have you found yourself continually searching for that part of you that is special, unique and absolutely brilliant?

  I have a confession, I remember thinking, since I was 9 years old, that something very special was going to happen for me.  And while many wonderful things have happened, I always was searching and waiting for that one really magical thing that would call forth my divine purpose.  What I learned, after 40+ years of waiting for and searching for that magic, was that it was within me all along.  I just needed the right opportunity to discover that. 

  Fortunately, I discovered the CORE MAP process which completely opened up my entire life to new dimensions, opportunities, and levels of effectiveness.  Since then I have been working closely with other women who were also on the verge of breaking through the monotony of life as it was, and unearthing their true divine purpose and live it fully!

  When we are fully aligned with our purpose, and the life we were born to live, we find helpful people and seemingly “magical” or coincidental opportunities coming forward which gently lead the way.  This is the experience of being in the flow, and life becomes much more effortless, joyful and meaningful.

 

Here 5 simple steps to help you tune in to your own divine purpose:

1.         Brainstorm, and write down everything you really love to do.  Once you have completed the list, go back and number each entry in the order of which appeals to you the most.

            Tip:  Think of the times in the past when you were at your absolute best!  When time just passed, and everything felt as though it were going your way.

2.        Read over your list, and put it away for a day or two.  Make an appointment with yourself when you have some quiet time, and take out your list and begin adding to it.

            Tip:  Make sure you are including only those things that make you feel really joyful.  Sometimes we are extraordinarily good at some things, yet they do not make us joyful.  These are the things that we have learned, or may have been conditioned to do well, but are not part of our life’s purpose.

3.     After you have dug really deep within, and recognize what it is that truly makes your heart sing versus those things you typically spend your day-to-day life doing, go back and re-number the entries.  Make sure what makes you feel most joyful and purposeful is number 1 on your list.  

            Tip:  It may surprise you to discover that the order may differ from the original order you assigned a day or two ago.

4.         Select the top ten entries on your list.  Now, make a list of what each of these top ten has in common.  With this in mind, what occurs to you that may be a clue to uncovering your divine purpose?  

            Tip:  Don’t limit yourself to just one idea.  Play with this over a period of time.

5.         Once you have uncovered some of the clues to what may be most important to you, immediately begin taking steps to bringing more of those joyful, meaningful experiences into your life.  For example, you may have discovered that many of your top ten entries related to travel.  You might begin bringing more of that into your life by subscribing to a travel magazine, or planning your next trip to an exotic destination.

            Tip:  Pay close attention to what energizes you the most.  Again, this may not be the same as what you have been doing most of your life that you are really good         at. But that’s okay, you’ve just added a whole new dimension to your day-to-day life that brings you closer to living the life you were meant to live.

 

  When you are on the track of your divine purpose, everything you do in pursuit of it will inspire and energize you.  You will begin to call in the people and opportunities that will continue to show you the next steps and open up doors which you hadn’t even known existed for you.  When you are not living in alignment with your divine purpose, you are not in the flow, and life feels like a struggle and drains your energy.  Continue to pay attention to how you feel when you are going through your daily activities.  If it feels joyful and easily flows, you are on the right path.  This is the path of living your divine purpose and when your true creative genius shines through!

To your joyful and inspired success~

Namaste,

~Laurie

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3 Insights to Manifesting the Success You Want in Your Business~

March 31st, 2010

 

Being clear about who you are, what you do, and the benefits of working with you, will dramatically affect your ability to attract and connect with more of your ideal clients and manifesting the success you want. 

That sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?  Why, then do so many entrepreneurs struggle to attract clients?  Most often it is not because there is anything wrong with what you do, or how you do it, but the problem lies in being able to clearly define and communicate your authentic message in a way that really connects with your ideal clients.

Here’s an important understanding:  You know you have a unique gift that no one else has, and you know that you can help others.  It is your mission to identify your gift, do it to the very best of your ability, and create your compelling branding and marketing message that is authentic to you and attracts clients who want what you offer. Read the rest of this entry »

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3 Key Ingredients to the Secret Sauce of Marketing

March 25th, 2010

    

1. Refine and Narrow Your Niche

   Narrowing down your ideal clients and understanding what their specific needs and challenges are will allow you to consistently put out a focused and clear message.  If your attempt is to market to too wide of an audience, your message gets lost because it is vague and without focus and direction.  You want your ideal client to say “Yes that is me, I need that!” when they see or hear your message.

  Every successful business knows the answer to these questions:  Who are my customers?  How will they know I am here?  Why do they want to buy from me?  How can I reach more people like them?  Clearly and concisely answer these questions, and you have the first key ingredient for success.  

  The answer to these questions should influence every the design of each of your products and services.  The answer to these questions will influence your pricing, where you put your message out (distribution) and will be the catalyst to crafting the right communication that speaks directly to your perfect niche.

- “She who chases two rabbits catches none.” – Chinese proverb Read the rest of this entry »

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Setting Yourself Apart in a Crowded Business Market

March 17th, 2010

 

The Importance of Being Unique In Business

In last week’s article “What is the Marketing Hook in your Business?” I talked about the importance of having that attention-grabbing message in your website or sales copy that makes someone stop in their tracks and notice you.

Did you implement that concept in your business?  If so, then congratulations!  You a are obviously a person who takes action.

So what’s next?  You’ve got their attention, now what? Read the rest of this entry »

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What Is The “Marketing Hook” In Your Business?

March 10th, 2010

 

 Get More Clients With An Effective “Marketing Hook”

  Everywhere you look today you are exposed to one form of marketing message or another. It might be on a billboard, in a magazine or on the internet and no matter what media you are engaged in at that moment, the message is basically the same; “buy our product or use our service.”

  Marketing experts understand that they have just a few seconds to capture their target or ideal audience or their message will be a failure. They have just a few seconds to grab your attention and arouse your curiosity to know more of what they are offering or you will move on to something or someone else. Have you ever surfed the web and gone through countless of web pages without any interest and then one page just popped out and grabbed you, causing you to read more? Have you ever zipped through the channels on your television and found yourself stopping on an infomercial even though it was not your intention? You had no plans on buying anything and you know that they are just trying to sell you something and yet something they said or something they showed you, made you stop and say,”Hey, wait a minute. What’s this?” 

 This is what business marketers refer to as the “hook.” Read the rest of this entry »

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3 Key Drivers to a Strong and Memorable Brand Image

February 17th, 2010

Let me get this straight; you show me ferns and you tell me you want to manage my finances?

Most entrepreneurs start a business based on a passion, a talent or a skill they have. They believe they have something that others can benefit from and will buy from them. The mistake most entrepreneurs make is to set up shop and go directly to the sales process, giving little or no thought to the most important piece of the business – marketing.

  Let’s face it, without marketing, your business has little chance of succeeding. You may start getting clients to work with, but eventually, you will find yourself struggling to find clients who want to buy what you have, and burn yourself out.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Is Your Business a Wallflower or a Rock Star?

February 10th, 2010

3 Things to ask yourself to make sure you are delivering a compelling message so that you can attract your ideal clients and accelerate your business success!

  Think of your business as a person. What if your business had a face, a personality, a particular look, a feel; what if when potential clients thought of your business, they got a sense of how it thinks and what it believes in, just like a person? Guess what!?! Your business is just like a person and does have all of these things. Your business has its own personality.

  Some people are considered wallflowers. They hang back, are quiet and do not draw attention. In fact, others barely know they’re there!

 

  If your business is like a wallflower, it probably isn’t drawing much attention, either. In fact, as the business owner, you may feel like your working just as hard as all the other businesses, maybe even harder, but you still aren’t drawing the clients and income you’d like.

 

  On the other hand, some people have the personality of a rock star! These people have no problem letting others know who they are, what they do and why they exist! If your business is like a rock star, you probably have all the clients you can possibly handle, and are busy creating more programs and products just to keep up with the demand! Lucky you!

Read the rest of this entry »

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