Making Choices…

I love this quote by French author, Anais Nin…   “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” 

Perspective is everything, isn’t it?  

This past week, I hosted Dr. Steve Taubman, the “Master of Misperception.”  Steve is also an amazing speaker, best-selling author and results catalyst on my teleseminar that was entitled, “Dissolving The Invisible Barriers to Success.”  We had a fascinating conversation… which focused on how we all have invisible blockages that prevent us from reaching our highest potential.  But — when we create a state of awareness and learn how to recognize the voices within our head that are not our own — we can discover why we’re being blocked. .. and ultimately dissolve the blockages!

(I’d love to get Steve out here to the Chicago area.  If anyone is looking for a great speaker, I’d highly recommend Steve.  What he does onstage involving hypnosis is eye-opening.)

Steve is an outstanding example of someone who reinvented himself many times over.  Before becoming a keynote speaker, sales team trainer and author, he was one of the most sought after hypnotists by college and corporate markets, performing thoughout the U.S and the Caribbean.  Later, Steve graduated valedictorian from New York Chiropractic College and became a successful chiropractic physician.  He taught himself magic and then began performing at corporate events and resorts — while running his practice!!  When he realized that chiropractic wasn’t fulfilling anymore, Steve sold his practice and went on a spiritual quest for the answer.  You can find it in his book - “Unhypnosis:  How to Wake Up, Start Over and Create the Life You’re Meant To Live.”  (www.stevetaubman.com)

Having a teleseminar with Steve was a wonderful way for people to not only learn about Steve’s topic, but also a way to get to know Steve, the person.  We now have an audio clip of the program too. 

To listen to the replay, click this link: http://www.AttendThisEvent.com/?eventid=10934877.

As Steve reminded all of us, what is real?  Only the present.  That’s why it’s so important to live fully in the time we have.   Even when we’re faced with fear, Steve recommends embracing that emotion…. only by feeling the fear can we then learn to dissolve it.  As Steve says, “Everyone has a gift waiting to be discovered and unleashed.”

Dear Friends:

It’s hard to believe, but another year… a new decade has just rolled in front of our eyes — 2010.  Where did the time fly?

As part of my new year’s resolutions, I’ve been working on my inner growth.  Just as the bamboo plant must be watered for seven years before it finally sprouts up and becomes a glorious wonder, so too must I work on my inner self to grow.   It’s not always easy.  But consistency is the key. 

I’ve been re-listening to the wisdom of my esteemed teleseminarian teacher, Alex Mandossian (www.profitableteleseminars.com).  I admire Alex’s talent so much.  Alex reads and re-reads regularly, and even said that you need to re-read to get the most from each book.  Alex regularly quotes from the great sages, and I appreciate this quote by Aristotle…  ”We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, the, is not an act, but a habit.” 

That quote has been ruminating inside my mind for awhile.   To attain excellence, I’ve also been doing a fair share of reading.  I’ve especially enjoyed learning from some of today’s great leaders — Loral Langemeier (”The Millionaire Maker”), Esther  & Jerry Hicks (”Ask and It Is Given”), Karim Ismail (”Keep Any Promise”) and Steve Taubman (”Unhypnosis”), along with many “classics” like Napolean Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich” and Wallace Wattles’, “The Science Of Getting Rich.”

Repeating daily affirmations is also a great tip to help implant a positive mindset every day.  Happiness, as I’ve learned, is a choice.  We choose our thoughts, and that’s what becomes our emotional state. 

So, I’m going to keep focused on choosing positive thoughts.  ”Every day, in every way, I’m growing stronger… My life is filled with abundance…. I’m grateful for the blessings that fill my life.”  

Happy 2010!

Dear Friends:

In the spirit of gift giving that has become a part of the ritual of the Hanukkah festival of lights celebration, I offer you eight gifts that do not cost a cent.  I hope you will share this freely with all who are privileged to be a part of your lives. This simple checklist can help measure how you are nurturing your relationships. The author of these thoughts is unknown but deeply appreciated. 

The Gift of Listening
But you must really listen. Don’t interrupt, don’t daydream, don’t plan your response. Just listen.

The Gift of Affection
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

The Gift of Laughter
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”

The Gift of Solitude
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

The Gift of a Favor
Every day go out of your way to do something kind.

The Gift of a Written Note
It can be a simple “Thanks for the help” note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime.

The Gift of a Compliment
A simple and sincere, “You look great in red,” “You did a super job,” or “That was a wonderful meal” can make someone’s day.

The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone.

These are eight important ways we can contribute toward whole and healthy relationships. They cost nothing, yet they may well be the most valuable gifts we can ever offer another.

One more gift… if you’d like to get free marketing tips, feel free to add your name and email to the opt-in page on my website – www.parkaveproductions.com.

Wishing you a healthy, happy holiday season and new year!

Warmly,

Lynn Sanders,

Park Avenue Productions, Multimedia That Makes A Difference”

Thanksgiving is a special time of year.  A time to reflect on family, friends and all the blessings we have.   A time to freely express our gratitude. 

As I continue learning, we choose our thoughts.  Why not choose positive thoughts every day?

This time of year reminds me to choose to live consciously day…  remembering that we are all connected… and that G-d lives within each of us.  How can we reach out to someone in need and uplift someone else’s life?

In preparing for a presentation this week about Jewish holidays, I came across this story from the Chabad website.  I’d like to share it with you… it’s titled…

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“We Are All One”

In his latter years, the Rebbe would stand for hours every Sunday, as thousands of people, both Jew and non-Jew would stand in line to receive his blessing. The Rebbe would look each person intently straight in the eyes for an eternal moment, often smiling, sometimes answering a question or providing advice, always giving his blessing or answering “amen” to the person’s own request. Each person received from the Rebbe’s hand a dollar bill to be given to any worthy cause of his or her choice.

All agreed that the spectacle was entirely supernatural. As the line went on, the Rebbe became increasingly invigorated, as though he himself was receiving life from these people. When, after many hours, the line would finally dwindle away, the Rebbe would turn to his personal secretary and ask, “Is there no one else?”

It happened one day that an elderly woman waited in line, sitting upon a small chair which she moved ahead together with the line. When she finally arrived before the Rebbe, she could no longer contain herself. “Rebbe, I am younger than you!” she burst out. “And I only sat…and you stand here and greet each person… and just look at you!”

The Rebbe beamed and replied, “When you’re counting jewels you don’t get tired.”

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As November vanishes into December, let us recognize the jewels within each other.  Just as the glorious colors of autumn are so appreciated, we can also make time to appreciate those in our lives now… Thank you!

Do you ever wish you could turn back the hands of time?  Even for a few hours?  I do. 

It’s not easy dealing with everyday challenges.    But I’ve been learning from a pro in positive thinking.  His name is revered in the industry of public speaking – Zig Ziglar. As Zig says, “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.”  And he repeats, “You can have everything in life you want, if you help enough people get what they want.” Zig’s lifelong track record of speaking and writing about having a positive attitude has touched countless lives across the world.  I heard him speak many years ago at a convention, and was amazed by his energy, enthusiasm and wisdom.  In late March 2007, his life instantly changed.  He fell down a long flight of stairs in his home, seriously injured his head, and was unable to do the simplest things.  Suddenly, Zig was forced to “walk his talk.”  It must have been traumatic for everyone around him.  But all of Zig’s inner positive programming and his many friends kept his spirit strong. 

He just wrote a book, “Embrace The Struggle,” about his story.   The summary states, “Amazingly, Zig’s injury actually helped reenergize him as he continues speaking, writing and teaching others about the benefit of living with a positive attitude.” I happened to see Zig on stage this past year at a motivational seminar.  He walked up a short flight of stairs, holding onto the rail, with his son by his side.  They both sat down on chairs, while the son explained the new type of presentation.  “Even though dad sustained a serious head injury,” said his son, “he still wants to keep speaking.  My dad says it’s not over till it’s over.”  The son continued by explaining that Zig’s presentation would be different than the way he spoke before the accident.   

“We’re going to do this as an interview,” said his son, “because my dad has some memory loss.”  Afterwards, they would show video clips, a montage of Zig’s past talks. Even with hundreds of people in the audience, the room was perfectly still.  Everyone listened raptly.  Zig was still Zig… even though he wasn’t pacing across the stage.  The wisdom, humor and caring shone through. 

Zig still credited his wife as the “cute redhead” who had been his motivation through his life.  And when he reflected over each question, you could tell that the answers were deeply imbedded into his soul. His gift for sharing his positive attitude would stay with him forever.   

“Make your car into a university,” he urged the crowd.  “Spend the time in your car listening to tapes and learning,” said this teacher who was always learning himself.

Afterwards, we gave him a standing ovation.  We were clapping for Zig’s spirit.  His unstoppable attitude.  His faith and determination.   I admit that I sometimes want to turn back the clock.  I feel concerned about the obstacles.  But Zig shows us what’s possible.  I can choose to be positive and move forward.   Yes, Zig.  I can do it. 

Over the weekend, I just watched two wonderful, old-fashioned movies.  It was so delightful to slip into another world for a few hours.

The first movie – “Mrs. Pettigrew Lives For A Day” whisked me into London, on the verge of World War II, where a down and out governess slyly got a position as a “social secretary” for an aspiring actress.  

The other movie, “Becoming Jane” revealed the little-known story behind Jane Austen’s loving relationship during her youth with an up-and-coming future lawyer.  Unfortunately, this man’s future wife was already chosen by an uncle, so Jane didn’t have a chance to marry him… unless they eloped.  Besides, Jane’s bold, unladylike desire to have a writing career was not considered acceptable. 

In the past, women didn’t have many choices if they wanted to live well.  The only choice was – marry well.

So – why do I bring this topic up?  Because I’m mulling over how easy it is to slip into our predetermined limitations.   In “Mrs. Pettigrew,” no one of the elite upper class would

want to mingle with a lower class lady.  Mrs. Pettigrew has to keep her past secret, even though there are those who threaten her one day of incredible fun and glamour.  And dear Jane Austen must weigh society’s judgment against her vs. her own convictions to live life on her terms.

So – even though these historical films allow us to drift into another world, how do we choose to live differently today?

Fortunately, we are now blessed with choices… many choices.  But do we allow ourselves to take advantage of all that we can be?  Do we dare to move outside our prescribed “box” of limitations?  Can we push ourselves to risk becoming who we need to be? 

As one of my new mentors, Loral Langemeier advises, “First you act… then think and plan… “  Loral comments that most people think and plan so much that they never actually move themselves forward into action.  To simply leap into action can be daunting.  But how long can we straddle the fence between supposed “security” vs. a new adventure? 

As I keep learning, I realize more and more the importance of kind, encouraging friends and business coaches… people who cheer you on vs. those who prefer to negate your dreams.  As the saying goes, “We are the company we keep.” 

So – let us move forward through reading positive books, listening to inspiring tapes and seminars, and contemplating on our vision.  Let us attract what we want… instead of focusing on what we don’t want. 

  It’s all a choice.  And we’re lucky in today’s day and age that we have choices.  We can choose to live out loud… and follow our passion.  If we dare…     

Let’s focus on Y.O.U…. Who is inside that wonderful
frame?  How much are you capable of becoming?  What do you really want out of life?  Are you willing to go for it?

My good friend, Karim Ismail wrote a wonderful book,
“Keep Any Promise,” with worksheets and thought-provoking material based on the premise that we all
make promises to ourselves.  Do we keep them?

(Visit www.keepanypromise.com, and take the free life quiz to find out more.)  I have been “reading” the book, and now plan to work on the exercises.

I think most of us tend to think within our preconceived
“box” of limitations.  Call it the comfort zone. 
We believe we can do only what we’ve done before. 
But – who SAYS? 

If we keep thinking that way, we’ll never grow
beyond our perceptions.  And who knows what’s waiting
for us – if we’re only willing to dare?  It’s necessary
to mentally stretch outside our perceptions,
in order to become who we need to be.

So – how do we grow within? 
Everywhere we look, we can choose to get information. 
Sometimes, it’s too much… “information overload.” 
So much calls for our attention.  Where do we turn?

Perhaps, to begin properly, we need solitude.
We don’t have to climb a mountain in one day. 
Let’s take small steps together…

We begin by s-l-o-w-i-n-g down.  The early morning
offers a perfect time to do that.  You can use the
morning to learn something new, meditate or contemplate…  
Soak in the benefits of quiet.  Afterwards, that
calm feeling typically stays for most of the day.
 
Give yourself the treat of solitude.  The phone,
computer and emails can wait.  That time for you
is most important in feeding your soul.

To Your Success,
Lynn

Park Avenue Productions
www.parkaveproductions.com
“Multimedia That Makes A Difference”

P.S.  “Thoughts become things… choose the good ones.”
From Tut (Totally Unique Thoughts – visit www.tut.com)

The power of thought.

Most of us are so easily distracted by the outside world… the stuff.  The houses, cars, jewelry, clothes… you name it.

But when it counts, it’s really what’s inside that matters.  There is

a wonderful book, “The Science Of Getting Rich” by Wattles, which focuses on the power of thought to bring about whatever your dreams.  The key is belief.  It’s not easy to change our core of belief.  We’ve been living with our self-imposed limitations for a long time.

I’m reading Dr. Steve Taubman’s wonderful book, “Unhypnosis…How To Wake Up, Start Over, and Create The Life You’re Meant To Live.”  It’s an Amazon best-seller, and I’d highly recommend it.  (See:  www.unhypnosis.com or www.stevetaubman.com)

I’d like to share an excerpt with you…

 “One of my favorite lessons to share is that we are not trapped by our circumstances in life. We aren’t defined by job, family, current finances, or education. Whatever we are doing can be changed, and we can start over…now!

 Of course, it takes courage and vision: courage to step out past the familiar and risk failure, ridicule, and fear; vision to be able to first see ourselves in new circumstances of our own creation. Most of us have stopped using our God-given right to dream, to fantasize, to imagine. We stop before we start, and we rob ourselves of the wonder and awe of life’s adventure. Imagine if we dared to dream and take action on our dreams!”

Steve Taubman calls the process of realizing our potential — “unhypnosis,” because we’ve been hypnotized by our limited beliefs.

To change our outlook, we must work on “inner selling.” 

If you’re intrigued with this perspective, then I’d suggest taking action steps to be consciously aware of our pervasive thoughts.  You can state positive affirmations to yourself each morning.  Put up optimistic quotes by your desk.  Focus on counting blessings and visualizing positive outcomes.  Concentrate on what you want vs. what you lack.

It’s not easy… but it’s worthwhile.

The qualify of life is in our hands.  And we do have control over it.

Let’s get to the heart of marketing, shall we?

In this technical world, the big rage is mastering social media and 

e-marketing.  We’re now immersed in a new world of mastering placement on search engines and finding the right domain names.  We recognize the value of publicity and building our list. 

But there’s one essential that’s the foundation for EVERYTHING we do… finding the right words.  How do make your words work for you?  How do you write effectively to build your business?  There is a way to do that…

Great writing is what great marketing is all about.  Plain and simple.  (Actually, great writing is the foundation for almost anything.)

Copywriting can be simply factual – as in technical writing – or emotional.  Emotional writing is what I love to do.  Why?  Because writing with emotion creates a bond with your audience.  They feel like you understand them.  (And you do – because you’re putting yourself in their shoes.)  When you create that bond, you’re more likely to sell products or services, and ultimately attract more clients.

Let’s get down to the basics.  What are the most common buying emotions?

They are: greed, fear, flattery, guilt, exclusivity and redemption.  By reviewing the cause behind each emotion, you can learn to slant your copy towards them.  Let’s take a moment to study this list…

EMOTION  ……..  CAUSE …………   RESPONSE

Greed …………… Desire for more…..  Keeping up with neighbors

Fear…………       Lack of stability……..Need guarantee

Flattery…………. High ego…………….Desires compliments

Guilt……………..Lack of justification…..Need for reassurance

Exclusivity………Need to be the best…. Seeks new services

Anger……………Feels abused………….Wants justice

Redemption…….. Faces problems……….Needs the answer

When you decide on the emotional basis for your copy, make sure it relates to your target audience.  What do they desire?

Every person has a different communication style.  Your task is to offer your information in a way that touches the heart of your target audience.

That’s plenty of food for thought…  For now, take a look at your promotional copy.  Does it tie in with an emotion?  Does it relate to your target audience?  How does it make them feel?

To Your Success,

Lynn

Park Avenue Productions

“Multimedia That Makes A Difference”

www.parkaveproductions.com

Thoughts are so powerful.  When we realize we have so much power within us, it’s even more important to focus on how we can extend our loving influence to others.  After all, how can we make the most of our time on earth?

As Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said, “It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth — and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up — that we will begin to live each day to its fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”

I’m grateful to have learned from wonderful spirtually based teachers — both from books and from personal meetings and seminars.  Ultimately, it comes down to conscious living… where we recognize the oneness that we all share.

One such evolved person is Colin Tipping, author of Radical Forgiveness, whose goal is to achieve world peace by the year 2012.  (See:  www.radicalforgiveness.com)

Tipping says, “As you release the pain and self-destructive patterns that have kept you out of joy, stolen your life and blocked your abundance up to now, you will feel a profound feeling of inner peace and freedom.”  At his website, you can sign up for free teleseminars and learn more.

Another wonderfully aware human being is my friend, Bob Burg, bestselling author of “The Go Giver” and speaker.  (www.burg.com/blog)  In a recent blog, Burg talks about cultivating a habit of happiness.  Happiness doesn’t have to “happen” to you… it’s not external.  The emotional foundation to having happiness is by focusing on the attitude of gratitude. 

Burg says, “Your level of gratitude determines your level of happiness, as well as your potential for success.”

So… how can we get to a high level of gratitude?  I feel the answer lies in giving.  When we give, we receive. 

On Friday, July 3rd, I had the supreme privilege of getting a hug an Indian saint, Amma… known throughout the world as “Mother.”  Amma has given over 26 MILLION hugs, and her charitable work in raising millions or dollars has helped countless people across India.  To be in her presence…. to receive her hug… is to feel the utmost unconditional love.  (www.amma.org)

For this week, let us contemplate how we can turn our mind towards gratitude and love…  I find it helpful to spend some morning time in meditation and contemplation… like giving one’s mind a bath before plunging into the daily ups and downs of life.

What’s important to you?