Making Choices…

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?

I just finished writing this press release for Westside Health Authority, a community-based non-profit on Chicago’s west side, and the topic is so compelling that I wanted to share it with you. 

Perhaps you can pass it or help them out…

  PEOPLE’S RALLY ON JULY 14^TH

LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND

RIGHTS FOR AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS…“WHY NOT OUR CHILDREN?” Chicago, IL. (July 1, 2009)… Since 2004, Chicago’s largest school district — the Austin community — has faced injustice by having no public high school to accommodate all its students.  Meanwhile, the site of the former Brach candy company, the only lot in Austin with sufficient space for a state-of-the-art high school — sits empty.  Austin also has the largest gap in the city between the number of seats available in high-performing schools and the number of students who need them.  To draw attention to this travesty, the Westside Health Authority (WHA), Every Block A Village (EBV) and the Austin Community Education Network (ACEN) are leading a protest march, “The People’s Rally” on Tuesday, July 14^th, at 5:30 p.m. from 4800 W. Chicago Avenue to 401 N. Cicero Avenue (Brach site). 

Despite recognition by Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education and prior CEO of Chicago Public Schools that “Austin has a huge unmet need for a high school,” the city’s redevelopment funds from TIF (tax increment funding) were primarily been spent on South Side schools.  Each year, about 1200 Austin youth need a high school to attend.  

Currently, the makeshift solution of adapting a few middle schools into a high school has been inadequate.  The local charter and private schools can only manage a small number of students.  As a result, about six hundred students each year – for a total of about 2400 STUDENTS are faced with challenges in attending school outside their district.  The problems of gang violence, bus fares, drugs and spiraling drop-out rates might be reduced with a renewed focus on providing Austin with a proper, state-of-the-art high school.  Chicago Police Department statistics rank Austin as #1 in overall crime.

“The sign of a healthy community can be measured by the quality of its schools,” says Jacqueline Reed, Westside Health Authority’s CEO/Founder. 

Virgil Crawford, Community Organizer from WHA and ACEN adds, “Other communities provide a good education for their high school students.  Why not our children?”

Community members, parents, students, clergymen and community advocates will be given a platform on July 14^th to express their concerns to local officials.  For more information about the rally, contact Chanel Glover (WHA), 773-287-6086.

#####

Everyday we’re faced with choices. 

Besides working to fulfill our basic needs, we also choose our attitude.  How will we handle the ups and downs that will inevitably happen?  Are we prepared?  What perspective do we choose?

Our attitude is ultimately up to us.  I find when I make time in the morning to repeat positive affirmations, the day seems to flow more smoothly.  I like this one from T. Harv Eker, “I deserve to be rich because I add value to other people’s lives.”

Do most people recognize their own value?  I still struggle with that issue myself.  Sometimes, the idea of filling this blank space with the “exact right words” can be paralyzing.  What is good “enough?”  After a publisher’s polite rejection of a manuscript, the emotional tendency is to recoil with doubt. 

What can one do to ride on the wave of positive thinking?   How do we continue focusing on a positive attitude, when we begin sliding down into critical thinking?   Any ideas?

My friend, Randy Sandknop, has a coaching business that helps people “practice happiness.”  You’d never imagine the power behind practicing happiness, but it really can make a difference in your life.  Check out:  www.practicehappiness.com.   

A little positive affirmation can go a loooong way….

How would YOU feel if your deaf child was given the miracle of sound through cochlear implants, but then couldn’t hear the teacher or other students because of acoustical issues in the classroom?

 Nicole Hubert, a 6th-grader in Naperville, has been contending with acoustic problems in schools for most of her life.  It has caused many problems — both socially and academically — but she isn’t sitting back and doing nothing.

 Thanks to the inspiring encouragement by her dad, Greg, Nicole and her father spoke out on Capitol Hill today, along with an organization called ASHA (American Speech & Hearing Association).  Their objective is to have the nation’s public schools become sensitive to poor classroom acoustics. 

(I’d compare this issue to our country’s slow decision to finally install ramps in public places, so those who are disabled are allowed to enter.)

I wrote a press release and distributed it to many media people.   The news is JUST starting to come out.  Check out the latest story about Nicole Hubert from the Daily Herald.

Just returned from a FABULOUS seminar in Orlando, “Extreme Business Makeovers!” 

A BIG THANKS go out to Thom Scott and Bob Burg who created this heart-warming business extravaganza.

What a terrific weekend program.  Burg-Scott Communications, Inc.  brought together a group of  national leaders, who gave insights on how to grow your business more effectively.  (See:  www.extremebusinessmakeovers.com)

 To quote from their website –

“Three national bestselling authors, a branding expert who was responsible for launching Dr. Phil and a marketer so skilled in using online tools that his viral marketing pieces have received over 60 MILLION views, and more … Do you think that there is something you can learn from these people?”

Besides the depth of information that we all received over 2 1/2 days, an expert team was chosen, based on these three things:

• They must have RESULTS that demonstrate their true expertise in their field
• They must be entrepreneurs - successfully dealing with their own businesses
• They must have the heart to give more value than they receive in payment ‘

And BOY — was there a lot of “heart” in that convention space.  So many delightful people. 

The power of twitter suddenly became apparent to  me.  Many people around the room were “tweeting”  (sending messages) throughout the program.  Then, we heard from the Mayor of Twitter himself — Scott Stratten, known at twitter as “unmarketing.” 

I realized that this is a whole new world that I’ve been totally unaware of… a way to reach lots of new people in only 140 characters per message.  I’m sure there are many others like me who just aren’t aware of its power.

And yes — it can be quite addictive.  Like the thrill of opening up the mailbox and getting a letter in the mail.  You just want to keep checking to see if someone wrote a note or “re-tweeted” you… 

This has DEFINITELY got to be top priority on my marketing tips.  You can subscribe on my website — www.parkaveproductions.com,  or at the free tips” section on this blog.

My tweet name (created before all this knowledge was just presented to me) is lynnb0608.  The question is… can I change it now to something more memorable?   Or will I lose all my followers by doing that?