Thank you…

Up early this morning, being creative, writing, thinking and I thought that I would share my gratitude for an amazing year of transformation, revelation, discovery and sweetness. Thank you is one of my favorite phrases both to give and to receive. Funny how much pleasure can come from this and all at once how it can be discounted and dismissed as if the formality of its use has run its course. Thank you for me is like opening a present, especially when it comes in the form of a handwritten note.

I appreciate being appreciated. I think that most of us do.

Then I have to ask why is this simple gesture so often over-looked? Sure we remember when we want to make a good impression. We remember when we are after something we really want.  Why then do we forget to say thank you when it matters most? When the thought or act of kindness or the gesture or share was meaningful. When the listening or advice meant so much to us at the time. We forget. Yet awkwardly admit we love to hear it, receive it, open the card when it comes with excitement. Because feeling appreciated means to us; it was worth the effort to go out of our way, to take the extra step, to be thoughtful in return, to acknowledge, to notice…to be present to another divine being having a human experience and know that we are all connected.

This week I received a thank you video card, it was as good an experience for me as opening that handwritten note.  I could see and hear the person acknowledging my effort, my work, my words of wisdom and she wanted me to know how much she appreciated my effort. How very cool is that? “I thought”.  So much so that I watched it twice. Then I showed it to my boyfriend and emailed to another friend, commenting on how cool the technology was that allowed her to do that and how nice it was to for me receive it.

Thank you will always be one of my favorite phrases. While it may be a courtesy, I recognize too that for some of us it is simply fuel to do more, be more, stretch and grow, show up and share and to be great, greater or the best version of ourselves at the time.

Today, I want to take the time to say Thank you.  To all of you without whom I could not do what it is I do.

I say thank you so much from the very bottom of my heart and with gratitude.

In  Service.

Welcome

I am so excited to have this new format to share articles, videos, and audio recordings to serve as inspiration, a way to rekindle your motivation and obtain educational content. Whether you are a one man or  one woman company or owner of a medium sized business, it is my belief that a business built on the intention to serve,  will always have sustainable growth and breakthroughs.  Please feel free to sign up for my weekly audio or E-updates. I am so glad you are here. Isn’t it time you investigate your dreams? Finding something that you do, that you would do it for free if you could is the most rewarding work. Especially  if it is combined with being in service to others. The time has come for you to dream,  to create and  to prosper. Thank you for joining me.

It’s Not What You Say, It’s What they hear…

It is time to take inventory of the tools and marketing concepts you are using and distinguish those that will equip you to be successful in any marketplace. For clients today most often it’s not what you say, it’s what they hear.  So many industries and marketplaces are in transition and often times our clients are trying to capture as much as they can for as little money possible.

So how do we ensure that our clients are hearing what it is that we are saying? It all starts by listening. How well do you listen? Listening for me is the most valued and also the most underrated sales skill. It is for some folks a natural instinct and for others a skill that must be developed over time. The secret to listening, is to listen  for what it is they are saying to you, and then listening past that. What is the context of what they are sharing? What is the tone in their voice? What is it they are not saying? How are they positioned, body posture or  facial expressions? If you are talking to them over the phone, you really have to raise your awareness since you don’t have the physical cues to lead you to listening at a deeper level. So language becomes the key to unlock what it is they are trying to communicate and the means by which mutual understanding can be reached.

There are so many things that can get in the way of listening. Distractions can be very subtle and not so,  things like emails, phones ringing, texting, familiar and unfamiliar sounds, and lastly the often listened to little voice or voices in your head.  Heck with all that going on, no wonder people have a hard time communicating, let alone adding in emotion, judgements and stories we are stuck in. We as human beings are meaning making machines. We add meaning to everything, it is our nature at our core, it is how we make meaning of the world and develop our interpretation of it.  It safe to say with all this going on, we are only present for seconds in a conversation at best.

Practice makes perfect here, getting centered, setting a clear positive intention to hear, to understand and then be understood. Recognize that we all are uniquely equipped and have the resources  to resolve our listening issues as they arise and in the end we are all doing the very best we know how at the time.  If you want to be heard, you also have to be willing to listen first and foremost.

Are You Willing to Tell the Microscopic Truth?

Ok, so it is time to get honest with yourself.  Are you willing to tell the Microscopic Truth about what is happening in your practice day-to-day? Forget about your goals for a minute, and concentrate on getting really honest with your present situation. The truth about any situation is not what you want it to be. It isn’t what it should be. (more…)