A lot has happened since I last wrote. I now have over 300 people in my group - actually close to 350. Every day I find new people who want to learn how to feel better/lose weight/have more energy/make more money (any or all of the above).
And after losing my weight - and keeping it off for 2 1/2 years - with virtually no exercise in my life, I've also started walking (lots of walking, with my iPod keeping a steady beat) and twice-weekly Pilates. And, reader, I am beginning to see the faintest outlines of...abdominal muscles. Very exciting for me. I mean, I always knew I had them - my guts would have fallen out otherwise - but I've never in my life seen 'em.
Helping others, helping myself. It's a great life. Wishing you the same.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Great day
I had a great day today. If you were to look at my day from afar - say, from Google Earth - you might think that not much of my energy went into my business here. But you would be wrong.
First stop this morning was the local elementary school, where the 2nd grader I tutor every week - the same young man who looked at me a few months ago and stated, "I'm the dumbest kid in my class" - that young man looked at me today and said, "I got 100 on my spelling test on Monday!" That's an accomplishment that can't be measured in dollars and cents. So what did it have to do with my business? The energy from his sense of accomplishment gave me a sense of accomplishment and I left there walking on air.
I took that sense of accomplishment down to the train station and all the way into New York City, where I auditioned for an acting role. These things are always subjective - and it may well be that they'll think I'm too young for the part (always preferable to "too old") - but the only measure that counts is the measure of how I felt about it. And I left there knowing that whatever the outcome, I did the best job I could possibly do. "Sense of accomplishment" growing exponentially.
Came home and enjoyed a coaching session with my new coach. Time well spent - lots of insights per square mile. Sense of accomplishment by now is barely containable.
And THEN I got on the phone. Not surprisingly, my sense of accomplishment and I made some really good connections - and we have several follow-up appointments scheduled.
Two morals to this story: 1) It's ALL about the work. 2) The work is the last thing it's about.
The way I live my life has a direct effect on how well I'm able to connect with people, so everything filters into that. But it's the living of the life that's the primary concern - not the do-do-doingness I usually mistake for productivity.
Maybe writing all of this down will help me remember - and act on - it. Maybe it'll also help you. Let me know.
First stop this morning was the local elementary school, where the 2nd grader I tutor every week - the same young man who looked at me a few months ago and stated, "I'm the dumbest kid in my class" - that young man looked at me today and said, "I got 100 on my spelling test on Monday!" That's an accomplishment that can't be measured in dollars and cents. So what did it have to do with my business? The energy from his sense of accomplishment gave me a sense of accomplishment and I left there walking on air.
I took that sense of accomplishment down to the train station and all the way into New York City, where I auditioned for an acting role. These things are always subjective - and it may well be that they'll think I'm too young for the part (always preferable to "too old") - but the only measure that counts is the measure of how I felt about it. And I left there knowing that whatever the outcome, I did the best job I could possibly do. "Sense of accomplishment" growing exponentially.
Came home and enjoyed a coaching session with my new coach. Time well spent - lots of insights per square mile. Sense of accomplishment by now is barely containable.
And THEN I got on the phone. Not surprisingly, my sense of accomplishment and I made some really good connections - and we have several follow-up appointments scheduled.
Two morals to this story: 1) It's ALL about the work. 2) The work is the last thing it's about.
The way I live my life has a direct effect on how well I'm able to connect with people, so everything filters into that. But it's the living of the life that's the primary concern - not the do-do-doingness I usually mistake for productivity.
Maybe writing all of this down will help me remember - and act on - it. Maybe it'll also help you. Let me know.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
"Allowing"
I was going to write "2009 is going to be a breakthrough year for me." But it already is.
So here's today's breakthrough, courtesy of Jerry Myers, a gentleman I've been fortunate enough to have a few coaching sessions with. He asked me what I was planning to do when we got off the phone and I muttered something like, "I've got to make some phone calls." And he rephrased that for me:
So here's today's breakthrough, courtesy of Jerry Myers, a gentleman I've been fortunate enough to have a few coaching sessions with. He asked me what I was planning to do when we got off the phone and I muttered something like, "I've got to make some phone calls." And he rephrased that for me:
I am allowing myself permission to connect with fabulous people I will be collaborating with to create health, wealth, and well-being for us all.I don't know about you, but I can't wait to start dialing!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wow!
What a journey I've been on this year. Scroll down this blog and you can see some of my progress in the last nine months. It's really remarkable to reflect on where I've been - and astounding to think about how much more I can accomplish in 2009.
This evening, I will be sitting down with my notebook, a favorite pen, and a beautiful candle. After listing my top 25 accomplishments of 2008, I plan to read each one aloud three times. When the sound of the last one has faded, I'll blow out the candle, grab a red pen, and immediately write down 10 goals for 2009.
Everywhere you turn these days, people are promising to help you make 2009 "the best year ever." I'm not aiming for that. For me - and for my team - 2009 will be the best year YET.
Happy holidays everyone.
This evening, I will be sitting down with my notebook, a favorite pen, and a beautiful candle. After listing my top 25 accomplishments of 2008, I plan to read each one aloud three times. When the sound of the last one has faded, I'll blow out the candle, grab a red pen, and immediately write down 10 goals for 2009.
Everywhere you turn these days, people are promising to help you make 2009 "the best year ever." I'm not aiming for that. For me - and for my team - 2009 will be the best year YET.
Happy holidays everyone.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Yes, I'm positive.
I've been working on gratitude. Every day, as soon as I'm awake enough to know I'm not asleep, I start thinking about things I'm grateful for. When I take a walk or have a moment between tasks, I'll fill the time by saying what I'm grateful for. Mostly I'm grateful that I've learned to be grateful - especially in these wacky times we're living in, it helps me to stay centered in my life, reminds me that here, in Elaine-Land, everything is just fine. Perfect, even. Awesome.
I guess it's been working pretty well, because yesterday I was rendered momentarily speechless when an interviewer asked me, "What do you hate about [the subject we were discussing]?"
What do I hate? It was like I'd forgotten what the word meant. And that was a pretty amazing thing to realize. Still, I had to answer the question...but it took me a good minute to come up with something. And in the end, it wasn't really something I hate, more like something that I allow to annoy me from time to time.
Still, it was a good experience for me. I learned that I really have internalized this gratitude thing. Yes, I'm positive.
I guess it's been working pretty well, because yesterday I was rendered momentarily speechless when an interviewer asked me, "What do you hate about [the subject we were discussing]?"
What do I hate? It was like I'd forgotten what the word meant. And that was a pretty amazing thing to realize. Still, I had to answer the question...but it took me a good minute to come up with something. And in the end, it wasn't really something I hate, more like something that I allow to annoy me from time to time.
Still, it was a good experience for me. I learned that I really have internalized this gratitude thing. Yes, I'm positive.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Law & Order
So I've been studying Law. Well, one law in particular - the Law of Attraction. And a couple of days ago, one of my team members said that she decided to test it by attracting a bouquet of flowers to herself. So I thought, "Okay, I can do something like that."
I didn't want to risk flowers - too many of them make me sneeze - but there was something I wanted...and didn't see how I could get. I wanted highlights in my hair, but I didn't have the budget for them. Haircut, check; regular color, check. And in fact I was on my way to the hairdresser to get those things done. But in this wacky economy, the highlights would just have to wait another month or so. Unless I could attract them.
So I placed my Order. And went to the hairdresser...who messed up my color big-time. Way too bright. He threw some goop on it that toned down the neon and I went home semi-satisfied. But the next morning I realized, no I couldn't live with it. I called him and he said, no problem - he would fix it.
He squeezed me in past his regular closing time tonight, put more of the goop on my hair and...no, still too red. "Highlights, you need," he said. (He's German, so he speaks like a character from NYPD Blue - always the verb on the end of the sentence he puts.)
Highlights I needed. Highlights I got. And when he was done, he hugged me and helped me on with my coat. And they were free. Free. Free! Thanks to the Order I placed with the Law.
Can't wait to see what I get next!
I didn't want to risk flowers - too many of them make me sneeze - but there was something I wanted...and didn't see how I could get. I wanted highlights in my hair, but I didn't have the budget for them. Haircut, check; regular color, check. And in fact I was on my way to the hairdresser to get those things done. But in this wacky economy, the highlights would just have to wait another month or so. Unless I could attract them.
So I placed my Order. And went to the hairdresser...who messed up my color big-time. Way too bright. He threw some goop on it that toned down the neon and I went home semi-satisfied. But the next morning I realized, no I couldn't live with it. I called him and he said, no problem - he would fix it.
He squeezed me in past his regular closing time tonight, put more of the goop on my hair and...no, still too red. "Highlights, you need," he said. (He's German, so he speaks like a character from NYPD Blue - always the verb on the end of the sentence he puts.)
Highlights I needed. Highlights I got. And when he was done, he hugged me and helped me on with my coat. And they were free. Free. Free! Thanks to the Order I placed with the Law.
Can't wait to see what I get next!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
"If you want to change your life..."
It was a weekend of learning for me, and perhaps even a few breakthroughs; time will tell. All-day seminars on Saturday (two of my favorite marketing gurus) and Sunday (the inspiring people who lead the company I work with) left me equally exhausted and exhilarated.
And when I woke up Monday morning, I realized that out of all the things I heard in all those hours of sitting in hotel catering chairs, perhaps the most profound was one very simple sentence:
And when I woke up Monday morning, I realized that out of all the things I heard in all those hours of sitting in hotel catering chairs, perhaps the most profound was one very simple sentence:
"If you want to change your life, you have to change your life."
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