Inspiring Success Blog

In my last blog post I shared with you the first three of five principles for being at the Leading Edge: Meditation, an Appreciation Journal, and a Celebration Log. Here are the final two principles to apply to put yourself at the Leading Edge of your life and business!

The Leading Edge is the name I give to the main set of tools (practices, ways of thinking, etc.) I teach ALL my clients that place them, and you, at the Leading Edge in life. These practices allow you to attract more business, more money, the right people who are in resonance with you, and to have many more good things come your way. There is magic afoot when you take the time to invest in yourself in this way. These practices truly are the secret behind the enormous success I have had the privilege to experience over the past two decades!

There are 5 Key Practices I have identified that create the perfect environment for you to “Be in the Zone!” Since each item is weighty and requires the utmost of focus and attention, I am breaking the set into a two part series. The first three principles are below. I hope you will work on incorporating these into your life, so that by the time you receive the final pieces – in my next newsletter – you are ready to pull them all together and change your life for the better!

The First Key Principle is Meditation

I know what you might be thinking: “I am NOT a meditator.” “I just can’t sit still.” “I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work.” “I don’t have the time.” Or perhaps, What does meditation have to do with attracting success??” But I will help you understand why meditation is such an important part of my system of producing results – of any kind.

Meditation aligns you with Source Energy/Universal Energy/The Eternal/God…whatever word you feel comfortable to use.

Meditation connects you with your inner guidance, wisdom and clarity. It releases resistance and creates an environment that calls forth the results you desire to produce.

It allows you to focus on your priorities and (whatever you focus upon expands), keeps you centered and helps you stay above the fray. In other words meditation helps you maintain your focus, presence and self-alignment in the face of daily dramas and worldly obstacles that can be SO distracting. With consistent meditation, you will not be so put off by those temporary upsets. Meditation puts you in the zone!

The 2nd Key Principle: Keeping an Appreciation Journal

Whatever you appreciate, appreciates. Meaning, appreciation actually energizes those things for which you are grateful. And again, whatever you focus upon expands – a fundamental principle of the Law of Attraction. The definition of appreciation is, to increase in value. When you appreciate you are multiplying energy and allowing for more results. It is also a powerful way to change your state to a more positive one. So the action to take here is to appreciate all the money you receive, all the money you have – everything. The money in your checkbook, bank accounts, investments - everything. Ask yourself: are you focusing upon your lack or your abundance?

The 3rd Key Principle: Keeping a Celebration Log

I call it a celebration log because it is a place for you to record and celebrate the results you are producing as you progress toward your goals. A lot of people wait to celebrate when they “get there” but the secret is to celebrate as often as possible along the journey, not just at the end. Capturing your successes on a daily basis will train your mind to be a scanner for what is working in your life vs. what is not. Celebrating your accomplishments from a Neuro-Linguistic Programming perspective lights up your neurology and your neurology does not know the difference between a little success and a big success.

Remember, whatever you focus upon expands, so acknowledging your successes attracts even more success…and money. This practice will also work to quickly shift you from any negative state in which you find yourself.

I want to take a moment here to mention that creating success requires discipline, it doesn’t just happen. You have to time block the principles I have talked about in your calendar. You must make them a priority!  You also want to make sure you stay in balance by nurturing yourself with activities that energize and make you happy. Spending time in nature, exercising, getting good nutrition, drinking lots of water, and stretching during the day, are just some of the activities I recommend to keep you refreshed and creative in your business and personal life.

I sincerely wish for you to take these principles to heart, with an open mind, and begin working to build them into your life. My next newsletter will offer you the final two, which you can also incorporate consistently to increase your overall success.

In a previous blog post, I spoke about how standing behind the value of your work and commanding the fees you deserve empowers you and your clients. In a subsequent issue, we then looked at your relationship with money and saw how this correlates directly to your own self worth, by examining the four “Money Mirror Types”:the unconscious, or shadowed, set of beliefs we hold about money and ourselves that drive our behaviors.

Now – we’ll examine the positive side of each Money Mirror Type: the corresponding breakthrough beliefs and actions.

The first Money Mirror Type is “Boundaries”:

Also known as the “Pushover”, we established that the Shadow Belief for this type is “The other person getting what he or she wants is more important than what I want or need.” This shadow belief is fueled by the emotional undercurrent of rejection.

The Breakthrough Belief for this type is: “I don’t have the right to decide for someone else. Only THEY can decide for themselves.”

Breakthrough Actions:

Clients secretly respect people with great boundaries, so if asked for a discount remember that saying “No” empowers your clients to achieve better results – as their respect for you is reinforced.

List your package rates and fees in writing so that you can refer back to this when talking with prospective clients, and use it to help you hold firm to established prices.

The Second Money Mirror Type is “Courage”:

Otherwise known as the “Procrastinator”, the Shadow Belief at work with this type is, “Who I am isn’t special or significant.” This belief is driven by an emotional undercurrent of fear.

The Breakthrough Belief for the Courage Money Mirror Type is, “God created me to stand tall, as a tall poppy in the field”.

Breakthrough Actions:

Commit to raising your fees so they are between the medium and high end of your market. Keeping your fees low actually draws negative attention to you and your business.

Let your quality and high standards of service be what makes you special in your market. Let you fees reflect your standards.

The Third Money Mirror Type is “Deservability”:

Also known as the “Pleaser”, the Shadow Belief at work is, “I am not good enough as I am,” which is driven by an emotional undercurrent of guilt.

The Breakthrough Belief for this type is, “I am perfect right now. Just as I am”.

Breakthrough Actions:

Cut the deliverables for all of your programs in half. Your clients will actually feel relieved (instead of overwhelmed, as they secretly feel now) and you will feel renewed energy, creativity and joy in serving others.

Instead of faulting yourself for not giving or doing more, create a list of how you’ve helped the people you’ve already served. In addition, make it a priority to frequently collect testimonials from clients. Surrounding yourself with reminders like these will help you remember just how valuable you actually are.

The Fourth Money Mirror Type is “Love”:

This type is also known as the “Pretender” whose Shadow Belief is, “People won’t accept or love me if I make more or have more than they do.” This belief comes from an emotional undercurrent of shame.

The Breakthrough Belief for the Love Money Mirror Type is, “I help others by being a leader for wealth, achievement and abundance”.

Breakthrough Actions:

Challenge yourself to speak out publicly about your fees and your success. Be willing to be in the spotlight.

Be willing to stand out by charging more than others. Playing small with your fees benefits no one. You are a natural leader, and your services are distinct. The more you accept this gift you were given, the more you can empower others to step into their brilliance.

I hope these Breakthrough Beliefs and Actions help spur your growth as you move toward a positive relationship with money, and yourself.

It is commonly stated that only 5% of people who start new businesses are successful and profitable. This means that 95% of entrepreneurs are struggling to create financial prosperity.

These statistics really concern me. It is my belief that the more YOU get to do the work you are deeply called to do, the better this world will be. And it is my life's service to help as many people as I can make their passions profitable!

In my last article I spoke about how standing behind the value of your work and commanding the fees you deserve empowers you and your clients. But, before we can authentically stand for the value of our work and command the fees we should, we first have to look at our relationship with money…and work to create one of power and harmony.

I think it is important to note our relationship with money, and what we charge for our services, correlates directly to our own self worth.

So let's look at your relationship with money by looking at what "Money Mirror Type" you are. A Money Mirror Type is the underlying set of beliefs we hold about Money and ourselves, which is unconscious or "shadowed", and drives our behaviors. There are four types.

The first is "Boundaries":

Boundaries, is also known as the Pushover:
· Frequently caves in when asked for a discount
· Doesn't hold firm to prices
· Often backs down after quoting a fee
· Trades Services
· Decides in advance how much someone can afford to pay

· The Emotional undercurrent is Rejection
· The Shadow Belief: "The other person getting what THEY want is more important than I am"
· The Shadow Behavior: Frequently customizes packages, then, in the end, often charges less than original amount

The Second Money Mirror Type is "Courage":

Courage, otherwise known as the Procrastinator
· Rarely, if ever, raises prices
· Fears discussing fees
· Keeps prices at low to medium end of the market
· HIghest level package is still lower than anyone else's
· Doesn't want fees or services to stand out

· Emotional Undercurrent is Fear
· The Shadow Belief: "Who I am isn't special or significant"
· Shadow Behavior: Playing small or being invisible

The Third Money Mirror Type is "Deservability":

Deservability is otherwise known as the Pleaser
· Overloads packages with too many items
· Gives away services without charging
· Faults themselves for not giving or doing more
· Gives more than what is paid for
· Makes themselves too available

· The Emotional Undercurrent is Guilt
· Shadow Belief: "I am not good enough as I am".
· Shadow Behavior: Binge buying of products and services because what they think they know isn't good enough

The Fourth Money Mirror Type is "Love":

Love is also known as The Pretender
· Frequently experiences cycles of feast or famine
· Charging higher fees but often doesn't have any money
· Prone to getting taken advantage of or being over-charged
· Charges less than they know they could so as to not make waves, then gets resentful with themselves

· The Emotional Undercurrent for love is Shame
· Shadow Belief: "People won't accept or love me if I make more and have more than they do"
· Shadow Behavior: Secrecy about how much money you make and have, and the tendency to minimize, pointing out how you got things on sale or that they didn't cost much
· Wanting people to be aware of monetary accomplishments

Recognize yourself in any of these types?

Here's the next step for you to take: Identify which of the four types you resonate with the most, and create at least one new behavior to shift away from your typical pattern.
(Hint: Look at the shadow behavior for the type you chose.)

Stay tuned…in a future article I will address Breakthrough Beliefs and Breakthrough Actions for each of the types!

I have been coaching for the past 17 years. In that time, I have discovered something very important: the higher ones fees are, the more committed the clients are to the engagement, and the more committed the service provider is to serving them in every possible way.

I know it can feel scary when it comes time to quote our fees, whether verbally or in a proposal. We often try (in vain) to predict what someone can or cannot pay, will or will not pay, and then determine our fees based on this. To stand behind your pricing, the pricing you know you should be charging, is a courageous act. It enables your clients to step up to the outcomes they say they are committed to. AND, it is my experience that our clients are more committed when the stakes are higher.

Consider this: money is energy. And that energy is abundant. Money is an exchange of energy between the provider and the recipient. This energy exchange is a sacred act. If you undercharge, you are diminishing the sacredness of this energy exchange. You will not only feel resentful, but you may find your clients do not value the contribution you're making to them.

How many times have you undercharged, given your services away, or over-delivered, and were not appreciated for your efforts? How many times have you bent over backward for a client, only to have them treat you disrespectfully or unappreciatively?

It is my belief that before we can authentically stand for the value of our work and command the fees we know we deserve, we first have to ensure our relationship with money is one of power and harmony. Our relationship with money – and what we charge for our services – directly correlates to our
self worth.

In my next newsletter I will be discussing the 4 Money Types, their impact on our self worth, and what you can do about it!

As I mentioned, I look for inspiration everywhere. I believe all growing beings need mentors, coaches or teachers to help bring out our best and prod us beyond what we thought possible.    

Several months ago I watched the Michael Jackson Documentary, "This is It". If you haven't seen it, I highly encourage you to! Beyond the incredible dancing, (which I love!) I was in awe of how Michael Jackson, in a very gentle manner, acted as a mentor to his dancers; encouraging them to excel beyond what they thought were their limits.

But the real beauty of his mastery was that he did not inspire with words. He moved people to take big leaps, (literally and figuratively) simply by being. By allowing himself to uninhibitedly express his ever-expanding greatness, he inspired those who had the privilege of working with him to do the same. Time and again in this film, Michael and his artistic collaborators talk about stretching the boundaries and creating new experiences for the audience, ones that seem impossible and have never been attempted before.

My observation was that Michael Jackson's genius came from being connected to "Source". This enabled him to constantly be in the moment, divinely guided. It reminds me of a quote from Maya Angelou "It is this belief in a power larger than myself and other than myself which allows me to venture into the unknown and even the unknowable."

It was a profound experience to witness Michael Jackson's mentorship demonstrated as love. It was also a wonderful reminder that coaching works best when you live what you teach, as he so elegantly did. It is only when you are truly being who you are that you can share that divine inspiration with others.

I intend to watch this movie over and over again. I am in deep gratitude that I had the opportunity to learn from such an amazing legend. Thank you, Michael.

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
~Rumi

Happy Valentine's Day!

I really LOVE the perspective and wisdom that Rumi brings to the subject of love. It interrupts our tendency to project love as being something outside of ourselves, or a feeling that only certain people can elicit this feeling in us.

Rumi challenges us to take responsibility for our projections and look within to dissolve the defenses we have built to guard ourselves from experiencing love. Love is a place we come from; love is who we really are. And as Rainer Maria Rilke so profoundly states, "For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation."

Much love and blessings to you,

Rita

"To see a world in a grain of sand
and a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour."

- William Blake

Greetings to you!

If you are about to discard all of the holiday cards that you received, please reconsider. If you bundle them up and send them to St. Jude's Ranch for homeless children, the kids will recycle them and make cards that they sell. It teaches them about business and provides them with some spending money. They accept all kinds of cards.

Their address is:

St. Jude's Ranch
Department WDM
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

(We did confirm this request is real on St. Jude's web site.)

May 2011 be your most brilliant year yet and may all your desires come to fruition. I know they can and I know they will.

Happy New Year!

Much love and blessings to you,
Rita

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow".
~Melody Beattie

Greetings to you!

Calvin Coolidge said that these Holidays are not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of the Holidays.

I would add that this state of mind includes generosity, appreciation and gratitude. When we are committed to create this state for ourselves, JOY is ours to experience and it is not season specific.

I am so grateful that you have been there for me during this past year of growth. I am grateful for how many of you have given me the honor to make a difference in your lives. I have grown, expanded and stretched from my relationship with you. My hope is that this occurred for you too.

My purpose in this message is to acknowledge YOU, for the difference you make for me and my work:

• For being in my programs
• For opening and reading my messages
• For your enthusiastic support
• For all your responses that inspired and educated me
• And most importantly, for WHO you ARE 

I would not be who I am without you!

May 2011 be your most brilliant year yet and may all your desires come to fruition. I know they can and I know they will.

Happy New Year!

Much love and blessings to you,
Rita