I remember when last December I told you that I was moving to Mexico, I wrote that Spirit would lead and I would follow.  I had visions of days sun tanning by the pool, reading delightful books, learning my Tai Chi and sipping some exotic drink.  A sabbatical in the sun…how appealing!

I can barely stop laughing at how the last five months have evolved.  Obviously the Universe and I have very different definitions of what a sabbatical looks like! 

I have been back to Vancouver twice on high-powered, busy as all-get-out business trips including several speaking engagements.  I have just completed my 60,000 word manuscript for my next book due out this fall.  My client schedule, although reduced, still keeps me hopping with appointments 5 days a week.  Then working with my dearest friend Monique, the brand-new Sacred Gifts website will be online within the next 10 days, and the home study program ready for this fall.  AND last but certainly not least, my life partner Greg and his business partner bought a network marketing company two months ago and I became the VP of Personal and Business Development.  In less than a month, I leave

Mexico to return to BC for 4 months to work on the network company with the CEO, to get my book to print, and God knows what else.  Seriously!  I don’t mean that facetiously.  Only God knows what else!

In working with a client last week, she told me that she wanted to work with me because I am a successful author and seem to be busy speaking on top of a very active client practice.  She wondered what my business and marketing plans looked like.  It was pretty funny telling her that I don’t have any.  I confessed that the sum total of my business and marketing plans these days sound something like this every morning:  “I don’t know what you have planned for me God, but I am sure it’s good.  I am so excited to find out.”  And then I get to work with what the day has brought and it certainly never fails to bring excitement!

I don’t think any business plan could have foreseen Greg and Alfred buying Plexus Pink, a network marketing company that was all about early detection of breast cancer and is now evolving into a company about breast health.  I have been test-marketing (along with several of my clients), a breast cream that Greg developed last year with Spirulina algae as its base.  Plexus Pink, the obvious home for this cream was not for sale and it wasn’t looking at all possible that a deal would be struck with the management anytime soon.  Then out of the blue, the former owner got cancer and it was an almost immediate transfer of power.  A breast company without a woman in corporate?  That didn’t sit well with Greg and Alfred and so I was asked by two of my most favorite men in the world if I would step up to the plate as VP.

It certainly wasn’t what I had intended this year - but as the laying by the pool for hours, reading countless books and basically relaxing hadn’t happened either, I decided to seriously contemplate the offer.  It’s now been 4 weeks in the role and although I have no idea how we are going to get everything done that needs to get done, except by sheer miracles and the grace of God, I have learned to have fun with this assignment! 

Why am I telling you this?  Because one of the things that I am seeing in my new role in this company is that people worry an awful lot.  They worry about stuff that may never happen, probably won’t happen and is almost impossible to happen.  Why do people have such an addiction to worry?  It’s not like it feels good, last time I checked.  I’ve actually heard people say that if they didn’t have anything to worry about, that made them worry!

So my most ardent suggestion to you is STOP worrying!  It’s simply not worth it.  STOP asking so many questions about the HOW of everything and start exercising some faith and trust that things will work out.

I may sound flippant about my lack of business and marketing plans for 2008 but there is nothing casual about how I direct my life.  It’s why it works and it works well.  I am very clear on the quality of life that I expect.  I am crystal clear on the level of contribution I wish to make to this planet before I die.  I have totally surrendered to the Universe on HOW that happens.  I live every day in a place of peace, joy, love and prosperity. 

I demand a lot from my life and I am a very exacting tenant here on planet Earth.  I expect to be supported and while I do my share, I absolutely, totally expect the Universe to do its part. Monique tells me that I have a radical relationship with the Universe.  Maybe I do, maybe I just push the limits further than most.  What I do know, is that it works, which is exceedingly clear in my next story.   

Greg and I decided that we wanted to come back to Mexico together in November and be here for about 7 months.  We knew that we wanted a beautiful, elegant, spacious house or condo with ocean views and we were very clear on our price range.  Quite serendipitously, while in Vancouver attending a large event of more than 500 people, a woman approached me who had met me last November at the Sacred Gifts workshop.  She had connected me in November with a woman she knew in

Mexico but I had never followed up with her.  Vicki spotted me out of this large crowd and asked me if I had connected with her friend, who now of all things was…you guessed it…a property manager in

Puerto Vallarta.

Not being slow to the draw, I picked that up as a BIG clue and contacted Drucilla last week, told her what Greg and I were looking for and sent her off looking.  It wasn’t an easy task based on the number of months we wanted, the price we wanted and the long list of amenities we wanted but all three of us, Drucilla, Greg and I were clear, we would manifest the perfect home.  Miracle after miracle happened and this week we just received notice that our new home in Bucerias, outside of Puerto Vallarta is waiting for us November 1^st.  Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, 8 pools, ocean views everywhere, this luxurious, deluxe condo is perfect for Greg, his 96 year old mother, and I to spend next winter.  Even the little dog is allowed! 

I have watched people plan their lives down to the second, worry about every little detail, fret about every penny and get very little for all their effort.  I have also seen people have a laissez-faire attitude towards life, a “whatever” attitude, a roll with the punches and take what I get belief, and they often wonder why life doesn’t treat them better.

I don’t believe that either approach works.  I have seen personally that clarity is critical - that magical question:  What do I really want?  Faith and trust in oneself is imperative.  Lose the “I am not good enough to have what I want” attitude.  Belief in a Higher Power really helps as doing it alone is harder than it needs to be.  Confidence that you can manifest the life of your dreams is critical.  Why can’t you?  You’re already manifesting the life you are living now - why can’t a few things be modified and changed for the better.  Find a balance between needing to know all the details and allowing the magic to occur.

I start every single day in conversation with God about the great day we have planned together.  Every night I end the day filled with gratitude for all the surprises, unexpected treats that I had no idea were coming, and for the support I feel in the amazing people I attract in my life.  It’s a business and life plan I’m sticking with because it works.  You may wish to adopt some aspects of it and see what miracles you can create in your life.

To Your Outrageous Success!

Jan

The rat ran across the road in front of the vehicle.  Pat, the woman sitting next to me, covered her face and shrieked.  I was fascinated at how different the rat looked from the rats I had seen running around my cabin in Vancouver a few years ago.  This one looked more like the Hunchback of Notre Dame and no, he wasn’t wearing a Mexican sombrero! 

There was a time when I would have had a similar reaction to Pat’s, but things have changed.  This time there was no fear or revulsion, just a calm intrigue that surprised even me.  I used to be terrified of rodents but after dealing with them for almost a year in the cabin, I learned to co-exist and tolerate them. We all tolerate lots of things - much of it unconsciously.  That can be good as it helps us to deal with uncomfortable situations - like a rat infestation - or events that we have no control over like the weather, but there is also a downside to our tolerance.  People have become complacent, apathetic, and resigned to a standard of living, a way of being and a ho-hum existence believing that “it’s just the way it is”.  Not true!  If you are doing that, please take this as a wake-up call.  You deserve so much more!Friends, clients along with people I meet every day here in Mexico are fascinated that I now live here.  Living in a foreign country seems so exotic, so special and so, well…foreign.  And to the typical North American working a 9 - 5 job, driving in rush hour every day, living through severe weather conditions, life on the beach in Mexico would seem exotic. 

What’s interesting is that hundreds of thousands of people are doing it.  I am truly not alone.  Mexico for example has more foreigners living here than the rest of South America combined.  I met a man the other evening while swimming in the pool who has lived in Mexico for 28 years.  Judy, my 70-year-old boogie boarder friend, has lived in this condo for 24 years.  Lots of people are doing it and more are coming every year.  It’s seriously not that unusual.

The more I live the lifestyle that I have created here in Mexico, the more I realize how much we tolerate what we think is “all we can have.”   False! We put up with people, situations, living conditions, bank accounts and our health like they were fore-ordained, unchangeable, written in stone.  None of it is!  I mean that. None of our life is written in stone.  You can change absolutely anything and everything in your life.  You just need to stop tolerating it, putting up with it and accepting it as good enough for you, and then take a different course of action.

For example, people get rid of disease all the time.  We’ve just been convinced that cancer, MS, arthritis and every other ailment is incurable but I know people who have beat every one of those diseases and no longer tolerated them in their life.  People who were absolutely broke with nothing, homeless and destitute have gone on to create empires.  Everything is possible. 

Here in Mazatlan, much of the city is owned by the El Cid corporation.  I learned that the man behind the real estate empire was originally an orphan from the Spanish Civil War.  The Mexican government took in many of the orphans and this one proved to be a tremendous entrepreneur.  Don Julio Berdegue literally revolutionized the development of Mazatlan and a year after his death, his mark is clearly evident.  I am fascinated how an orphan could so magnificently affect an entire city.  He was apparently an outspoken, driven pioneer i n the arena of real estate development who has his share of enemies in the city but is also admired for his foresight and contribution to Mazatlan. 

How many of us would have been so bold, so creative and so determined under very difficult circumstances?  I think of people like Senor Berdegue often as I make choices in my life. I think, “if he could do it, so can I.”  That can seem like a very trite statement but if you really got clear on what that means, it’s incredibly powerful.  So what do you want to do that you’re not doing?  Start thinking.

Mexicans are lovely people and their country is remarkably rich, diverse and abundance in its resources.  Mexico could truly accomplish whatever it wanted to, but you know the same is true of every country.  And more importantly, the same is true of every person.

When I lived in Ecuador, the Otavalan Indians were exceptional.  While the majority of the indigenous tribes lived in squalor and poverty, the Otavalan tribe created beautiful arts and crafts and traveled the world selling their goods. They didn’t tolerate poverty and squalor but did something with their artistic gifts and many today are very, very wealthy.

Why do we tolerate what we don’t like in our life?  I think it’s because we’re afraid to make changes.  We know “this”, we don’t know “that”.  We believe we’re not capable of making the changes - the “I’m not good enough, smart enough, rich enough” program.  We don’t think we deserve anything better than what we’ve had - the “this is how everybody lives so why should I think I am any different” mentality. 

I’ve had clients work with me who after a few sessions are angry because they can’t stand the mess they’re living in or they are now really unhappy with their weight issues or disgusted with their bank account.  None of that worsened since we started working together, but what shifted was their attitude and perception towards it.  As we worked on building their self-esteem, they realized that they deserved better and were no longer satisfied with what they had once tolerated.

I refuse to tolerate negativity, poverty and stress in my life.  People who are whiny, complaining and negative, don’t last long in my company. I refuse to scrimp, worry about money or not have “more than enough” to look after myself.  And the minute I feel stress that is higher than my tolerance level, I am all over who, what or why there is more stress.  Is it arrogant to feel that way?  No, but you may be thinking that it is.  Believe me - it has required a massive shift in thinking on my part to get here.  Today I would NOT tolerate rats running up and down my bathroom walls as I once did but I know that I am still t olerating mediocrity in some areas of my life and constantly am working at raising the bar.

Are you being too demanding in your life?  Or are you being too arrogant to ask for abundance, calmness, great people, joy, peace, love and prosperity in your life?   Hardly!  I bet you are not being nearly demanding enough! 

It’s time to step up to the plate and get in the game.  Start living life fully.  There are so many exciting things to do that you really want to do, isn’t there? Start today.  Make a list of what you are tolerating and start changing your attitude from helplessness and powerlessness to one of creativity, manifestation and action.  

If an orphan from Spain can literally change a city’s landscape, you can change the landscape in your life.  Go for it. You have everything to gain!

To Your Outrageous Success!

Jan

икони

As Greg and I sat in the thermal pools in Harrison Hot Springs last month, I grabbed both his hands and said, “let’s set an intention for our few days together. I intend that we have a relaxing time, great food, fun and laughter, a good time together AND” I added with a twinkle in my eye, “that I win every game of Parcheesi.”  Greg grinned at me and then laughed. 

As we played six games over the next two days, I won every game. The first game I was so far behind it was ludicrous and then miraculously, I beat Greg hands down. Six games, six stunning, against-all-odds victories. It was like watching miracle after miracle on a gameboard. 

Was I excited? You bet! Not so much about winning, although that always makes me happy, but about how powerful a little intention in the hot springs had proved to be. Greg later told me that during those six games, he felt almost helpless and hopeless about playing against me, as if the odds were absolutely against him no matter what. 

Many times while I am in the pool here at the condo in Mazatlan, visitors will ask me how long I am staying. When I tell them that I have rented the condo until the 15^th of October, they are stunned. Many do stay for a few months but rarely does a renter stay for the better part of a year! How did I manage to rent a place for an entire nine months at the last minute is inevitably their next question? When I tell them the incredible story (see January’s blog ) they are even more amazed. I have come to realize that it was about as miraculous as winning six games of Parcheesi in a row as it was to find an ocean-front condo for a reasonable price for nine months in peak season at the last minute. 

I’m really getting into the miraculous power of intention and have set some bigger and more exciting intentions for this year. Seriously, what is the difference between a board game, a relationship, a home or a seven-figure income? I don’t think there’s much difference at the giving end - just at the receiving end. So I trust that the Universe can give me what I want. I just need to focus on being an excellent receiver and isn’t that the most fun part.

What I learned from these two stories is detachment and unwavering trust. I seriously didn’t think about that intention I had set in the hot springs as I sat down to play the first game of Parcheesi with Greg that night. I just played the game like always, although I noticed that I felt more confident and more attentive to the game. It was like I was on high alert at a sub-conscious level. It was a very interesting feeling.

In talking about finding my condo so miraculously, I realized that in my mind, right from the start, I had an association that because I speak Spanish I would find a place to live. Honestly, there is no real correlation between the two, except in my mind, and that’s all that was needed for success. That is a very key point.  Isn’t there a saying, “What you believe, you will achieve.”

Focus is another critical part as I saw very clearly this past week.  Last Wednesday, one of my clients from Vancouver, along with her son, came into Mazatlan by cruise ship. We arranged to meet and spend the day together touring Mazatlan together.  One of our first stops was the cliff divers. Young men climb a 45 foot tower and then dive into the water below that may be just five feet deep or less.  You can see pictures at www.janjanzen.com under Around Mazatlan. 

The diving tower is a good jaunt up a number of stairs - we climbed up and our stomachs did somersaults as we climbed down with no protective railings.  So this is no walk in the park for the divers.    If we slipped and fell, we were headed straight for the rocks. These young men were going to purposely dive into the unfriendly waters of an area only 15 square feet in diameter. One misjudgment about the wind condition or the tide and it is game over for them. 

Do you think they have a strong intention?  In their mind, they have to focus on their intention to safely make the dive.  The minute their mind goes from affirming that this is a safe, doable venture to screaming danger and a subsequent lack of focus, they are toast. With their life literally on the line with each jump, this is not for the squeamish.  

Clarity, focus and action are all part of intention. There are so many things to take us out of the game. As I now live in a holiday resort, the sun shining every single day, balmy temperatures, a beautiful pool and ocean at my doorstep, it would be easy to spend my days with my feet up, sipping Margaritas and doing nothing. And I do spend a day or two ocassionally doing just that.

But I am really committed to two major projects this year, on top of maintaining a regular, albeit modified client schedule. My next book is coming along on schedule and my project with Sacred Gifts is progressing beautifully. I can’t just intend to have leveraged income and then sit and wait for the sky to open and send me a check every month any more than I could have intended to win every game of Parcheesi and then have never played the game. Wanting to live in a beachfront condo in the sunshine and warmth was never going to happen if I didn’t buy a plane ticket to Mazatlan.

So have you set your intentions and then wondered why they haven’t manifested? Perhaps you need to take some action, get clarity, and focus. Those cliff divers do not get paid for their risky dives. They do it for tips from the audience and they ask for those tips. They don’t stand around, risk their lives and hope someone gives them a few bucks. Trust me - they actively ask and consequently they also receive. 

It’s easy to give up when the news doesn’t seem to be in our favor. Many people were astounded at my audacity to just think I could show up and rent a place for six months or more without having booked it months in advance - particularly at the height of tourist season. But it doesn’t mean that it was impossible - it simply meant that I was open to receive a bigger miracle.   

So look at your intentions or lack of them. Then see if there is any action to follow up those intentions. Release any detachment as to how they show up and have unwavering trust in a perfect outcome. Go have a look at the photos of the cliff divers and then get your own clarity, focus and action clearly in place.  Miracles do happen! They really do.

Have an outrageously miraculous intention-filled month.

Jan

икони

There was nothing redeeming about the house. It was dirty, disorganized, and could hardly be said to have four walls and a roof. Built from scraps from the dump, the chickens and ducks had free rein of the abode.  There was dirt everywhere and the smell of pigs permeated the warm air. It was all I could do to take some pictures and return to the bus. 

I have seen poverty. I have toured shanty towns in South Africa, taught the Bible in homes in Ecuador where the pigs, chickens and rats roamed freely and seen the old peasant homes in Beijing where a whole street shared one toilet, but Gloria’s home takes the cake for… bad. 

What Gloria’s home did have going for it was her pride. She smiled broadly as the whole busload wandered through the decrepit maze like she was offering us a tour of Windsor Castle. This grandmother of 30 had no problem sharing her home with all of us. It made me realize how hospitality has nothing to do with what we have or own. It’s definitely a Sacred Gift.    

Life in Mazatlan continues to fascinate, intrigue and humble me. There is something absolutely glorious about waking up to sunshine every morning and going to sleep lulled by the sound of the ocean. The people’s kindness, generosity and friendliness constantly impresses me. Yesterday I got on the bus and was a bit short on coins for the fare and the bus driver couldn’t change my larger bill. The passenger in the front seat of the bus reached into his pocket and pulled out the equivalent of $.80 to pay my fare. I found out as I talked to him that he had just lost his job in another city and was in Mazatlan looking for work. 

I love the easy-going attitude of “no stress”. There should be a thousand accidents a day the way they drive and yet I have not seen one. Despite their laid-back ways, things get done. My internet service in the condo actually arrived early. I decided to have my own modem installed rather than use the building’s wireless and the whole procedure was amazingly easy.  The computer guy who took Vista off of my laptop (YEAH!) and reinstalled XP was punctual, courteous, spoke perfect English and did a fabulous job for an amazing price. The maid shows up religiously every Saturday to clean and does a great job with a smile and love for her work that lights up the place. It’s almost magical. 

And then I went to the dump last week and saw a different side of Mazatlan. It’s when I got to meet Gloria. Arriving at about 8:30 at La Vina church, a bright yellow building on the main street of what is known in Mazatlan as the “Golden Zone”, I was soon put to work making sandwiches to be delivered to the poor. Working with close to 50 other foreigners, we quickly had ham and cheese sandwiches made and packed in sacks along with oranges and bottles of filtered water.

We got onto two buses with one simple problem. There were more of us than there were seats. But that problem lasted just a few minutes as plastic chairs - like the kind you sit in on your patio - were brought into the bus and placed in the aisle- way right up to the front of the bus. Everybody had a seat - although I’d hate to have had to get off the bus in any sort of emergency.   

By about 10:00 we were off through the city of Mazatlan and into the country. Onto dirt roads we bumped along, passing small communities of middle class housing, government housing and shacks. Everywhere children waved at the bright yellow bus with La Vina Christian church painted across it in bright red letters. You couldn’t miss the bus and for many of these communities, this bus meant something different than tortillas for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This bus symbolized safe drinking water, dental clinics, shoes for the children and ham and cheese sandwiches, an orange and a cold bottle of water.

As we traveled along the dusty roads, it was soon obvious that staying clean in my black jeans was not going to happen. The windows open, the small fan broken and air conditioning non-existent, I just focused on keeping one hand clean for snacking on my almonds and banana. I had learned while living in Ecuador that you do everything for everybody else with your right hand, while you keep your left hand clean for scratching your nose, rubbing your eye and eating. The practice came back to me very quickly.

About an hour later, many windy, dusty roads traversed in a bus whose springs had seen better days, we arrived at the dump. Several people were working their way through the isolated piles of garbage, trucks were constantly coming and going, it was plain old dusty, smelly and windy, but it was almost “clean”, if a dump can possibly be described as clean. As we each grabbed a sack of 6 sandwiches, 6 oranges and 6 bottles of water, our job was to find six people to bestow this gift upon with a kind word of blessing for each one of them. As I speak fluent Spanish I was in a unique position to talk to my recipients. 

Lydia was humble and graciously accepted her food gift. A single mother of six, living on the $20 per day wage, my heart welled up with compassion for her plight and I found myself needing to move on. It was too painful to think about in the moment. Another group of 3 young people, one with a cell phone in hand, were sitting in the garbage like teenagers sit around the family room. A cell phone, a $45 per month expenditure, is certainly affordable on the daily wage for a teenager, yet it seemed oddly out of place for a dump worker. 

We soon left the dump and started back through some of the communities. It’s when I met Gloria in her humble abode.  (You can see photos of Gloria’s home and other shots of the trip at Jan’s Trip to the Dump.) Rabbits, pigs, ducks and chickens complimented Gloria’s open-air home, covered with tarps, scraps from the dumps and garbage.   

As temperatures in Mazatlan dropped to 36 degrees some mornings in January, I couldn’t help but remember my warm bed, three blankets, warm housecoat and hot shower I enjoyed during those nights last month. It had been uncomfortable for me and I thought about what I had compared to Gloria. I’m sure there were many cold nights for her and her loved ones. Remarkably there was a small TV on right in the middle of the house; its screen lighting the dark room. It must have come from the dump too. 

We stopped and met Jonathan, a young boy of about 5 years of age who suffers with cerebral palsy. He is now starting to walk, thanks to the generosity of a foreign couple who are paying for his therapy and have taken the family under their wing. His smiling face and incredible mop of jet black hair were absolutely charming and he although he didn’t say a word, his charisma was more than obvious!

After a tour of the bio-sand water filter project that provides safe drinking water to families in need, we were dropped back at the church at about 1:30. I headed across the street to an Egyptian restaurant and ate falafels and tzatizki sauce, pita bread and salad and then headed to the big grocery store for wine, imported cheese and a freshly baked loaf of brown bread. In less than an hour, I had spent more money than Gloria probably sees in a week - maybe a month.   

I sat with the experience for a couple of days, feeling somewhat uneasy and uncomfortable, a certain wrestling in my soul. 

What I realized is that it’s all perspective and that’s what makes life so fascinating. I think Gloria’s home was appalling, even by the lowest of my standards. Gloria thought her home was wonderful. I found myself disagreeing with the form of charity I was participating in, as I believe in teaching people to fish, not giving them a fish, but La Vina church is well-supported by thousands of charitable dollars from people who endorse their work.  I think their driving is crazy. To them, it’s ordinary. Doesn’t everybody cut people off, back up down a highway, not stop for pedestrians, run red-lights and just “pause” at a Stop sign? 

But then I am forced to apply my golden rule of living. What are the results? Because at the end of the day, it always comes down to results. 

Gloria is looking after 30 grandchildren who perhaps know more love than many children with parents who both work full-time and have a beautiful home to live in. There is no starvation in Mexico - people are looked after and my God, they’re happy. I can’t argue with the result.   As I saw the good work that La Vina does in this community; the growth in their church and the advancement spiritually of the local Mexicans - how many have gone from hopelessness to having a spiritual faith - I felt moved to contribute and be grateful for their work. And as for their driving, well, I’ve seen two “after the accident” scenes that were minor fender-benders but nothing serious. People just move over to accommodate, wait for you to do something absolutely stupid on the road and take it all in stride. Those are the results, whether I agree personally with how they’re achieved or not. 

I’m sure that many things could be done differently, more efficiently (just ask the man who rakes the sand in front of the condo twice per week, a job that takes him hours) and certainly more safely. But people are happy, kind, generous, friendly and love their life. You see it in their eyes. There’s a twinkle that is contagious. 

It’s one of the reasons I love to travel. To see a different perspective of living, of eating, believing and of being, that quite simply works. Right, wrong, good, bad. I don’t know. It’s not about judgment, although I’m still quick to go there. I want to come with an open heart and mind, to learn, to discover, to explore and to grow. And of course to share with you.  I hope you’ll check out the photos.      

We’ve all got so much to be grateful for, in love with, and happy about. What I’m learning in Mazatlan is finally to stop and smell the roses. In this case, though I’m stopping and watching the sunsets. I’m talking to the stranger at the market or on the bus and finding out about who they are and what they do.  I’m appreciating my abundance and the time that I have to be silent and meditative. I’m taking time to soak up some sun.  And I’m feeling blessed for the relationships and love I have in my partner and friends who keep in touch with me regularly and share my experiences.  

Can you do the same? You don’t have to be in Mazatlan to do any of this. You can do it right where you are. There are sunsets, amazing charitable work, beautiful vistas, incredible people, sights to explore, discover and learn about right where you are.  And there is plenty of opportunity to be silent and meditative.  I’m just not sure about the sunshine part!

Just one last thing.  Can I ask that you remember all the Glorias in the world and the children who aren’t warm or clean tonight because there is no hot bath, no washing machine or heater, give thanks for what you have and then say a little prayer for them tonight?

With love and light,

JanP.S.  A dear friend of mine, Wayne Kelly, wants to raise $1 million for charity this year with a pretty cool concept that I got to be part of.  Check out Wayne’s site at www.52motivationalinterviews.com and see how you can help his cause and get a ton of amazing stuff for yourself. 

P.P.S.  If you want to join us at the Social Media Telesummit, it’s not too late.  Running from the 20 - 29 of February, it’s looking hot for a line-up of amazing experts.  I get to close off the Telesummit with the keynote address:  How to Have an Outrageously Successful Business Without the Guilt.  Love to have some of you on the line!   

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The only noise I can hear is the ocean. Sitting on the 11^th floor of the condo I am renting this week in Mazatlan, my earplugs have come in handy for sleeping. The ocean can be incredibly noisy!

My partner Greg and I had a wonderful two weeks together, despite the unseasonably cold weather in Mexico this January. He left on the 15^th and it was a very strange feeling to kiss him good-bye at the airport, knowing that I was staying. This is now home - at least until the end of July.

I decided to stay until then so I could rent a place for six months which gave me some negotiating power and because I have a lot of work I want to get done this year.  I move in on the 26^th of January. The condo I’ve rented is on the 7^th floor of a building right on the ocean, and I have a very spectacular view which is a bonus to having wireless internet, phone already installed, fully furnishings, weekly maid service, wonderful pool, hot tub facilities and tennis courts all included in the price. It even has two resident geckos to eat the bugs!

It all happened pretty easily and it would have been even easier if I had been clearer in my own mind. I was fascinated as I watched my lack of clarity about what I was looking for in a place to live create a lot of unnecessary havoc. Having spent four years living in Ecuador, and a year in a rodent infested cabin, I thought I could do a simple house, Mexican style. I sure found out fairly quickly that I wanted nicer than that.   I also thought I could do what most of the tourists do here who stay long-term, which is to rent basic shelter as they spend their day at the beach. 

I realized that my home, wherever that is, is my spiritual sanctuary, my writer’s retreat and my workplace. I earn my living from my home and it is important. Unfortunately, it took me a few tours of some real “dives” to realize that. Greg described one dark, small apartment as a great place to hang out if the Mafia was after me. The unlit stairwell, one prison-style window facing a brick wall, the bare bulb in the bathroom and fridge that sounded more like a growling pit bull was more than I wanted to see as we got out of there with a very quick, “No gracias”. 

Just like everywhere else, it is incredible what a few more dollars will buy you. That Mafia escape hole was renting for $600 US per month. Not cheap by most standards. I learned pretty quickly that a few hundreds dollars more bought me a much nicer place.   

So how did it all happen? One night while on a search for tamales, we walked out of a restaurant as there were no tamales on the menu. The manager followed us out of the restaurant and after learning about what we were looking for, asked one last question: ”Jan and Greg, is there anything else that I can help you with?” As we were now into our second week and I was beginning to envision myself joining the homeless camped out around the bonfire a few blocks away when Greg left, I immediately replied, “I am looking for a place to rent for up to six months.” 

Lacho, the manager, asked me a few questions and told us to return the next day as he would have a place for me. Could it really be that easy? Sure enough, the next day, he told us about Darrow from North Dakota who had the condo that I ended up renting. Darrow met us at the restaurant, picked us up, gave us the grand tour and made a deal with me. The only problem was that he wasn’t leaving the condo until the 26^th of January and I was homeless on the 15^th. Back to Lacho with another request. ”Lacho, can you help me find a place to stay between the 15^th and the 26^th?” ”Come back tomorrow - I will have a place for you,” was his confident reply.  Sure enough, Juan Carlos, the owner of the restaurant where he worked had a couple of brand new condos for rent a nd within 24 hours, I had a deal on a beautiful condo on the 11^th floor where I now sit for half the daily rate. 

I have already discovered very quickly that the people in Mazatlan are exceptionally nice. Lacho was one of the first people involved in the Senor Frogs phenomena. I’m not a bar hopper by any means and yet I know about the huge success of Senor Frogs. It apparently all started in Mazatlan and Lacho was one of the team of Mexicans sent to Calgary, Alberta to help build the franchise in Canada many years ago. He has lived in the US for years, speaks delightful English, is obviously successful and yet is absolutely, totally at your service. People have offered to take me shopping to Walmart and Sam’s Club, take me fishing, drive me places and have helped in every way they could. It is a very nice place to start the adventure.

What have I learned this month? Get clear. Get really clear. That’s not so easy, is it? I bet you have an area in your life that could do with some clarity. I learned this lesson again this month because I was also offered another condo. The condo was on one of the marinas, only $650 plus all utilities and I must admit I was very tempted. However, after saying yes to it, I felt sick to my stomach. Poor Greg went through quite an afternoon with me as I hummed and hawed over my decision. You know the feeling. You’ve made a decision and you aren’t happy with it but you don’t know how to get out of it. We’ve all done it and oh how I hate it! After making a very difficult decision of changing my mind and having to make that dreaded phone call, what a relief. 

I finally got clear that I wanted to be on the ocean - I wanted to be able to walk on the beach every day.  For me, part of my healing therapy is the ocean.  I wanted a balcony that I could work from.  I wanted to have the internet already installed as I well know that the word in Spanish for tomorrow doesn’t necessarily mean tomorrow - only sometime in the future. I wanted quiet and security so I would feel completely safe being alone. I wanted easy access to shopping and services. It only took me a few anguished hours to get clear on what was important once I made getting clear a priority. Interestingly up until that point, I felt much more in a place of survival - being homeless in a foreign city is something I need to get used to but I’m definitely not there yet.

As I walk the beach for at least an hour every day, I know that I have made the right decision. There is something very meditative and soothing about walking along the waves, feeling your feet being massaged by the wet sand and listening to the roar of the ocean.

So I’m going to encourage you to get clear about something in your life this month that you have been avoiding. What do you want?   Ask yourself: What do I really, really, really want in this one area of my life?  It could be career, home, relationship, financial situation or family. I have found consistently in my life, and I just proved it again here in Mazatlan, that when I get crystal clear, life is much easier. And I’m all for easy. 

So get clearer than you ever have about one thing this month and then watch how easily it manifests. Spend the time necessary to reach that clarity. That may mean some time writing, in meditation, talking with a trusted friend or coach, but please do spend the time. Go through the anguish, the head-splitting indecision where you feel like two people are living inside of you and you don’t like either one! Weigh the pros and cons, sift through the fears, the doubt, the guilt and the “I’m not good enough to have what I want” stuff. Sort through all of those emotions that are blocking your clarity like heavy, dark rain clouds can block the sun.   The sun is always on the other side of those clouds - it just may not be obvious to you today. Go ahead - risk sounding absurd as you argue vehemently for all possibilities. 

I know I could argue why every possibility I had in front of me sounded reasonable, including getting on a plane and going to Costa Rica for a month until the cold weather in Mazatlan passed! What needs to finally happen is a deeper inner peace in the core of your being, your soul and your heart. It doesn’t mean you won’t feel some apprehension over the decision but label that as excitement rather than fear and go for it. All of this may exhaust you in the moment, the day or even the week, but it’s worth it. 

In the next few weeks I’m off to the local garbage dump for what should be an eye-opening adventure. I’ll let you know about it next month. 

With light and love,

Jan

As Carol walked out of the condo with a jewellery credenza in tow, she looked at me and said, “I realized Jan as I watched you sell everything, that it’s just stuff.” ”Yes, Carol, you’re absolutely right”, I replied. ”It’s just stuff.”

As I wrap up another amazing year, it is a time of change. Two months ago, I learned that the condo that I have lived in for over two years was being sold and I needed to move. As I waited for the next step to manifest, it became very clear to me that it was time to fulfill a dream of more than 10 years. I am now just a few days away from starting to fulfill that dream of travel and freedom. 

As I sit in an empty condo, on a chair that is already sold and has been loaned back to me, as I will sleep tonight in my beautiful 4 poster canopy bed for the last time before it goes to its new owners tomorrow, and as I warm my soup in a pot that was a wedding present more than 26 years ago and will soon go to a friend’s son starting out on his own,  I am constantly reminded these days that it’s just stuff. 

There is no remorse or regret, no fear or doubt. There is an ever increasing feeling of peace and freedom with every piece of furniture moved out, with every box taken to charity and with every family that I helped get started in their new life here.

A few weeks ago, I had a moving sale and a family from the Middle East arrived to survey the goods. There is something disconcerting having everything in your life, save your underwear, put out on tables for all to inspect and barter over. Really, how much is that garbage can worth? I don’t know. I know I paid a lot for it but I settle for $2 although it is in perfect shape. However, this one particular family brought me a level of peace that was truly outstanding. 

Dad took the lead in bartering with me but Mom had the more forceful style. She used guilt. It was fascinating to watch her take my brand new dining room table protector cover that I just paid $27 for at Sears and tell me she would pay $2. When I tried to get $5 from her, she told me that it would be a mattress cover for the young girl staring at me with large brown eyes, her head covered with a tiny scarf, her life being transformed minute by minute by the bartering.

Of course, she got it for $2. What’s $3 in my life compared to that young girl having a more comfortable place to sleep. The family’s pile of material goods grew and the bill mounted. Mom held up a beautiful arrangement of dried flowers I had bought just a few weeks before at Seattle’s Pike Street market as I went shopping with my partner Greg. I had only displayed them for a week before the moving chaos had begun. She looked at me and said with sadness in her eyes, “I love flowers.” I could tell that in their new life in Canada, just a few weeks old, buying flowers was not a priority. How could it be when their 5 children needed a place to sleep?

As the family carted out mountains of items for a whopping bill of $80, the father’s pockets empty, he turned to me at the doorway and put up his hands as a blessing on me and my now much emptier home. He said, “May people be as kind to you in your new home as you have been to us.” I thanked him with tears in my eyes. For this humble little family, so far from home, reminded me so poignantly that I would soon be in their shoes. Travelling, far from home, far away from things that I know and love, people I love and definitely many of the comforts of home - that will soon be my reality. 

As we finish another Christmas season that is a lot about stuff, I would like to remind you of that - it’s just stuff. My beautiful couch did not make me happy despite it’s exquisite fabric or style. The bed of my dreams that looked like something out of a decorator’s magazine did not bring me joy. The beautiful desk I sat at daily for over two years did not bring me wealth. Yes, those things all contributed to my peace, joy and abundance. But as I put a few things into a small storage unit, some books, heirloom china from my grandmother, my teapot and teacup collection and my art work from around the world, it all fit into a 5 x 5 storage with some room to spare. Even with all the boxes of paperwork the government insist I keep for my corporation, the storage unit is not full. 

What is full is my heart. It’s full with the amazing memories of the clients I worked with sitting on that couch. The stories of their pain and suffering as together, we healed their emotional wounds. What I smile about is remembering laying in my gorgeous bed every night, talking on the phone for hours to the love of my life. The successes and the victories I experienced as I sat at my elegant desk that made me feel like a million bucks will fuel many newsletters, books and workshops ahead of me. Those things aren’t for sale. They can’t be put into a storage unit or examined for barter.

And so I am off for a good time, a fun time, a growing time and most importantly, a healing time. It is starting in Mexico and who knows from there. I am listening to Spirit and will go where I am called, how I am called and when I am called.  It will be an exciting journey.

I am grateful to all of you, my dear readers, for your support at the other end of this newsletter. Although I write because it is a burning desire within me that calls forth constantly and consistently, I am always in awe at the emails that I receive back. The notes of gratitude and thankfulness, the stories of how what I wrote has touched your heart and soul and even when you write to tell me that you don’t agree with me. That’s okay too because at least I know you read it!  Thank you for being you.

May the upcoming year be filled with what makes your heart overflow with love, joy and peace. We came into this world naked and we will leave it naked, except for the memories of how we lived our life. Unless I’m mistaken, there won’t be any “stuff” where we’re all headed, but there will be love and joy and peace.  My prayer for you in 2008 is that you and your loved ones experience more heaven on earth.

Have an amazing month,

With love and light,

Jan

I drove home from Seattle to Vancouver about 10 days ago.  I had just returned from a Caribbean cruise and now was on the last leg of the journey home. As I approached the border, I could see the line-up stretched for miles. It was a good two to three hour wait to get through.  The joys of a strong Canadian dollar!

However, I noticed a tiny sign that indicated another border just 12 miles east.  Much to my delight,  the border crossing was empty with just one car ahead of me. Going 12 miles out of my way saved me a couple of hours. Meanwhile, the masses lined up at the better known border crossing and waited, on auto-pilot, believing that this is what they need to do, and rarely looking for a better solution.

I realized again this month, as I sailed the Atlantic Ocean stopping at beautiful islands like St. Thomas and St. Marten, how programmed people are to follow the crowds.  For a week I watched the masses line up like pigs to the trough for the buffets, (and I was right there with them believe me).  We were herded like cattle on and off the ship, we were poked and prodded through every sort of security measure, and conformity was the accepted norm.  In my healing work, I call following the masses ”Tribal Mentality”. The tribe believes certain things, follows the rules, makes the rules for the masses and expects compliance. They work together as a group and they expect you to conform. People do it so automatically, they don’t even realize they are doing it.  I have made a point of getting out of the tribe as much as possible and I noticed how much I resented being put right back in the middle of it. 

Watching 3,500 people eat like starvation was imminent was quite fascinating, as well as revolting. Obesity is at an all time high on this continent. I know I was shocked when earlier this year I found out that my Body Mass Index put me in the OBESE category. I thought impossible!  I know better. I eat fish and vegetables, fruit and grains.

But those highly addictive ginger cookies at Starbucks and that Cappucino Frozen Yogurt had done me in!  I too had fallen victim to the way of the tribe and it sure didn’t feel good! What about you? Are you part of the masses, part of the tribe? Do you have beliefs you have adopted that play out in your life and you don’t even realize it?

Several months ago I forgot something and out of my mouth came the words, “I must be having a blonde moment.” Now consciously, I do not believe that blondes are dumber than brunettes. Yet at a subconscious level, I had obviously bought into that particular Tribal Mentality belief.

We actually have lots of them. “Money is hard to come by. You always pay a high price for success. Women make less money than men. Life is a struggle. It’s normal to be overweight. In the winter you get more colds and flu. If you make lots of money, your friends won’t like you. It’s normal to spend more than you earn. You need to be smart to earn lots of money.”  Those are all beliefs that people have bought into without even thinking and there are literally hundreds of thousands of them.

Every one of us lives by beliefs that hold us back financially, mentally, physically and spiritually and we don’t even know it. It’s why I found the cruise extremely difficult.  It was great to get away and I was with a wonderful group of people.  The Caribbean was beautiful but it was challenging to be surrounded by thousands of people who are on auto-pilot. They hit the bars before the ship even left and spent hundreds of dollars on alcohol  they can ill-afford financially or physically. They ate like there was no tomorrow with not a thought about how their body was going to handle five desserts on top of a bowl of pasta! They never questioned being scrutinized and treated like a criminal because Homeland Security has put everybody in such an incredible place of fear and terror. It concerns me.

Things are happening to the natural resources in my own province that are alarming and very few people are saying anything about it. World leaders are maneuvering events that are going under the radar that we should be aware of. Yet the masses line up at the all you can eat buffet, worry about how to pay the phone bill while spending more than they earn and watch hours of television every day.

I haven’t had a television for years now but I get to watch it at the gym as almost every piece of equipment has a television screen attached to it. There may be some good programs but I’m still shaking my head and asking: What has happened in the five years that I haven’t watched TV? Since when does the Food Channel have programs that require an adult language content advisory? The other night, the woman next to me on the treadmill was watching a program on her TV screen that involved bisexuality and lesbianism.  After my shock wore off, I felt sad that the masses are not protesting that type of programming. I’m no prude that’s for sure, but there is an appropriate place for such things and it is not on public television at 9:00 p.m.!

So what can we do? Start noticing where you follow the tribe. Look at various aspects of your life? You could start with finances, or career, or relationships? Are you feeling guilty, for example, of not being in a relationship at 40 when everybody around you thinks you should be?  Are you feeling pressured to stay in your job and put your travel dreams on hold because your friends say that it is irresponsible to leave in your prime earning years?

Who says you need to be doing anything that you automatically do? Usually the tribe.  Start forming your own opinion about things and follow your own path. If everybody goes right, you do not have to go right. If everybody jumps off the cliff, you don’t have to go too!

They did an exercise where everybody, except one person, was told to get into the elevator and face the back of the elevator, rather than the door.  At first the person who wasn’t given those instructions was surprised as everybody turned to face the back.  Finally, he gave in and turned to face the back too!  He couldn’t handle the pressure of being different, of not being part of the tribe.  It’s natural to belong to the tribe.  It definitely takes courage to be different and get out, to stand up and to speak out.

We need more people who are out of the tribe, who can think for themselves and who are fully conscious.  We’re all part of the tribe in some areas of our lives but the more you can separate yourself from the “herd thinking” and connect with the power you have within, the world will be a better place.  Your life will be quite amazing.  You just watch!With love and light, Jan

ikoni

The women all around me at the Step Class seem so proficient. They know all the moves and have the choreography down pat. Meanwhile, I am fumbling through the “gallop”, the straddle”, and trying to remember the difference between the ”three knee” versus the ”three step”. The perspiration is streaming off of me and I am going at 10% of their speed and vigor. Just remembering to breathe is a big ordeal. 

One day after a song finished, I looked at a woman and said, “Please tell me that you have been doing this for years.” Sure enough, everyone around me had been coming to Step Class for three, four, seven and even eleven years. Thank you God - I know there is hope as I finish up my second month at the gym. I’ve got a lot of months to get as good as them!  It’s made me appreciate - once again - how good you can get at something when you practice doing it!

Doing anything in life, whether it is a gym class and getting in shape, learning a new language or becoming an entrepreneur, there is quite simply, a learning curve. 

I remember when I moved to Ecuador as a missionary and had to learn Spanish.  I prayed in a small group to forgive us our “pescados”, rather than “pecados”. That was fish rather than sins! Everybody snickered - a definite no-no during prayer!  Or the time we walked into the chicken shop and asked for the biggest breasts and used the word for women’s breasts which in Spanish is different than poultry breasts. The people behind the counter laughed at us. 

I got laughed at a lot in those first few months and even a couple of years later, I still made mistakes. But what an experience getting to live in Ecuador for four years. I wouldn’t have traded it for anything - even if meant plenty of challenges, obstacles and difficulties. 

 You’re probably facing a few of those in your life right now. It could be health issues, financial situations, time management crisis, family problems or career choices that you are struggling with. You may feel like quitting. You may think that you will never get where you want to go. It’s easy to quit and quite honestly, sometimes we should. People stick with awful situations far longer than they should. 

There is a big difference between quitting because you hate what you are doing, you aren’t good at it and you are doing it out of guilt, regret or resentment and quitting because you don’t think that you can ever have what you want or be “good enough”. 

I ended up becoming very fluent in Spanish - so much so that by the time I left the country, I was dreaming in Spanish. There was an incentive to learn the language - like being able to buy groceries at the market and talk to my neighbors and I love foreign languages. But I would never put the same effort into learning how to rebuild my car engine for example. Not in a million years. There is a price to pay for everything in life. The decision is whether or not you want to pay that price. I always ask myself a few questions that may help you:

1. Do I really want to do this or am I doing it because I think I should do it or out of some kind of obligation?
2. What price am I willing to pay for the gain that I want?
3. Am I clear on the gain?

It’s easy to quit and it’s easy to continue. It all depends on the reason why you’re doing something in the first place. I instituted a policy in my life that has saved me plenty of grief over committing to what I don’t really want to do. This policy may help you.  When somebody asks me to do something, if it feels wrong, I will say No immediately.  You know that gut feeling so start by saying No when you know that is the answer at an intuitive level. 

However, if it feels like something I am interested in, I will say, “give me 24 hours to think about it” and I will get back to them after sleeping on it. If I don’t get beyond excited about it, then I say No. That keeps everything in my life in the “I would walk over broken glass to do this” category because I love it so much. It’s much easier to continue when you feel that way.  

As we wind down the last few months of 2007, it’s a good time to get clear on quitting or persevering and your desire meter. There is no right or wrong on this one. It can change - mine certainly has. I would just love to see people dump a lot of their obligation and the guilt that goes along with it.  It doesn’t feel good and it makes you whiny and miserable which doesn’t make anybody around you feel good either.   

Decide what you really, really, really want to do and then DO IT!   Kind of like the last chapter in my book puts it:  Pee or Get off the Pot!  The kind of long-lasting motivation that sees you through anything and everything absolutely has to come from an inner conviction, not a guilt-driven obligation.  

 The clearer you get, the higher the joy goes, the stronger the inner peace becomes, and the better life is. You might want to try it out for yourself.

With love and light,

Jan

With so many wonderful things happening this fall, I wanted to send out a special email to let you know about some of the amazing events that I am attending.  It takes alot to get me out of my office these days, but I know that I have chosen some incredible events to help grow my business and liven my spirit!  Will you join me?

October 20^th - Joint Venture Forum - Vancouver - Spend a day with an expert on Joint Ventures. Learn to do what major corporations do and what very successful entrepreneurs incorporate into their success strategies.  Entrepreneurs have literally doubled their business after learning how to do Joint Ventures.  Robin Elliott is one of the best in the field and I’ve studied Joint Ventures with marketing gurus like Jay Abraham.  Robin lives and breathes Joint Ventures!  In this one day seminar, you will have your eyes opened to  money-making opportunities and potential like you have never experienced.  A trusted business associate, Lane Snider is organizing the event.  Click here for registra tion information

October 23 - Transform the 7 Dwarves of Peri-menopause and Menopause - Surrey  A crabby, tired, irritable entrepreneur is no fun to do business with. Brenda Eastwood is an expert in the field of helping women feel better through hormonal changes. You can attend this workshop for the early bird special price of just $49 and if you put the word “BONUS” in the comment section, Brenda has agreed to give you the two for one special. You will go away from a seminar with Brenda empowered, hopeful and definitely changed for the better! She will do her Cinderella magic on you! Register now and remember the word Bonus.

November 4 -Women Of Worth Event - Vancouver. Christina Awram, the founder of WOW is a business associate who recently came back into my life. I have been aware of her tremendous work and effort in putting on an annual event to support the “fabulousness” of women as she calls it.  If fun, excitement, awesome speakers, great door prizes, delicious food, lots of pampering, amazing women and a stunning venue appeals to you, then you’ll just have to join me and about 1000 other women at WOW.  Christina has graciously offered a discount to my subscribers. I have a feeling that you will want to be part of this groundswell of confident, powerful, fun women. Christina is offering absolutely incredible value - register her for your discounted registration. Women who attended last year are still talking about it so I hope to see you there!

November 23 evening & 24 full day- Discover Your Sacred Gifts.  A workshop near and dear to my heart as it changed my life a few years ago. Join Monique MacDonald as she helps you discover the reason why you are here. James Ray from The Secret said, “Everyone needs to FIRST uncover their gifts and live from them so that applying the Law of Attraction is effortless.” Since learning my Sacred Gifts, I can’t believe the difference in my life! You can register at sacredgifts@telus.net and if you register before October 30th, the full seminar is only $97.  This is life-changing information.  I really can’t say more.   

February 28 - March 3 - Awakening the Goddess Retreat- Sedona, Arizona - I will be a facilitator at this event so it quite simply comes highly recommended!  This summer’s retreat in Hawaii was amazing and Sedona is promising to be even more incredible.  If you have ever wanted to be part of something big, the two women behind this have a vision that is mind-blowing.  Check out www.globalgoddessnetwork.com for more information. 

As I haven’t yet mastered being in two places at one time, there is another event in November that I highly recommend if you are a woman in leadership.  Another dear business associate, Laura Mack and a few other brilliant women have prepared a phenomenal weekend on Vancouver Island. 

November 22 - 24 - Women of Vision and Passion - Tigh-na-mara  Spa Resort and Conference Centre - Vancouver Island.  This is a beautiful resort and with the gifts of several talented women coming together, this event will be exceptional!  Click here for registration information.

I hope this has given you some wonderful ideas of what you can do this fall.  If you are from out of town, this may be a great opportunity to visit Beautiful British Columbia.  Also check out the speakers and the opportunities as some of them may be persuaded to head your way with some coaxing!  That could be fun for you to bring one of these amazing events to your area. 

Sedona is a magical place that I have wanted to visit for years now.  So ladies, please check out the Global Goddess Network as these women have a far-reaching vision to impact the planet.  I’d love to see you in Sedona in February. 

Have a wonderful, wonderful week everyone!

Hugs,

Jan

As I spoke last week with one of the most important members of my team, I remembered how Krista came into my life. It’s been almost two years now since I was invited to do a teleclass for Leesa Barnes in Toronto.  Two women showed up on the call. Now Leesa assured me that more women would be listening to the recording of the call but nevertheless, two people showed up for the call.

How many of us would have thought - what a waste! I’m a failure! Only two people wanted to hear my information! It would have been really easy to go there and I remember still the thought - what?!?!? - 2 people. Not a lot to be excited about. However, I did the call and the women loved it. They both bought my CD available at the time and Krista, one of those two women, called me and booked a coaching session with me. For months, Krista and her husband worked with me to redesign their web design and programming business. 

Once I felt confident that their business was operating well, I sent some of my clients to Krista. Then Krista did all five of my websites earlier this year. She’s still working with me to build her business and I continue to send her business because she’s amazing. Today Krista and I have done over $25, 000 of combined business with each other. All from a phone call where two people showed up. Not bad, huh?

It’s natural to want BIG things in life! We want to lose 20 pounds this month. We want to earn $5,000 this week! We want to become a millionaire this year! We want to find the love of our life today! Sometimes, it’s easy to become so focused on the BIG things that we become discontented, depressed, and dissatisfied with life. Is there an area of your life like that? 

I absolutely love the little things in life! I get excited every time someone signs up for one of my newsletters. What a thrill when someone buys a book from me. My partner and I play Parcheesi when he is in town and we have kept a running score for months now. We laugh and tease each other as we tie in our score and then I get one ahead. He’s only been ahead once in more than 50 games. I love it! Now that’s a very little thing, yet the delight it brings me is hugely disproportionate to it’s importance in life!  I know that but I still love it! 

I love my body every day at the gym as it is working so hard to release the extra pounds that those little bowls of frozen yogurt created over the last 18 months. How that little thing added up so quickly still boggles my mind! They’re such little, little bowls!

Life is made up of the little things. So Larry King didn’t book you for his show. Oprah hasn’t come calling yet. A month ago, Michael Angier, founder of Successnet, one of the largest entrepreneur websites in the world phoned me. He had heard me do a teleclass for Michael Port months ago and had bought my book from Amazon. He now wanted to buy 68 of them for his Inner Circle. He also wants to interview me for an hour and send out the interview to his 93,000 database with a recommendation to buy my book. That all started with a little thing - an email to Michael Port asking if he would invite me as a guest on his Think Big Revolution call.   What are you doing to create the little things in life?

I can promise you from personal experience that it is truly the little things in life that make all the difference. In The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson reiterates this with plenty of examples. One that really hit hard for me was the cost of waiting to invest money. If at the age of 24 you started saving $2,000 at 12% interest and only did that for six years you would have at age 65, $1,074,968. Not bad for a little investment of $12,000! On the other hand if someone waited 6 little years and started at 30, they would have to continue investing $2,000 every single year until age 62 to arrive at the same place! That’s right. A little wait of six years cost 33 years of having to invest and $54,000 invested to arrive at the same place!

Does that hurt or what? So Jeff’s point: It’s never too late to start. It’s always too late to wait.  Even a “little” wait!

The man I love is in my life today because a client introduced us. He asked me to do an appointment with Greg on a Monday. Now my attitude is that I wouldn’t see the pope or even Oprah on Monday as a client - well maybe - but you know what I mean. I have been adamant for years now that I work on my business on Mondays, not in my business. But Greg, a medical doctor, could only have an appointment on Monday. Something inside, a very little voice said, “do the appointment with him”.  That was the start of an amazing relationship that brings us both buckets of joy each and every day. But it all started with a very little thing.

As so many people feel like their lives are missing something, they are missing out, they are unhappy or feeling unfulfilled, I am going to highly suggest that you start focusing on the little things. Take tiny steps every day to move towards what you want in your life. I recently read about a woman who lost over 200 pounds. She started walking. She could make it down the street 4 houses. The next week she could make it down the street 5 houses and so it went. Talk about little - but 200 pounds later, she got the results she wanted! What about you?  If you want BIG results, start little! 

Have an amazing month of seeing the little things in your life!

With love and light,

Jan