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Date: September 12, 2006
Publisher: Stacey Mayo
www.BalancedLiving.com
Circulation: 22,463
In this issue:
- How to Stretch Like Gumby
- Learn to Leverage for Better Results
- Million Dollar Experiment
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe Instructions
Yippee! Autumn is around the corner - one of my favorite seasons of the year (next to Spring). Fall is a great time to dust off those goals and dreams, re-commit and stretch. In this issue, I talk about the importance of stretching outside your comfort zone and how to view it so that it is not quite so uncomfortable. I also talk more about how to use leverage to reach your goals and another fun way to use the law of attraction.
Enjoy!
Best wishes in living out your dreams.
How to Stretch Like Gumby
By Stacey Mayo
Living out your dreams will require you to stretch, get out of your comfort zone and try new things, even when you don't know how they will turn out. It is important to let go of your fear of the unknown and trust that you will be able to handle whatever happens. This doesn't mean jumping without a net, i.e., without any means of support or knowledge of what you are doing. It simply means to take small steps in the direction in which you want to go.
Some of you have heard me talk about the first time I led my workshop on Unlocking Your Purpose and Mission in Life many years ago. I led it to a group of friends of friends. It was very challenging for me to do that first workshop, as I wanted it to be perfect. It was not. But I got some great feedback and learned some important things about what I needed to do differently to have my first paying workshop be a success. I led many workshops after that for continuing education programs at colleges and universities. Each time I led it, it got better. Eventually, I taught others how to facilitate the program and also turned it into an ebook called "Is Your Ladder Leaning Against the Wrong Wall?" If I had not taken that first step many years ago and allowed myself to make mistakes, none of that would have been possible. Now as I continue to grow my business, I have to continue to stretch and do more things I haven't done before.
The need for perfection can get in the way of many people stretching outside their comfort zone. The truth is, the first time you do something, it probably won't be perfect. And the fact that it is not perfect will NOT destroy you, unless you let it. Rather, each time you try something new, it is an opportunity to learn and to improve.
The First Time
The first time we do anything, it takes us outside our comfort zone. Then, once we have done it several times in close succession, it becomes our new comfort zone and we forget we were ever scared about it.
Take a look at your life. What are you doing now that you weren't doing a year ago?
Can you remember being uncomfortable the first time you did it? Notice how you have become more comfortable with it over time. Notice how your comfort zone has shifted.
When we step out of our comfort zone it causes us to grow and become the kind of person who can do what we want to do.
As human beings, we would prefer to stay in our comfort zones, as after all, it is totally comfortable. You have to be committed enough to your dream to want to be willing to be uncomfortable. I always tell my clients to celebrate when they are uncomfortable because it means they are growing.
Garner Support: No Man is an Island
When stepping outside your comfort zone, it is critical to get support. Otherwise, it is easy to back out and convince yourself that staying right where you've always been is just fine.
There are several ways to get support here:
- Hire a coach to help you through the tough times.
- Get a buddy who will hold you accountable to what you said you were going to do.
- Learn a technique such as EFT (emotional freedom technique) to release your fears and anxieties about making such a move or hire someone trained in this practice to help you. There is also an addendum at the end of the Living Your Dreams workbook that reviews this process.
Going Forward
I request that you step outside your comfort zone at least once/week. This means taking on something you either haven't done before or you have done it and it still makes you uncomfortable. Some examples are listed below:
- Asking someone you don't know for something such as support, money, information, endorsement, mentoring
- Presenting an idea or program verbally or in writing
- Creating something you've never done before
- Telling someone about your services or product
- Conducting an informational interview with someone successful in your field of choice
- Pitch a radio or TV station with your idea
What things have you been putting off doing because they make you uncomfortable? Take on doing one this week.
This article was excerpted from Living Your Dreams, A Companion Guide for "I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do This!" This workbook includes many of the in-depth exercises we do in my Living Your Dreams In The Flow coaching program.
If you already have the book, this is a perfect next step. Click here to learn more about the Living Your Dreams workbook.
Learn to Leverage for Better Results
Those of you who have read my book, "I Can't Believe I Get Paid To Do This!" or participated in some of my complimentary teleclasses, have heard me talk about the importance of leverage. If you want to grow big, you simply must have partners whom you can leverage their time, money, knowledge and yes, their lists. That is how the Dream Movie ended up in so many of your inboxes.
One of the ways to use leverage is to create partnerships and strategic alliances...also known as joint ventures.
And if your business needs immediate access to ...
- More customers
- More traffic
- More revenue
- More profits
- Or all of the above
Then you should download, print and read the following f.ree report recently posted by my colleagues Marc Goldman and JP Maroney.
Title: The "O" Report
It's 28 pages in length...
And it's a great primer about how to build your business with joint ventures, strategic alliances, partnerships, cross-promotions and more.
It is 100% content and not a single word of sell or pitch in it.
Get your copy at here, or copy/paste this URL into your web browser: http://www.goldbar.net/ua/link.php?affID=smayo_orpt
Million Dollar Experiment
Steve Pavlina is hosting a million dollar experiment based on the laws of attraction. The goal of this experiment is to attempt to use the power of intention to manifest $1 million for each person who chooses to participate. It is 100% f.ree and there are no costs of any kind. Click here to learn more about Steve's experiment.
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