Fasting & Potential

 

No food or drink, American way

Digging Deep

From January 11-28, 18 days, I was on a no food water-only fast. I don’t share this to solicit praise (or sympathy). I’ve neglected the blog for a while and wanted you to know the reason. Why do it you ask? For spiritual, health, and emotional reasons. It was hard harder than I thought it would be but I did it.

In December 2011 I created some very BIG, audacious life plans I want to achieve in the next 10 years then broke them down into yearly, monthly, weekly, daily activities & habits and knew I needed to dig deep within myself to find resilience, courage, & energy to achieve everything on the list.  So I decided a fast would renew, reinvigorate & discipline me for the exciting adventures I would face in the coming months daily living out my dreams.

The results of the fast:

1. A 15-pound weight loss.

2. Daily cravings for chocolate and other sweets curbed considerably.

3. Closer relationship with God.

4. New meal & exercise plans.

5. New changes on the horizon for this blog.

6. Other awesome insights to numerous to list here (but will share in the coming weeks).

Defining Potential

I enrolled in an online 6-month leadership course it requires that I read four books written by the leader of this fabulous training, Myles Munroe: Unleash Your Potential, Understanding Your Potential, Releasing Your Potential, and Maximizing Your Potential.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve read the word “potential” in the last 6 weeks. To help ingrain the definition into my brain I wrote this … (thank you Webster’s dictionary for your contribution)

Hello, my name is Potential. I live inside of you, I am… dormant ability, reserved power, untapped strength, unused success, hidden talents, capped capability.

I am all you can be, but have not yet become, I am all you can do, but have not yet done, I am how far you can reach, but have not yet reached, I am what you can accomplish, but have not yet accomplished.

If only you would allow me to fully unleash all the constrained positive energy that is within you. Your deepest desires, wants, dreams, and goals, all bottled up, whirling in your head, written on paper that’s me Potential.

I’m trying to communicate to you, giving the green light to go for it (whatever “it” may be). Do it. Build it. Give it. Grow it. Live it. Share it. Believe it.

My name is Potential. I am dormant ability, reserved power, untapped strength, unused success, hidden talents, capped capability it’s time you set me free.”

Next time I will address a way to set potential free.  Have you been successful in moving from potential to real success? How did you do it?

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A Book, A Library, & The Number 540

Steve Jobs Quotes: Living an Inspired Life

My reading list for 2012 did not include the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Apple products are the best, super cool, elegant and functional tech toys around so when Steve Jobs died I read many beautiful tributes by bloggers who revere him highly. However, the book was’nt on my list.

I do love books and libraries (and Apple products, in case you forgot). And dark chocolate. And the beach. And… I digress.

With all the buzz about Steve Jobs maybe I should at least peruse the book no harm in that, right? I know, I’ll put it on hold at the library. Brilliant idea Raye (I say my name when I talk to myself). So to the library website I go click and done. But…

I’m the 540th person. In case you didn’t hear me, I am the 540th person in line for this book. What???????????? Let’s do the math 539 times 3 weeks, (the check out time frame) 539 x 3 =1,617 days there’s 365 days in a year, I’ll be waiting 4.5 years! What.ev.er. Fine. It wasn’t on my list anyway. Forget it. Move on. One click removes my name (finger hovering over delete button).

One week later…

The items you placed on hold are now available. You can pick them up at the library listed above. They will be held for two weeks, until the date listed below.
1   Steve Jobs / Walter Isaacson.
Isaacson, Walter.
call number:92 JOBS ISAACSON
Pickup by:1/13/2012

What happened to the other 539 people? Why didn’t I click delete? Is it the year 2017 already?

Could it be a sign to read this book now? Well I am. End of story.

 

The picture I selected for this post was created by IQMatrix a cool mind map of quotes from Steve Jobs click here to zoom in and read them.

They have other unique mind maps on their site here.

 

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8 Characteristics of a Healthy Self-Esteem

Self Esteem

Self Esteem - katingalls - flickr photo

Today I’m cleaning out a file drawer of old papers from 20 years ago and found one about self-esteem. It’s dated May 16, 1987, probably from a psychology class I took at my local community college. The original title is “Dr. Coopersmith’s Eight Characteristics of Sound Self-Esteem” so here it is raw, uncut, uncensored:

1. See yourself as a valuable and important person, worthy of the respect of others.

2. Be optimistic about life. Look forward to and enjoy new challenges to awareness.

3. Regard yourself as an expert, and don’t allow others to feed garbage in.

4. Perceive yourself as able to express ideas easily, and realize others respect your point of view.

5. Establish your own value system and be confident of the decisions you make based on your current awareness.

6. Develop a positive expectancy of reaching your goals, and bounce back quickly from temporary setbacks.

7. Take pride in your past performance and visualize a positive expectancy of the future.

8. Accept compliments easily and share your successes with others who have contributed to them.

So what do you think? Too old, old school, or irrevelant for the 21st century mindset?

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A Perfect Time To Reflect

Reflecting on the sands of serenity

Reflecting on the sands of serenity - dazzygidds - flickr

 

The Past

It’s been a long journey to get here,’here’ being blogging. In 2008 I was researching, pondering, analyzing blogging. I wanted to do it but lacked the courage to get started. What would people say? What would I say? What do I want to say? You can read my story here (part 1) and here (part 2).

 

The Present

It’s a perfect time to reflect on the fact that…

a) I’m 53 years old. I know it is inappropriate, politically incorrect, and uncool for a person who’s over 40 and not a celebrity to tell their age. It’s not my birthday or anything but I’m more comfortable in my own skin now than at 23, 33, & 43.

b) Compared to 3 years ago, I’m not chasing as many bright, shiny objects as I did when I first showed up on the blog and online marketing scene. Instead I listen to a still small voice inside of me whispering, “Raye, do this”. Even when ‘do this’ is the exact opposite of what everyone else is saying in the blog world.

c) I like my salt & pepper-colored hair and plan to keep it that way until I decide to change it. (so there) (with hands on hips & smiling)

 

The Future

In 1992 I clipped an article out of a magazine because it resonated so strong with me. Robert Grunst, a literature professor, poet, storyteller shares how to breathe life into writing. I stuffed the article in a folder and forgot about it until, a few weeks ago, I accidentally found it while cleaning a file drawer. This is the portion that still gives me goose bumps when I read it:

“The greatest gift you can attain is the belief that what you’ve got to say really does matter. You’ve got to recognize the depth of your own experience. Then it is a matter of not giving up on expression. You have to be very patient, you have to try over and over again until suddenly there it is before you, language that matches up with some mystic thing in your own mind. It doesn’t come easily. But when you get it, it is a real gift.” – Robert Grunst

Hear my heart, dear reader, as a newbie writer, blogger, and entrepreneur these words come at a perfect time for me. I want to write. I need to write. So I must write to experience the thrill of language, mind, and the needs of my audience (that’s you) working in sync like waves on the seashore… ebb and flow, ebb and flow … a synergy of language & mind & audience … giving and receiving, giving and receiving…

What is it that you must express & diligently work at so you can feel the thrill of ebb and flow, giving and receiving?

Two months ago I started blogging and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have given to me – your time, comments, support & advise.

Together let’s raise our glasses to toast our futures being so bright we’ll have to wear shades. (yeah, baby!)

Blessings & Shalom (peace),

Raye

 

Share your own reflections… I would love to read them.

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What You Can Learn From Monk The T.V. Show


Monk, Season 7

Monk, Season 7 - halilgokdal - flickr

 

The Theme Song 

 

The Lyrics – Randy Newman, composer

It’s a jungle out there, disorder and confusion everywhere,

No one seems to care well I do, hey, whose in charge here?

It’s a jungle out there poison in the very air we breathe,

You know what’s in the water you drink? Well I do, and it’s A-MAZ-ING

People think I’m crazy, cause I worry all the time if you paid attention, you’d be worried too.

You’d better pay attention, or this world we love so much Might Just Kill You.

I could be wrong now, but I don’t think so! Cause its a jungle out there, it’s a jungle out there.

 

Monk’s Story

A San Francisco policeman, Adrian Monk, loses his wife when she is tragically murdered. To cope with this horrible event, he develops a myriad of phobias, compulsions, and obsessions and is diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Unable to function he loses his job but with therapy, friends, and a personal assistant Monk begins to rebuild his life. Eventually he is hired as a consultant for the SF police department to help with hard to solve cases. In spite of his OCD, Adrian excels in his job using unconventional  approaches to homicide investigations.  Although life is better there’s still two unresolved issues in his life, regain his police badge and find the killer of his beloved wife, Trudy.

 

The Life Lesson

It’s A Jungle Out There. Over time you’ve accumulated your own set of OCDs to help you cope there’s the poisonous procrastination tree, the big black hairy spiders of worry, the suffocating squeeze of the anaconda snake of anxiety, and the yucky germs of fear. They might just kill you.  What you need is a mental machete to hack your way through this tangled mass of mental underbrush. Monk has a mental machete and you need one too and it’s your why. Your machete is your why.

More than anything Adrian Monk wants to get his police badge back and find Trudy’s killer. Those are powerful enough  reasons to propel him to face his own demons and the world each day. What’s your why for starting and sustaining your dream(s)? When the going gets tough and all your OCDs gang up on you is your why sharp enough to cut through your mental jungle?

It’s worth getting clear on your why because eventually you’ll discover you’ve hacked a path right to the treasure you seek.

Here’s to crafting a beautiful, creative mindset, life, and legacy.

 

Raye

 

What’s your why? I would love to know. 

 

Helpful Resources:

Scott Dinsmore of LiveYourLegend.net has some excellent worksheets on finding your why just signup for his email updates click here

New book released Dec 27, 2011 (affiliate link) – Start With Why by Simon Sinek

 

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My Dating & Honeymoon Phase with Blogging is Over

Honeymoon at Mauritius

The Fantasy

It was love at first sight. He was clean cut, professional looking, color coordinated, with all the right features. I fell in love with a WordPress blog theme. After a one-month whirlwind romance we were engaged. Ahhh, I could see it now…(dream scene starts)

Me & blog writing hundreds and hundreds of spellbinding high quality prose so inspiring people leap out of their chairs to take action.

Me & blog daily receiving thousands and thousands and thousands of comments as numerous as sand on the beach as far as the eye could see.  Comments like”You changed my life, Raye” or “Your blog posts are awesome”.

Internet gurus, marketers, and bloggers clamoring, begging me to guest post on their blogs, a steady stream flood of clients eager for our products and services, speaking engagements, a book contract, and it would all happen (snap fingers) very quickly… (dream scene ends)

So I told WordPress blog theme, “Yes, I will marry you and we will live a happy life together”.  On Oct 23, 2011  I took the plunge clicked the “publish” button and officially me and ROCKStar Lifestyle blog became one. (**throwing confetti, champagne glasses clicking***)

 

Commitment

Commitment -eschipul - flickr.com

 

The Reality  

Then a few days ago I. woke. up.  What did I marry? Blog you deceived me lied to me. There’s a lot about you I don’t know. Your family is from another country. They have names like PHP, HTML, Widget, Menus, Editor, Categories, Tags, and SEO. I am not familar with their customs, traditions, and culture. Did I make a mistake? What’s a girl to do with a blog that throws its virtual socks on the floor, squeezes the cyberspace toothpaste from the middle, and leaves a photo image of the toilet seat up? Grrrrr…..

I am just beginning to comprehend the enormous learning curve, risk, and responsibility I will daily deal with to become a blogger and build a business.

The Realization – Walk My Talk

One day while contemplating breaking up my marriage with blog, I had a light-bulb-over-the-head moment. This is an opportunity to walk my talk. The cool blog title (I like it) and tagline are putting me to the test (sigh).  O.k. that means quitting (easy option), whining (maybe a little), complaining (just for a few seconds?) are not solutions. Instead I’ll:

1. Learn to embrace, even enjoy, the process of building a business & writing a blog.

2. Ask for help even when I don’t know how to articulate what I need.

3. Review the life and business plan I created – its a global positioning system to success.

4. Remember its one word at a time, one blog post at a time, one day at a time.

It’s time to roll up my sleeves and work on our future together.

 

Live a ROCKStar Lifestyle, (resilient, optimistic, courageous, kool, star)

 

Raye

 

I’m curious, how long did the dating/honeymoon phase of your business last?  What do you suggest? Share your comments. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

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5 Stop & 5 Go Questions

Becoming a ROCKStar is 95% mindset and 5% patterns of behavior, focus, and discipline. You have to daily work at becoming resilient, optimistic, courageous, kool, star. Changing your mindset occurs when you stop asking disempowering questions and go for ones to empower you.

Brief Science Lesson: Brain & Mind 

The brain and the mind are different yet work together. Scientists seem to draw varied conclusions on how much one effects the other. The best way I can explain it is that the brain is the tangible, physical, touchable part (biological) and the mind is intangible energy where ideas, thoughts, reasoning questioning processes takes place (psychological). It is believed by some scientists that your mindset can be retrained to receive and process better messages. You have the power to control the types of questions that consciously or unconsciously flow through it each day.

Create an Afformation

I’ve compiled a list of disempowering and empowering questions. After reading them choose one area in your life you need to stop asking disempowering questions (finances, relationships, spiritual, physical, etc.) and create 1 empowering question then share it in the comments. Put it in your planner or on 3 X 5 card to read at least 1-3 times a day. A previous post on afformations (with link to a video) can help, click here. Or just take some time to sit and craft your own.

Stop Sign Montage

 Stop Asking Disempowering Questions

1. What’s wrong with me?

2. Why do you make me feel like this?

3. Why am I a loser?

4. Why is God punishing me?

5. Why is life so hard?

 

Go

Go – Questions That Empower 

1. How can I best use my skills, talents, and gifts to serve others?

2.  What are my values?my top 10? my top 5? my top 3? my most important value?

3. What am I thankful for?

4. What type of friends do I want?

5. What habits and behaviors do I need to master? or stop doing?

 

Create an  empowering question then share it in the comments. I created both sets of stop & go questions, any suggestions on how to improve them?

 

 

 

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4 + 1 Remarkable Reasons Resilience Rocks

Resilience

Resilience - munzee - flickr

What’s your biggest challenge? Loss of a loved one, fired from a job, money issues, divorce?You can’t control everything that comes your way so how do you manage  life’s challenges? How do you stay positive when the forces around you are not?

The Definition

Resilience is the ability to bounce back, recover quickly when situations are uncomfortable, bad, and annoying. Here’s how:

 3 Steps to Developing Resilient Thought Patterns

1. Create Afformations – an affirmation is a statement of what you want to be true in your life for example, “I am resilient”. But an afformation asks a question “What makes me resilient?”  ”Why am I so resilient?”

Noah St. John explains that afformations are better because the human mind is always in the process of asking and seeking the answers to questions.  For more information watch his video Noah St. John, inventor of Afformations. Try it out for 30 days and let me know your results.

2. Community - you need a tribe, a community, a group, a safe place to share your feelings freely.

3. Write in a Journal – at the end of each day write down lessons you learned, answer the question What am I thankful for today? On a weekly basis review them. This activity helps you recognize patterns of behavior and thoughts that may be sabotaging your success it also helps you appreciate what is good in your life.

4 +1 Reasons Resilience Rocks

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.”   Robert Louis Stevenson

“All of us get knocked down, but it’s resiliency that really matters. All of us do well when things are going well, but the thing that distinguishes athletes is the ability to do well in times of great stress, urgency and pressure.”  Roger Staubach

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”  Helen Keller

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”  Michael Jordan

“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot… and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s precisely why I succeed.”  Michael Jordan

Whatever you may be struggling with I pray that you find the strength to see it from a different persepective and find inner resolve to walk through it.

Live a ROCKStar Lifestyle,

Raye

 

I’m eager to get your opinion on this question,  When is resilience needed most when life is good? bad? or both?

 

(Resilience quotes from Active Rain website)

 

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Be Like Yeast

yeast

Tasty Reward

The timer went off. I anxiously slipped my hands into the black oven mittens and pulled the loaf pan out of the oven. “Bread smells so good” I thought to myself, “I wonder how it will taste?”  The brown crusty exterior beckoned to me and I immediately pulled out a knife to cut it. But wait, should’nt I let it cool? No. The smell, the look, I can’t wait so with plate, butter, and knife I cut the first slice chunk for me. Quickly spreading a dab ton of butter on it my mouth wrapped itself around the piece and I heard the crunch as my teeth broke through the crust and landed on the pillowly soft chewy center. Heavenly.  And it all started with yeast…

Isn’t that how you want people to react to you? Your message? Or services and products? So attracted by the smell and the crust they can’t wait to bite down and experience all you have to offer.  The ROCKStar Lifestyle is about becoming yeast in the world. Believing you are valuable and embracing the true star you are. Real. Authentic you. Let’s examine this idea closer.

6 Characteristics of Yeast (and You)

Yeast Looks Weak – dry, beige, hard, micro-mini granulars, plain and seemingly powerless. But it can have a negative or positive impact on its environment.

Yeast Works Quietly – no big fanfare or announcement. Yeast quietly, consistently, intentionally goes about its business.

Yeast Never Becomes the Dough- but makes space for itself  by slowly, relentlessly permeating every inch of  its environment  forcing the dough to rise in order to accomodate it.

Yeast is Activated by Heat and Pressure, Moisture – works best in that environment.

Yeast Affects Are Observable – you can see the results of its labor, the work, the time, the effort, its fruit is evident.  Dough rises 3 times its size or more because of yeast.

Yeast is Useless Sitting In the Package - its powerless, useless, and stagnant in the package.  It has the potential to influence but until activation takes place its. just. there.

Be Like Yeast For Delicious Living

Fresh bread!

Engage the world - put yourself out there. It’s time to move, take action, people who need what you have to offer are waiting your community is salivating, ready with plate, butter, and knife to bite into you. Claim your space.

Confront the world - Face the reality that everyone will not like you. That you are NOT perfect. But do not let that stop you from permeating every nook and cranny of the world you influence.

Strategic Impact on the world - create a plan. Write down your purpose, vision, goals. What are your values? A life plan will direct and guide you.

Here are some resources to use: Michael Hyatt’s Life Plan, Joel Boggess 4 Points Coaching.

Books to read: In Pursuit of Purpose by Myles Munroe and The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.

I use all these materials and they have a profound effect on helping me think like a ROCKStar and be like yeast. Invest time and money in yourself. Hire a good life coach (like Joel Boggess) to help you create a strategic life plan so you can impact this world with your goodness.

Hmm, craving some bread.

Always be a ROCKStar – resilient, optimistic, courageous, kool, star

Raye

 

 

Note: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. These are products or services I use and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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You Are a Star!

Kid with a red star cap on the Great Wall, China

 

It’s Very Kool To Be A Star

In my post titled What is the ROCKStar Lifestyle? Part 2 I explained how everyone is a star and a star is a leader. Websters Dictionary has several meanings for star and leader but here are the two definitions we are interested in:

lead/leader – a principle role; one who leads (don’t you just luv it when they use the word in the definition?)

star – destiny; to play the leading role

This is how Myles Munroe, a premiere thought leader on the topic of leadership, explains ‘star’ in his book Becoming A Leader,

(as you read this replace ‘leader’ with ‘star’)

“To a leader, life is a career. You become a leader when you decide not to be a copy but an original. A leader does not set out to be a leader per se, but rather to maximize himself fully and freely. True leaders have no interest in themselves or position, but an abiding interest in expressing themselves. The leader within you comes alive when you discover the purpose and vision for your life, and set out to fulfill it without compromise”

It’s time to play the principle role in your life and your business to be an original – discover your gifts, skills, talents and use them for the betterment of the world because it’s very kool to be a star.

What’s your thoughts? I value your opinion.

 

 

Note: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. These are products or services I use and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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