Entertaining Emotional Guidance

I received this entertaining email from a friend and former client, but it was her comment at the end of the note that made me burst out laughing.

"To my darling husband,

Before you return from your business trip I just want to let you know about the small accident I had with the pick up truck when I turned into the driveway.

Fortunately it was not too bad and I really didn't get hurt, so please don't worry too much about me.

I was coming home from Wal-Mart, and when I turned into the driveway I accidentally pushed down on the accelerator instead of the brake. The garage door is slightly bent but the pick up fortunately came to a halt when it bumped into your car.

I am really sorry, but I know with your kind-hearted personality you will forgive me. You know how much I love you and care for you my sweetheart. I am enclosing a picture for you.

I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again.

Your loving wife

P.S. Your girlfriend called."

The way the email goes, you read the love note first, THEN see the photo, and then the PS about the girlfriend. (This program only allows me to put photos at the top, so I couldn't do it real justice.)

But my friend's note at the end made me proud that my message of always seeking the downstream action had gotten through. Her words:

Before she got into the truck, she asked herself,
"what would feel better?" . . .

Indeed! lol Sometimes the "feel better" action may very well result in something that looks like the above photo. Lord knows I've been there!

Which is why no one else can give us direction as good as we can give ourselves.

Checking within about what feels best offers us expert guidance.

We hear Abraham say all the time that our tendency to shun anger sometimes keeps us from climbing up the emotional scale. Although it doesn't necessarily feel good to stay in the angry vibe for lengthy periods, sometimes it's exactly the bridge we need in order to get to higher vibrations.

And that's as much as I'll say about that. For now, anyway. :)

It's Not You, (Really) It's Me

Holy Hannah - sometimes I freak myself out! I just flipped through my notebook for a client quote to include in this new post I was going to write, and happened to run across the list I made a few months ago of what I wanted in my next web developer.

I just now realized the person I hired last month is all that AND a bag of chips!! I mean, to read this page and a half list of traits including:

• personable
• so knowledgeable
• great reputation
• very responsive
• proactive
• supportive
• tactful
• great new ideas
• 'gets' me
• loves animals
• refers perfect clients my way
• teaches me
• gives extra value
• is fun to work with
• easy to understand
• goes the extra mile
• appreciates my business

... I mean I go on and on. You'd think I was ordering up the impossible!! Or at least the very unlikely!

But here she is in real living life - working on MY site & blog. (& ecourse. I'm getting her in on that ecourse someday, too.)

I got exactly what I wanted. It's freaky! Even after all this time, it still amazes me how we get just what we ask for. In REALLY strange ways!! (If she gives me the good word to share her contact info, I'm all over it.)

WOW.

I had one majorly screwed up vibe on web people for a while. After my fourth service provider, I realized - hello - it's not them; it's me. So before I hired my fifth person I knew I had some cleaning up to do.

Which I've been aware of all year long. I was easy on myself for this work. I didn't require overnight change; rather gave myself plenty of time to develop a new expectation and thought pattern about web people.

Which is also why my site doesn't give a link to this blog - that's how long I've been out a web person.

(What are they really called? It's probably not "web person." Sorry, web people! Web designer? Web maintainer? Web expert? I don't know.)

Anyway, I'm officially proclaiming myself free and clear of that old vibe, and LOVING the new one I've got going!! WOO HOO!!

Does that mean everything will go perfectly from here on out? Well, probably, but I'm not going to be flustered if it doesn't. Sometimes there are bumps in the road; that's fine, it won't cause me careening off the path if we hit one.

Okay, I'll get back to the post I was really going to type up.

Before I go, let me ask what vibe are you cleaning up? Have you got one that consistently delivers what you don't want? Maybe you get incompetent wait service or ..

... oh, stop me now! lol ... I was just about to list a whole bunch of possibilities of what we might have bad vibes on. (No need to activate THAT.)

You are spared!

Bottom line, if you've got a subject that consistently brings trauma or drama to your life, consider perhaps it's not them - but rather your vibe that's responsible. Let them off the hook, clean up your vibe, and move on to the good stuff. It's all waiting there for us when we just take the time to get aligned. : )

Swift vs Struggling Manifesting

To be fair to all the male creators out there (who read my October 23rd ezine with the genders showing the swift creator as female and the struggling creator as male), I'm giving you your due:

Swift Creator:

Believes what he wants is possible
Willing to try
Gives himself credit where he can
Practices what he learns
Is open and trusting
Doesn't hinge his wellbeing on the outcome
Feels connected to the world and others
Easily finds something to appreciate
Leaves the past in the past
Open to guidance (from higher self and others)

Struggling Creator:

Doubts it's possible; fear it's not
Fears disappointment
Sees failure instead of progress
Doesn't give it a chance to work
Is "shut down" and suspicious
Everything depends on a positive outcome
Feels isolated and alone
Sees little to be grateful for
Feels compelled to analyze what went wrong in the past
Closed to guidance from self and others

Hope that feels better. I actually understand how offensive that may have been for some to read, as I couldn't bring myself to use "she" or "her" in describing the struggling creator here.

My sincerest apologies!!

And a clarification in the same issue: my ecology professor (in fact, my high school ecology teacher, too) in college is inspiring because of his enthusiasm and love for his field of work. I rarely meet others so engaged and in love with what they do. Which is why he's my model for joy and passion.

(See guys, my ecology professor/hero was male ... !!) : )

Seriously, the simple fact is that most of us show up in both lists at one time or another. Which is fine. That's how we work. It's not unusual and it doesn't make us bad or wrong or incompetent.

What I like is for us to be aware of where we're holding ourselves back in order to free ourselves from habits that don't serve.

Awareness is the first step.

So, along those lines: I'm willing to try to help and believe that I can (and am). I give myself lots of credit (in fact, the "thank you" emails outnumbered the "what were you thinking" emails 9 to 1, so thanks to those of you who give me credit, too). I'm practicing what I know every day (and doing so in this post now), am open to correction and new learning, I'm feeling the love for and from those I'm in this go-round with, loving life in general and appreciating that people read and think enough of what I've written to write back!

And with that said I'm off to write a new post that's been on my mind for a few days.

Thanks for being here! You likely have no idea how much you mean to me! : )

Leaving Reality Behind

I've got three clients telling the same story: "I can't get the relationship I want." (Hmm, note to self: am I flowing any of that? When it shows up repeatedly on the outside, it's worth looking within to see if I'm vibing it too.)

But these LOA savvy people have a long list of reasons to back up that "truth." You know those reasons, right? "I've never been able to attract the kind of person I want." "There aren't any honest men left." "The women I meet are only interested in my money," etc.

Many of us have used similar "reasons" at some point to stay stuck in our story of reality.

I got stuck recently. My reason for being there was my mentally unstable drug dealing neighbor made multiple death threats against several of us in one weekend (including the vet who came over to euthanize my cat). My neighbor was the reason I was upset, angry, frustrated, and vengeful. And I had good reason to be (can you hear me stuck on it?). Here were some of them:

He was training his dog to kill my cats, laughed out loud when he knew he'd woken me up in the middle of the night, deals and does drugs in his front yard in the middle of the day (and night), tried to engage my boyfriend in a duel, swears at his grandmother when he catches her talking to me, threatened to kill me, drives recklessly down the street while kids are out playing ... the guy is truly off-kilter.

The "truth," as I told the detective, was that this guy was a drug dealing addict who respected no one (including the police) and was a danger to everyone in the neighborhood.

My list of reasons was long and well-documented by the police. My other neighbors had similar reasons too - which made it even more true. It wasn't just me - lots of us felt that way! And we reinforced it with each other. The "reality" was we were dealing with a dangerous psychopath who could take all of us out at any moment.

So that's where I was. Can you feel what a strong story I had going?

And I know how this works. I know that as long as I'm flowing anger, frustration and other negative vibes, that's all I can attract -more experiences that inspire more anger and frustration.

I know that as I continue to send this energy out, I continue this same reality.

And I know that to change the reality, I have to change my energy.

So before I have any "reason" to feel differently, I have to find a way to start feeling differently. Or I'll be stuck here forever.

I know moving isn't the answer, because I'll just take my "hate my neighbor" vibe with me, and voila -there will be a new problem neighbor wherever I go.

My work is right here. With my best next door teacher.

What do I want? That's the question I (sometimes) remember to go to when I'm tired of feeling awful.

Well, I want Peace, Quiet, Appreciation, and Love. I write these words down on a sticky note. They're still taped to my computer terminal as I type this, even.

That's what I want. How does that feel? I conjure up feelings of peace, quiet, appreciation and love. Okay, I got it. That feels good. That's what I'm after. That's a good start to shifting the energy.

And two hours later the neighbor is cursing at my dogs who are barking while he conducts business in his front yard with yet another shady character. As I connect with feelings of anger and resentment and fear again, I remind myself what I'm creating. That's not what I want.

What I want is peace, quiet, appreciation and love. I can get there. Even here, while I'm in the midst of something that would normally inspire very different feelings, I can get there. Because I'm in charge of how I feel. I'm in charge of what I create.

I talk myself to a better place. I conjure up the good feelings again. All is well. It's okay, Jeannette. He's just here to give you practice. It's all good. Where would you get a better teacher than this?! Tough to imagine. God bless him for being willing to wear the black hat to teach you unconditional love.

Sometimes I could go with those thoughts. Sometimes it was more like, "He's digging his own grave and can't last much longer," or "That sounds like a nasty cough - maybe he'll get sick enough to die" or "Maybe he'll move in with his new girlfriend" or "The recidivism rate is 87% for h*ll's sake, it's just a matter of time before he's back in prison."

So it wasn't always love and light, but I regularly practiced talking myself into a better feeling place. For weeks. I certainly didn't get there overnight.

And I've been getting better at it. I can feel the difference.

I knew that if I could consistently get on the vibe of Peace and Appreciation and Love, that he couldn't continue the way he has been. I thought he'd end up in prison or the morgue or at least someone else's neighborhood.

But I was wrong.

Over these last few weeks I practiced finding my way out of frustration and anger to Peace, Appreciation and Love. Late Monday night I got a phone call from him.

He spent five minutes apologizing for being a bad neighbor, asking my forgiveness, promising to change (including seeking out mental health support), and wanting me to know that he respects me and would never hurt me or anyone I loved or any of my property. He was in tears within seconds of talking, and so was I after we hung up.

There it is.

There's the Peace, Appreciation and Love I've been calling in. I didn't think he was lined up for it, but I was wrong.

I knew he meant it when he said it, and the next day he had a dramatic opportunity to prove it.

The German Shepherd he's been trying to train to kill my cats actually had a prime opportunity to do so. She took off like a bat out of hell when she spotted Elsa (Russ' favorite) across the street, and Elsa ran like her tail was on fire, and then my neighbor followed suit faster than both of them. He ran after his dog like his life depended on it, because he did NOT want a bad ending for my cat, certainly not at the jaws of his dog. I loved him for his sincerity.

We've turned a corner. I can easily feel the Peace and Appreciation and Love. Even as he's chasing down his dog chasing down my cat (who easily found a safe spot). Nothing but love for a guy that I ... well, didn't easily find love for before.

We live with our best teachers. Mine has taught me even better how to flow what I want, even in the midst of a very contrary reality. (Dad reminded me at lunch this from Carolyn Myss: "Your task is to learn the lesson that the teacher has for you rather than to resent the teacher.")

For my clients who continue to repeat the reasons they can't get the relationships they want - they have the same work ahead of them. Finding a way to feel what they want before they have any reason to. That's the deliberate creation work for ALL of us.

Once you're there vibrationally, the Universe MUST yield to you. And it will seem like a miracle when it does. :)

Feeling the Universe's Humor?

During yesterday's group course session, my coach partner, Amy, told a story about how she used to wish for fame when she was little. She distinctly recalls growing up with the desire that everyone across the globe would know her name.

Her maiden name was Scott. Years later she married a guy (with THE sexiest voice I've ever heard, by the way) whose last name is Grant. Which officially made her Amy Grant.

Not what she had in mind!! lol (Most reading this blog have likely heard of Grammy winning Amy Grant.) So my partner got her wish for having a name that everyone knew. Just not how she intended.

Her point in the story was:

Did she get what she wanted? No.

Did she get what she asked for? Yes.

I'm inclined to believe that Universe knows our true desires, and doesn't play games like this with us often.

But I realized Universe is playing with me along these same lines, too.

I've been toying with the idea of a new residence. One of the things I would love in a new place is dirt paths instead of cement sidewalks. Gravel drives instead of concrete driveways, and natural growing native plants rather than perfectly manicured landscaping. Squirrels, and neighbors that wave howdy each time we pass, whether we know each other or not.

Over the last week, I realize I got what I asked for, although not remotely what I had in mind.

My two young dogs have taken a toll on this yard that my senior dogs didn't. Whereas my senior girls kept an eye on the neighborhood from the porch, these pups run up and down the fence line which ensures no grass grows. In fact, on most days their muddy feet track dirt at least halfway up the cement path leading to the front door. Voila ... my dirt path.

And no matter how many walks they get, they dig like nobody's business. Which turns up a fair number of rocks, which somehow end up on the driveway. Not exactly what I had in mind for a gravel driveway ...

I met with a friend a couple blocks from my house at the library the other day, and saw a squirrel run across the traffic-packed road. (I think he made it across okay.) So there's my city squirrel.

It gets better ...

Since we've had trouble with one of the residents on the street, more neighbors stop by to chat than used to. My neighborhood's getting closer, although I didn't expect it would come about from having a drug dealing person in our midst. And on a dog walk today, several trucks passed us and responded in kind to my "howdy" wave.

So as far as Universe is considered, it can cross me off its "to do" list. Mission accomplished.

Got what she asked for.

While I appreciate the evidence that I've been heard and answered so succinctly, I recognize some clarity about what I really want might come in handy.

"A more relaxed lifestyle, closer connection to nature, surrounded by easy-going people."

Then my question becomes: What makes me think I have to move for that? Universe already proved its possible right where I am.

So this is where I get to be even MORE clear about what I want. I may just find I've already got what I want - right under my nose.

What are YOU asking for these days?

What's the true essence of that desire? Boil it down to the heart of it and consider letting the Universe deal with the details. Lots of times we micro-manage when we'd be much better off getting clear about what we really want and leaving the nitty gritty details to the Universe. (Or at least not being attached to the details.)

And Amy, if you ever wished for a Grammy on your mantle, just get that husband of yours out in the spotlight. He's got an award-winning voice if ever I heard one! (Just kidding! We all know fame and fortune is your destiny!)

All Is Well

I've been inundated with emails from kind readers who are wanting to help ease my pain and attachment to Sasha, based on the story I told in yesterday's (Oct 9th) ezine. Several also expressed surprise that I was married. (I'm not.)

I failed to mention in yesterday's ezine that those events took place over a decade ago.

Sasha was Kita's sister, both have been gone for a while now. As has been my dear husband. He didn't die, but we're still great friends to this day. lol (Okay, that just makes me laugh that I said "but" instead of "and" in that last sentence.)

Between Kevin, Sasha, Kita, along with many other cats, boyfriends, jobs, and girlfriends, I've had plenty of practice to learn how to release attachment.

We all have plenty of practice, don't we?

Learning to let this be easy; to recognize that how we feel is up to us, no one and nothing else; and to embrace our power to feel good right now, despite what is or isn't happening - that's what will set us free.

That's where life gets unconditionally good.

Anyway, I just wanted to set the record straight that this took place in the mid-90's and thank everyone for writing. Here's a reprint of the story for those who aren't receiving my bi-monthly ezine and have no idea what I'm talking about. (And if you want the tips & tricks to determine whether you're attached, sign up for the ezine using the sign up box in the right hand column here and I'll send you a full copy.)

Before you get what you want, whether it's money, the body, career or love life, you get to learn how to want it without attachment. Because as long as you're attached, it will elude you.

Here's the deal. Although strong desire is helpful in a speedy manifestation, when we desperately want something, or have to have it, or condition our happiness on getting it, we slow its progress. (Sometimes even halt progress.)

So releasing attachment to what we want allows cool things to happen.

Knowing to do it is one thing; practicing releasing attachment is another.

"I can't live without him/her." Have you ever heard someone say those words? Or maybe you have yourself.

I felt that way about my first dog, Sasha. She turned up missing last morning of a camp
trip. My husband went to work, but I searched for her on that damn mountain for three days before Kevin finally made me come home. I was devastated.

On the front porch steps I fell to my knees. I literally couldn't come home without my girl. (Kevin
thought he was going to have to take me to the hospital for a sedative. I was that kind of distraught.)

Can you feel my attachment? It's an extreme example, but it's important to be able to tell when you're attached to an outcome.

We found Sasha a couple days later (on a completely different mountain range). I'm certain the only reason we found her was because Kevin was still connected to Source; I surely wasn't.

He was able to follow intuition and discern inspired action, which led us straight to her. (A miracle, in my book.) I was numb, running nightmare thoughts of life without Sasha. To this day it's a
tough story to tell.

That's what attachment feels like: Shut down. Disconnected. Gotta have it. Won't be happy till it gets here. If this doesn't happen, my life is over.

How attractive is that? (Not!)

Universe doesn't flow good stuff there. It sends the good stuff where there's nice strong desire and "feel good" already present. Where it feels EASY, appreciated, and open.

Are you wondering whether you're experiencing attachment? Tips & Tricks below will help you determine whether you might be.

So just to have a happy ending here - when Kevin did finally get me through the front door, we came in to hear a voice mail message from one of the rangers. (This was before we had cell phones. Well, before HE did. I still don't.)

We had posted lost dog signs all over campgrounds and fishing spots and the ranger's place. The ranger from another mountain range was at our ranger's place when he saw our lost dog sign, and told a story about how a couple of his workmen who were making a new trail with heavy construction equipment had seen some sort of strange animal they could not for the life of them identify. (Sasha was a red chow.)

It was so strange they were telling the story back at the office. (They didn't even know it was a dog.)

So our ranger left a message giving a ROUGH idea of where he thought the other ranger's men saw what could have been Sasha. We waited till morning light to start looking on that new mountain, and after a couple hours of driving, Kevin felt a strange impulse to turn where there was no road, and right after he turned we looked to the left and saw her hiding behind a big bush.

She had not done well in the wild. lol

I was too numb to even be happy or relieved. I was just numb. And that was WITHOUT drugs!

Sasha, she was my girl.

Of course, so was Kita. And Sophie. And now Sadie. And I'm sure there will be more.

I don't have digital photos of Sasha, but she was a looker! Here's one of Kita, though - Sasha's big sister and my favorite girl of all (with Soph in the background - my other favorite girl).

As one astute reader said, dogs are particularly gifted at teaching us non-attachment. They are perfect models at how everything is okay, no matter what is or isn't going on.

God Bless the Dogs. :)

"I Secreted It ... "

Yesterday I met a new girl at the salon who asked what I did for a living. I told her I was a life coach specializing in the Law of Attraction, and asked if she'd heard of "The Secret."

Oh boy, had she heard of it!

The tone in her answer clued me in that she wasn't a fan.

She said doesn't believe in it. At least not fully. (She added that last part in an effort to minimize offense.)

She went on to explain that she used the Secret to get pregnant, but still had three miscarriages. So it didn't work for her at all.

Despite the fact that she was seven months pregnant as she told this story (happily expecting to deliver a healthy boy in mid-December), and despite the fact that she said she used the Secret to get pregnant (versus give birth) - four times no less! - she was steadfast in her belief that the Secret didn't work.

Her exact words: "I Secreted it and it didn't work." (I enjoyed hearing the Secret as a verb!)

I also njoyed not feeling compelled to point out the fairly obvious contradiction in her experience and belief. And I thought how odd that the very same situation is proof for one person it doesn't work and proof for another it does.

We each do truly get what we think.

I think it works, and I see in her situation the proof of it. She thinks it doesn't work, and sees in her situation the proof of it.

We really are each creating our own little world, huh?!

I offer this story as an opportunity for each of us to examine where a new perspective might serve us better.

My tried and true neighbor gave me such an opportunity this morning. A mobile vet I’ve never used before arrived to euthanize my 18 year old cat, Shadow, and mistakenly parked in the neighbor’s driveway instead of mine. My neighbor came raging out of his house with expletives afire about how he couldn’t park there.

As I met this new vet I learned he just arrived from Iowa, and has only been in Utah a few months. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. “Good people” is what my father-in-law would call him. And here he is getting a greeting like that from my neighbor. I was mortified.

And angry.

Which I caught on to pretty quick. As you know, I have much experience with the “angry at my neighbor vibe,” which I’m purposely deactivating. So I found my way to a new perspective fairly quickly.

After apologizing to my new vet friend and explaining that the neighbor’s on crack and isn’t in charge of his behavior, I realized my neighbor probably has very few things in life he can control. Who parks in his driveway is likely one of them.

We all know how good it isn’t to feel powerless, and when a stranger’s parked in your driveway, that’s likely to activate “powerless.” I can see that.

So, with those thoughts in mind, I can cut him some slack. I’ve probably been mad at someone blocking my driveway a time or two. He and I aren’t that different, I remind myself. And that feels better.

Plus, I’m probably feeling a little powerless myself as I have to say goodbye to my Shadow. So .. it’s easy to see how “powerless” would show up in my world.

And then I remind myself we’re far from powerless. We’re creating all of this! And when I practice managing my feelings, I’m creating the kind of live that makes it all worthwhile.

Pray Rain Magic

Karen at Live the Power recently featured a manifesting technique I shared with her called pray rain journaling. I didn't realize how many people didn't already know about this, so I thought a post devoted to the topic would be helpful.

Then I thought an e-book would be even better.

It's my hands down favorite manifesting technique, and when you read about it, you'll understand why!

What We Resist

Yesterday afternoon I thought some of us might get a kick out of this story. My girlfriend was selling shoes at the Greek Festival this weekend and I offered to help her man the booth.

She has an amazing array of shoes, the kind you can't help but ooh and ahh over. Nothing practical here - it's all glitter and glam. From flats to pumps to clogs to wedges to boots and sandals - she has it all. Some were sparkly, some had lacy straps, some were made of shiny satin, some had such pointy heels they were an engineering wonder - and honestly, you can't help but touch them. They're just fun!

She had one particularly appealing pair of shoes with fur trim that made everyone smile when they saw them. Most passersby would stop, look, laugh and then actually pet them. (Especially the men - go figure!)

I thought it was cute and a good draw; my girlfriend was annoyed that people were handling her merchandise.

So she made up a "PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH!" sign and just as she placed it next to the irrestistible fur-trimmed shoe, two women approached with a yellow lab by their side.

You know me, as soon as a dog is on the scene, I forget everything else.

But pretty soon I was smiling to realize the law of attraction was proving itself in quick action once again. This was a seeing-eye dog for one of the ladies, whose owner promptly began shopping by handling every shoe on display while her friend described the colors to her.

I had to laugh that as soon my girlfriend took action to stop people from touching her merchandise (resistance), she attracted a situation that delivered more of what she didn't want.

She wasn't really in a mood for an LOA lesson, I thought, so I was proud to not say anything. Well, to her anyway. I knew the rest of us would get a kick out of it!

And of course, I realize she's mirroring exactly what many of us do every day without realizing it. She knows how this stuff works - so do we. Yet how often do we unconsciously slip into "resist" mode?

Not that I would encourage us to look for resistance, since we get what we look for. But maybe a good focus is on what we're allowing, and where we have more opportunities to relax and flow, and on a greater level.

With that said I'm going to go "flow" an article for my editor. Happy day, everyone!

No One Wants to Win the Lottery

This weekend my sweetie participated in two events at his employer's Corporate Games. As regular readers know, my boyfriend likes to win - not just play, not just compete - he wants to be #1.

His experience reminded me of the question people often ask in terms of how law of attraction works when people want the same thing but only one can win. Like a lottery, a job or even a girl.

If each competitor wants to win and they're each vibrating "win," how could everyone get what they want?

This could be a long post, but I'm shooting for short & sweet.

Whoever is in closest vibrational alignment to winning will do so. But just because you're competing to win doesn't necessarily mean you're vibrating "win." Your energy could be "want to win" or "wish I could win" or "what if I don't win" or "hope I don't lose" or even just "do my best."

Vibrating "win" with clarity and confidence is easier said than done. And truly, Universe is pretty creative in delivering to us exactly what we're vibrating, as Russ experienced.

Before I continue, though, let me say it's important to drill down to what we really want. It isn't usually as simple as "win."

Example: I don't think anyone truly wants to win the lottery. I suspect what they really want is a higher quality of life, to be free from financial worries, support loved ones better, etc. And sometimes that happens as a lottery winner; sometimes it doesn't. Getting clear on what you genuinely desire is crucial to achieving it.

Someone who thinks he wants to "win over" a particular person probably isn't seeing things clearly either. What he really wants is more likely the feelings he thinks being in relationship with that person would give him.

We often miss the real target.

Back to my sweetie's story: for these corporate games there were many competitors who wanted to take home the gold, Russ included.

When he came home Saturday with a gold medal for bowling, he was pleased but nonchalant. Turns out what he really wanted was TWO gold medals. Especially the one for golf, where the competition was steep. That would mean more to him.

He just phoned to report that he also won the gold in the golf competition. Was he satisfied with his two gold medals now? Not remotely.

Turns out there was a three way tie on the golf course. Instead of conducting a playoff, they awarded gold medals to all three four-person teams. So 11 other guys are carrying around the same gold medal my sweetie is. He felt a little ripped off.

Not at all what he imagined having two gold medals would feel like.

What he really wanted was probably something more like acknowledgement that he's the best. I'm sure if he'd walked away with the gold by default because no one else showed up or were disqualified due to violation of stupid rules, he wouldn't have been satisfied.

Aren't we funny?!

Last night I watched a portion of the girls gymnastic national competition trials on tv. One competitor wanted to defend her title as champion; another just wanted to make the national team; another was quite pleased at evidence she was the national favorite; another wanted to do her best and make her parents proud, another young one wanted to gain experience for future high level competitions.

It was easy to see how each of them could get what they wanted, and still not be the "winner."

In fact, the girl who scored the highest was talked about as being very relaxed, having a good time and clearly enjoying her performances. Not a surprise, huh?

My point: 1) it's worth getting clear about what you really want and vibrating that, and 2) don't underestimate the Universe's ability to deliver on it. Apparently they make extra gold medals just in case. :)

Cheap Feel Goods

Sonora just gave me a link to Dr. Meg's interview with Shelly Yates on the 7/17 one hour event when those who opt in receive some sort of recoding (double link helix?) which allows us to participate in and fuel humanity's evolution. That summary might be a little off, but whatever it is, it sounds good to me! An hour of focus on our human joy? Count me in!

There is a little talk of trouble on the planet here and there that I can skip right on by, because the rest of the message is uplifting and sounds right on to me. But that's just me.

Anyway, after listening to the interview, I jumped in the shower and realized clean towels were still in the dryer. (I love that about me!) So I grabbed a handy extra one out of the closet, which happened to be a big bright orange and yellow and red and pink fluffy beach towel. I felt like I was on vacation in my own shower!

As I was noticing how great I felt, I wondered where it came from - because if you read my post from last night, you'll understand how impressive that is. In addition to Shelly and vacationing in my bathroom, I concluded this latest feel good came from strongly honoring a couple of core values over the last 12 hours (Authenticity, Learning, Freedom).

Coaches are always talking about how important it is to know your core values, and on this point, I could not agree more. When we know what's important to us, it's that much easy to choose and live it daily. And when we do that, life works. Plain and simple.

If you don't already know what your core values are, check out this article by Steve Pavlina. It's a good start.

And if you're having any cheap feel goods lately, please post them for the rest of us to enjoy!! Thanks, all!

PS - the photo included in this "cheap feel goods" post is of 17 year old Andrei at his visit to Best Friends Animal Society, where he's better learning how to operate the humane society he runs back in Romania. Are you kidding me?! I'm in love with today's kids!!

When Nothing's Happening

With lots of new deliberate creators on the scene now (thanks to the Secret, Oprah, etc.), some are finding the Law of Attraction sounds good, but wonder why it doesn't seem to work for them.

After all, they're thinking about what they want, made their vision board, repeat their affirmations, and yet nothing happens.

Whereas some people pick this LOA stuff up easily to create quick success, others scratch their heads wondering what's gone wrong.

For those wondering why nothing's happening, or if you're just stuck in one particular area, here are a few tips:

1. Stop wondering what you're doing wrong. Don't ask why it's not working. As you say that, you create that. That question is why it's not working. That's your manifesting in action! Can you see it? We're so powerful that we can create "not working" or "nothing happening" if we choose. Choose something else, huh?

2. "Fine, Jeannette," you think. "But how do I stop thinking it's not working when it's the truth? I mean, nothing's happening!" Sweeties, stop arguing for nothing happening. Seriously, stop affirming that. It closes the door on the action. You have to ignore reality for a while. As long as you are addicted to seeing and saying "what is," you cannot create anything other than what already is. Reality is overrated anyway.

3. Start saying "Hey, I'm getting the hang of this." Or "This is easier than I was making it out to be" or "Things are in the works now." It doesn't matter if it doesn't feel true at first; start speaking the words that give the Universe something to work with. If you repeat this as often as you repeat "It's not working," your door is at least half open. And Universe will squeeze something good through that crack. ; )

4. You've got to feel good. Good things can't happen when you feel bad. You know how that vibrational alignment thing works, right? Feel good now - and then good things can swoosh in. Yes, I'm talking about your relationship, your work, your financial situation, your health - whatever might be dragging your "feel good" away. Anything that's bringing you down is a potential show-stopper. Find a way to feel good now. If you need help, get it (mastermind group, coach, manifesting buddy, etc.).

5. Inspired action is a good idea, too. But it isn't necessarily what you might think. It's action that feels good. (See above tip.) It could be a nap, a chat with a friend, brainstorming brilliant ideas in the middle of the night or quitting your job. It isn't anything that feels like a "supposed to," "should," or "have to."

5. PS - things really are happening. Maybe you don't see them yet, but they are. All the right players, resources and opportunities are lining up behind the scenes to give you exactly what you want. As you believe that, you open your door even more. Have a little faith, and that will go a long way toward letting the goods in.

Authentic Target?

Related to the "What You Want" post below, how do you know whether you're shooting for an authentic target or not? Here's an exercise from Michael Neill's "You Can Have What You Want" that'll help you know your truth:

Imagine you retire to a tropical island with unlimited wealth and the sex symbol of your choice. Now imagine you've been doing that for five years and you're bored out of your mind.

What do you want to do next?
What did you want to do before you "grew up" and "got real"?
What would you do if no one else would ever find out?
What would you do if it was entirely up to you?
What would you do if nobody minded?
What would be even better than that?
Your answers to these questions offer insight to your true desire.

My personal test for knowing when I'm on authentic track is an instant genuine smile as I think about my goal or intention. That's a sure sign for me that this one is truly "mine" and not just a "safe" goal.

Law of Attraction & What You Want

It's easy to get caught up in limited thinking about what's possible or practical in choosing our goals. In fact, it takes courage to name what we really want.

Thus, lots of us unwittingly play it safe by identifying a target we think is "do-able" rather than one that represents our true heart's desire.

But there's more risk in playing it safe than you might realize. If we aren't truly on board with the thing we say we want, we might be able to fool ourselves but we can't fool the Universe. Universe hears our vibration loud and clear about what we really want in life. And delivers reliably.

If you're banging your head against the wall trying to make something happen, check in on whether it's an authentic desire. Universe may be saving you from something you don't really want.

I agree with author Michael Neill when he says, "It's easier to have what you really want than what you think you can get." Because your passion will carry you through.

When I was leaving the corporate world it would have made "sense" to become a financial coach rather than an attraction coach. With over a decade of experience in personal finance, a half dozen credentials and licenses, and a great reputation already established in the field, I was well positioned for such a move, as my coach pointed out more than once.

But my heart wasn't in it. Much as it appealed to leverage a coach practice from the career I'd already built, it just didn't have any juice for me. There's no doubt in my mind that had I pursued that path, I'd have failed. Universe would hear my half-hearted vibration and mixed internal signals and save me from that which I didn't truly desire.

I've seen this with others as well. They choose a target they think they can reach, rather than the one they really want (which they might not even be consciously aware of). Manifesting something we don't honestly want is a smokin' good trick!

I think it's easier to get past limiting beliefs of what we think is possible - and stretch those - rather than to try to make ourselves excited about something that doesn't inspire personal enthusiasm or passion.

Save yourself the lost time and get clear on what it is you're really here for, and claim it for yourself! There isn't anything you can't have or be or do once you get a hold of the idea of it. How cool is that?!

Vibration Therapy

There are two ways to raise your vibration: 1) do more of what feels good and 2) stop doing what doesn't.

A combination of these approaches allows for some intense vibration therapy.

If you've been reading me for long, you know I emphasize doing what feels good. But there is also much to be said for putting a halt to the things that don't.

Our challenge is we're so accustomed to living with the things that create a drag on our vibration that we aren't even aware of them. In fact, I think it's a gift when we do know what's bringing us down - because then we can address it! As long as we remain oblivious to them, we've got a permanent anchor on our vibration.

After a client shared his success in eliminating a major relationship toleration, I was inspired to look around my life for "feel bads" I could knock out. You'll see them when you start feeling them out - big and small in all forms and sizes: the jiggle sound in the car, the neighbor's loud music, the relationship you've outgrown, the job that's giving you an ulcer, etc.

Eliminating tolerations is a great way to boost your energy and climb the vibrational scale. We like that, remember, because moving up the scale puts us in strong alignment with our desires.

You can spot your "irritations" (as Jack Canfield calls them) by asking yourself what you're putting up with. What's bothering you lately? Make a list and knock them out. If you have trouble seeing what your energy drains are, check out CoachU's Clean Sweep. (It's not my favorite assessment, but it may trigger your realization about what needs addressing in your life.)

Give yourself the gift of some personal vibe therapy this month!

5 LOA Tips for the Funk

It happens to all of us, right? Sooner or later we hit a bump in the road, or maybe more like a brick wall, and begin wondering if it was meant to be or what we're doing wrong. Some ask why it works for everyone but them. We can feel that our vibe is in the toilet, but also feel powerless to change it.

Ever happened to you? If so, here are a couple of tips to get back on track:

1. Know it's okay. This is not a big deal. It happens. It doesn't mean all is lost. It just means you're having a bad day (or week or year, whatever the case may be). You can make it mean whatever you want, so go with something lighter and easier than "all is lost."

Do yourself a favor and take the pressure off perfection. Sometimes the path looks a little squirrelly. It is what it is, and your success is inevitable, so relax. Remember we can't get this wrong!

2. Stop banging your head. By the time you feel like giving up, you've likely been in some sort of mental or physical struggle. Release the struggle! Let go of the reins. As one of my favorite LOA coaches, Sonora Case, shares: "Let your higher self drive for a while."

Giving yourself that relief could also look like a string of favorite swear words or a good cry, as eloquently shared by 14 year old deliberate creator Kathryn on the My Good News forum.

3. Do what you know makes you feel better. We each have our personal uplifters. It may be a friend, an animal, an activity, a food group (ha!) ... whatever it is for you, do it. Give yourself the gift of something that works. Once you're redirected, keep up the progress. Don't stay stuck in your pattern of "relief" (bingeing on Oreos, for example).

(Vacuuming or sitting on the sunny porch work great for me.)

4. Consider there is a gift in it. Whether we can see it or not, knowing the system is set up for our success and that this situation plays an integral role helps elevate the vibe. When my neighbor's car broke down on the heel of two other household financial emergencies, she looked for the gift and imagined carpooling with co-workers would improve her relationships at work. (Not to mention saving on gas money.)

Reframe it in a more positive light, if you're able. Is there something you can appreciate, either in this situation or in general? We all know the powerful energy-shifter of gratitude.

5. Feel free to skip all of the above. Sometimes it feels better to feel crappy for a while. Let yourself off the hook for having to change or do anything. We're all allowed a couple of funky moods in our time, after all! And it does make those good days that much better, doesn't it?

Commitment & Feeling Good

Sometimes we discover keeping our word creates a conflict with a high vibration. What to do when you're at cross purposes with your spoken word and your "feel good"?

For example, it sounds like a fine idea at the time to host your girlfriend's parents who are coming to town for two weeks, but as the date approaches you're filled with a mixture of regret and dread. What to do when you want to maintain your integrity, keep your promise, and still follow what feels good?

Here are three helpful tricks to have a powerful word and a high vibe:

First of all, make your commitments carefully and with thoughtful consideration. Don't make promises you can't - or don't want to - keep. Set yourself up for success; don't agree to something that doesn't agree with you. It helps to get good at saying no.

Second, if your feel good changes on something, address it. "Tom, I know I said I'd meet with you tomorrow night, and I'm now feeling overwhelmed with my week. Can we discuss a reschedule?" Things change in life, including our minds, and punishing ourselves by doing something just because we said we would isn't the point. Cleaning it up when we recognize our new desire is.

Third, don't underestimate how good it feels to keep a commitment. Doing what we say we'll do simply feels good! Knowing people can count on us to speak the truth and follow through on what we say is a vibe-raiser in itself. A nice side benefit is that when you develop the discipline to consistently honor your word, you become much more selective in giving it!

Relaxing in the Rapids

Two weeks ago, floating down Cataract Canyon with my sweetie and three rafts-full of his rocket scientist (really) co-workers, I picked up some great Law of Attraction life wisdom from our river guides. Trip leader, Lorenzo, gave us safety instructions the day we were due to run class 3, 4 and 5 rapids. I've already written about several life lessons I learned from Lorenzo's safety training, but this tip here is my favorite:

We're told at length how to stay safe on river rapids. (Basically, stay in the boat!) But worst case scenario, if you're ejected, and you go under, and you get confused and scared and out of oxygen and panicked, Lorenzo gave this instruction: "Relax."

Relax?

Yeah, right. I'd like to see that.

"Yes," he says, "relax." Because when you do, the river will spit you out. It'll shoot you right back to the top where you will be able to breathe again and can reconnect with your boat.

He told us if we're in the rapids under water, we should NOT expend energy trying to swim. Do NOT waste time trying to go anywhere or do anything. First of all, we probably wouldn't go the right direction anyway, and second, we wouldn't make any progress. We'd also be too exhausted to give ourselves real help. (Self-rescue is the best rescue - I'll blog about that later!) Not to mention we'd be missing out on the ride of our lives while we struggle against the stream!

Rather, Lorenzo said, "Relax and let the stream spit you out." Which it will happily do, if you just stop fighting it. It'll take you where you need to go.

Sound familiar?

The stream will take us where we need to go. Everything we want is downstream. Stop the struggle, stop resisting. Just go with the flow, and enjoy the ride.

Yeah, Relax.

All right, I'm starting to like the sounds of this advice!

So much so that as we round the corner on our first set of rapids, and I can hear the approaching roar of water, I get excited at the thought of going for a ride in the stream. I'm ready to put all my safety training to work!

But then we get there, and I completely change my mind about that. I did everything in my power to stay in the boat! Not that I don't trust the stream, but the boat ride was exciting enough. Full of "woo hoos" and a couple first degree screams. (And not just from the ladies.)

Just what we came here for, right? The ride of our lives!

So, now that we're back on dry land living our daily lives, it seems worth asking the question: what are we struggling against? What are we resisting? What could we relax into, and enjoy more of? Where could we let the stream work on our behalf, while we just relax and enjoy the ride?

I know I keep saying this, and Universe keeps proving me wrong, but I honestly don't see how it could get any better than THIS! Thanks for being part of my ride, everyone. (And for letting me be part of yours.) It wouldn't be the same without you!

Loving These Tunes

In the spirit of keeping life light and easy, I wanted to share one of my latest feel good finds with you. (As promised in my May 1 ezine issue - you can sign up at www.goodvibecoach.com.)

My good friend, Melanie Poole, sent an e-card from www.consciousone.com last month that had THE most wonderful music playing in the background. I checked it out, and it turns out the CD was for sale. So I immediately ordered a copy, and THEN read the artist's site.

Mark Romero's site says that his guitar music contains special energy frequencies, and that a former NASA scientist has proven it can harmonize people's lives, create wellness and higher levels of consciousness.

Sounds like a bold claim to me.

But I'm telling you, there's something about this music!

You can catch a sample at www.markromeromusic.com.

(Thanks for leading me to my latest inspiration, Melanie!) : )

Getting a Wild Hair

I had a coach who used to call them "wild hair" intentions - those crazy, whimsical thoughts that you don't really give much thought to because they're so outlandish.

Having a wild hair intention is a fun way to get outside the box of your gremlin mind - the part of your brain that tells you what is possible and what is likely. That gremlin brain is often a show-stopper for some our big ideas.

Since our manifestation power lies in our ability to hold a thought, being able to get to that thought is what matters. That's all it takes to get the ball rolling. If you can't hold the thought, then you're handicapped in what you can create.

So having a wild hair intention is a nice little trick to get a hold of one of those thoughts.

Another way to get to the cool thoughts you might not otherwise have access to is by finishing the question: "Wouldn't it be cool if ... ?" Or "Wouldn't it be nice if ... ?" works too.

It might seem like those thoughts don't hold much power, but on the contrary, I often experience (as do my clients) that it's THOSE easy, fun, seemingly fleeting thoughts that take manifest first and fast!

For that reason, fleeting thoughts have become my favorite. The reason they work so well has to be that we don't have resistance (i.e. attachment) associated with those ideas. There's nothing stopping them from swooping right on in!

My suggestion to you is to play with this one yourself. Entertain a wild hair notion or a fleeting thought (pleasant ones, preferably) and then forget about them. Remember this post and visit again to share your stories!

In the meantime, happy manifesting!