Oct. 30, 2007 - Gratitude & Appreciation

Gratitude and Appreciation Have Power!

Sometimes we have to slow down and think about what really makes a difference!

This week, focus on the "who" you are being, rather than "what" you are doing. Focus on the people, not the things. Lily and I and her mother have been sending out thank you notes and blog replies on her birthday wishes and presents! It has been very fun and I know she felt very special. But appreciation is welcome year round...so here are some thoughts to help you be more in the groove.

"Decide to be happy, knowing it's an attitude, a habit gained from daily practice, and not a result or payoff." Denis Waitley

Your energy projects and returns like a boomerang to you. Attitude is a potent ingredient in the success recipe. Gratitude & appreciation are the two important keys that unlock the wealth of positive attraction. You can't always determine your circumstances, but you always have a choice in your response.

1. Gratitude starts with noticing the positive around you, rather than the scarcity. Where ever you focus your energy, it will increase. If your energy is directed to what you DON'T have, you'll notice more of that and pull more of it to you. You actually have the power to reinforce & create scarcity as your reality. When you shift your focus to the positive, you impact not only your attitude, but the energy, circumstances and people that are attracted to you.

Coaching Tip> Every day record at least 5 things you are grateful for. After the obvious has been chronicled (having a roof over your head, your relationships, your health), dig deeper to see abundance that exists that you haven't been consciously aware of. Buy and read SIMPLE ABUNDANCE by Sarah Ban Breathnach for a daily dose of inspiration and commonsense.

"It's not what you get in life, it's what you give that truly matters." Joeann Fossland

2. Extend your gratitude to others. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to Acknowledge others with honest appreciation. Most of us are appreciative, but don't take the time to tell people. Studies show that appreciation for a job well done is more important to most people than money. Remember how you felt the last time someone acknowledged you. Spread that feeling around this month!!!!! We are going to be in the month of Thanksgiving shortly!

Coaching Tip> For the next 30 days, find 3 people per day to express appreciation & acknowledgment to. A simple, short thank you note can make someone else's day. You'll notice the faces light up when you do this and people will want to be around you more. For the coming holidays: create memories! Remember YOU are the gift to those who love you: schedule time to create something special to be remembered and cherished.

" Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him." - Aldous Huxley

3. Plan 2008 once you have taken the time to complete, acknowledge & be grateful for this year. Since your attitude & perceptions shape your view of what you can accomplish in the future, adjustment here provides a strong foundation for next year's success or failure.

Coaching Tip> Review this year and be grateful for all you learned & accomplished. Acknowledge the wins, let go of the losses & regrets, appreciate the people who played a role with you, clean up the loose ends. You'll then begin 2008 with a fresh slate, ready to attract the abundance that is waiting for you!

"Giving is the secret of a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a man has of encouragement and sympathy and understanding." - John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Oct. 24, 2007 - Time Passes

Seems like just yesterday I was teaching a WCR Class in California when I got the call during lunch that my daughter was on her way to the hospital and my first grandchild was on the way! The sweet people in the class let me leave my cell phone on and good child that she is-she waited until the class was complete. And, Lily Isabella Love Yellott at 4 pounds 8 ounces changed my life! Many of you have followed her last 6 years and I have been appreciative at the support and interest. Those of you who have grandkids understand. Those of you who have only heard about it should know it IS THE BEST!!!! I am continually amazed watching her learn and grow in the perspective of a child. Seeing things for the first time, when all is possible is so refreshing and amusing. I have thought, many days, that if my only accomplishment in my life was being able to help shape the direction and offer opportunities for this child's life, it would be enough! So we celebrate her 6th birthday tomorrow and I've learned a lot of lessons in these six years!

Some Lessons Lily Taught Me

Lily's Mom was not well when she was born and Bub and I ended up raising her for the first two years. Dawn is well and healthy now and they live just a mile up the street, so we see them daily. At first, though, I was completely unprepared to be changing diapers, staying up through the nights and being a 24 hour a day caretaker. A workaholic from my teen years, I was working 50-60 hour weeks and could only see this as a near impossible situation. As reality hit, for a few days I felt resentful my life had been redirected quite out of my control (it felt). And, I did like control! Pretty quickly in the presence of this helpless baby, I GOT OVER IT!

What else was there to do, but accept that what "is" is? So, I decided to give up anguishing over my lost business time and enjoy motherhood again.

Trouble was I was still running a business. I had said for years that I wanted to quit working 50-60 hours a week and maybe work 40, but the tough boss I was working for wouldn't let me. Now, however, I had no choice. Most weeks, I had 30-40 available hours and that was it. Funny thing is, I had my best year ever in terms of income. What I found was that I really did have the ability to work smarter and more effectively. The lack of time was really a friend in making me choose the best way to spend that time. A friend teased that Lily was the Universe's answer for me to have to do it, since I had clearly shown I wasn't walking my talk!

I've also given up my quest for perfectionism. With a baby or 2 year old around, one quickly learns that doing things well may be just fine. Having fun and letting things get a little messy is better in the long run. I still strive to be excellent, but I compare myself to others much less frequently. I have been able to just accept that I am doing my best and it is good enough. Tomorrow on Lily's birthday, I'm going to thank her for helping me become a more effective, more satisfied and happier person. Who'd have thunk I needed a baby to do that for me????

Coaching Questions For This Week:

1. Are you anguishing over anything that is out of your control that just needs your acceptance so you can go forward?
2. Where aren't you walking your talk? Do you need to implement a boundary or a new standard that will make you happier? What is it? How can you make progress toward it this week?
3. Where do you have unrealistic expectations of yourself? Can you lighten up and accept excellent, not perfect?

If any of these questions fit your situation, I ask you, what one step can you take this week that will move you into a happier, more productive place?

Last Calls

1. The Free Fossland's Forum

Are You Ready For 2008? But don't know what to do?????
The answer is here!

2008 Awesome or Bust?

Wednesday, October 24
7 AM Hawaii, 9 AM PT & AZ, 10 AM MT , 11 AM CT, Noon ET

Join me for a lively discussion on what you need to do to be wildly successful in 2008. Now is the time to start your business planning and I'll share the step by step actions you should take to hit the ground running!

Register here

2. Do you have plenty of business? If not you need a Game!!!! LAST CALL: Begins on Monday, October 29 6:30 AM PT, 7:30 AM MT, 8:30 CT & 9:30 ET. Give The Last Quarter a Boost: Play The FSBO Real Estate Game™

For 4 weeks, you'll start each day with inspiration, accountability and an ability to learn everything you need to know to be successful with FSBO's.

Here's what one participant shared:

"...thank you for starting my day with your positive attitude. I have produced almost $8 million so far this year….I have won the game because I have the confidence from my support team (you and my fellow playmates) to do it! Thank you!" - Nora Ruehle

Register NOW to Play The FSBO Real Estate Game™

3. Plan your 2008 Now: Two choices for great coaching to position you for an incredible 2008:

Jump Start Your Business into 2008

event on November 9-11 in LA

Or

THE BUSINESS REINVENTION 2008
Not your Ordinary Business Planning Retreat!
January 25-27, 2008 in Kona, Hawaii

A Great Idea for Affiliates

If you normally give a calendar or other gift to your real estate clients for the holidays, consider, this year, giving them something that will help them in their business, The 2008 Awesome Year Plan. It is my most popular product and contains 35 pages to walk a person through developing a business plan that encompasses their whole life! You may even want to use it for your business!

The cost is $12 for one, but here's where it gets good....

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OR

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Today's Tech Tip

Maps are all the rage and it is so cool some of the ways we can use them. A great tip is to include the maps in your listing presentation. You can go to GoogleEarth (Download from Google) and use their satellite view to give you a view of the house, a view of the neighborhood and a view of the city!

And, Microsoft has jumped into the fray with it's new product www.VirtualEarth.com Take a look!!!!

Until next week....be Beyond Ordinary!!!! It is up to you!

Oct. 2, 2007 - Eat An Elephant

• to be better?
• to raise a standard or practice?
• to serve my clients with more WOW service?
• for my business, to increase the systemization?
• to utilize my databases more fully?
• to handle something I am tolerating that would free up energy?

Oct. 1, 2007 - An Ideal Day

I was fortunate last week to be in Maine with my wonderful husband, Bub. We enjoyed a week at the Hillcrest Inn.

Bub made the coffee and we woke with the sun, which was warmer than usual in Maine this time of the year! Leisurely we enjoyed each other's company, eating a crisp Macintosh apple, some blueberries and yummy Biscotti to dip in the coffee.

Then we walked over a drawbridge spanning the river to Perkins Cove with it's quaint little shops and restaurants and took our first walk on The Marginal Way! We held hands part of the way and appreciated the glorious day and the sea.

We walked through town and down to the beautiful beach. I had a lobster roll for lunch (the first of many lobster meals!) and sat on a patio overlooking Ogunquit Beach and watched people and seagulls.