A Cup of Caroll

“Expect the best; convert problems into opportunities; be dissatisfied with the status quo; focus on where you want to go, instead of where you’re coming from; and most importantly, decide to be happy, knowing it’s an attitude, a habit gained from daily practice, and not a result or payoff.” – Denis Waitley

Manifesting with ease and being in the flow of unlimited good is our natural state as human beings.   However, the human Ego often gets in the way of what should be an effortless and delightful process for making our dreams a reality. That’s because we get attached to doing it OUR way, following OUR plan.

It takes faith and humility to admit that God/The Universe is who’s REALLY in charge. All we have to do is to still our Ego’s fear-based chatter and then listen quietly for the perfect “How” to be whispered by our subconscious mind to our conscious mind, as it channels Divine direction.

This was demonstrated beautifully to me a couple of weekends ago when my wonderful husband Rick and I celebrated his birthday. Besides enjoying a wonderful outing, I got a great present myself in the form of another reminder to “Let Go and Let God” bring me my Highest Good effortlessly, instead of relying on my struggling Ego.

This year, Rick’s birthday weekend happened to coincide with the D23 Expo, an annual three-day extravaganza at the Anaheim Convention Center, a few blocks from Disneyland. It’s a must-attend event for true Disney fanatics. We don’t consider ourselves “fanatics” – the kind of people who go dressed up as Cinderella or Star Wars storm troopers. We do have annual passes to the two Disneyland parks and are enthusiastic visitors once a month and occasionally buy a piece of Disney art for our small collection.

So we had never paid much attention to the D23 Expo. However, this year marks the 60^th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland, and I read numerous articles about how special this year’s Expo was going to be – including a huge convention floor covered with priceless memorabilia from the early Disneyland, which Rick and I both remember fondly. Also, the company recently purchased the rights to Star Wars and George Lucas was going to attend the opening day ceremony to receive a special award for his contribution to the Disney franchise.

In other words, this year’s Expo was a BIG deal. I thought it would be fun to surprise Rick with tickets for Friday, the opening day of the show. My well-thought-out plan was for us to park at Disneyland, walk a couple of blocks and then hit the convention floor to spend a couple of hours admiring all the old-time memorabilia while the fanatics were watching George get his award. Then we would hop back over to Disneyland to spend the rest of the day there before the Expo let out at 7 pm and all the fanatics streamed into the Park for the evening.

Great plan… Except it didn’t work out that way.

When we walked up to the Convention Center at 10am, it was already approaching 90 degrees and there were multiple lines of people wrapped all away around the huge building. For some reason, they hadn’t even opened the doors yet. Thousands of people were patiently waiting in line, some in heavy costumes, to get in. The attendant told us the “Gold and Silver Passholders” would get in first and THEN they would start letting us General Admission folks in.   He said it might take us another four to five hours just to get in the building!

At first, my Ego flared up:   Why didn’t they plan this better?   Why were we left to stand in the hot sun for hours when we had pre-purchased our expensive tickets and planned so carefully to beat the crowds? This was NOT what I had envisioned for Rick’s birthday celebration!

Muttering under one’s breath that something or somebody “should” be behaving differently is a sure sign of Ego attachment. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for me to “let it go” (as they sang in Frozen). Rick and I quickly decided to shift our plan and go straight back to Disneyland to spend a longer day there. Rick rounded up $2.00 shuttle tickets and we rode back to Disneyland in air-conditioned comfort.

As we approached the entrance gates, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were virtually NO lines to get in — on a Friday in mid-August during the busiest year in Disneyland’s history! We had visited twice before this summer, and the MID-WEEK crowds then were the size you might see on a Saturday or Sunday during a typical summer.   To my crowd-averse self, this wide-open Summer day at Disneyland was Nirvana! (A New York City native, Rick is lucky to be crowd-oblivious.)

That was when it dawned on us that during D23 Expo was the ideal time to visit Disneyland, as most of the Expo attendees are probably Annual Passholders like us — and they were all absent from the Park that day!

Rick proudly wore his “Happy Birthday” button and got lots of kind shout-outs from strangers and Park “Cast Members” alike. We strolled around BOTH Parks, enjoying lots of elbow room, quickly got on every ride we wanted, savored leisurely meals at uncrowded restaurants, and had a thoroughly carefree, relaxed time at the Happiest Place on Earth. In fact, it was one of the BEST outings we’ve ever had there together, especially in the Summer.

While it didn’t end up looking like my Ego and I had planned, the outcome I REALLY wanted was for us to share a great time and make great memories for Rick’s birthday, and we certainly did.

Thus, Disneyland once again provided me with a valuable Life Lesson: When things don’t go the way YOU planned, just stay happy and expect the BEST. When you are willing to let go of all attachment, anxiety and worry and just go with the flow, God/The Universe can show you an even better way to get what you REALLY want.

****************** The Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ********************

I invite you to offer someone you care about a truly unique gift that can change their life — ONE HOUR of Personal Success Coaching! It is absolutely F*R*E*E* of charge, with no obligation and no strings attached! And if YOU haven’t coached with me in awhile and would like a “tune up” session please give yourself this gift!

To schedule a F*R*E*E* HOUR of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make this the BEST year yet, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com or call toll-free 888-503-8145.

“The effects of kindness are not always seen immediately. Sometimes it takes years until your kindness will pay off, and is returned to you. And sometimes you never see the fruits of your labors, but they are there, deep inside of the soul of the one you touched.” – Dan Kelly

In the last blog, we looked at the importance of encouraging and validating others to believe in themselves and their worth. You have a great impact on your friends, family, colleagues and especially your children when you make them feel valued.

Now, I’d like to remind you of YOUR value. If you don’t feel valued or validated by others, take a look at how much you are valuing YOURSELF. The psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw once said, “We teach others how to treat us.” Are your words and actions teaching others to treat you as valuable… or are they diminishing your own worth in their eyes?

You are inherently valuable because you are unique and special. Nobody else on the planet can do exactly what YOU do or give the same gifts to the world that YOU do. There would be an empty spot in every single life you have touched if you weren’t here. Therefore, not only does your life matter, it is essential.

Whenever you do some small kindness for another person – listening to them, encouraging them, standing up for them, lending them a hand, teaching them something you know – you are making a difference in the world and your value increases even more.

Rev. Arlene of Unity of Aliso Viejo put it beautifully in her weekly email message from July 13, 2015:

“I was talking to a friend recently and he said that since everything eventually dies, maybe our true purpose was to be born and then to die. I thought, ‘What a depressing thought.’ I said that even though we all die, it is what we do with the life we have that matters. 

The importance of lives such as Jesus, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. was not that they died but what they did when they lived. We may not make such a difference in the world as people like this, but we can make a difference. If we have made other lives better just by being in their life, then we have not lived in vain. The number of our years is not what matters but how we spend the years we have. 

The reason I love the movie It’s a Wonderful Life is because it is about how one man in a small town made a difference in the lives of those who knew him. His life mattered, not because of awards he won, or wealth he acquired, or even because of becoming famous; his life mattered because he cared about others, treated others equally and led a life of integrity, kindness and compassion. 

Never think you do not matter. Every day, you make a difference in someone’s life by just being the best you can be. That is what is important, that is what makes a real difference in the world, and that is what people will remember.” 

So never doubt for one moment that you are valuable. You are, in fact, PRICELESS because you make a difference for others by sharing with them your own unique gifts, ideas, talents and opportunities.

As you value yourself, so will others value you, and your kindness and caring will return to bless you many times over.

****************** The Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ********************

I invite you to offer someone you care about a truly unique gift that can change their life — ONE HOUR of Personal Success Coaching! It is absolutely F*R*E*E* of charge, with no obligation and no strings attached! And if YOU haven’t coached with me in awhile and would like a “tune up” session please give yourself this gift!

To schedule a F*R*E*E* HOUR of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make this the BEST year yet, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com or call toll-free 888-503-8145.

“One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own.” — John O’Donohue

It’s just about that time — Back to School Time! Many of my clients are parents as well as business professionals and entrepreneurs, and they are busy getting in the last drop of summer fun with their families and preparing to send their kids back to school.

One of the most important things a good school teacher does is to encourage students to strive for excellence and to believe in themselves. Even if you don’t have school-age children, Back to School is a great time to remember that teachers play a vitally important role in ALL our lives and that we are ALL teachers. If you are a parent, you teach and encourage your own children their values, manners and sense of self-esteem – among other critical life skills – every day.

Recently, television minister Joel Osteen talked about the special role fathers play in bringing out the best in their children by giving them approval, encouragement and validation. I loved his message, and I believe it applies to ALL of us. If you are a parent, teacher, boss, mentor, sponsor, aunt, uncle, older sibling, trusted friend, life or athletic coach, you are an encourager.

Sharing your approval, validation and encouragement with your employees, children, spouse, partner and teammates gives them the courage to step out of their comfort zone to risk and achieve more than they ever would have thought possible. Even when they fail – especially when they fail – telling them you are proud of them for giving it their all and that you believe in them will give them the courage and belief to try again.

In his sermon, Joel said, “The people in your lives can’t read your thoughts – you have to speak them. They need your love, guidance, support and mentorship. They need you to teach them what you have learned, and to model excellence and integrity….All they need to excel is your blessing, your encouragement.   Give them an extra boost to excel, to rise higher, to go further, to accomplish things they never knew they were capable of.” 

And they, in turn, will duplicate all that with the important people in their lives – their families, friends, workmates and Teammates. Encouragement, approval and validation are some of the most wonderful things you could possibly pass along to the people you touch on a regular basis. That’s what professional teachers do for a living and that’s what each of us can do as well.

So here’s a simple but profound encouragement you can give your fellow teachers: Thank them.   If your child has one or more good teachers this year, go out of your way to write those professional encouragers a personal note stating how much your child loves their class and how grateful you are to have them in your child’s life. You don’t have to wait for Back to School Night! You can do this the second week of school. And even if she is not perfect, if you make the effort to acknowledge and validate a teacher for her hard work and dedication, guess what? It will encourage her to be an EVEN better teacher and role model for your child. We all thrive on encouragement and acknowledgment.

If you don’t have a child with a teacher, I urge you write a similar heartfelt “Thank You” note this week to someone who has been a mentor, role model, teacher or encourager in YOUR life. Tell them how grateful you feel for their belief in you and their encouragement.   Tell them the difference they have made in your life and I promise you they will keep that note for the rest of their life.

****************** The Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ********************

I invite you to offer someone you care about a truly unique gift that can change their life — ONE HOUR of Personal Success Coaching! It is absolutely F*R*E*E* of charge, with no obligation and no strings attached! And if YOU haven’t coached with me in awhile and would like a “tune up” session please give yourself this gift!

To schedule a F*R*E*E* HOUR of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make this the BEST year yet, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com or call toll-free 888-503-8145.

“The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance will rise up to help you. The simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet for help.” – Napoleon Hill

What a difference a week makes! Last week, I wrote about how a (now) former client sabotaged his success by refusing to be accountable for his own decisions and actions. Today, I am celebrating the end of a month in which a number of my clients reached their BIGGEST goals through their willingness to be 100% committed to and accountable for their own success.

Several of them received a beautiful new Lexus, with the lease 100% paid for by their network marketing company. A number of newer Leaders reached “Level 5” – the first major Leadership level in the company’s pay plan. In turn, seasoned Leaders who supported them soared to new heights themselves, as the new Level 5 Leaders became the wind beneath their wings.

One of the things I respect most about the network marketing/direct sales business model is that it does not foster internal competition among the work force, as Corporate America does. In a traditional company, the Vice President has to die, retire, quit or be fired if YOU want to become the Vice President. It doesn’t matter how good you are, you have to get in line and wait your turn. But in a network marketing/direct sales company, every independent Consultant can rise to the very top – provided he or she is willing to commit to that goal and be accountable for taking the necessary actions to achieve it.

I am so impressed by the teamwork I witnessed among my clients – “upline” Leaders and their “downline” Leaders actively helped each other to reach their individual goals. The abundance mentality and camaraderie were inspiring. I want to share with you the key lessons I got from watching them overcome every obstacle that stood in their way, because these are the necessary components for reaching ANY Big Goal you may have:

1) You do not have to know how you are going to reach your Big Goal.  You just have to be 100% committed that you WILL. There is no try! You are either 100% IN or you might as well sit comfortably on the sidelines and save yourself the effort. To me, the definition of “commitment” is a rock-solid BELIEF that you will reach your Big Goal coupled with a willingness to PERSEVERE in overcoming all obstacles in your path. The “How” starts to take shape as soon as you demonstrate that you are 100% committed to your Big Goal. That’s when God/The Universe sends you the people, resources and unexpected help to reach it in seemingly-miraculous ways.

2) You must ask for help and support. Every Leader I watched reach her Big Goal last month had lots of help from her Teammates, friends and family. It can be humbling to ask for help, especially if you are used to being the go-to person to whom others look for support. Even star athletes in individual sports have coaches, trainers, sponsors, family and friends who provide the essential support that lets them do their best and WIN. Doesn’t it feel good to YOU whenever you help someone else get something they really want? You have to remember that the same is true for others. Please allow them to experience the joy of being part of a Team Goal that is bigger than themselves!

3) Don’t ever let another’s lack of belief affect yours. An emerging Leader who was running for a Big Goal last month received a scathing email from her well-meaning former boss, telling her she was crazy to be involved in network marketing and inviting her to come back to work for her in the “sane” corporate world. I was so proud of my client. She refused to get defensive or let another person’s perspective make her doubt herself or her dreams. She sent a short message thanking her old boss for her concern, but stating that she loved what she was doing, was successful, and was soon going to be even MORE successful. She went on to quadruple the size of her Team in just 30 days!

4) Watch your language. One of my Seasoned Leader clients wisely coached her newer Team members to watch the words they used when talking about  their Big Goals. She knew the immense power words have to influence their BELIEF. We literally “brainwash” our subconscious mind — for good OR for bad – through our choice of words. So she constantly reminded her Team members to say, “WHEN I reach my Goal,” instead of “IF I reach my Goal.”   Instead of “I’m not good at sponsoring,” she taught them to say, “I am getting better at sponsoring every day.”

5) Never, never, never give up. Even if you are just a few hours from the deadline to reach your Big Goal, DO NOT mentally throw in the towel! The minute your commitment wavers, the energy of the whole Team flags and the game is lost. One of my clients reached her Big Leadership Goal during the last 15 minutes of the month! She never gave up, so her Team didn’t either. If Plan A didn’t work, they immediately turned to Plan B. The unexpected blessing that came out of them all pulling together to help their Leader reach her goal was that two of the Team members whose businesses had been dormant for months suddenly revived their enthusiasm and are now back to actively working on their own success.

Stronger faith, greater inner strength, a sense of accomplishment, the joy of teamwork, learning to graciously accept help from others – these are the REAL prizes that come from being committed to reaching a Big Goal. Public recognition, more money, a new car – these are merely the fun little “carrots” that God/The Universe dangles in front of our Egos to lure us out of our comfort zones so we can make the effort to grow and develop into the BEST we can be. Thank goodness we keep falling for it!

****************** The Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ********************

I invite you to offer someone you care about a truly unique gift that can change their life — ONE HOUR of Personal Success Coaching! It is absolutely F*R*E*E* of charge, with no obligation and no strings attached! And if YOU haven’t coached with me in awhile and would like a “tune up” session please give yourself this gift!

To schedule a F*R*E*E* HOUR of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make this the BEST year yet, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com or call toll-free 888-503-8145.