A Cup of Caroll

May 29, 2022 

This Memorial Day is a particularly poignant one, given the series of horrific mass shootings we have witnessed in the past few weeks.  It’s an appropriate time for all of us to reflect on our values and what we stand for as a nation. But most importantly, it’s a time to reflect on all those special souls whose lives have been cut short much too soon, but whose love and contributions to us will never be forgotten. 

Here is a lightly-edited update of one of my favorite past blogs about gratitude. I hope you enjoy it. 

May 19, 2018 

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie 

“If the only prayer you said was ‘Thank You’ that would be enough.” – Meister Eckhart 

Gratitude is the most powerful positive emotion you can express to attract all the wonderful things you desire into your life. Acknowledging and appreciating all the good that is already present in your life sends a clear signal to God/the Universe that you would welcome more. 

As you are well aware, tomorrow is Memorial Day in the U.S.A.  It is our unofficial kick-off to summer, but its significance is much greater than that. Originally called Decoration Day, this special day honoring the fallen began in 1868 as a time set aside to commemorate those who died fighting in the Civil War by decorating their graves with flags and flowers.

But in addition to honoring those who served in the military, I find it equally appropriate to honor the day by taking a moment to remember with gratitude ALL those who have gone before you who have contributed to making you who are today:

• All the strangers, friends and loved ones who served in the armed forces to preserve your precious freedoms.

• Your parents, grandparents and other loved ones who raised you and helped you determine the values you choose to live by.

• All the mentors, teachers and role models who freely gave of their precious time to guide you along your purposeful path.

• Everyone who has ever shown you the encouragement and love that nurtured your spirit and helped you grow into your Authentic Self.

• Yes, and even those who disagreed with you honorably or sought to undermine you dishonorably — because they, too, had a hand in strengthening your character and determination to succeed against all odds.

Let us today transform our sadness at the loss of those who meant so much to us into abundant GRATITUDE for all they have contributed to us.  While sadness and regret are negative emotions that attract more pain, gratitude is one of the most powerful positive emotions there is.

Gratitude can help you put the Law of Attraction to work to make your most heartfelt dreams and ambitious intentions a reality.  If “energy attracts like energy,” as the Law of Attraction states, then feeling grateful for all those who have blessed your life with their presence can only attract more good people and resources to bless you.

And because an abundantly prosperous life involves so much more than just money, I want to close with something profoundly simple, yet powerful, that I learned from a wise retired minister, Rev. Margaret Melanie.

These are the Four Spiritual Truths to live by, which can help you create a life that is truly abundant and prosperous in every way. (I loved them so much, I had them made into a plaque for my office.)

• Breathe deeply. Breathing slowly and deeply nourishes your body with oxygen, makes you more alert to new ideas, and settles you down.  It makes you aware of being in the NOW and living fully in the present moment — which is really the only time that you have available to you.
• Live Fully. Go out and make a miracle today.  God is busy and needs your help.
• Kiss slowly. Appreciate all the love in your life – in ALL the forms it may take.  Don’t give your dearest loved ones just a hasty peck on the cheek as you bolt out the door.  Take time to really appreciate them and show them your love.
• Love wastefully. Don’t hold back.  Spread your love around lavishly, so there isn’t a drop left at the end of your life.  Love can’t be hoarded; it must be spent to be enjoyed!

I hope you enjoy a gratitude-filled Memorial Day weekend with your special Loved Ones (two-footed and/or four-footed).

PLEASE NOTE: The blog is taking next weekend off so Rick and I can volunteer at an event for The Little Red Dog, our favorite local dog and cat rescue. Please adopt a rescue animal when you are ready for another companion. Or if you cannot adopt, please foster one until it finds its perfect forever home.  Look for your next fresh Cup of Caroll on Sunday June 12.

 If you or your friends would like your own F*R*E*E* subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://practicalprosperitycoach.com and click on the Prosperity Tips button at the top to enter your name and email. 

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled******************

To schedule a F*R*E*E*, no-obligation ONE HOUR Breakthrough Session of phone coaching that will help you clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com today.  Slots are limited, so please act quickly!

May 15, 2022

“Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion.  Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return.  Just know in your heart it will be returned.” – Steve Maraboli

One of those “pivot points” in life that happen to each of us, changing the direction of our life forever, happened to me on a plane in the late 1990s.  It was my introduction to intentionally manifesting something I REALLY wanted using the Law of Attraction (“energy attracts like energy”) and it was also the inception of my coaching career, although I didn’t realize it at the time.

I have shared it with my clients and have written about it before. Yet, I often gloss over the one little detail that I now realize was actually what caused the whole momentous story to unfold.  I feel it’s important to share that little secret with you now because you also will face a life-changing opportunity at some point and I wouldn’t want it to pass you by.

I was boarding a return flight from a leadership retreat in Hawaii for the direct sales company that I was in at the time.  The flight attendants had announced it was a full flight. Right after I sat down, a family boarded together. One parent sat in the row in front of me and the other family members were seated next to me.

The parent in the row ahead of me turned and asked if I would be willing to switch seats so they could all sit together. I had a window seat, and of course the view leaving Hawaii is pretty spectacular, but I didn’t hesitate to do this small favor for them. That’s how I ended up with an aisle seat one row forward from my assigned seat.

During the flight, a petite woman walked down the aisle from first-class and perched on the arm rest of the seat directly across the aisle from me.  After she kissed the gentleman in that seat (who I learned was her then-husband), she turned around and looked right at me.

I instantly recognized her as our keynote speaker, Marcia Wieder, who was known as “America’s Dream Coach.”  (Marcia now goes by Maya Marcia Wieder and is living HER dream, coaching dreamers across the globe online from her home in Portugal!)

All of us at the leadership retreat found her talk very inspiring about how we could make our biggest dreams come true if we only BELIEVED in them, stopped worrying about the “How,” took some small initial steps and then let our Higher Power direct us from there.

I was stunned to be looking right into her eyes.  She smiled at me and said, “I know you. You were at the retreat.”  (I was one of the emerging leaders who were acknowledged onstage.)

Then she stunned me by proclaiming, “You should come back to Maui in a few months for my first-ever Dream University® retreat!  It is going to be amazing. Just 30 participants and I am bringing all my best stuff that I’ve never taught anywhere else.  You will get so much out of it.”

With a rueful smile, I said, “I would love to. I wish I could, but I can’t afford it right now.”

Marcia gave a little frown and asked, “Did you hear my talk?  Which are you more committed to: your Dream or your current Reality?”  Ooof — A punch to the gut!

I will quote the rest of the story as Marcia tells it in her book Making Your Dreams Come True:

“Then Caroll angrily declared that she was sick of hearing herself say those words. The next thing she said surprised us both: ‘I’m coming to Dream U. I don’t know how I will afford it, but it’s time for a breakthrough in my life around money.’  She asked me to be on her Dream Team. ‘Fine. Call me in a week with your credit card number.’

“She called me the next day.  She had received a financial statement in the mail.  One of her bonds was losing money, so she decided to sell it.  Then she had enough money to pay her tuition in full and to cover her airfare to that particular [Dream U] retreat, which was to be held in Maui.

“Caroll came to the workshop, and over and over she kept seeing where she had said no, where her limiting beliefs were causing her to play it safe, and where she was killing off any new possibilities.  After a week of this, she rewired her internal circuitry.

“When she returned home, everything appeared different because Caroll herself had changed.  Within six months her business doubled, she received a big promotion and was praised by the president of the company in front of all her colleagues.  In her personal life, she decided she wanted the perfect relationship and the person she wanted it with was herself. She spent the next year and a half learning more about herself and how to relate to others….

“Caroll recently told me that she has never been happier.  She feels totally free and is facing unlimited horizons for her career and her personal life. Releasing the burden of carrying around a boisterous [inner] Doubter can free you to find your true power and essence.”

It WAS incredible to discover the unstoppable power of the Law of Attraction to bring me whatever I needed to make my dreams a reality, just by believing it was possible, even without knowing the HOW in advance. I returned two more times to Marcia’s Dream University® in Maui as her assistant, and ultimately became a Certified Dream Coach ®, which launched my coaching career.

But I often forget to mention that NONE of this would have happened if I had not changed my seat on that plane. I would have been sitting by the window a row back from where Marcia sat on her husband’s arm rest and we would not have caught each other’s eye. From one small decision, made casually in a few seconds, so many life-changing events unfolded for me over many years!

So, what’s the lesson for all of us?

First, be KIND.  Whenever you can do a small favor for someone, do it!  I believe that the giving energy I sent out by allowing that family to sit together on their long flight home was what attracted ALL that good stuff to me.

And secondly, know that life’s biggest opportunities often come to us when we least expect them. That’s why you have to do a few minutes of mindset preparation DAILY. This opens your subconscious mind to receive Divine Direction, which can come as an inspired idea or a strong urge to do something that may not make sense to your Ego, or even through a few words spoken by a stranger.

Bottom Line: When you get one of those strong inner signals or God sends you a kindness opportunity, my advice is JUST DO IT!

PLEASE NOTE: The blog will take next week off and will return on Sunday May 29.

COACHING RESULTS: 

Caroll’s approach to business is quite powerful. Not only has she helped my business growth, she’s a lot of fun to work with.  Her personality is inviting, which causes me to let down my walls with ease so she can identify my areas of opportunity. When Caroll challenges my perspective, she does so with respect, ensuring I am most open to feedback, causing me to not get defensive.  She makes you think!” – Blake Jones, multi-platform entrepreneur and marketing coach.

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top of the page.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

To schedule a F.R.E.E., no-obligation, ONE HOUR Breakthrough Session of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com Slots are limited so please act quickly!

May 8, 2022

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers and Fur Baby mothers!  None of us would have made it this far in life without your unconditional love, nurturing and endless patience. 

And if you are missing your own beloved mother this Mother’s Day, I hope you will take comfort in remembering just what a “Superhero” she was in your life and how she raised and equipped you to be the special person you are today. 

To honor all mothers, past and present, here is a lightly-edited Fan Favorite blog originally published four years ago that reminds us just how much we are capable of when we have a big enough WHY to go after our Big Dreams.  Enjoy (again)!

May 13, 2018

“Determination, energy and courage appear spontaneously when we care deeply about something.  We take risks that are unimaginable in any other context.” – Margaret J. Wheatley

As the stratospheric box office numbers will attest, we are a Superhero-obsessed culture these days.  And female Superheroes are just as popular as the male versions. Superheroes like Wonder Woman, Black Widow and Supergirl serve as strong, resourceful, and intelligent role models for girls and boys alike.

But I’ll tell you who the REAL female Superheroes in our world are: Moms.

Soccer Moms. Working moms. Moms in boardrooms and Moms in minivans.  Moms who sign the paychecks and Moms who mop the floors and take out the trash.

They are strong, resourceful, visionary and determined because they have a WHY that is bigger than themselves.  They care deeply about their families and will do whatever it takes to create a better future for them. They are fierce, resilient and filled with grit and gusto. They are lady warriors in high heels or sneakers. They are in pursuit of a Greater Purpose 24/7.

I coach many of these real-life Superheroes.  Having no children of my own, I can’t fully understand what drives them, but I marvel at and admire it and do my best to support and nurture them to value themselves and pursue their Big Dreams with belief and passion.

I am in awe as I see them work their day jobs, come home to fix dinner, help with homework and then give up much-needed sleep to spend an hour or two building a business that will provide the future they dream of for their children.

Some of them work from home, which is just as challenging, because everyone around them thinks they have plenty of time on their hands, and routinely call on them to help with the charity bazaar, assist in the classroom, chauffeur the soccer team, help their husbands with THEIR careers….etc. etc. etc. Just like the full-time working moms, stay-at-home Superhero Moms must squeeze in the time to grow their businesses and build their dreams.

Some of my Superhero Mom clients are single parents, with no backup if they or their children get the flu or the car breaks down. It’s all heaped on their slim shoulders.  Do they cry about it?  Nope. They suck it up and JUST DO IT.  Superhero Moms have no time for pity parties.  Stuff needs doing.  Big Dreams need fulfilling.  Either lend them a hand or get out of their way.

Some of them are also in the midst of ugly divorces and custody battles.  I cannot imagine what it is like for them to be a single parent, hold down a job, work on building a part-time business AND have to deal with a jerk whose highest aim is to sabotage them, just for spite.

How do these Superhero Moms respond to such abuse?  They lift their chins, turn away and get back to building a great future for themselves and their kids. The opposition makes them even MORE determined to succeed on their own terms.  They are the very definition of “indomitable.”

What is the Greater Purpose that drives these Superheroes in high heels? Time.  They want more time to spend with their families and to play a big role in their children’s lives as they grow. They are committed to instilling their deepest values in them and proving to them that even their wildest dreams CAN come true — and not just in fairy tales or comic books.

So here’s to ALL the too-often-taken-for-granted, undercover Superhero Moms who walk among us – our wives, mothers, relatives, friends, teachers and colleagues.  Let’s pause this Mother’s Day (and hopefully, EVERY day) to express our admiration and gratitude to them. Let’s treat them like the Superheroes they truly are.   After all, they are saving the future of the World by pursuing their Greater Purpose.

COACHING RESULTS

“I originally went to Caroll with one goal: to blow my skin care business up so much bigger than it had ever been.  But what I realized through the process is that I had other dreams that were very important to me, but I just never thought were possible.  I credit Caroll with pushing me off the ledge and helping me jump into a very exciting and multi-faceted way to run my businesses!  Yes, what was originally just ONE business goal now has multiple facets in very different areas and are so much BIGGER!” – E.G., direct seller and real estate investor

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top of the page.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

To schedule a F.R.E.E., no-obligation, ONE HOUR Breakthrough Session of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com  Slots are limited so please act quickly!