I ran across this article that very simply and directly gives 3 tips to help you in your life. Growing is not always an easy thing to accomplish but it is a necessary part of life if you want to have a fulfilling and successful life. Here is the article:

3 Tips for Self Help and Personal Growth

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Elaine Lockard

We are always being told, “You should being doing it this way!”, or “You should be doing it that way!”. But WHY should we being doing something that goes against our natural way of doing things? Why not live our life and run our business the way we want too? Why not be different? Why not be ourselves?

WHY? – Because;

1) It’s scary and risky to do something different from the norm.

2) We don’t always know ourselves well enough to know “our way”.

3) It’s hard to trust and have confidence in what you don’t fully know.

4) It’s easier to shape ourselves into a known mold rather than do the personal, introspective work necessary to know who we are.

So, what’s the answer? Well its a choice, either you conform to their way or you do the work necessary to find your answers and “your way”.

Ask yourself, do I want to get lost in the crowd or do I want to stand out for all to see?

Yes, the spotlight can be scary but think of how much more recognition there is, think about how much more possibility there is. Above all, think of how much more comfortable it will be to operate from a position of you rather than a false, make believe you.

Also, it may not be as hard as you might think to get there! And, you may like it ever so much more!

Consider the benefits of doing things “your way”;

-it’s easier to be yourself because you don’t have to learn another way of being

-you are more comfortable in your own skin

-your way is unique to anyone else so its stands out in a crowd

-you can build from an established base to be even better

-you will be more trusted by others when you are real

-you will have more excitement for what you do

Wouldn’t you rather be successful while having an easier route to travel and by gaining the recognition you deserve?

I am just saying, consider the possibilites…..

Listen to audio of article here.

On Friday, July 16, my day was going along as any other day until I got a voicemail from a senior associate producer at O2 Media, which produces the Lifetime Television Network show, The Balancing Act. He wanted to talk with me about my book and my work.

Wow! A national television show, large cable company, senior producer wants to talk to me about my work! Oh my gosh!

So I got on the phone, gave him a call, and had a wonderful conversation. He had checked me out fully, visited my website, and had some very pointed questions. He then told me they were very interested in my work and felt it would be of great benefit to their demographic. He definitely wanted to have me on their show in 3-5 minute editorial slot that would represent me as an expert in my type of coaching.

So he proceeded to give me all the details about what would happen, what wouldn’t happen, how it would be styled, but then the big shoe dropped.

For me to be on the show, I had to pay them! I had to pay them to the tune of $5900! Wow!

This totally floored me!  You don’t pay to be on a show that’s asking to interview you, that’s not the norm. So why were they asking me to pay a $5900 scheduling fee?

The producer told me they have a 2 million opt-in email list they email to weekly and they claim to have approximately 400,000 women watching on a daily basis. So why would I be paying them to be on the show?

Bottom line, it’s advertising. They want to have me because they believe I have a worthwhile service which will make a good show and be of benefit to their demographic, but at the same time they are doing me a favor and creating an advertisement.

What bothered me is why didn’t he just say that? He never called it a paid advertisement. I don’t know if there are any FCC or FTC guidelines which he must adhere to in his representation of their proposal but it felt sort of like bending the truth a bit.

And to top it off, I never heard an absolute guarantee that it would air. Just think, I would pay $5900 for an advertisement that yes, I would get a copy and could use on my own site, but may not air on their show and introduce me to their huge audience.

I did some online research and found this type of programming is called Pay to Play. I also found there are many different opinions on the web ranging from this being a scam to it being a legitimate business endeavor.

So I wonder if this is what the business of interviews on television are becoming? Is this going to be the norm? I don’t know but I hope not.

If you are contacted by a company that wants to interview you, but you have to pay for it, I suggest you need to consider several things to protect yourself and get the most from your investment should you decide to proceed with the offer:

- check out the company
- check out their claims
- get a guarantee in writing that your spot will air
- find out if their guarantee can be overturned by the parent company or the network
- ask for a list of references you can contact about how their spot affected their business

You need to be very, very careful and do your homework before making your decision as to whether or not this is appropriate for you and your business. You want to spend your advertising budget wisely.

Since, before this, I had never heard about Pay to Play, I would welcome your comments on this ‘Pay to Play’ television and whether paying to be interviewed is what you would consider a scam or just another form of advertising. Have you ever been offered this type of interview? What are your views? Should this become the norm for interviews?

Please leave your comments and I look forward to a rousing, in depth discussion on this topic.

I have the honor of being interviewed this Wednesday, July 21, at 2:00 pm Eastern on the Blog Talk Radio program, Pain Relief Radio, hosted by Kathryn Merrow, the Pain Relief Coach. We will be discussing my recent book “21 Ways to Ease Foot Pain”.

Hope you can join us!

I just finished watching the final episode of LOST.  In its final scenes, Jack’s father tells him, “Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you.”

How profound and relevant to today is this statement. We are learning as a people, a culture, a country, and a world that we need each other.  We’re learning that by sharing our paths in life, we are making the travel easier by finding along the way that:

• Successes are more satisfying
• Strength is found in numbers
• Answers are more easily found
• Goals are reached faster
• Obstacles are overcome more quickly

Looking back, I now see all of these points were in LOST. And I understand now that the show was about bringing together souls which had been solitary, apart, not having the comfort of others with them. It was about bringing together “lost” individuals to form a tribe and triumphantly winning over the darkness which threatened each of them in a different way in their own lives.

How wonderful it was to see their union creating a “heaven” for them through their commitment and love for one another.

How wonderful will it be to see our love and commitment to our fellow human beings grow and change this world for the better over the next coming years. I, for one, hope to see it in my lifetime and finally catch more than a glimpse of “Heaven” here on earth.

When starting a home-based business, or any small business, there are factors within yourself you must consider, and consider truthfully, if you want to succeed. Per the Small Business Administration, here are five questions to ask yourself to determine your strengths and weaknesses to see if you have what it takes.

1. Are you a self-starter? Do you begin projects on your own or do you operate best by having someone else tell you what, when and how to do a project?  Remember, you are going to be working for yourself, no one else. If you don’t do it, it does not get done. You have to be able to find the what, when and how within yourself to succeed.

2. Do you like meeting people and developing relationships? You’re going to be meeting clients, customers and other business people. You have to be able to deal with different personalities and situations. For example, how would you handle a customer complaint? Being in business is about obtaining and retaining customers. If you lack interpersonal skills, your might lose your customer and your business might suffer.

3. Are you good at making decisions? It’s your business; the buck stops with you. Yes, you can always ask advice but you still have to make the final call.

4. Do you have the physical and emotional stamina to work twelve hours or more a day, six or seven days a week? When starting out, it’s all on your shoulders to get everything done until you can afford to hire someone to help. Do you physically have the endurance? Do you have the drive or motivation to keep going?

5. Are you organized? Do you have a business plan? In any project, you need to have a structure, a plan on how to proceed from point A to B to C and so on.  So, once you have a plan, can you follow it or do you tend to go off in multiple directions at once? Being unorganized with no concept of where you are or any vision of where you are going, will get you nowhere fast except possible bankruptcy.

This last point leads into the topic for my next article in this series which is on the importance of having a business plan.  Please stay tuned.

I recently watched the 2009 remake of the movie Fame.  In it, one of the characters gives her impression of what success is and is not.

The passage is very inspiring.  It speaks not only to the material but the spiritual side of success.  It reveals the underlying feelings you get from true success.

Simply stated, you can have all the materials possessions which can come with money, wealth and power but if you don’t have joy in your heart, if you don’t love what you are doing, if you don’t help others, then success is a hollow victory in your life.

Here is the passage for your review:

Some things success is not:  it’s not fame, it’s not money or power

Success is waking up in the morning so excited about what you have to do, that you literally fly out the door.

It’s getting to work with people you love.

Success is connecting with the world and make people feel.

It’s finding a way to bind together people who have nothing in common, but a dream.

It’s falling asleep at night knowing you did the best job you could.

Success is joy and freedom and friendship and…

Success is love…

How many of you have a “To Do” list?  I bet most of you do.  I know I do. We have such busy lives, we need a plan to stayed focused on what’s needed, what’s important.

In business, especially a business that markets through the Internet, you must have a plan of action or you spend too much time and resources doing other things that bring in little money for the effort.

That is where Strategic Internet Marketing comes in to help you get to where you want to be in your business success.  This article, “What is Strategic Internet Marketing?” by Kasey Traeger, explains how and why it works.  I invite you to read it and reply in the comments how you are using this in your business and, if not, how could it be of use to you if you started.

With the holidays fast approaching, you may not be looking forward to them if you have a chronic condition.  You possibly, may already be feeling guilty or frustrated just thinking about:

•    Shopping for your family and having to ask someone else to do it for you
•    Being able to attend the events your child is participating in
•    Being able to fix dinner or your favorite holiday recipe
•    The difficulty in going to your family member’s home for dinner
•    Wanting the house nicely decorated but cannot do it yourself

Well to help you with your inner turmoil, here are my three C’s for the holidays:

Communication – Let your family know ahead of time what you can do, what they can expect from you, what you need from them, and make plans with them around your Can’s.  If you’re going to another family member’s home for the holidays, they will be very appreciative to know what to expect and it will be easier for everyone and more enjoyable.

Creativity – Get creative!  Make new family traditions; new ways of doing things that are fun for everyone.  Plan them so your Can’s are met.  If you have children, you know how imaginative and creative they can be.  Talk to them about your Can’s and see what they come up with.

Compassion – Have compassion for yourself!  Realize you are doing the best you can and that it’s okay to only do that and no more!  Also, take time to rest and take care of yourself so you can be as healthy as possible.

With a little forethought and planning, you can have a happier, less stressful holiday season.

My Best Wishes for happier, healthier holidays this year!

After you have worked hard to reach the point of acceptance of your chronic condition, what do you do next? What will help you the most?

The answer is YOU! You become your own advocate for your wellness and peace of mind.

You:

• discuss your condition with your doctor and ask how you can best be proactive, support yourself, and participate in your care;

• research and learn all you can about your condition, including all terminology and medications, their effects and side-effects;

• don’t give up! Get up instead! Move, take part, talk to others with the same or similar condition, join a support group, ask questions.

You know YOU and your body and what you are feeling and going through better than anyone else. There is no better advocate for your care, happiness, and well being. And don’t be afraid or feel self-conscience or feel guilty to ask for help. You deserve the best outcome possible for your life!