January 2007

Imagine driving down the highway with the emergency brake on. Although you can force the car, it will be difficult to gain momentum, and when you do get going, it will be slow and laborious. Too much energy will be spent going nowhere fast.

Driving with the brake on is analogous to the way we often think. We may have the intent to move towards our goals, but if, at the same time, we are constantly having thoughts that oppose those dreams, we will never achieve them.

If you dream of being an artist or an entrepeneur, but are constantly telling yourself that you are not good enough, its not likely that you will ever achieve your dream. How can you know if you are thwarting yourself?

Stop for a moment and observe your thoughts.

Recall something upsetting. What about the grumbling you just shared with a co-worker or your spouse?

How about the curses you just hurled at the driver ahead of you in traffic?

Can you hear the swarm of buzzing negative thoughts?

That is the sound of resistance.

Resistance to what is going on around you is the friction that hinders forward motion in your life. These negative thoughts will take the spring out of your step, make your goals harder to achieve and your life a limited experience.

When we were children, complaining was very effective. “I’m hungry,” produced food; “I’m sad,” produced a hug. As adults complaining rarely gets us what we want. It is counterproductive and actually tends to attract what we don’t want to come more powerfully into our life.

You are in charge of your own life.

Here are three steps to help you take charge:

1. Observe
2. Say yes
3. Give thanks

Observe

The act of observing our thoughts and speech brings attention to these automatic processes, which in itself starts an evolution of changes in attitude and behavior.

Say Yes

Your thoughts and words are energetic messages that are continually affecting your mind and body. When you say yes to your goals and to your possibilities, then you are releasing the brakes that stop you from being the best you can be.

Dr. Stephen M. Drigotas of Johns Hopkins University developed a theory he calls The Michelangelo Phenomenon based on a quote by the Italian renaissance sculptor Michelangelo. The artist said that he didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t so much carve a beautiful sculpture out of marble as he chiseled until the masterpiece within the stone revealed itself.

When you say yes to your admirable qualities, your strengths and talents you affirm what is waiting to emerge allowing what no longer serves you to drop away.

Give thanks

In the documentary film, The Secret, there’s a wonderful story of a man who carried a pebble in his pocket. Every time he touched it, it reminded him to be grateful for what was in his life. He called this his gratitude rock.

Find a talisman that reminds you of how grateful you are to have the opportunity to pursue your higher goals and desires.

In the distance, you can clearly see your dreams. Once you release the brakes of fear, doubt and negativity that have held you back, you can surge forward unfettered towards your full potential.

A large part of being a great leader involves not so much what you can get others to do, but what you do yourself.

Here are some things extraordinary leaders practice:

1. Pursue personal and professional growth.

2. Treat others with dignity and respect.

3. Have as many people as possible benefit from their decisions and actions.

4. Tell the truth.

5. Find a mentor. And be a mentor.

6. Have a clear vision.

7. Maintain priorities and stay organized.

8. Maintain a balance of work, family and leisure.

9. Pursue what is best, don’t settle for good enough.

10. Work and live a life that leaves a lasting legacy of excellence.

11. Manage time according to priorities.

12. View the world through optimistic eyes.

13. Do not speak negatively of others or gossip.

14. See change as a positive force.

15. Think “team” first.

16. Help others develop their skills.

17. Be an example of dedication and commitment.

18. Be a great listener.

19. Develop great communication skills.

20. Make all short-term decisions with long-term goals in mind.

21. Develop a successor.

22. Be a primary strategy setter for your organization.

23. Keep things simple.

24. Teach others.

25. Identify future leaders.

26. Train and develop future leaders.

27. Reward others for a job well done.

28. Allow followers to fail at their attempts of growth and innovation.

29. Have a sense of humor and remain calm when faced with challenges.

30. Make it fun and gratifying.

A new milestone was reached and the bar was raised Wednesday. In the course of human events there are very few true innovations and at the very least several hundred thousand people were able to witness the unveiling. Apple, Inc. (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) announced the next step in the evolution of phones with the launching of iPhone due to ship in June of 2007.

How is the iPhone an evolution?

It’s an entire personal or business operation in the palm of your hand. I know others have claimed that too, this is the “Real Deal.”

First it integrates cell phone technology with iPod portable music player, real internet access with a real browser (Safari), real email capabilities, zoom-in or zoom-out with a “pinch”, play movies, the ability to take pictures… all of that and much more, without a keypad!

I bet you are thinking that other phones do that as well, not! This makes all others look and function like dinosaurs!

Second (and here is the true innovation) they made it functional and easy to use. Back in 1984 Apple proclaimed that Macintosh was the computer for the rest of us - well, they have just created the cell phone for the rest of us.

It doesn’t matter if you are young, old, a techie, a Luddite or a business owner or manager- if you have been waiting for the right time to go cellular and truly mobile, that time is here. If you have been searching for the penultimate phone this IS it! Don’t believe me? Go check out Apple’s iPhone!. Click on the “Macworld Keynote”, in the bottom left corner, to watch what you can do with the iPhone, you won’t believe your eyes!

Click here to see other professional business products Apple has made for the rest of us…

Who’s ready to get the New Year off to a terrific start?

We are hosting a “Winter Cleansing & Wellness” seminar in the Seattle area on January 23rd, just in time to help you shake off those winter blues and (dare I say) some of those ingredients from holiday feasts and treats. We’ll also be covering some of the hundreds of ways you can use essential oils for your wellness and around the house.

Learn about and experience the many benefits of the ‘Essential 7′ kit.

Learn about the ‘5-Day Nutritive Cleanse’

Learn how to use AFNOR-ISO grade Young Living Essential Oils to enhance your well-being

Learn about and sample essential oils, ask questions regarding our line of over 400 products, sample a tasty snack, and spend the evening with like-minded people who are making a difference in their lives for the New Year.

If you are considering beginning a Young Living business in 2007 be sure to take a few minutes to explore the business table at the event to have your questions answered and/or to get started.

FREE to the general public and guests, $10 for current YLEO Members.

DATE: Tuesday, January 23rd

TIME: registrtion 6:30pm, seminar starts at 7:00pm - 9:00pm

LOCATION: Edmonds Convention Center, 201 Fourth Ave. N, Edmonds, WA 98020 Get Directions

Please state at the registration desk that Evelyn Vincent told you about the event so I can meet you.

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What does the future of food have to do with owning your life?

Well, the way I see it… it has a lot to do with it. Since we are what we eat, the implications of what has been going on in the food industry is far more than just food on the table. What we eat diretly effects all of our bodily systems. If we’re not as healthy as we could or should be, it is certainly time to take control and “Own Your Life Now!”

There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America - a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.

Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world’s food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today.

Watch this 90 minute eye opening film online at The Future of Food

Being a gardener (of mainly heirloom & native varieties), a native plant enthusiast, landscape designer, and a lover of excellent quality and naturally unique foods-I found this film to be very well done and enormously educational.

I believe that purchasing a copy of the DVD and hosting ‘free’ screenings in neighborhoods across the country would help to enlighten people as to what exactly is going on, it’s available at The Future of Food. I honestly cannot believe that ‘if’ people knew what Monsanto and other large corporations have been doing that they would continue to buy food, or any product, that has been ‘Genetically Engineered’ (GE).

To learn more about taking control and owning your life in more ways, check out my blog on healthy and toxin-free living.