4 Things You Must Do in a Recession

Instead of worrying, blaming the recession, or shrinking, here are four things you must do to change the situation:

1. You must get clear
2. You must be bigger than your circumstances
3. You must stop your drama”
4. You must reinvent

You must get clear
The one with clarity navigates the ship. The problem I see right now is too many people have clarity but it is in the wrong direction. Is your clarity

–I don’t have time

–I don’t have money

–I am not enough?

What if your clarity was of a different kind?

–I have all the time I need

–I am resourceful

–I am enough

You can be clear that you are going to fail or clear that you are going to be successful. What kind of clarity do you want?

You must be bigger than your circumstances
No matter how tough it seems you are not your job, you are not your business and you are not your bad news. You must never confuse where you are with who you are.

You Must Put a Stop to Your Drama
Drama is any obstacle to your peace or prosperity. What is your obstacle? The fight with your spouse, your negative attitude, the worry that keeps you up at night? Did you know that even recalling an angry experience can suppress the immune system for up to 6 hours? You must stop being a victim to your thoughts or to your circumstances.

You Must Reinvent
The idea of being in a recession keeps you a victim as you wait and wait and wait for someone to do something or something to change. When you decide to reinvent, you now become a creator and you make the necessary changes.

I have developed a very easy to use self-study to help you reclaim your power.
Most of the time all we have to do to reinvent is to stop betraying ourselves.
I have found there are 7 ways we self-betray on an ongoing basis. Why not use this “recession” as a time for reflection and reinvention?

The deadline for the early bird rate is May 1^st. Hope to see you there!

It’s Not a Recession it’s a Reinvention

Recession…that’s the new buzz word. Today I had a revelation.  What we are going through is  not a recession it’s a reinvention.

Reinvention always feels a bit scary as we leave behind things that no longer serve our best interests.

Do we want to let go of the old? No…because we are addicted.

We were addicted to…

• wastefulness and now we are reinventing to being green.
• comparison and we are reinventing to collaborate.
• force and we are reinventing to find our power.
• apathy and now we are reinventing to find purpose.
• business as usual and we are reinventing to see new opportunity.
• “My territory” and we are reinventing to a global economy.

Letting go of addictions never feels good so we think up words like recession to describe the withdrawal of letting go of the poisonous substances that threaten to ruin us in the end.

Being “in a recession” keeps us living in drama as a victim, forever waiting for a rescuer to bail us out.  Being in a “reinvention” helps us to reclaim our power as we become a creator.

The best way to deal with the “recession” is to see it as a reinvention, to take full responsibility and keep our eyes on the prize.

Join me April 2nd in Springfield Missouri for the collaborative effort between The Skinny Improv and Stop Your Drama as we present the show, “Recession or Reinvention: You Choose!”

What are You Waiting For?

I wonder if the recession could take a dramatic shift if all at once everyone just decided to quit waiting?

Waiting for the recession to end.
Waiting for Obama to do something.
Waiting for congress to approve something.
Waiting for the client to say “yes.”
Waiting for the boss to make a decision.
Waiting for others to understand.
Waiting until someone approves.
Waiting for agreement.
Waiting for the budget to change.

The reason I am so aware of this is from listening. I have been realizing that this is the biggest wake up call we have ever had and so many of us are still asleep at the wheel just WAITING for the alarm to go off.

I have been speaking about my Stop Your Drama Signature Process, which is all about reinventing, realigning and rejuvenating your business.

So many people have said they felt energized and they want more. They feel like it would be helpful for their workplace to hear the message.

But it stops right there at one or more stop signs:

There is no way the boss would agree to a program right now.
There isn’t any budget.
I’ll see what everyone else thinks.

In contrast I had a corporate client (a manager) say she is doing something innovative and getting together with another manager to “joint venture” so their staffs can have the program.

Another group is having a “grass roots” event in their home because they think their clients would benefit. That is the example of what it means to be a creator (step 8 in the signature process.)

It’s not about me selling my stuff.  Use any example and you will see that many of us live from the space of WAITING for someone else to take the lead. We have forgotten our power to create.

If  you want to reclaim your power it only takes a mental shift and think like an entrepreneur. It’s time to see the opportunity. It’s time to reinvent, realign and rejuvenate!

You have to see yourself as the door and the key.

Victim or Creator: Should you Shrink or Expand?

When all you hear is how businesses are losing market share, people are losing their jobs and unemployment is at an all time high it can scare any business owner into thinking now is the time to shrink instead of expand.

Auto makers are experiencing a crisis right now. Toyota has reported a 32 percent decline,  Nissan a 30 percent decline, and Honda a 28 percent decline.

Now is a scary to be in the car-making business right now.

Now is the time to shrink.

Or is it?

Hyundai, a car maker in South Korea that recently gained 14% market share.  Here’s what they did: They agreed to buy back cars from anyone who had purchased a car then lost their job.  It’s called a “buy back” program. Click here to see the article.

What does this example of innovation have to teach us about business?
1. In the end it’s about trust and relationships
2. Where ever there is crisis there is also opportunity
3. The one who stays calm and is willing to step up wins

The Chinese symbol for crisis  is the same symbol for opportunity. If you can replace your drama with some creativity you  may be able to leverage your business in ways you never dreamed possible. Perhaps now is the time to become a creator and expand!

Don’t Confuse Where You Are With Who You Are

The economy is bad.

You didn’t make enough money last year.

This  year isn’t looking much better.

How will you get clients?

You feel insecure; uncertain.

You wonder if you have what it takes.

DRAMA is any obstacle to your peace and prosperity.  When your thinking or your circumstances become your drama, it is time to CLEAR THE FOG and reinvent.
Reinvention can take the form of an action, a mental shift, an attitude, a decision or a physical transformation.

I want to encourage you to reinvent your identity.

Reinvent Your Identity
One of my favorite authors, Eckhart Tolle says that what you identify with will eventually cause you pain. Do you identify yourself as a business owner; as one who has a lot of money, as a mother, or as beautiful?

Don’t confuse WHERE You are, with WHO you are.

So you feel insecure. So your check book isn’t what you think it should be.  Don’t be tempted to start making up stories about yourself or using the economy to make excuses not to be successful.

Beating yourself up or blaming circumstances is the unconscious path of least resistance.  LIVE above the LINE of blame and resentment and make a conscious choice that you will not define yourself by your mistakes, your learning curve or your circumstances.

When you start to drift into the fog and the murky waters of head drama, take charge immediately. I have a few mantras I have created for you.

• I am not my drama
• This is just WHERE I am, not WHO I am
• This too shall pass
• I’m  smart, I’ll figure it out

As T Harv. Eker says in his book, The Millionaire Mind,

Rich people are bigger than their problems.
Poor people are smaller than their problems.

Tell yourself the truth. You are a creator.  Creators are resourceful, they ask for help, they are innovative. Creators don’t blame the economy nor do they “wait on the economy” to get better before they act. Creators find a way to learn from the mistakes and circumstances and the result is growth.

You are always bigger than your problems. You will take full responsibility for your situation and one day you will be able to use this experience to help someone else who also needs to be reminded that where you are is not who you are.

“Right Thinking” Eliminates Mind Drama

One of my favorite books is “As a Man Thinketh,” by James Allen.

Allen says, “Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction.”

When you are suffering (mentally or emotionally) challenge yourself to see the whole picture. Is there one ounce of good in what you are going through? Is there a lesson to learn? Have you become a better person though your trials? Can you help others because of your new insights?

Once you begin to “think right” your suffering will begin to subside.

In my SYD Signature Process, I call it “Telling Yourself the Truth.” Suffering is usually a result of telling yourself things that are not entirely based on fact, or looking at only a part of the puzzle and making a judgment.

What I see with a lot of my clients is the suffering they feel when they compare their growth and/or success with someone else. They see someone who has skyrocketed their business in just two years and they are already on year five and are struggling.

All of us can fall into this trap if we aren’t careful. While it’s good to let someone’s success motivate you, the REAL truth is you never have all of the puzzle pieces.

You don’t know their level of desire. You don’t know what skills they started with. You don’t know their background.

Not that any of that matters. Ultimately you need to keep a clear vision about YOUR goals and tell yourself the truth about what you need to do to reach your goals. I call this “identifying the gap.” Most of the time we just make an assumption and work from feeling rather than planning, organizing, or doing the necessary research.

Get clear about who you are and what you want. Identify where you need to up your game. Keep your eyes on your island. Anything else is just drama, and drama always leads to suffering.

To your mental and emotional health…

It Takes Two to Play Games

If you are not careful it slaps you upside the head. The negative comment intended to pull your strings. It’s only a problem if it catches you off guard and without thinking you snap. You use sarcasm. Or worse, you laugh because you won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing the string-pulling worked.

when I did corporate training, several  years ago, a participant said that a co-worker likes to pull her strings by saying things like, “There are people saying bad things about you but I can’t tell you who said it or what they said.”

I told her to remember this tip: It takes two to play games unless you are playing solitaire. Don’t waste your energy on this kind of negativity. You must realign and reinvent a new response.

We came up with some responses that she could try the next time it happened: “Well, some people are also talking about you…I wonder if it is the same person?”

Another option is, “Well, you should know better than to listen to everything that you hear.”

Yet another response is to not take it too seriously by saying, “You know, her opinion is absolutely  none of my business.”

This will throw the other person off guard and stop the game playing.

There are dozens of responses that help you get back your power. You get to be a creator and design the response that best represents the new you.

Two Words Open the Field of Possibilities

I had a HUGE insight that I couldn’t wait to share with you.

Two words that hold amazing power are the words “what if?”

“What if,” when said in fear produces more fear and worry.

• What if I look stupid?
• What if I fail?
• What if I don’t make enough money?
• What if she/he rejects my idea?

“What if,” when said in a state of curiosity and hope

opens the door to infinite possibilities and you become a creator.

• What if this is the best idea yet?
• What if I double my financial goals?
• What if I’m wildly successful?
• What if others think I’m brilliant?

Almost every act of creation starts with considering

a “what if.”

I’d like to invite you to something special that I’m doing

as a Pilot program for a select group of  12 people.

It is like nothing else I have ever offered and I can

promise you I will never offer the exact same thing again.

If you’ve considered coaching but found it to be too

financially risky, then you might be interested in this

pilot program.

If you would like to be a part of a mastermind with

a limited time frame, you might also be interested in

this pilot program I’m calling the 2009 Reinvent.

Only you know for sure. What if you decided to

take a look at this link and consider what could happen

if you said “yes?”

The Secret Key to Manifesting

I just read John Assaraf’s book, The Answer and the book really gave me some big insights, specifically the part about the Reticular Activating System or (RAS) for short.

The RAS is the network of pathways that helps you process information and “attract” that which you want to manifest. Problem is, if your RAS isn’t programmed properly, you miss the clues all around you that would help you manifest your life’s desires. In other words, you could be just like Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ. You possess the power of the ruby slippers but you don’t know it because you can’t SEE it.

So what I learned from the book is that when we want to manifest something we have to be able to SEE it first. This means you have to clear the fog before taking action. If you aren’t CRYSTAL CLEAR on your desires, you won’t be able to manifest because you won’t see the clues all around you.

I’ve always believed we are capable of consciously creating, and I’m glad there is scientific research to back it all up, but I didn’t fully understand that there is an ORDER to it!

The Secret Key

The order is this: VISUALIZE—PLAN—–THEN ACTION!
The biggest challenge for me is that I’m an action taker. I sometimes take action too fast!

Now I understand why I (and so many other action takers) become frustrated!
Taking action before clarity is like being in a boat with one oar and no map.

Look at how it works….If we take action first it sucks the energy out of us and we get lost in the fog.
If we plan without visualizing there is no inspired action, but if you see it clearly, you can map it out on a plan effortlessly then the action is so easy.

What do you think about this insight???

5 Point Checklist for Excellent Communication

Whether in the kitchen or in the cubicle, communication is difficult. There are those emotions, perceptions, judgments and personalities to deal with.  Here is a 5-point checklist for communication that cultivates great relationships.

When you listen to your kids what are you listening for? Do you stop to correct their grammar? Do you let emotions clog your ears when they tell you they want to pierce their tongue?  When your spouse announces his promotion, does your agenda of wanting a new Lexus tarnish his silver? When a client or associate gives you critical feedback do you get so defensive you can’t benefit from the suggestions?

When your wife comes crying to you about her weight and her depression do you give her a can of Slim Fast and a pep talk? What your kids wanted was your attention. Your husband needed your admiration. Your boss wanted you to improve and your wife wanted your sympathy.  We can give people what they desire if we offer our ear instead of our judgments, advice and hidden agenda. Unfortunately sometimes we don’t get what we want unless we ask.

ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT

Often we are more aware of what we don’t want than what we do want.    Suppose your twelve-year-old daughter has a habit of leaving her bedroom light on.  What is your response: “I don’t want to have to remind you to turn out your bedroom light!” Now, turn that around: “I’d like you to get into the habit of turning your lights out without being reminded. What do you suggest I do if you aren’t able to comply with this request?”  Now you have asked for what you want, (instead of what you don’t want) and you have let her help decide the consequences. You have taught by example how to become a creator.

The same principle applies at work.   Instead of saying to your employee, “I don’t want to walk in on this kind of mess again,” you say: “I want to walk into a perfectly organized office and know that you have things under control.” Going from negative to positive is a technique that aids in cooperation and lessens the likelihood of resentment from subordinates.

BOUNDARIES

If you feel resentment or anger toward someone, it’s likely that a boundary either needs to be set, or a boundary has been crossed.  Many of us neglect to articulate our boundaries or we aren’t sure if boundaries are appropriate. For example, if you have a manager who has a tendency to raise his voice-do you have any rights other than going to the front office?  You can set a boundary by saying: “I’d like to address this, however I’m not available to be yelled at. I will check back with you at 2:00.”  (Of course plan B is going to the office.) The point is, if you have tolerated screaming before and suddenly go to the office you look like a crybaby or a troublemaker.  Setting boundaries is one way to communicate what is acceptable and what isn’t. Setting good boundaries helps to eliminate relationship drama.

A major problem is setting boundaries that you either can’t keep or don’t intend to keep.  Don’t cry wolf-it’s worse than setting no boundaries at all.   If you have failed to set or keep boundaries you must recognize the part you played in the negative pattern.

OWN YOUR STUFF

“Owning your stuff” softens criticism while letting someone save face.  For example, a coworker’s joking has crossed your (unmentioned) boundaries.  You are feeling disgusted, yet at the same time you have permitted it and perhaps even encouraged the joking by pretending it was funny, rolling your eyes or keeping silent.     How do you stop it without crying sexual harassment?  Recognize your part.

You say, “Chris-I need to talk to you about something.  I’m sorry that I haven’t been completely honest with you.  I have actually laughed at a few things that have offended me and now I’m afraid it threatens our working relationship.” Then you go on to explain that you are ‘owning up’ because you want the behavior to stop, you want to remain friends, and you feel that you are partly to blame.

Most people are so humbled at your honesty and intentions to retain the relationship that they are willing to comply with your new rules. In the future, remember to fully represent yourself.

REPRESENT YOURSELF

Representing yourself means you only take care of your own business. It’s the practice of using statements that cannot be disputed.  This is accomplished by starting your statements with the pronoun “I.”  “I am angry,” rather than “you make me angry.”  It means taking responsibility for your emotions, thoughts and feelings while leaving out the blame and judgments.  For example, “You are trying to irritate me,” is a judgment. However,  “I’m feeling irritated and need some space,” is a statement and an expressed need.    “You are lazy,” is a judgment (perhaps based on observation) but, “I need some help,” is a way to represent yourself without casting your values on someone else.

When I share my feelings, desires and perceptions, I speak from my experience, which may or may not be the same as yours.  It’s a method to experience differences, express differences and stay in charge of yourself and the relationship.