A Solstice Manifestation Ritual

The Winter Solstice is liminal space, between the darkness and light. After a long descent into darkness, we reach the shortest day of the year.  From here, the Sun makes its return, as the days gradually get longer.  It is an ending, and a beginning… and thus an opportunity to begin to set into motion that which you’d like to manifest in your life in the coming year.

To manifest those yummy, delicious things, you must create space.

Creating space – that is, letting things go – is part of manifestation. After all, it’s hard for the Divine to bring you what you want if there’s no space for it to land.

All you’ll need for this ritual is a quiet space, clarity of mind, an open heart, a journal, and a pen.  A beautiful holiday candle and dimmed lights is also quite lovely.

Before you start this ritual, take a look at whatever visioning and planning notes you’ve made for the coming year so far.  Select the number ONE thing you’d like to bring into your life.

(Yes, the tippy-top priority.  If you’re not sure, I invite you to get clear and make a decision with this question: “What ONE thing would I be wildly happy and grateful for creating in 2012?” )

Bring that decision to your sacred space.

In your space, take a moment or two to relax. Let all doubts, fears, and niggling thoughts just fall away. Bring your attention to your manifestation decision for 2012.

Imagine that it’s the night of the Winter Solstice – one year from now. And that you have created exactly what you set out to create. Imagine yourself experiencing it, in the here and now.

Create the picture as vividly as you can. Once you have that picture firmly in your mind, and you are experiencing it in the here-and-now… ask yourself one question:

“What have I let go of in order to be here?”

Listen carefully for the message from your inner self and write down whatever comes to you. Resist the urge to judge your answer. Simply receive the message. After you have your answer, bid your future self adieu and return to the present.

Take a look at the answer you received. What do you need to let go of? Is it an object, such as clutter, “stuff” you bought for a past dream or intention, or leftovers from an “old” version of you? Is it a habit, or a manner of thinking about the world or yourself? If it’s the latter, I guarantee that you’re living with a manifestation of whatever it is here on the physical plane, too – some object in your physical space.

No matter what, it’s time to release it. Gather up whatever it is and make a date to get RID of it.  Make a commitment to yourself and follow through.

(Warning: completing this ritual may bring on the strong urge to clear out your space. )

Here’s to manifesting everything you desire in 2012!

How To Use Your Intuition To Make Business Decisions

Running a successful business means that you’re going to be making a lot of decisions on a daily basis.   Some are big (who to hire?), some are fun (what to put in the goody bags?), and some are tricky (how to handle this client who keeps missing her payments?).  All require energy and attention.

Inability to make a decision is one of the top reasons why entrepreneurs fail.  Without the ability to make decisions quickly, your business will come to a halt.

Luckily, you have a gift for making decisions quickly – your Divine Feminine Gift of Intuition.   Most spiritual women entrepreneurs value their intuition and would agree that when they use it, both life and business “just flows.”  But here’s the problem…

It’s easy to trust your intuition when it’s the little stuff.  But what about the BIG stuff, like hiring the right person, investing in a mentor, or investing time, energy and money in an event?  These kinds of decisions can trigger doubt, fear, second-guessing and other static created by the ego – which can take you way off course and waste even years of your time.

Be the decision big or small, your intuition can ALWAYS be counted on to guide you in the right direction.  Using your intuition is a skill that you can master with practice.

Here, then, are my top tips on how to use your Divine Feminine Gift of Intuition to make the right decision, every time:

1. Learn to listen.

You don’t need a ton of information to make every decision, but you do need the key information.  When you’re in “discovery” mode (such as on the phone with a client, vendor, potential hire or mentor), be truly open, fully present and listening, so that you receive exactly what you need to know.

And don’t forget to create space in your life for meditation and quiet time every day.  Connecting to your intuition in this neutral space creates trust over time, so you can follow your inner guidance in the moment.

2. Know how your intuition shows up.

For years, my intuition used to show up as a very clear, firm voice in my head.  (That voice has saved my life – literally – more than once.)  Then, a couple of years ago, something changed and now intuition shows up on the physical plane as a specific sensation in my body.  Intuition can take as many forms as we have senses: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and beyond.  Know how it shows up for you so you can recognize it in an instant.

3.  Is it intuition or is it fear?

This is the biggie – is it intuition or is it fear?  Remember, whenever you grow, your ego is going to be challenged.  It will throw up everything it can to stop you – that’s it’s job!  Your job is to learn to tell the difference between true intuition and fear/ego masquerading as intuition to stop you in your tracks.

How do you tell the difference?  Practice.   In the moment, “first thought, best thought” usually applies.  Regardless of the situation, make a quick mental note of your first thought or “flash.”  You can act on it or not – either way, you’ll be able to go back to the decision later and see how accurate that first thought was.

4. Take action quickly.

Intuition is like a muscle – the more you act on the guidance you receive, the easier the guidance will come and the harder it is for the ego to take you out.  Successful people are quick to decide and slow to change their minds.  Make your decision quickly and keep moving!

Guess what? It’s okay to be frustrated!

Talk to any experienced coach and they’ll tell you: with big changes come the phenomenon known as “hitting a wall” or “running up against your stuff.” It goes something like this.

You make a decision to get more clients, increase your fees, grow your list, create a six-figure business, design the life you love. At first, you’re zipping along. You experience some success, you’re finally starting to feel like you have some momentum… and all of a sudden, out comes the “stuff” that has tripped you up in the past.

Guess what! It’s totally OKAY to be frustrated with this annoying pattern. Let’s face it: it’s freakin’ annoying!

It’s okay to be frustrated. No matter what the so-called gurus say, building a six-figure solo business is neither quick nor easy. It takes sustained focus, problem-solving and consistent action to make it happen. Balancing these masculine elements with the Feminine is a challenge. And none of it is easy in the face of all of the internal emotional shenanigans that come up in the process.

It’s okay to be frustrated. But here’s the thing: like everything else in our lives, wallowing in the frustration is a choice.

Personally, I’m okay with being frustrated. I have come to really accept that frustration is part of this process. I am NOT okay with keeping myself stuck in the frustration. It takes me out of the game, disconnects me from the Goddess, keeps me from helping others, and feels like crap.

(It’s also financially costly. Whatever you’re tolerating can be measured in lost dollars and cents in your business – I guarantee it.)

Each and every one of us is responsible for our own experience. In my programs, I challenge my clients to show up and get the outcome they invested in. My coach’s request to you this week is the following exercise.

Take a look at whatever is frustrating you right now. Acknowledge that it’s OKAY to be frustrated. Acknowledge that your frustration is an opportunity for a breakthrough to real, lasting change.

Ask yourself, “What do I want instead?”

Then ask yourself, “What do I need to let go of in order to create what I want?”

Then ask, “What deliberate, inspired action do I want to take right now?”

Remember, what you want is on the OTHER side of whatever frustration you feel right now. I invite you to move through it quickly.

Bright blessings and massive success to you….

On Taking Pride In What You Do…

Personal confession time: When I first hung out my shingle as a copywriter, I was afraid to tell anyone about it.

Crazy, right?  Actually, this isn’t as wacky as it might sound.  (Though, if you really think about it, a marketing professional who is afraid to market her marketing business really is pretty wacky.)  Here’s why…

I’m a really creative person.  I write graphic novels (that’s novels in comics format, not, well, you know),  and I’ve been a metaphysical practitioner for a long time.  Generally speaking, neither of these two tribes is very keen on marketing.

In fact, one habit of new writers sticks out in my mind as particularly telling.  In the comics community, it’s not at all unusual to see a new writer dissing on his work in public.  (Usually in a community space, such as a forum or discussion board.)

Even when I was completely wet-behind-the-ears and completely unsure of what I was doing, I just did NOT get it.  Stories are like children, I’d think. You have to go to the mat for them.  They are your WORK.

Now think of YOUR work – whatever it is that you do. Chances are good that it involves helping others in some way.  Improving their lives.  Creating breakthroughs.  Big, exhilarating, not-to-be-taken-lightly stuff.

YOUR  work can change the world. (I love to think of spirit-minded and purpose-driven entrepreneurs as change agents.)

Are you proud of your work? If you’re anything like the overwhelming majority of purpose-driven solo professionals I talk to, the answer is a resounding “YES!”

You know you’re great at what you do.  You’ve seen incredible transformations take place right before your eyes, and you know how phenomenal it feels when that transformation happens.

If you’re proud of what you do… if you LOVE what you do… and yet you still don’t have enough clients… the question is… why aren’t you telling enough people about it?

One of my new mentors confessed that he used to be terrified of sales.  Then one of his mentors said something that completely changed his belief.

“Sales isn’t something you do TO someone, it’s something you do FOR someone.”

It’s the same with marketing.  How can someone make up their OWN mind regarding the powerful choice they have of working with you, if they don’t have the information they need to do so?  They can’t.  (Nor can you help them if they don’t even know you exist!)

Sales and marketing are also a gift you give yourself. Because through these powerful tools, you can speak your truth, live your purpose, do the work you’re meant to do, take responsibility for yourself (instead of turning your life over to someone else)… and honor your creative talents and gifts.

Are you ready to share your gifts with the world?  I would be honored to show you how. My private clients have already used my strategies to help more people and dramatically increase their income at the same time (some as much as 300%), all while staying true to themselves and their values… and you can too!  I’m thrilled to announce that the homestudy edition of The Abundant Business System, my proprietary authentic marketing system for purpose-driven solo professionals, will be available soon.   I’m offering a limited number of copies at a VERY low introductory investment, on sale only May 12-14. Mark your calendar so you don’t miss it, ok?