|
 How
to be a Beacon in a
40-Watt World
There it was, that four
letter “S” word, S _ _ _, right there in an e-mail
subject line. The e-mail was from my sister; the subject line
was “S-n-o-w in Las Vegas!”
S-n-o-w in Las Vegas?
Not likely. S-n-o-w in Minneapolis? Most definitely. Now,
there’s a subject line that’s believable. But,
S-n-o-w in Las Vegas? Unbelievable.
Does achieving
your dreams seem as unbelievable as S-n-o-w in Las
Vegas? Are you ready to move your dreams from the realm of
‘not likely’ to ‘most definitely’?
Then, you’ll want to read on as two North Carolina
women melt away the mystery of manifesting the life
you want. They share specific tips for how to overcome doubt,
gain clarity of vision, maintain a positive outlook,
and live in joy. Get ready for lots more “S” words,
especially serendipity.
Y.E.S.
(You Expressing Spirit) Showcase
Structure,
Not Salads
 Having
a clear vision of her ideal life, believing
the things she wants are possible, and doing what’s
necessary to stay positive is how Jackie Stanley,
full-time writer, lecturer and teacher, with a law
degree from Wake Forest University, approaches each
day and each of her endeavors. Her pattern is to create
step-by-step maps to help people get where they want
to go. “Women
are inhibited to go out and manifest their dreams because
when they look out in the world, they only see other successful
people as finished products. They
assume that overnight it just happened.
But, it doesn’t happen overnight
for anyone. The
thing I think that I try to do is provide a path.”
In her law practice,
Jackie knew she could help a client get the house, the alimony,
the divorce settlement, yet only her client could heal the
hurt. She discovered a way to help her clients heal the hurt
when serendipity made an undercover office visit posing as
a word-for-the-day calendar.
The date was March 31,
1994. The word for the day was bibliotherapy.
Jackie didn’t know what it was. She looked it up in
the dictionary, sought out books to learn more, couldn’t
find any written for laypeople and did what Jackie does naturally.
“I decided I’ll write that book.” It took
her four years to research, write and publish
“Reading to Heal.”
Her current project,
“Lettuce is Not Enough,”
is a monthly publication with sound nutrition information
and a day-by-day structure for keeping your thoughts positive
and focusing on your vision. Jackie laughs
when she shares one of her favorite sayings, “Where
your thoughts are, there your hips will be also.”
Clear vision, belief in self, focused step-by-step action–
Jackie’s success formula for manifesting your dreams.
Jackie’s tips
to overcome doubt and maintain a positive outlook:
 |
“Approach
a big problem in little increments – small bites.”
|
|
“Begin every
day by reading something positive, something that makes
you believe that it is possible to manifest the things
you want in life.” |
|
“Never
go to bed on a negative note. If you go to bed feeling
like a failure, you’re going to wake up feeling
like a failure.” |
Safaris,
Son and So Much More
 Corporate
down-sizing can be serendipity ringing your doorbell.
For Kay Allred, Cruise One Franchise Owner in Greensboro,
North Carolina, leaving the financial security
of her corporate job was also the biggest leap of faith she’s
had as a single parent. “My son was getting ready to
go into kindergarten and it was important to me to have much
more flexibility. The company where I worked was offering
a tremendous down-sizing package. It just seemed like everything
was coming together.” Kay’s next steps
reflect her definition of Royal Spirit Alive, “honoring
who you are.”
A career counselor
was her guide as she explored possibilities. Through a series
of aptitude tests combined with past experience, Kay discovered
she needed to be in the travel business.
“I would make money and then I’d say ‘OK,
let’s go on an African safari, then
the Greek Islands for a month.’ I would
save for extravagant vacations, which I truly loved.”
Kay had another important
reason for choosing the travel business. “I have a son.
Being able to impart travel as part of his
life was important to me.” Today, she and her son have
already traveled to 24 countries. “It’s
given us a lot of time together as a family.”
As a franchise owner,
Kay has the flexibility she sought to spend time with her
son, share her passion for travel,
and bring to her clients a whole new definition of the vacation
travel business. “It’s
about an experience – making memories,”
says Kay.”
Kay’s tips to
discover your passion and live with joy:
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“Look
for those activities that you’ve done in your life
that make your heart sing. Determine what it is that makes
you happy and figure out a career where you can have some
of those attributes.” |
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“Surround
yourself with people that support you, as well as challenge
you and make you stop and think: 1) why are you doing
what you are doing, and 2) if it’s something that
you don’t want to do, why are you feeling forced
to continue doing it over and over again?” |
Are you ready to shovel
out your dreams and release them from the snow mounds of doubt
and fear? Are you willing to move them from the ‘not
likely’ column to the ‘most definitely’
column? If so, select tips from Jackie and Kay that are best
suited for you, then, take the necessary steps to advance
confidently in the direction of your dreams.
P.S. Here’s a
final four-letter “S” word “S-O-A-R.”
That’s my wish for you this year!
|
Marilyn
Sprague-Smith,
M.Ed.,
is
an
award-winning
consultant,
trainer,
author,
professional
speaker,
and
certified
laughter
leader.
Through
her
consulting
and
training
firm
Miracles
&
Magic,
she
partners
with
individuals
and
organizations
seeking
a
catalyst
for
long-term
positive
change.
She
is
one
of
only
six
people
in
the
world
authorized
by
The
World
Laughter
Tour
to
deliver
laughter
leader
certification
training.
As
a
frequent
guest
on
National
Public
Radio’s
WFDD
88.5
FM
Real
People.
Real
Stories.
www.wfdd.org,
she
shares
true
stories
about
the
magic
of
laughter
and
the
sparkle
it
brings
to
relationships.
