Thursday, March 25, 2010

Nothing Holding You Back


I originally thought I could just schedule time in my week to write my blog.  Schedule it the same way I do a lot of other things.  But it hasn’t really worked that way.  I find myself typing away to post when I least expect it, like right now.  I sat in my office tonight to send out some Coaching Agreements to new clients and instead here I am! 
It is something I have experienced time and time again.  I find myself creating and accomplishing great things, when the “mood strikes”.  Now that doesn’t mean that I am fickle or that I procrastinate either.  I am not just sitting around, waiting to feel inspired and then decide to act either.  (Believe me I am always in motion!  Now, if I could just figure out why I am not a size 6 for all the running around that I do!)  
What I am trying to say, is that I find myself being more creative when I feel inspired.  The inspiration often comes on without any warning.  I have learned to pay attention to my feelings and the thoughts they lead to. 
Have you experienced this too?  I believe we can create a lot of momentum in our lives and in our businesses when we learn to work when we feel inspired.  It can be very powerful, even life changing. 
I think working when you feel inspired is evidence that your thoughts become things.  Your current thoughts are creating your future life.  To quote right from the book by Rhonda Byrne,  The Secret …”Nothing can come into your experience unless you summon it through persistent thoughts.”
I experienced this first hand last year.  I was so persistent in my thoughts to start my own business, to become a Business Coach, a public speaker and trainer that it inevitably had to happen!  My subconscious mind saw those images so many times that it created a powerful force to allow my conscious mind to deliver those images. 
Basically, my thoughts pushed me into action to make it happen!  And boy did it ever!   
The energy I was emitting from my thoughts and visions was so high that I was creating the life I imagined.  Visualization is the process of creating pictures in your mind of yourself enjoying what you want.  When you visualize, you generate powerful thoughts & feelings of having it now.   The thoughts are then returned to you as real experiences, just as you saw it in your mind.  
I was propelled into action!  Before I knew it, I had a business plan, a website, a marketing plan and I was enrolled in courses to help me fine tune my skills as a coach. 
Then I quit my full-time job and almost immediately I had numerous paying clients, regularly scheduled business workshops and formed a partnership with two other dynamic businesswomen  to produce a series of workshops geared towards empowering other women!  All in a few short months. 
That experience is proof that I have learned an important creative process.  A process I want to share with you.  You too can create the life of your dreams.  The process is easy.  It has 3 simple steps. 
Ask, Believe and Receive. 
Expectation is a powerful attractive force.  Expect the things you want and don’t expect the things you don’t.  That’s it!
Dream Big!  But don’t stop there.  Think about your dream and visualize it throughout the day.  See yourself living it, doing it, saying it, being it.  Visualize in detail and in color. 
What are your dreams?  What do you want for yourself?  Your family?  Your business?  How amazing would your life look if nothing were holding you back?

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Ask And You Shall Recieve


“Ask and you shall receive.”
Heard that one a lot?  I bet you’ve even said it to someone else.  But do you believe it?  Do you make a habit of asking for what you need?
“Ask and you shall receive”.  Period.  Believe in the power of that statement. 
It doesn’t say, “Ask and I will think about it.” 
Don’t be afraid to ask.  If you are not moving closer to your goals and your visions for your business (or your life) you are probably not asking enough!
The universe responds to those who ask.  Asking for something you need does not in any way imply weakness, on the contrary, the person who has the confidence to ask for what they need is claiming the power to design their own life.
I am a Business Coach.  I work with people every day to help them achieve their professional goals.  Most of my clients are sales people and or entrepeneurs.  Asking and being clear about what you need always becomes a big part of the Coaching process because it is so crucial to leading a successful business.
If you ask other successful people how they got to the top, I am sure every one of them will tell you they were clear on what they wanted.  And they asked questions, they asked for help, they asked for leads, they asked for referrals, they asked for business …. do you see the pattern here?
When you ask questions, you gather information.  Information will reveal the next step.  Information will build rapport.  Information will build your confidence.  Information will lead to referrals and information will build your business.
I believe that most salespeople are not good at asking!  Crazy as it sounds.  I bet that almost 75% of the time salespeople fail to ask for the order.  Even after they give a killer presentation, they fall short of the firm close.  Asking for the order or the appointment or the contract or the booking … Do you see how not being a consistent “Asker” could put you out of business. 
I wonder how many people are afraid to ask?  What are you afraid of?  Oh right!  The answer!  Possible rejection?  I know we don’t like to hear no.  But I have to tell you - Get over it!  No’s are possible and it’s ok!  I gather information and research all the time – I have not discovered any evidence of death resulting from being told no! 
If you are afraid to ask, perhaps you are too attached to the outcome.  I realize you might be wondering if you will hear no, and probably really hoping to hear yes but are you also worrying about what the other person is thinking?  Thinking of you perhaps?  Well don’t.  Unless you’re a mind reader, it doesn’t matter because most assumptions are wrong anyway!  Have confidence in yourself, your ability, your product or service and that is all that matters.
You can boost your business and put a lift in your life by learning to ask for what you need.  So focus on asking for information.  When you ask a potential client the right questions and gather information you begin to qualify them.  You are learning more about the potential client and that gives you an advantage.  It allows you to show the client how you will serve them better.  
When you truly appreciate and understand the other person’s needs than you can offer the solution.  Makes a lot of sense in business doesn’t it? 
Now apply that to your personal relationships.  Wow.  What would your relationships look like if you were confident to ask not only for what you need but also ask the other person how you could help them!  The information you gather from each other by asking could build a more strong and loving and mutally respectful marriage or friendship.  You can enrich your life and the lives of others around you.
So be clear when you ask.  Because remember, “Ask and you shall receive.”  So be precise.  Think cleary about your request.  Have an open mind when it comes to waiting for the response. 
Asking may require practice.  That’s ok.  The more you ask the better you will be at it.  How amazing would your life look if you could become really good at asking for what you need?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010



Don’t be afraid of life’s challenges! 
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”
Well I find myself in hot water a lot!  Like this afternoon ....  It was the long-awaited, much-anticipated debut of my first internet radio show, called “A Life By Design” with Anna Gibbs on the new network calledwww.truevoicesradio.com.
A friend of mine, in collaboration with another friend of hers, began this internet radio network a few months ago.  When that friend of  mine asked me if I would like to host my own internet radio show, I immediately jumped at the chance and said YES!  Of course I would!   My own show?  An hour for me to talk to the world and say whatever I wanted?  Well, for anyone who knows me … that’s a dream come true! 
Words like shy and reserved have never been used to describe me.  Words like bubbly, outgoing and confident, yes.  I love to talk!  I have made a career out of talking!  For the last 20 years I have been a sales and marketing professional and I have always loved an audience.  Remember, I am in Direct Sales too!  I am “on stage” every time I do a home party!  And now through my Coaching business I am helping others to do the same.  I work with clients to develop business strategies and overcome fear and objection.  I talk about belief and confidence all the time. 
So over the last few weeks  I spent a lot of time thinking about the radio show.  I came up with a name that was meaningful.  I decided that the theme for my new show every week would be centered on helping people.  I thought the show could offer ”on the air” business coaching.  I could share ideas on how to ”work smarter and not harder” as well as develop ways to become more productive and grow their business.   I also wanted to pepper words of inspiration and meaning into the hour.
In my mind I developed such a great outline for the show.  I was going to be funny and real.  Informative and strong.  An inspiration to everyone who can listen to be the very best person they could be.  I was going to be the next  Oprah! 
I started out the day feeling really good and confident and very much at ease.  At some point I thought to myself, “Gee what will I talk about at 1pm when I am live on the air during my first show?”  very quickly I told myself it didn’t matter.  I am always better at “winging it”, I would sound more natural anyway!
At around noon, with an hour to prepare, I was checking emails!  ”No problem”, I told myself this is going to be so much fun!  There are so many unique and innovative ways to promote your business today.  
At 12:50pm the call came, it was time!  10 minutes to prepare myself to go live.  “Ok, I’m good and I’m ready” I said. 
And then… the moment I had been waiting for!  YES!  I heard - ”You’re live!”
and I … for a second … went completely blank! 
“OMG, What is my name?” I thought to myself as I heard my voice say, “Hello!  Welcome! My name is Anna Gibbs, thank you for joining me today ….”
“WHAT?  WHO SAID THAT? … Oh! I did, OK good!” I thought quickly to myself.  Wow, was I panicking.  I had no idea what I wanted to talk about!  And all the while that I am having these crazy thoughts, I hear my voice again!  Talking and talking!  Saying lots of words!  Wow! 
I think, that whatever I was saying made sense??  I was able to speak because my “outer-self” was in the driver’s seat.  Unfortunately, my “inner-self” tried to carry on its own monologue and the theme was all about fear, self-doubt and sabotage!  For the first time in a long time I was not confident in my abilities! 
“OMG!”, I thought “I AM human”! 
About 7 minutes into the show I felt like I could calm down and “Outer” Anna was going to push “Inner” Anna aside and make this work!  and then …. the line goes dead!  and just like that, I am off the air! 
“OMG, the people at the radio network thought I was so bad, they pulled the plug!” I thought.  Yet, I was kind of relieved because I was full of doubt again.  By that time,  ”Inner” Anna had time to take over once more.  
Ring!  Ring!  Radio station calling!  ”Oh no.  I am not going to answer it!  This is my out!  I got myself into some hot water now and I am in over my head.  I am not doing this and no one cares what I have to say anyway.  I sound ridiculous!”  
Yup, that’s what I was thinking as I answered the phone and got right back on the air!  And yes, was I rambling a little bit?  Was I a little nervous?  Was I unsure of what to say at times?  Yes, yes and yes. 
So my first show wasn’t smooth or perfect, but I did it!  I did not allow fear to take control!  As a matter of fact, as Jack Canfield would say, “I felt the Fear and I did it anyway!”
Huge lesson to learn!  Life is meant to be lived and experienced!  We come this way only once.  I put myself out there.  I tried something new.  I didn’t let fear stop me.
Some people will do anything to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of fear.  The water gets too hot and they’re out!  But then you run the risk of never achieving what you want from life.  I often say, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”  So as my friend Anna Eleanor Roosevelt said, “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”