"I'm not participating!"

Yesterday, I was working in my retail store when a gentleman said, "I'm not participating!"

It made me laugh because I was thinking about my two sons who would say that when they didn't want to do something. I would immediately find fault in their thinking.

Here was a man saying the same thing but there was no fault in his thinking. He was talking about the media, the scare tactics, and this 'so-called economic crisis.'

"What do you mean?" I quizzed him.

"I refuse to succumb to negativity and get sucked into all that the media is saying. They thrive on scare tactics and sell more when we're scared."

I pondered this and thought about all the people who lost their jobs - my friends, recently, my mother and yes, the slowdown in spending. Being a retailer, I saw the effects in October; people glued themselves to their chairs and watched the news to find out what to do next. No one knew. Everyone ran around in a panicked state. Our store sales dropped and our recently hired employee was terminated.

I should've been depressed and at my lowest point. After all, I had planned to transition from the store and this person was taking my place. I was moving on to do my writing, coaching and other things and had looked forward to this for years.

But a funny thing happened to me. Rather than 'give in' like I normally do, I limited the amount of news I watched, grabbed some funny movies and worked on raising my energy level. I didn't want to feel bad - I couldn't afford to be negative in my store. I kept feeling positive and then something really funny happened...I got offered to write for one company, got hired to do work for another company, I still work with hubby in the store and I'm so busy it's insane.

By not participating in this 'event,' I'm attacting a number of quiet followers who are going through transitions, moving forward and making positive changes in the world. This is pure proof that the positive outweights the negative.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed and scared, shut off the news, go exercise, rent a funny movie or engage in something uplifting!

Happy escaping,



Lisa Rickwood

Are You Being Authentic in life and business?

I have a confession to make. I'm not as authentic in life and business as I could be. I tell the truth, don't make it a habit to lie or deceive anyone...except myself.
If you run a business, you know you have to 'fudge' things from time to time to get through the day and generate moolah.

You know the scenario...Someone asks their opinion of something and while you may be honest, you don't want to be brutal so you 'soften' your answer.

Or, if you've had a business for a while and started out with passion and then the money didn't come as well as you thought, you probably changed things to suit the market and bring in the revenue. However, in the process, you may have lost your integrity to yourself.

I say this because a coach recently called it on me. I'd been running my company, Escape the Pace, like all the other ones online and was frustrated because it just wasn't working. Somehow in all the training, courses and tele-seminars I'd taken, I'd paid attention to what everyone else was saying and lost my own voice.

I forgot to use my skills for desiging, drawing, and singing and integrate them into the business. Are there skills you could bring into the business regardless of whether they generate money? Are these skills uniquely you? You should add them to your life and business - people want to feel the depth of others.

Maybe you've noticed that you've lost your 'mojo, edge, confidence, power, integrity, passion, energy...' Whatever you call it, if you feel like something is missing, it may be time to try this exercise:

Take out a pen and paper, set a timer for 10 minutes and then write as fast as you can - all the things you love and have a passion for. Also include what makes you different, fun, inspirational, creative...Have fun with this and don't edit.

Once you do this, read through your list and take one thing that you can do today to bring back your 'mojo, edge, confidence, power, integrity, passion, energy...

I hope you get one step closer to your authenticity and passion in your life and business. Let me know how you do - I'd love to hear. Happy escaping! Lisa

Can't Make a Change Unless You Slow Down - and Meditate

I'm not a big fan of meditating - I bet you're shocked with this statement. It's not the meditating, it's the sitting still. I suffer from ADD and used to get in a lot of trouble in class when I was younger.

I would learn the material and then fidget in class. So, when a coach told me to meditate I thought I would scream - it's so not me to sit still.

However, I discovered that there were various types of meditating so if you were like me and couldn't sit still, there was hope. Guided meditation (where you listen to a tape or MP3 of someone talking with music in the background) is the best way to calm down and focus if you're a distracted thinker. Another type of meditation is - 'Seeing Meditation' which I describe in the 2 Minute Tuesday Excerpt below.

Enjoy and visit the link at: Lisa's Two Minute Tuesdays Excerpt - Seeing Meditation.

The Great Shift

I've seen it coming...maybe you have too. The shift in people's thinking. It's here.

If you follow the thought leaders you know the planet and it's inhabitants are in a state of choas. Chaos always occurs before great change, just like revolutions.

As we head into 2009, it's important to keep this shift growing. It's a positive, feminine shift towards creativity with less emphasis on competitiveness. In the past, we were raised to be competitive and you've seen it on the global front.

Instead of applying for a job and competing against people in the same city, we've had to go against people in other countries.

The competitive nature has worn us down and made us enemies of each other. We've kept our distance, felt disconnected and feared our neighbours.

People are tired of this and crave family and community. People want to work together for the good of others. More and more companies are forming joint ventures with each other. The time is here.

In 2009, focus on positive change, connecting with others, helping others in need and taking care of the earth. You'll see a focus on green businesses, community and friendships. The year ahead will be frought with challenge (we're feeling it now) but end with strength. Out of pain comes pleasure, out of challenges comes growth. We see it in nature, we see it in ourselves.

I wish you all the best this holiday season and look forward to positive change in 2009.

Lisa
www.escapethepace.com

Finally a topic that takes us away from the Economy!

Today's a very special day - U.S. Election Day. And even though I'm a Canadian, I find this election so interesting (although I think I've had enough) that I would sneak across the border just to vote. Ha!

Even though most people are exhausted from hearing about the election, there is one great thing about it - we don't have to hear about the economy! It's an escape and we all could use one now!

So, when you're feeling stressed at work, turn on the T.V. - this is better than a soap opera and costs less than going out to the movies!

Living Large When Your Pocketbook Isn’t

Tumbling stocks, world economic crisis – not exactly the words a person wants to hear. These words don’t exactly drum up feelings of living large – on the contrary they often spark the ‘lack’ feelings deep inside many of us.

So what’s a person to do when they’re inundated by negative news, experiencing major economic challenges and they still want to live large and enjoy life?

First, we need to start with a major mind shift from negative to positive. Sounds easy but when you try to do this, you’ll probably be met by the negative beliefs in your mind. After all, it’s hard to think really positive when people around you may be losing their homes or jobs.

It’s important to realize that life ebbs and flows, money ebbs and flows, the tides ebb and flow – everything in nature has an upside and downside. What does this mean to you? If you’re experiencing challenging times, it won’t last forever. Things will improve – especially if you take charge instead of feeling helpless.

Sometimes in order to get positive in your mind, you need to start with something really simple – be thankful for what you currently have right now in your life. This could be the fact that you can feed your family, you have a place to live or your health is relatively fine. Take baby steps if you’re feeling overwhelmed and not really in a thankful place.

Once you work on this way of thinking, you’ll want to practice it every morning when you first get out of bed. You might think: ‘I’m so grateful that my family is safe and healthy, I’m grateful that I’m still working, I’m grateful that I have good friends and support people in my life.

By now, most of you have heard of The Law of Attraction. Without getting into too much detail, the basic law is that: ‘Whatever you focus on, you attract.’ Therefore, focusing on debt will attract more debt because your mind isn’t looking for ways to get out of this situation – it’s focusing on what you have now.

If you want to live a large life, you need to add some beliefs to your current life to put you in alignment with what you want. How do you do this? Start with a few key rules listed below:

1. Treat Yourself: I can’t emphasize just how important this rule is. When you’re going through difficult times, often you ignore your needs and deal with the world around you. The result – you feel empty, stressed out and uninspired. You also don’t see the possibilities of positive change because you’re buried by present problems.

When you treat yourself to something you love, you feel empowered, believe you’re worth it and attract more opportunities.

If your pocketbook hasn’t caught up to your plans and you want to visit Hawaii but are unable to, don’t give up on treating yourself. Plan a 3 day excursion and make it fun. You can treat yourself without breaking the bank – buy a specialty coffee, see a movie, visit friends, take a spa day…

Here are some activities you can do if you can't afford a five star hotel and fancy champagne? Think rich but do it affordably. Here are some ways:

1. Book a spa treatment: once a month book a fancy treatment to show you deserve it.
2. Buy the best of a food: top quality champagne, fine steaks, lobster, and have one really great meal.
3. Take a day off: take a day and do something fun and frivolous just for you.
4. Book a vacation: escape the doldrums and have some fun. (you can book a budget holiday or a three-day weekend excursion)
5. Test drive a new car: Take a spin in a car you'd love, take a picture of yourself in it and imagine what it would take to make your dream car be in your life.
6. Magazines: subscribe or buy magazines that focus on things you desire. ex. a racecar, a horse, etc.
7. A Vision Board: get pictures, words and images that reflect what you want in your life. Cut and paste them to a board and study it every day.
8. People: Hang out with people who live large or focus on the positive aspects of life. There will always be challenges for everyone on the planet – the trick is to rise above these.

Remember: living large is about attitude, not the current financial situation. Don’t discount your thoughts to a better life – introduce small pieces into your current life so you’re thinking of abundance instead of lack. Get that bottle of Dom Perignon and split it with three friends – catch the spirit of growth and change.

'JUST DO IT ALREADY!'

So I've probably got your attention with my title - yes, get your mind out of the gutter...you're going along with that report, that new product launch, that new marketing strategy when it hits you - overwhelm, panic, frustration, empathy...

You've hit the wall literally and figuratively and find yourself 'stuck.' So...that report sits unfinished, the new product launch doesn't happen and your marketing strategy is a flop.

Recently, I had a coach say to me, "When do you plan to complete your Escape the Pace package?"

Dumbfounded I thought about it and couldn't answer. I've been working (no, rather - thinking about) a product for 2 years. Yes, that's right - two whole years!

What stopped me? The same thing that stops most of us entrepreneurs in our tracks - fear, indecisiveness, lack of a clear plan, lack of confidence, comparing ourselves to others, etc. The same 'inner game' that helps entrepreneurs can also work against us - we often get in our own way. I've had people say, "Business would be fine if it wasn't for me!"

So my coach yanked me out of this negative mindset and said, "Just do it already!"

Dan Kennedy, an online marketing maverick and expert mentions that 'money likes speed,' and that sometimes people have 'to put it out there and tweak it later.'

So, the next time you feel swamped, overwhelmed, or stuck, just make yourself do it, forget perfection and tweak it later.

Many clients tell me that once they launch something, it gives them more confidence and power and they tweak things according to the market. Sounds like a plan to me! I'll keep you posted on the Escape Program - coming very soon!