"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

'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!