The Success Magnets with Cara Lumen

How to Find Your Own Rhythm in the Middle of it All

I'm coming to the end of a three month commitment. I'm tired. I have some end-of-the-course leader things to do and I'm about to have time to find my own rhythm again. And I wonder - where did I get out of sync, how did I let it happen, and what do I do to regain it?

Where did I get out of sync with my own rhythm?

I let myself get out of sync with my own personal rhythm gradually. It went unnoticed. I just added more and more things to do, did them and in doing so, pushed aside some of the nourishing things I know to do for myself.

How did I let it happen?

The operative word here is "let." I let myself get out of sync with my own personal rhythm when I made the choices I did. When I stopped reading for pleasure because I was too tense or didn't have time. When I stopped taking time to exercise or cut my walks short because I had too much to do. When I didn't take time to connect with a friend. When I didn't take time to think, to contemplate, to consider what I wanted and needed. Little by little I sabotaged myself and changed my rhythm to accommodate that of other people or the work I chose to do. It is only when a natural pause presents itself that I know that I want to rethink my choices.

What do I do to regain my personal rhythm?

I always go within to see what I really, really want. I make new choices based on what I have recently learned, who I have met, what new ideas I have. And most of all I check within to be sure I am still aligned with my vision and my core values. It may take a few days. When you are ready to regain your personal rhythm, start thinking and journaling. Notice what's different about you and what is in your life. Rethink your intention, your direction and make some new choices.

Go back to your original purpose

At the core of what I love to do is teaching. I love to learn, I love to create ways to share what I have learned with others, and I love to teach it. That means that for me to be the happiest and most satisfied, all my choices need to be about my original purpose - doing things that allow me to learn, create and teach.

What is your original purpose? Make a list of the things people continually ask you to do and what they compliment you on. Then circle the ones that you love to do, that you do easily and well and eagerly. That's gives you insight to what you are supposed to be doing.

Then look at your passion

Whether you are starting your own business, selling a product or service, writing an article, or reaching out to a friend, it is your enthusiasm that will work the magic. And your enthusiasm comes from your passion. I love to teach but what exactly do I love to teach, who do I want to teach, how do I want to teach? One of the things I do is help people bring their passion and vision into a tangible, profitable product or service on the internet that other people need and want. It gives me great joy as I help people achieve their goals while nurturing my own need to be creative and teach. Once you find your passion, look for the people who need want you want to offer. And let them know what you have to offer.

Self-contemplate your way to success

I do a quarterly Magnetic Marketing Method Business Alignment in which I examine where I am and where I want to go. I listen to my body for what it needs – more rest, more laughter, more structure. And I redesign my next three months; not with the idea of adhering closely to the plan, but with the idea of recording my observations and intentions based on what I discovered when I take time to do a "reality" check. What I have experienced today is here because I thought about it yesterday – both the good or bad thoughts. What thoughts do I want to hold now in order to create this next quarter, how do I want to honor my own rhythm, how do I want to keep myself in sync?

Take time to pause, to contemplate and then act upon what you discover. That's how you find your own rhythm in the middle of it all.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, is a content strategist and internet marketing coach who combines Attraction Marketing, innovative ideas and creative insights to help proactive entrepreneurs create a compelling and profitable presence on the internet. Her Magnetic Marketing Method is filled with ebooks, audios and home study courses to help you bring your vision to life. Find more articles like this in The Success Magnets Emagazine at www.caralumen.com

The Leaf at My Feet

It lay there as a sign to me—the large green leaf. Larger than any leaf I had seen. “It’s a sign,” I thought. I love signs.

I looked up to find its origin and every tree around me was bare. Not a leaf left. I looked back at my “sign” and asked myself, “What does this mean?”

It’s nearing the end of a year, a time when I look at where I’ve been and where I want to go. I had just journaled the realization that what I needed to do was to shift my consciousness to make my business grow and my life richer. But to what? Always the question.

I think it has to do with my sense of personal value (or lack of it) and my trust that whatever shows up I can do. I get to play with people who are playing much bigger than I am and in the process add value to what they are doing. I get to trust my talent and my skill and believe it when people tell me how good I am at what I do. I get to seek out others and suggest a collaboration. I get to expect more.

“This leaf is telling me to play bigger,” I thought. “This leaf is telling me to drop any fears or apprehension about moving into new venues. This leaf is telling me to have a bigger vision and to believe in it.”

I continued my walk, admiring the leaf in my hand. It was a spring green although I knew it was actually a dying green. And it certainly was big. There was not a tree in sight that could have produced it.

And then I saw them. A half dozen more of these very large green leaves, larger than the one I held in my hand, all scattered in a cluster on the ground. I picked up two of the largest ones and looked around to see where they could have come from. And then I saw it—a tree in the back yard of a neighbor, hidden from view by a tall fence. And I thought, “What tall fence am I hiding behind? If this leaf is a sign of my huge talent, from what have I constructed the fence that hides it from view?”

Fear? Uncertainty? I want to tear down that fence. I want to take my large talents and spread them all over the neighborhood – all over the world, in fact. I want other seekers to find my large green leaf and get the message – everything is possible. We live in a world of infinite possibilities. We are given gifts that only we can give to another. We must get to work. We must play big. We must live our vision.

And so, my friends, this story is my large green leaf to you. In the coming year, let’s both come out from behind the fence and spread our gigantic talents throughout the world.

Have a great Winter Solstice!

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, helps you distill your vision into a specific and profitable course of action. Her specialty is internet marketing, content strategy, and signature product development. Through her Magnetic Marketing Method, Cara offers innovative, inexpensive, and impactful ideas for the pro-active entrepreneur. Learn how you can become a Success Magnet at www.caralumen.com

Detail

It fell before me on the ground,
The delicate white ruffled blossom,
Finished with its major work
Its edges beginning to brown.

It lay contentedly in my palm
As I took in the dainty dark red lines
Springing from small maroon dots in its center.
Two ochre accents glowed near the base.
Three petals surrounded the miniature cup.
It was a masterful piece of detail.

I look up for its origin.
It came from a cluster of intricate blossoms.
Which one exactly I did not know for
duplicate clusters nestled happily everywhere
Almost hidden by the giant heart-shaped leaves
on a huge tree spread out overhead.
The tree was full of white, ruffled pockets
of beautiful detail.

The blossom in my hand spoke to me:
“If God in her infinite wisdom has given
so much thought to me, a small blossom
among many,
Then KNOW as much care has gone into the
detail of YOU.”

I reflected on this.

I have a place in The Plan as does the blossom.
I think perhaps the blossom is more accepting of
that place than I am.
It simply “is”.
It allows itself to be guided by an Unseen Hand
Trusting the outcome will be exactly right.
Trusting and being.
Trusting and being.

When I feel alone or unsure or unloved
I will remember the Little Blossom.
For I too am part of a cluster,
A cluster of humanity nestled
In the branches of the Universe.
And I am as beautiful and intricate
And as loved
As the blossom before me.

© 1990 Cara Lumen

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, is a philosopher who helps other discover their infinite possibilities. www.caralumen.com

The Case of the Curled Bark

It lay curled on the ground beside the tree it had served, beautiful even as it moved into uselessness. I noticed it on my walk and was drawn to pick it up; looking for the message it might hold for me.

It comes from a Crape Myrtle tree—a tree that blooms late in the summer and grows by adding beautiful flowers in shades of red on the tips of each branch, These flowers then become the branches for next year’s growth. It is also s a tree that gracefully lets go of the old.

The bark was on the ground because the tree had expanded and split if off. It has completed its work. I’m certain it had done its work well, protecting the inner tree, but it no longer fit. If it had stayed in place, the tree could not grow.

What do I have in place that is keeping me from growing? How have I expanded and what do I need to allow to split off? What no longer fits into my vision, my plan, my passion?

It was the message I sought.

I’ve had several opportunities lately to move backward—take up services I used to offer but have outgrown. That’s why the idea of doing them again held no appeal—I had outgrown them. I am in a different mind set. I have new skills I love to use more. I have new ideas I wasn’t to express. Why would I ever entertain the thought of moving backward?

Sometimes we are offered choices in order to fortify our determination to move forward.

What has changed for you? What are you willing to do? What activities and interactions bring you joy? But more importantly, what are you no longer willing to do? What needs to drop away, just as the bark has dropped from the tree it once served.

From moment to moment we are different. We gain new insights with every interaction. We find new adventures that excite us. And we cannot go on the new adventures unless we stop carrying the old stuff around. We cannot move forward as long as we are holding on to old beliefs and habits. We cannot grow without holding new expectations.

The Crape Myrtle tree adds new growth in the form of beautiful flowers, just as add new aspects to your life as you open up to new experiences. But in doing so, the tree outgrows its skin, its bark, and releases and discards what it no longer needs.

What do you need to release?

On Striving

I am currently in a fallow period of rest and completion. I am replenishing and restoring. It feels like I'm not "doing" enough. It feels like not enough is happening, that somehow I am failing because I’m not very busy.

But I know it is a natural time for self-healing. It is a time for self-contemplation and examining the evidence of what my thoughts and actions have created for me. It is a time to make new choices—focus on what is working, tweak or release what is not. This could mean people or actions or beliefs. It is a time for going within and listening. It is about creating and honoring my new rhythm.

As I look for answers for myself, I am writing about them in my next e-book. How do I balance the “leave-it-to-me” aspect of the Law of Attraction with the “here’s-what-you-do-to-succeed” mentality of the physical plane? Do I do? Or don’t I do?

Then this came in my e-mail

“I said, "Yes!" when you first thought of "it".

"Now!" when you first asked.

And, "Hallelujah! So be it! Coming right up!" when you first gave thanks in advance...

Believing in you,

—The Universe  http://www.tut.com/mmm.shtml )

All I have to do is think it, ask for it, give thanks in advance and allow it to show up.

That’s easy.

So, should I bother to worry? I don’t think so?

Should I watch for signs and signals? Absolutely, I love signs.

Should I be patient? Yes indeed.

Should I act on and respond to the offerings that appear? If they feel right I’ll do it. If they don’t, I’ll simply pass. But if I do pass, I will look carefully to see why I pass it up and what I might learn from it if I accepted the challenge.

Dig the Ditch Before the Water Comes

Some of the actions I seem to be taking are in preparation for “what if” and “when” what I plan to happen does happen. A friend likened it to digging the ditch before the water comes. Am I prepared to receive? Is the container I am holding out as big as I wish it to be? Do I need to make my thoughts grander, my vision bigger, my expectations higher?

Probably. I think we all too often expect too little.

Do I Value Myself Enough To Let The Good Stuff In?

Am I worthy to receive? Do I deserve it? Will I accept it? Get yourself out of the way and be prepared to step up and give yourself in service wherever you are called. Watch for the unexpected. Watch for the small subtle suggestions. Smile at what you are given. Celebrate your wins. Give thanks for all you are and all that is given you.

Give Gratitude In Advance

I like the idea of giving gratitude for what is going to happen before it happens. How lovely it feels to give gratitude for attracting wonderful new clients. How vibrant I feel as I give gratitude for losing more weight. How loved and cherished I feel as I give gratitude for the deepening of my friendships.

Immerse yourself in the feelings of completion when you offer your gratitude. Enjoy what it feels like to be or do what you desire. Get excited to receive.

Expect It to Happen

That’s pretty much it. No striving, no efforting. Just feel it happening and expect it to happen. Allow life to be effortless and rewarding and it will.

Are You Muscling The Outcome?

How much of your day is spent pushing and pulling, planning and choosing as
you try to muscle a certain outcome into place? A lot more than is
necessary. And wouldn’t it be a relief if you could just let go and trust
in whatever shows up.

The Universe is fluid. It is ever changing. The all-encompassing energy is
like a shape-shifter, in one form one minute, in another form the next.
There is a rhythm, there is an ebb and flow, and there is a natural
evolution. But how do we get to “vote” on the outcome of our life? 

We make changes in our life through our consciousness.

Wise Friend is better at that than I am. She totally knows and experiences
the shifts in her life in relation to her thoughts, her consciousness. She
is content to let the Law of Attraction work and bring to her the perfect
clients and the perfect opportunities she needs. I, on the other hand,
continue to paddle even when I’m flowing in the right direction. 

“The way is not difficult; only there must be no wanting or not wanting.”—
Chao-Chou 

I’m not certain I can manage no wanting and not wanting. Yet I can see the
serenity it would bring me. What if I simply savored every moment rather
than planning the next? What if I looked at each moment as a gift, all
wrapped up in whatever I am to experience next? What if I spent more time
in meditation, more time in contemplation, more time being? 

A Chinese Proverb says, “When the root is deep, there is no reason to fear
the wind.” How deep is the root of my spirituality? How firmly do I believe
in my wholeness, the perfection of what shows up in my life, the blessings
of a challenging opportunity, and the lessons of a loss or seeming defeat?
Do I embrace the belief that my thoughts create my reality and that change
comes without when I change within?

It’s so simple really.   Thich Nhat Hanh tells us how”

Be yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness
are already here. 
There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just Be.

2006 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

What Do You Do With Negative Feedback?

It's natural to want to be liked. Everyone wants to think they are a pleasing, pleasant person to be around. However, we can't and won't please everyone all the time and we shouldn't try to. What then, do we do with negative feedback?

I recently had the opportunity to take a 360Reach assessment, which is designed to help me identify my branding position based on how others see me. There were questions to establish both my perceived strengths and weaknesses. So what did I do? Among all the really good things said, I focused on the very small percentage of the not-so-good. Of course, don't we always? I allowed them for a moment to take away from the positive reinforcement I had experienced. Does this sound familiar?

The "negative" appears for a reason—to offer you an opportunity to make a choice for change. You can take it or not. When I looked up the word "negative," it shows up as "off-putting, unconstructive, unhelpful, depressing." Actually, feedback or responses that "rock your boat" are actually good things. Truly.

The positive way for me to use this seemingly critical input is to see how true it feels to me. Then I look at what difference making or not making a change to accommodate it would make in my values. After that I examine what ensuing result a change would create. Then I make a decision. To do or not to do. To change or not to change. To ignore or to examine.

Negative feedback can be a reflection of how you feel about yourself. Examine it to see if it uncovers areas where you are being critical or judgmental of yourself. Put it in perspective with the overall scheme of your life. See how it fits into your goals and intentions. Make an informed choice to change or not change. Be certain the choice carries you forward and is true to who you are and what you choose to express.

Look at negativity as seasoning in your own personal serving of cosmic soup. Too much will ruin the flavor. Just the right amount will help you adjust in a manner that adds to the flavor of the total dish.

We get what we focus on, so use what seems to be "negative" feedback as an opportunity for adjustment—or not. But do look it over. Weigh it against the highest good for all. Then make your choice.

Negative feedback is an opportunity for growth—a true gift! It's yours for the taking.

© Cara Lumen 2006
www.caralumen.com

What Creates Trust?

I had subscribed to her e-magazine for several months. I found her blog and
subscribed to her RSS feed. Every other day or so I got a notice of
something she had written. Some I stopped to read, some I copied to save,
and some I skipped over knowing I wasn’t ready or wasn’t interested in the
information. 

One day I said to myself, “This has value to me. I want to become an
affiliate of her work and tell others about her.”  And I did. 

What brought to me that decision? What shift occurred to make me decide her
work had value to me? How had I arrived at that point? What, I wondered,
creates trust? 

Trust Is Built Over Time

My process in reaching this decision, had taken time. I was drawn to her
energy by all the magical ways we are drawn or led to each other. I
accepted her invitation to opt in to her newsletter. It apparently came at
times that worked for me, (as in not too often) and most of all, I liked
what I read. I learned something, it triggered new ideas, it made a
difference in my awareness and spawned new insights.

Trust Involves Similar Values

Trust often involves identifying with the person’s values and respecting or
being stimulated by what they say and do. Sometimes trust involves feeling
safe and comfortable with someone. We trust someone’s success, when we see
them accomplish what we’d like to do. We trust someone’s integrity when we
seem the choices they make in adverse situations.

How do I build trust in myself?

If I want to build trust with you, what do I do? I begin by expressing my
true self—not some version of what I think you might want to hear. I place
myself deeply in service. Then I give and give and give some more. I fill
my contributions to our relationship with value. I fully participate in our
exchange with joy and love and respect. 

Trust Is Vital To Success

Trust is something we must build in our business and our lives. Our clients
and customers must trust us to deliver what we promise. They must trust us
to keep our word and act with integrity. Trust is something we must have in
a nourishing relationship. We can’t push trust, we can only nurture it and
let it find its own footing. 
Exchange Is The Reward

The reward of trust in relationships is exchange. Whether it is a service
or a product or friendship, we must continually place ourselves in the
service of others. Over time, they will come to trust us, our product, our
services, and our friendship. 

Keep In Touch—Give Your Best

Trust comes from continued contact. Whether it is phone calls, letters,
e-mails, or e-magazines, communication is the key to building trust. Who do
you need to contact today? Where would you like to deepen your trust? In
your work environment, in your business, in your life, bring to it the best
you have within you and trust will follow. 

Trust Builds Confidence

When you have built a trusting relationship, people will have confidence in
you, they will believe in you and your ability. They will have faith that
you will provide value at every turn. They will ask for your service, your
product, or your advice. 

Trust Is The Basic Factor Needed For Cooperation

When we trust, when we open our eyes to another’s humanness, it makes room
for a natural flow of openness and affection. It clarifies our
understanding of each other. Trust allows us to be honest with each other,
to be affectionate, to take risks and love. 

Build Trust

Increase the value of your service. Give more that is expected in your
home, in your work, in your life. Work to build long lasting relationships
that are mutually nurturing, that provide for and sustain you. As Mother
Teresa said, “Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let
your presence light new light in the hearts of people.”

c2006 Cara Lumen www.caralumen.com

Is Your Business For Strugglers or Achievers?

p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">If you create a business for strugglers, you will create a struggling business. If you create a business for achievers, you will soar.

You want to attract and align yourself with achievers, whatever field you are in. You want to work with people who carry their share, who take the initiative, who are open to change and are willing to think big. These are the hallmarks of an achiever.

Feel the difference when I describe a person who procrastinates, who complains, who doesn't do their share, who only follows and has to be told what to do. These people are fearful of change and very content within their own small world. Their life is a constant struggle.

It is possible that you have a desire to help this struggling person and that certainly is a place to serve, but at least look at the difference between the two and see where your heart leads.

And, you notice, the amount of money they have is not a hallmark. The difference between an achiever and a struggler is attitude.

I certainly take deep pleasure in coaching someone to believe in themselves and their own ability. I help them translate their soul's calling into a life of empowerment and choice. That is a joyous place to be in service. Moreover, when they get a better sense of their own value, they step up to the plate and make big things happen.

Those are the kind of clients that grow me.

You realize, of course, that each person you draw to you has a gift just for you. In order to attract a certain type of client you have to align your consciousness with an intended desire. You have to put out the vibration of what you seek. You must become your own ideal client or customer.

Make a list of the qualities in your perfect client. This might include:

· People in service to others

· A willingness to learn

· A willingness to explore

· A willingness to expand their expectations

· An open heart

· An eagerness to make the project happen

· A strong sense of their innate calling

· A person who follows through

· A person who takes initiative

You may get more specific than that. Do take a moment and describe your ideal client or customer.

You might even give your ideal client a name. Mine is "Sage." She is a wise woman in service to others. Make this ideal client your best friend. Create your products to please her. Create your copy to attract her. Design your services to help her.

Build the image in your mind and your ideal client will come.

Look around at the clients and customers you are attracting. Are you struggling with strugglers? Or are you achieving with achievers?

It's your choice.

© Cara Lumen 2006

www.caralumen.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-MAGAZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this bio with it:

Cara Lumen is a metaphysical philosopher, author and coach who helps translate your Soul's Calling into a life of empowerment and choice. Through the Winds of Change Collection, she helps seekers deepen their spiritual experience and in High Intention Coaching she provide innovative and profitable internet marketing strategies to entrepreneurs. To learn more about these compelling offerings, to browse in her library of insightful articles and to sign up for her three FREE e-magazines visit www.caralumen.com

Do You Know Your Innermost Goals?

We sure know about goals. We've been taught about goal setting at every turn. But have you ever thought that there might be a difference between an inner goal and an outer goal? Consider this.

In my first marketing class we spent a lot of time trying to distill what we were doing into one benefit laden "elevator speech," the seven to nine words you could say to someone on a short elevator ride that would capture the essence of what you do—or are. My first one was "I help seekers deepen their spiritual experience."

However, I recently went hunting for my most intimate inner goal. Why was I here? What was my mission? How am I being called to serve? I went very deep. I went past the e-books and teleclasses and coaching. I went past the specifics of the skills I have been gifted with. I went to my heart looking for my life purpose, my calling, my divine place of service.

I thought about what I love most in life, what I love to do, who I want to touch, how I want to touch them, what brings me joy and happiness and satisfaction. And I found it.

"I help you translate your Soul's Calling into a journey of empowerment and choice."

I can't get more fundamental than that. At least not that I am aware of at this point in my life.

As I hold this inner goal in my heart and test every other goal up against it, I begin a journey of alignment. When an idea for a new e-book shows up I test it—will this help someone translate their Soul's Calling into a journey of empowerment and choice? When I set an outer goal to create a new teleclass, I hold it up to see if it is aligned with my inner goal. Before each coaching call, I focus myself and tune into the person I am to work with to hear and feel and understand their Soul's Calling to be certain our work is on purpose. I use my inner goal to help me define my outer goals.

Find your inner goal, your inner purpose, your inner calling. Define it for yourself and test it against your actions and choices. Adjust it as your awareness increases. Keep it in your heart and your consciousness. Let it be the driving force in your thoughts and awareness. Let your inner goal radiate out so everyone can feel it. Let your inner goal be a part of every outer goal. Align yourself with your heart's calling.

What is your inner goal?

© Cara Lumen 2006

www.caralumen.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-MAGAZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this bio with it:

Cara Lumen is a metaphysical philosopher, author and coach who helps you translate your Soul's Calling into a life of empowerment and choice. Through the Winds of Change Collection, she helps seekers deepen their spiritual experience and in High Intention Coaching she provides innovative and profitable internet marketing strategies to entrepreneurs. To learn more about these compelling offerings, to browse in her library of insightful articles and to sign up for her three FREE e-magazines visit www.caralumen.com