I was so inspired by that and think it is a great lesson for all of us. I always talk about learning from your mistakes, but the idea of immediately moving forward again makes a lot of sense. Because otherwise the image of the mistake forms a neural pathway in your brain and your mind replays that mistake going forward. Then you have to deal with releasing that as a block later on. But if you pick yourself up immediately, there is no time for that old image to stick, you are quickly replacing it with a new one.

I was so inspired by this and quickly applied that lesson to my life where I saw that I was getting stopped because a conversation regarding an opportunity didn’t go as I had hoped. Instead of spending any more time feeling badly about it, I went forward and engaged in another conversation to see what else was possible. It felt great to move forward that quickly and just doing it boosted my mood.

Where can you apply this lesson to your career, your business or your life?

So how do you play big and remain peaceful? How do you juggle all the balls that need to be handled when you are playing big?

For what reason do you want to play bigger?

Notice the word “Play” is next to the word “Bigger”

What if we actually “played” with it rather than making “big” so serious. I’ve been taking myself too seriously lately. I mean I love the One Minute Meditation and the “I’ll Pay You To Be Quiet Contest was and is a fun idea. And all of it is impacting people’s lives everyday. But somewhere along the line I got too serious about it.

What is that about? I got too attached. Yuck – not fun.

Can you relate? Do you take your big dreams too seriously? They are important . . . yes! And we can move towards them in a way that is light and fun and brings us joy …one step at a time … unfolding in the perfect manner and timing .. growing and expanding our consciousness as we do.

Ahhhh . . . much better

Next time I will talk about some other suggestions for playing bigger while maintaining inner peace.

So let’s take a look at what this is about.

There is a tendency for people who are just starting in business to undervalue their services and their worth. As you grow your business, confidence builds and some people raise prices accordingly but some never do or lag behind.

And now on top of that, with the downturn in the economy, many entrepreneurs have assumed that people will not be willing to even pay their regular price.

And certainly there was a period of panic, when some people just stopped buying anything they considered unnecessary.

Therefore, some entrepreneurs decided they better lower their prices. Good idea or bad idea? If you did that, is it working for you?

Whew! I did it for a short time but found it was a bad idea for one-on-one services. That will definitely lead to working too hard for too little money.

What worked better was doing the exact opposite. I created a higher end program that offered more value and more focused and strategic time with me for a premium price. So now I am contributing more value and making more money with fewer clients thereby saving me time and energy. And I got more bites than when I lowered my price.

Surprised? Well the truth is there are always people who have money to spend and they will spend it when they believe they will get good value. My higher end platinum coaching package is an extremely good value and people get that. And they are getting fabulous results in part, because there is a higher level of commitment on their part and on mine.

Now I know you are probably thinking, ‘I can’t charge more.‘ And ‘what about the people who can’t afford it?‘ I know because I had some of those thoughts initially too.

So here’s a couple of counter arguments to that persistent mind chatter.

1) When you charge more and attract the higher paying clients, you then have money to spend which will boost the general economy.

2) When you start making more with fewer clients, you have more time and creative energy to create groups, products and programs that will also serve those who cannot pay the higher dollar amount. ( i.e. my I’ll Pay You To Be Quiet Contest is free – well actually I am paying you. I couldn’t be doing that if I did not have the increased space in my life. I will also be creating other group programs soon. Group programs are another way to leverage time.)

3) End result is serving more people, making a bigger impact and positively impacting the economy.

Oh, but let me know forget the self-worth issue. Most of us have nagging mind chatter about our worthiness – especially women. I had to clear some issues around that before I was able to comfortably raise my prices. I used some of the tools I teach in my Life Transformation Tools & More Program to do that.

Are you tired of working too hard for too little money? It is in your power to do something about it. What are you willing to do ?

You probably know about cover-ups from your experience with others and from what you are doing in your own life.

When a big name person or big company get’s caught in a cover up, we are all pretty quick to critique and condemn them for not being more forthright, honest or fair. Examples of this include…Martha Stewart, Watergate, lots of CEO’s and politicians I don’t want to name as they will bring up anger and that is not the point.

But the real lesson comes from looking inside. You see they are just a reflection. Maybe you didn’t skim money or take an insider tip or do what they are doing on a big level, but what are you covering up?

As a society, we have all been taught to put our best foot forward and I certainly agree with that. And we all have a dark side and it is not that we want to spew that all over other people either. So what is the middle ground? How can we put our best foot forward in our businesses and be really authentic at the same time.

People want us to be more authentic – they can relate to us as human beings that way. I think all of us have our authenticity sniffers turned way up these days. We don’t want to be taken for a ride anymore. We want to work with people who are genuine, and can truly help us get through these challenging times so we can thrive again but in new and different ways. Thriving doesn’t necessarily mean what it used to mean. It’s about thriving on life! And money to buy what we desire is also part of the equation but not the whole enchilada.

What does it really mean to be authentic? I am hearing that word being tossed around a lot these days by a lot of big name internet entrepreneurs?

Were you taught to look like you have it all together? I can remember my dad taking my hand one day and pointing at a woman and telling me, “don’t ever let yourself look like that.” I don’t remember what she even looked like but the directive stuck with me and I made it mean probably a lot more than he intended.

Anyway, I don’t have all the answers to today’s question but I thought I would start by telling you some things about myself that you probably don’t know. People do this a lot on Facebook and since many of you are not on Facebook yet, I wanted to share myself with you first.

Here are some things you probably don’t know about me:

• I was born in NYC and have one older brother. From there I moved to Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Atlanta after going to college at Tulane. Okay, that’s the boring stuff.

• My full name is Len Stacey Mayo although my parents always called me Stacey. In the 4th grade, I decided I wanted to be called Len and after my brother teased me and called me Leonard and I received mail from the army, I switched back to Stacey.

• When I went to college, I thought I would become a social worker and join the Peace Corps – kind of ironic for a gal who doesn’t like to camp.

• I majored in Business and have combined my love of making a difference in people’s lives with building businesses that make an impact.

• My last soirée with politics was as President of my Freshman class in college, where I learned that I had no power to get us new washing machines and dryers in the dorms.

• I stole a Coke from a crate outside a vending machine in camp when I was 7 years old. Luckily I got caught which ended my life of crime.

• I love music but am not very musically inclined. I have fun singing with my hubby though.

• I have always been a beach person until the last year or two when I got drawn to the mountains. Now I love both the beach and the mountains.

• I created The One Minute Meditation™ to help me get peaceful and deal with stress during the day. I don’t remember to do it every hour either.
• The photo you see on my website and newsletter was taken approx 12 years ago. Oops. Well, you can see the current me on my videos for now.

• I get to stare at a beautiful 9 foot waterfall out of my office window every day that my husband built.

• I’ve had my share of challenges – physical and emotional – which is why I am so passionate about helping others. I am not done with my challenges and share as I can of what I learn with my clients to make their lives better.

• My first marriage (many moons ago) was pretty unhealthy and was to someone who had an alcohol addiction.

• I have more wrinkles around my eyes than I like and wish I didn’t care. When I shoot videos in the right light, they are not so visible.

• I am passionate about Peaceful Entrepreneur because I know there are better ways to do things for me and for you and I keep learning and sharing. I don’t have it down pat yet, but it’s a great future to live into.

• I just read these to my husband and he told me he didn’t know some of these things either.  Amazing.

Would you be willing to share yourself with us too? Under the comments section, feel free to share something about yourself that others don’t know. Don’t use it to pitch – just share yourself authentically.

One step at a time, consider uncovering that which people may not know and see what starts to happen in your business and life. Note this does not mean telling us all your dirty laundry. It is just about being real. Find the balance that works for you.

We might call it the Authentic Experiment

Oh and speaking of authentic. Another reason I want you to practice coming out and be seen for who you are is because of my upcoming video contest where you could win $1000. So get your video camera ready and stay tuned. This will be easy. (Where’s that easy button when I need it?)

Enjoy!

Stacey

———————————-
On the surface of our world right now
There is war, violence, and craziness
And things may seem dark.

But calmly and quietly
At the same time
Something is happening underground.

An inner revolution is taking place
And certain individuals
Are being called to a higher light.

It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up.

This is a global co-operation
That has sleeper cells in every nation.
It is a planetary Spiritual Conspiracy.

You won’t likely see us on T.V.
You won’t read about us in the newspaper.
You won’t hear from us on the radio.

We don’t seek glory.
We don’t wear any uniform.
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles.

We are in every country and culture of the world
In cities big and small, mountains and valleys
In farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.

Most of us work anonymously
Seeking not recognition of name
But profound transformation of life.

Working quietly behind the scenes
You could pass by one of us on the street
And not even notice.

We go undercover
Not concerned for who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done.

Many of us may seem to have normal jobs.
But behind the external storefront
Is where the deeper work takes a place.

With the individual and collective power
Of our minds and hearts
We spread passion, knowledge, and joy to all.

Some call us the Conscious Army
As together
We co-create a new world.

Our orders come from the Spiritual Intelligence Agency
Instructing us to drop soft, secret love bombs
when no one is looking.

Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Smiles ~ Kind words
Movies ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Websites
Social activism ~ Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…

We each express ourselves
In our own unique ways
With our own unique gifts and talents.

“Be the change you want to see in the world”
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know this is the path to profound transformation.

We know that quietly and humbly
Individually and collectively
We have the power of all the oceans combined.

At first glance our work is not even visible.
It is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains.

And yet with our combined efforts
Entire tectonic plates
Are being shaped and moved for centuries to come.

Love is the religion we come to share
And you don’t need to be highly educated
Or have exceptional knowledge to understand it.

Love arises from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse
Of all living beings.

Be the change you want to see in the world.
Nobody else can do it for you.
Yet don’t forget, we are all here supporting you.

We are now recruiting.
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.

For in this spiritual conspiracy
All are welcome, and all are loved.
The door is always open.

~ Author Unknown

And actually plowing through it can lead to dis-ease because the body is trying to protect you from something and it will start out whispering and then get louder and louder if you don’t pay attention. An example of this could be mild gastric distress that turned into a stomach ache and then into ulcer or irritable bowel syndrome. Another example would be mild fatigue that eventually turns in chronic fatigue.

Allergies are another example. I recently learned that my sensitivity to petroleum was due to taking on other’s people sludge. I have cured my sensitivity to perfume and insect bites by looking at what my body was trying to tell me as well. I cannot claim that 100% of dis-ease is due to not listening to what our bodies are trying to tell us – but it is a very big part.

Many people do not try to plow through their invisible barrier – it is too uncomfortable so they just avoid it. They don’t really try to make a bigger impact and settle for playing small. They can justify their playing small with a lot of statements such as:

• If I grow my business, I’ll have to give up time with my family - not if you learn to do it smart

• I can’t charge more because I want to make my services available to everyone, it’s the spiritual thing to do -  you can have different levels of services or product packages for all income brackets

• I have to work with one person at a time to make a real impact - you would be surprised at the little things you do that make a real impact everyday

• I can’t start my own business right now, because… the list of possible reasons is endless

The list of justifications for playing small or procrastinating goes on and on. None of the above statements are true. They are simply a belief that is likely covering up an invisible barrier that keeps you from making the kind of impact you were meant to make.

What is it YOU want to attain and what is the reason you tell yourself you can’t?

Being a Peaceful Entrepreneur is not about staying in your comfort zone. Rather it is about moving forward toward your goals, learning to do it smart, noticing what comes up that makes it uncomfortable and finding tools and people to help you release those blocks so you can move forward from a peaceful place.

The most interesting thing I’ve learned over the past 6 months is that it may not even be our own issues that are causing the invisible barrier to block us from having, doing and being our best. It can be from taking on other people’s energy (i.e. emotions, beliefs, etc).

If you are empathic like me you can take on someone’s stuff when you pass them in the grocery store if you don’t know how to protect yourself (more on that later). Even if you are not an empath, we frequently take on the energetic belief system and patterns of our parents and ancestors.

I have found that my invisible barriers have been a combination of other people’s energy, ancestral patterns, my own stuff and even stuff that I brought into the womb.

No wonder it is so hard to pinpoint what is in the way.

Sometimes we can pinpoint what is in our own way and sometimes we need help. I am more adept at seeing what is in the way for other than for myself and so I have a couple of people I call on when I don’t know what is at the root of what’s stopping me. Notice I said root. It is easy to get at the surface issue but then it just comes back again. It is time to get at the roots. That is when big change can and does happen.

Hopefully you saw some things for yourself from this article. This will resonate with some of you more than others. And some of you will want more help than I am able to provide in an article. If you are ready to make a bigger impact and plow through your invisible barrier, I have just a couple of slots left for my Intuitive Brainstorming Sessions. In these sessions, we don’t stop at discovering what is in your way, we clear it.

To sign up or ask questions, contact my assistant at info @ balancedliving.com or to schedule a time directly with me, click here

Here is what Barry had to say about his day.

“Yesterday was fantastic! My expectations were surpassed and my objectives were completely met. I am very excited with the additional ideas we developed around ‘Phase One’ (shh, it’s a secret) of my business plan and feel the core of that idea is complete and ready to implement. I am also amazed at how the idea seems to get bigger as my focus gets smaller.

This seems like such a paradox and I very much appreciated you sharing your own experience with The Center for Balanced Living where you likewise started out with a very big idea but began to focus on a specific aspect of the vision. With the Council for Sustainable Living I can now see through our work yesterday how the big idea was necessary in my understanding of what is important in approaching product design responsibly and with regard for sustainability. I am now also much clearer on what Phase Two looks like and how it is the personally
fulfilling and meaningful work I have sought.

I also want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the consideration you gave to the location for our planning retreat. Being in the mountains and around nature was spiritually fulfilling and certainly facilitated the open space you created for the work we did together. I am very glad I took the time to come in a day early and enjoy a wonderful hike through the woods to the waterfalls at Big Canoe. As I shared with you, my process for the retreat began on that walk and the ideas just kept coming through. I do not think the work would have been as rich if held anywhere else.”

Stacey, you are joy to work with. Thanks so much for sharing your talent so openly and making a difference in my life. This venture and more importantly myself, personally would not be in this space today without your assistance. I am incredibly grateful and honor your being and the work you do.”

Barry Lipscomb,
CEO, Council for Sustainable Living

NOTE: There is 1 slot remaining in the Peaceful Entrepreneur Platinum Program.

Get more info and download application at the link above.

We all think or say some version of this statement from time to time. In that moment it seems like the truth. But upon further examination, you will find that it rarely is.

Some ‘yeah buts’ are half truths and some… well there is just no truth to them at all except that you believe it.

Here are some half truths:

“I would like to start a new venture but I can’t because I have a family to support”

“I would like to start a new venture but I can’t because I am single.”

In all of the above statements, the second half of the sentence is accurate, but the first half is a lie. (Really it is.) The true part is that this person has family to support or is single but the lie this person is telling themselves is that they cannot start a new venture because of it.

If it was true none of the married or single people in the world would have started businesses or changed careers or made changes of any kind. They found a way to do it and if you wanted to, you could too.

Here is another half truth:

“I want to grow my business to a certain level or create a new product, etc. but I can’t because the economy is in a recession.”

Again, the second half of the statement is true, we are in a recession but that does not mean you can’t grow your business. It just may take re-visiting your focus (what wants to happen) and marketing (in a way that is creative yet authentic). Make a point to look at the companies that are doing well right now rather than focusing on the ones that are not.

“I want to make my business successful but I can’t because I need to spend the time with my kids.” is another half truth.

Is it that you can’t grow your business because you need to spend time with your kids or is that an excuse some people are using to stay small? Now that may make some of you mad. Please note I am all for spending time with family, and I believe you can do both and have lots of examples of people who are doing both successfully. (You can find some great examples of this in my book “I Can’t Believe I Get Paid to Do This“.)

I know you are probably thinking, “but my situation is different.” There is that “but” again. Yes, your situation is unique to you, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t work around the “but” and find ways to do what you really want to do in your business, career or life.

This often takes really looking outside the box with creative ideas and putting structures in place to support that which you want to create. It also may mean looking inside to see what the belief is that needs to shift.

Here are some examples statements that are not true at all:

“I would like to grow my business but I can’t because I don’t know where to find clients”

“I would start a business but I am not good at marketing so I could never be successful”

In the first two sentences, the “but” is about something you don’t know how to do. How often do you get stopped because you don’t know how?

Where can you learn how? From whom can you learn how? Be willing to ask for help. Whenever we decide to do something new, there is a learning curve. You can let that learning curve stop you or shorten the learning curve by learning from those who have done it.

“I would hire a virtual assistant or a coach or a bookkeeper, etc but I can’t afford it”

In the last example, I would say that if you are in business for yourself, you cannot afford not to hire support to do the things that are not the best use of your time or to learn from those who have done what you want to do. Doing it yourself is the slow, arduous path. Be willing to invest in yourself and your future – it’s a safer bet than most investments these days

Here is an example of where a “but” almost got in the way:

I was working with a client who was exploring career options. He had several areas of interest and quickly ruled out organic gardening/farming because he loved it but her thought he could not make enough money doing it. He researched all the other areas of interest and found they weren’t really a good fit for him. When he came back to organic farming, he saw 3 things for himself.

1) It fit the list of requirements with the exception of how much money he thought he could make doing it.

2) When I asked him to look at how much money he needed to live comfortably, he saw that he did not really need as much money as he thought.

3) After getting past his “but” and getting into a place of possibility, he can now see that it is possible to make a good living doing what he loves and has stepped into his passion.

And I say thank goodness for that because we need more good tasting organic food in the world

Where is your “but” getting in the way?

Where are you having fun and where is your business or career draining you? Turn up the volume on the places that are fun.

One of the more interesting things to me was that people who had already taken the plunge and started their own business sleep better and believe it is possible to be both peaceful and successful than those who are sitting on the fence about whether to start their own business.

Actually it makes sense, because fence sitting is a very painful place to be. It is a place of inner conflict and turmoil and the longer you sit there, the more painful it can get. (I certainly have been there on many occasions).

So those of you have been considering starting your own business, take note.

Here is the data:

Do you believe that you can operate from a place of peace and stillness and be successful monetarily?

Entrepreneurs:

Absolutely 63.%

Conceptually, I get it but living it is questionable 34%

Wannabes

Absolutely 47%

Conceptually, I get it but living it is questionable 42%

The remainder were not sure and a very few said “no.”

I asked what gets in way of being peaceful and this was another fascinating response. The biggest thing in the way of peace for entrepreneurs is worrying about where the business will come from and then the 2nd thing in the way is procrastinating things that will bring in the biz. Ding Ding Ding. Who says we are not our worst enemies? And then the 3rd thing that gets in the way is overwhelm – just too many darn things that we can be doing and think we need to be doing.

There were many other high ranking items, but I am not going to overwhelm you with too much data at once This seems like a pretty important place to start.

Data:

What if anything, keeps you from being a peaceful entrepreneur most of the time? Check those which seem to have the biggest impact on you:

Entrepreneurs (top 3 responses)

1. Worried about where biz will come from 53%

2. Procrastinating things that will bring in the biz 51%

3. Overwhelm 41%

This question was equally as interesting for wannabes.

The top 3 things that keep those who are considering starting a business from being peaceful are 1st: fear of trying and failing, 2nd: worried about where the business will come from and 3rd: lack of a plan.

So all of you who have been thinking about starting a business listen up; you can lie in bed and worry about what if you fail and where will the business come from or you can put together a plan. Is a plan foolproof? No, that is why I work with my peaceful entrepreneur platinum clients to but together a flexible plan, one that is in alignment with their big yes. Is it still possible to make mistakes? You bet, I’ve made lots. But rarely is a mistake critical to the future of a business. Rather it can be the turnaround point for doing something really great.

Take one minute to watch this video where Mary Brady shares the results achieved during her Peaceful Entrepreneur retreat day with me. You can see the 60 second video here.

For those of you who like to see the numbers, here they are:

What if anything, keeps you from being a peaceful entrepreneur most of the time? Check those which seem to have the biggest impact on you:

Wannabe’s (top 3 responses)

1. Fear of trying and failing 46%

2. Worried about where biz will come from 44%

3. Lack of a plan 41%

Again, there is lots more information from this survey. But I thought I would give you a few pieces to chew on. In future issues, I will be sharing more results as well as tips and support for moving past these top 3 issues and many more so you can make the impact you were meant to make in the world.

BTW, the reason I am so passionate about people becoming peaceful entrepreneurs is out of my own experience of stressing myself out unnecessarily over the years.

Am I peaceful 100% of the time? No absolutely not. I am not some guru living on a mountaintop. I am just another person like you who is learning to do things in a way that is more in alignment with my soul, one moment at a time.