Rev. Anne Presuel

A Christmas Blessing for You

christina — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:46:36 +0000

Today is Christmas, a day we celebrate the Divine birth of sacred energy within.

And today, millions of people all over the world will celebrate it through giving and receiving gifts, eating great food and laughing and sharing loving memories with family and friends.

I LOVE Christmas!

Even as a child, I loved the holiday music, the quietness of the season, and the fun of gift giving and receiving. I loved the connection people had with one another, the smiles they gave, and their lightness of being.

So today, my offering for you is this:

A Christmas Blessing

May you experience the Divine birth

of your sacred dreams;

May you clearly hear that still small voice within as it guides you in each step

that you take;

May you have the abundance

you so richly deserve for having the courage it takes follow that quiet guidance;

May you see your own beautiful light

as you shine it brightly

into the world around you;

May you feel the joy that you bring to others as you offer yourself and your gifts;

and…

May you experience the pure, sacred love of the Divine.

May this be so … in all ways, always.

Have a very beautiful, very blessed Christmas!

Hugs, Anne

Are You Courageous Enough to Do This?

christina — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:55:10 +0000

Last month, I found myself on an early morning flight. 5 am. Which meant being at the airport by 4 am.

Ok, that’s early! (And no, that’s not what I’m talking about regarding courage. Read on, please…)

When the plane boarded and took off, the pilot turned off all the interior lights. It was dark.

And I was awake. Wide awake. And I wanted to work.

But working meant turning on a light. And turning on a light meant disturbing other people.

For the next 10 minutes, I agonized over whether I should turn on my light.

I thought,

“If I turn on my light, people will get mad at me. They’re trying to sleep. What if I’m the only one with my light turned on? I can’t turn it on; my seatmate is asleep. I should just be nice and keep it off.”

On and on it went inside my head.

It was like I had two people whispering in my ear because the other things I heard were…

“Oh, please, you can turn your light on. It’s YOUR light! That’s why they have individual lights. You don’t have to cater to everyone else in this. You can work. Just because everyone else is asleep or staying in the dark doesn’t mean you have to. Seriously, Anne, go ahead and turn it on if you want! Get some work done. Honor yourself, for goodness sake. Stop being afraid!”

(Ever have conversations like these?)

When I heard that, I finally screwed up my courage, reached up and turned on my light.

And the plane still moved forward, and nobody yelled at me (or even glared).

I pulled out my notebook and began to work. A moment later, I looked up and noticed that several other people had turned on their lights and were working.

When I turned on my light, then they realized it was ok to turn on theirs, too.

Oh, my gosh! What a powerful metaphor this was – for business and for life. It goes back to what Marianne Williamson said:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

~Marianne Williamson

When we stand out, when we stand up, when we live authentically, when we do business authentically, then we shine. And we give others permission to do the same.

Branding is like this. Branding your business in a powerful way allows you to stand out, to stand up … to shine. And when you do this for your business, miracles occur.

So, step up. Stand up. Turn on your light. Be visible.

Others are waiting for you. When you do this, they will have the courage to do it, too.

And isn’t that why we’re all in business?

Get going, Divine One! Your world is looking for you!

Hugs, Anne

A Thanksgiving Blessing for You

christina — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:50:35 +0000

This morning, I woke up thinking of you. I thought of how my life has changed because you are in it.

I thought of how you are creating your Divine work, following your intuition, and bringing that bvery sacred work out into the world.

A Divine Birthing, if you will.

And I was filled with gratitude.

Today is Thanksgiving in the US. And for many of us, while we are busy with family, friends, food and football, we also take the time to truly get present to what is most important: each other.

And so I wanted to take a moment to just say:

Thank You.

Thank you for being a part of my world.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me.

Thank you for your kind feedback and loving words of encouragement

as I share myself with you.

Thank you for your work, for your courage

in bringing your work to the world,

and for your love.

The world is a better place because you are in it, and because of what you are creating.

And because of that, I wanted to offer you this sweet Thanksgiving blessing that came to me as I was thinking of you. (A Divine Download, if you will.)

A Thanksgiving Blessing for You

May you know the beauty of yourself as others share themselves with you;

May you feel the joy that you bring to others as you help them become free from their own blocks and fears;

May you have the peace and satisfaction that comes from doing the work you are called to do;

May you have the abundance

you so richly deserve for having the courage it takes to stand up and be seen and heard;

May you see the light that you are

as you shine it out

into the world around you;

and…

May you experience all the love that you are … in all areas of your life.

This is my Thanksgiving wish for you.

May you know its truth and carry it deep in your heart.

Have a very Blessed Thanksgiving!

Hugs, Anne

Raw Food, Hay House and You

christina — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:44:35 +0000

Last week, on 11/11/11, at yes, 11:11 am, I sat down and wrote out my intentions for the next couple of years. The moon was full that day, the numbers aligned, and I wanted to take advantage of the creative energies available to me in helping me create the vision for my life.

This morning, I looked at what I wrote, and immediately went into a place of fear.

“That’s too big,” I thought. “How can I create that?”

(ok, it gets worse)

“Who am I to do all of that? It feels too big.”

Ouch.

I noticed. I listened. And I heard. That’s my fear talking. That’s not my place of faith. I wrote it in a place of faith. And now I wasn’t feeling so inspired. Instead, I felt afraid.

(By the way, this happens to all of us. It does. Really.)

I took a deep breath and recognized what was happening. And then I remembered.

Recently, as I was on Facebook, I saw a link to a YouTube channel for The Raw Food Coach. I clicked on it, and was taken to Karen Knowler (The Raw Food Coach) showing people how to make raw veggie burgers.

Now, while I’m not a raw foodist by any stretch, I am fascinated by the concept, and am a (mostly) vegetarian. (Yeah, I get it – they’re not the same, but I figured I’d get some points anyway.)

I was impressed by the professional quality of Karen’s videos. After one finished, I watched another one. Then I noticed that she has a book coming out that is being published by my favorite publishing company, Hay House.

(This was a fine example of social media marketing, by the way.)

Cool. Hmmm…

(I’m getting to the point, I promise)

Karen started several years ago as an unknown. She began coaching with a business coach, who helped her get branded, and who helped her get her message out to the world. She didn’t start where she is now.

She started where most of us start. With a passion for what we do. She wanted to make money with her passion. So she got help.

And, damn, look at her now! Let me just say, You GO, Girl! Truly awesome work and truly awesome results.

For all of us, it starts with a passion for our gifts, whether it’s writing, or healing, or speaking, or connecting, or coaching others or uplifting them or guiding them. And then we see others making money – good money – with their gifts and we think “Oh, wow, I want to do that.”

And the hunger builds… until we take action to actually build our dream.

So, here’s my question for you: what action are you taking today to build your dream? What gifts are you aching to bring to the world in a powerful way? And what steps can you take to do this?

Get going! Your world is waiting for you!

Hugs, Anne

Ever Want to Just Quit Your Biz?

christina — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:34:14 +0000

I can hear you now … “Well, DUH, Anne, of course I do! At least sometimes.”

Yeah, I get it. There are those moments, aren’t there?

And yet, something keeps you going. Something keeps you trying. Something keeps you taking action; it keeps you holding onto the dream.

What IS that something?

I believe it is a dream that each one of us has, one that has ahold of us and won’t let go.

For many, it is a dream of owning a business that brings you joy, the dream of having the freedom to create life on your terms, to have abundance to share, and the time to spend, with those you love. A dream of a life where you are contributing to the lives of others in a powerful way.

Those are some powerful reasons why you would build a business such as this: time, freedom, money, contribution.

So, let me ask you a question: If you are building your business, then do you know your “why” – your reason for building it?

Here’s why I ask. If you know your why, then that reason will sustain you through the “How?” moments. You know, those moments when you can’t figure out how to do something big and you just want to say “That’s it! I QUIT! I am outta here!”

I believe that if you allow yourself to experience the breakdown (the I-wanna-quit moments) and know that on the other side of your breakdown is a breakthrough, then you’ll actually move through that temptation to quit.

You see, breakdowns and feeling like you want to quit are a normal part of building a business. They are just feelings. Feelings to move through. (Not to give in to.)

You can recover from the feelings.

But you cannot recover from The Quit.

Because if you quit, then the next time you have a dream (and you will have another dream because we are dreaming beings), you will be more cynical and less believing about your ability to make that dream come true.

And it will be twice as hard for you to keep going when you have breakdowns.

So here’s a little secret to help:

Breakdowns are inevitable when you’re creating a dream.

This means that as you move through the breakdown and look for a resolution to the fear, you’ll find it. (And you’ll get to the breakthrough much more quickly.)

Here’s the coolest thing about this:

Your clients and your potential clients need you to not quit.

They need you to find your way through the maze. Because you finding your way will help them find their way through later on.

So, go find your way, tap (do EFT), get help, find someone who can help you move through the feelings, and keep going. You will be ever so glad you did!

Bringing your spiritual gifts to the world in an abundant way is one of the most rewarding things you could possibly do.

So go. Do what you came here to do. And celebrate that you are still holding fast to that dream and that you have what you need to do to bring it into creation!

It just doesn’t get any better than that.

What If I Can’t Do It?

christina — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:37:19 +0000

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve either heard someone say this (or said it myself), I think I’d be rich!

This question is one of the most challenging questions that every spiritual, heart-centered entrepreneur faces as they grow their business.

I faced this question over ten years ago when I first started my business. I was terrified, and at the time, I was a single mom to a teen-age daughter.

Seriously … what if I couldn’t build my business?

But I had two things going for me:

1) my desire to create my business was stronger than my fear of failing, and

2) tapping. God bless tapping! Because truth to tell, I’m not sure I’d have made it to where I am today without it. (Well, that’s just silly. I KNOW I wouldn’t be here without it!)

For those of you new to this, tapping is EFT or the Emotional Freedom Technique, a simple, easy-to-use acupressure technique which helps remove blocks.

I personally use it for removing the mental blocks which keep me stuck.

And when I was in the Seminary, this same question surfaced among my fellow seminarians. What if we couldn’t do it? (Be a minister.) What if we failed?

It’s a common fear.

We worked our way through our fears together and were ordained in one of the most moving ceremonies I’ve ever experienced.

And we all became ministers.

Then I decided to re-create my business – this time online. I had had a delightful and successful healing practice, complete with beautiful office space when I lived in Virginia, and when we moved to Florida, I knew I never wanted to have to uproot my business again. I wanted to be able to take my business wherever I went.

Creating it online was the answer. But boy, oh boy, it was very different.

The technology was a challenge, but my mindset was the bigger challenge. What if I couldn’t do it?

Again, thank God for tapping!

Which brings us to today. Last week, I had a session with a client who is starting on this business-building journey. Her main question was “Can I do this?”

I smiled inside as I recognized this very familiar fear, and said, “Well, let’s tap on that and see what happens.” In a very short time, she moved from being too afraid – to being inspired … and then she took the very action she had been so afraid to take.

Whenever we step into a new way of being, whether it is creating a new business, or doing our business in a new way (i.e., leveraging our time by offering group work vs exchanging time for money by working with clients one-on-one), or we step up to a new level of business owner, we find ourselves facing the same question: “Can I do it?” The fear that is always underneath that – “What if I can’t?”)

To which I will always respond: “Well, let’s tap on that, because what if you can?”

You and I are given dreams that, with the help of the Divine, we are fully capable of bringing into being. It is up to us, however, to get out of the way of ourselves and our fears, and to follow the guidance that we are given.

Our intuition will never guide us wrong, but our fears will keep us from taking the action we are given.

The Divine is just waiting to help you, to support you, to lift you up. But you have to let it in. You have to say “Yes!” to it. The changes won’t happen without you taking the action you need to take.

Here are some actions steps to help you move through some of your own blocks.

1. Take a look at a specific situation where you are saying to yourself “What if I can’t?”

2. Write down 3 fears you have that keep you from taking action. Pick the biggest one.

3. Write down 5 reasons that support you in thinking you could create what you want to create – like “I’m persistent.” “I’m creative.” “I’m smart.”

4. Tap on the fear. Try saying, “Even though I’m afraid because (enter your fear here), I also know that I have (enter here a reason or two that support you) to help me. (If you need to know where the tapping points are, they are on my website under “Tapping Points.”)

5. Finish your tapping with “I am strong. I am capable. And I am supported by the Divine in all ways, always. I can do this!”

6. Check in with yourself to see how you feel. If you need to tap more, then just do it!

7. Then go take some action to help you anchor this new belief.

Before long, you’ll be asking yourself “What if I can?” questions as you build your confidence in your ability to move through your fears and doubts.

How fabulous is that?

Crossing Intuition with Computers

christina — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:00:30 +0000

So often we forget we have all the answers inside us. We ask other people for their opinion, we read books from well-known authors, and we do research online.

This got me to thinking… what if you combined the amazing ability to get answers online with your intuition so that you could get intuitive answers immediately – just like you do online?

Here’s an exercise for you to do the next time you are looking for an answer to a question you have:

Close your eyes. Pretend you are looking at your computer screen. Imagine typing in the question into the search box on your screen. Hit enter, and wait. See what answer you get.

Building trust in your intuitive abilities is just like any other skill. You will discover that some exercises are just perfect for you and others are not. Try different ones as you develop your skills, and stick with the ones that work with your abilities.

(By the way, this particular exercise is especially good for the clairvoyants among us.)

Hugs, Anne

Goofing Up and Growing Up in Business

christina — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:51:48 +0000

Several weeks ago I wrote an article entitled “Are You A HO?” The article was about making the distinctions between being a Hobby Owner vs being a Business Owner in your business. To my surprise, that article generated some interest – and not all of it positive.

While there were new subscribers and some wonderful email responses, there were also some unsubscribes, and one colleague got upset and challenged my appropriateness in using the word “HO.”

Worst of all, I learned that I had not given credit where credit was due. Uh-Oh. Time to take care of that.

So, first things first: “Are You a HO?” is Suzanne Evans’s brilliance, which came from her recent event “Be the Change.” I completely loved the cleverness of the idea and wanted to share it with all of you. (Next time, I’ll remember to give credit, right?)

Here’s what’s especially interesting: during the same week I wrote the “HO” article and I was publicly challenged by my colleague, I was participating in a class called “Money, Marketing & Sales Mastery” led by my wonderful coach, Pamela Bruner. Not only was the class on learning how to better market your business, but it also had lots of tapping (doing EFT – the Emotional Freedom Technique) opportunities.

The very day that my ezine came out, someone in the class was tapping with Pamela over the phone on her fears of being judged for putting herself “out there.”

Two days later, my colleague stepped forward with judgment and accusations about my using the word “HO.” (By the way, she later also publicly apologized because she realized she had been triggered (hello, who can’t relate to that, right?); I thought that was really great of her.)

So, here’s the thing with all of this:

1) When you are building your business, you’ll make mistakes. Sometimes ones you cannot completely fix. It’s ok. Just move forward. Learn from them and grow.

In my particular situation, I had already submitted that article to article directories. I can’t chase down each one and give credit to Suzanne, much as I may want to. But I can do it here and on my website.

2) When you are putting yourself out there, not everyone will like the way in which you do it. It’s ok. You’ve got to realize that it’s their stuff. And you are not responsible for their stuff.

In this particular situation, I was not responsible for my colleague’s trigger regarding my use of the word “HO” in marketing. She was. And I was able to let it be ok with me that she didn’t approve or like what I did.

3) If putting yourself out there or making a mistake brings up your stuff, well, then, guess what? Yup. It’s your stuff, and that’s your work to clear up and take care of.

So, in my situation, my stuff was that when I realized I hadn’t given credit to Suzanne, I felt like I’d been taken to the principal’s office and I’d gotten in trouble – and everyone knew.

It was old stuff that was coming up for me to clear (yes, that happened when I was a kid, more than once!) – and I am grateful to be able to clear it out.

It is important to realize that mistakes are a part of the learning curve; they are a part of putting yourself out there. And it’s ok to make them. And sometimes you won’t make a mistake and someone will want to let you know that they think you did. To the degree that you can let them have their opinion and not let it affect you, you will be free.

And isn’t that what we all want, both in our businesses and in our lives?

So go, grow in your business and be ok with the goofs.

Hugs, Anne

Rich in Your Niche?

christina — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:57:08 +0000

Last week, Karen*, a new client said to me, “I’m so frustrated, I’m not getting any clients to come in for sessions. I’m panicking and I need to talk with you!”

I gotta tell you, nothing bothers me more than this. And it happens to spiritual entrepreneurs all the time!

Gifted healers, heart-centered service professionals, and spiritually-oriented coaches frequently find themselves in this position. Why?

It isn’t because they aren’t amazing. And it isn’t because their gifts don’t matter. And it sure as heck ain’t because they aren’t trying!

Nope. It’s none of that.

Let me tell you what it is … well, my opinion anyway.

It’s because they aren’t specific about who their niche is. Their Divine Niche. You know, the people they are meant to serve. The people who are actually looking for them – they are googling for them – even as you read this!

During our session, when Karen told me what she had told someone at her networking event, I could understand why no one was coming in the door. Even I was confused because it seemed she was offering at least 3 different specialties!

So we worked through her offering, and she became clearer and clearer about what she was to say – and to whom.

The VERY next day I opened an email from her saying, “I just sold my first ever package for $1200! Thank you so much!”

When you become clear about your Divine Niche – or your perfect market (if you prefer to say it that way), then your potential clients respond to that clarity in a way that is incredibly powerful.

If you are challenged about whom you are serving, or are wanting to serve, or about who you are marketing to, then please, join me on Wednesday, June 29, at 4 pm Eastern, for a fabulous teleconference (it’s fr*ee) called Identify Your Divine Niche.

Just click on the link below to sign up for it, and my team will get you the information about the call right away.

Click Here Now.

And that’s all you’ve got to do to get this great information! Well, sign up, and show up.

I’ll “see” you on the call.

Hugs, Anne

*By the way, Karen is not her real name. (I haven’t asked permission to share that yet.)

Are You A HO?

christina — Tue, 24 May 2011 22:11:56 +0000

“I feel like I have all of these gifts I want to share with the world,” Karnie said. “And I keep taking trainings, and when I’m taking them, I think, I could be doing this!”

“I really want to be teaching other people how to help others heal, and how to be happy, and how to have a great life!”

“That’s awesome!” I said. “So what is getting in the way of doing this?”

“Well, I just don’t really know how to do it,” she replied. “I mean, I know how to help other people get what they want, but I don’t know how to really market that.”

Karnie and I were having an “Ignite Your Business Intuition!” strategy session. She had asked for this session to help her get clear about where she was headed in her coaching business.

As we talked about how she could build her business, Karnie began to realize that in order to build her business the way she wanted, she was going to have to take some actions that would cause her to treat her business as a business, rather than a hobby. She would have to step up in a whole new way.

She had to take a risk, believe in herself, and make some seriously different choices regarding her business.

Karnie was a Hobby Owner (“HO”). And she realized that she really wanted to be a Business Owner (a “BO”).

In order to become a BO, Karnie was going to have to be willing do whatever it takes to build her business, instead of just doing what was convenient.

Even though she felt intimidated by these new actions (particularly marketing action) she said “Yes!”

Karnie knew that in saying “Yes!” she was going to create the business she dreamed about. She was going to be able to have the money she wanted to have, the time to live the life she dreamed of, and she was going to be able to bring her unique gifts to the world in a much bigger, more powerful and authentic way.

She just had to say “Yes!” to herself, instead of saying “yes” to her doubts and fears.

Karnie bravely took action for herself and for her business. And in so doing, she is creating her life and her business in a whole new way.

What about you? Are you a HO? Or are you a BO?

Hugs, Anne

Got Choices? Get Answers!

christina — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:06:43 +0000

“I don’t know what to do!”

I overheard this statement as I walked back into the auditorium at the event I was attending.

Two women were behind me discussing a coaching program that was being offered at the event. I could still hear them talking.

“What are you going to do?” one asked the other.

“I’m not sure. I really want to, but that’s so much money!”

“I know! But I really think it will make a difference if I do it,” the first one said, finally.

The women sat down at my table. I smiled and said hello, and we began to discuss the event. They began to talk again about the coaching program and asked me if I was going to participate in it.

“No,” I replied. “I have my hands full with my coach.” I smiled. “How about you?” I asked.

“I really want to,” one of them replied. “But I’m just not sure. I mean, I really like what she’s offering, but it’s so much money!”

“I know something that would help. Would you like to hear what it is?” I asked.

“Sure!” she said.

“Ok, then, close your eyes,” I began. “And imagine that you have two roads in front of you. One leads to the left, and one to the right. The one leading to the left is the road of not doing the program. The one to the right is the one of doing the program. Now take a deep breath. And ask yourself, which of these is the right decision?”

“Oh, my God!” she exclaimed. “The one to the right!”

“Great! How do you know?” I asked.

“Because it’s really bright and has all of these flowers that appeared. Am I making this up?”

“No,” I said, “You are just connecting to your intuition as you make a decision.”

In my experience, most people don’t take the time to consciously check in with their intuition before they make a decision. But when you do this, you give yourself a huge advantage. Here’s why:

1) You get very clear about which road or decision is the right one for you.

2) You trust your decision far more, which results in a lot less energy spent second-guessing yourself.

3) You discover that your world begins to flow – situations work more smoothly, the right people show up when you need them, and information shows up at the time you need it to.

4) You gain confidence in yourself and in your ability to make good decisions.

5) You discover that you begin to have that magnetic attractor factor that draws clients and people to you like magnets.

6) Things work for you and not against you.

7) Your business grows, more easily than you could imagine.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

So, next time you have a decision to make, take a moment and check in with your intuition.

1) Close your eyes.

2) Breathe deeply.

3) Imagine your options in two (or three) roads.

4) Ask which is the correct one for now.

5) Wait. See which reveals itself to you.

6) Trust what you get.

7) Take action upon it.

Your intuition will never guide you wrong. Never. Your job is to ask, and then to recognize what it is telling you. Then trust it enough to take action.

Hugs, Anne

What is Your Aura Telling You?

christina — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:37:21 +0000

Your aura, or the energy body that surrounds your body, is a sensitive detection system, which detects the subtle energies around you.

Your aura surrounds your body like an invisible field, it actually goes before you, picking up information and transmitting that information to you through your body’s responses.

Have you ever gone into a situation, or a place that just doesn’t feel right, but you just don’t know why? It’s your aura picking up information. Have you ever met someone you instantly connected with? Your aura was letting you know.

In order to understand more completely what your aura is telling you, the next time you get a flash of information about something, take a moment to stop and ask yourself what happened, or what that information was about.

Then just pay attention to the new information you get: it might be colors, or flashes of an image or you might get thoughts and words. Notice it all, and then thank your energy body for giving you the information.

(Here are some photos of people’s actual auras, taken with Kirlian photography.)

By paying attention to your energy body, you will strengthen your trust in your own ability to read situations and people, and you will be able to get information about the truth of a situation, even if it appears to be something different.

Happy intuiting!

The Rat in my Garage – A Metaphysical Lesson

christina — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:00:50 +0000

You probably know that I had a rat in my garage a couple of weeks ago. Not only did this rat teach me a very valuable marketing lesson, it also taught me a valuable metaphysical lesson.

These days, I know that when I see an unusual animal or something unusual in the nature world, it’s time to pay attention to what the message is. And this was no exception.

I turned to Ted Andrews’s book, “Animal Speak,” to see what the message is from seeing a rat. (Ted Andrews was a shaman and he shared his wisdom in a number of his books. “Animal Speak” is one of my favorite ones.)

According to Ted, rats are intelligent and are, of course, one of the zodiac in Chinese astr ology. Have you ever hear of the year of the rat? Apparently, Buddha felt they were o f such importance t h at he assigned a whole year to them.

Rat is about survival, it’s about being intelligent, and about being successful. It is about being shrewd in business. And Ted asks the reader if it’s time to pursue success more aggressively, to be more shrewd in all of their dealings.

Oh, wow, that one hit home. Because I hadn’t expected a rat to be about business!

Ted goes on to say that the energy of the rat is there to help support the reader, or me, in this case, in whatever steps I need to take next.

And, you see, that’s why I turn to Ted. Because left to my own devices, I would have believed that rat meant things like I was unclean, and I was a pack rat, or something more negative, you know? Ted made that rather shocking encounter into something quite positive – and even delightful! (Although frankly, I would have much rather seen the rat outside, if you know what I mean!)

But nonetheless, I am willing to take the lessons where I find them and often I’ve discovered that the lessons get honed-in even more intensely when I’m shocked, and I was truly shocked with this encounter. I paid attention.

So here’s the lesson for us all in this: what messages from the Divine are you being given that perhaps you aren’t seeing? Today, open your eyes a little wider to take in all that you are being given. The messages are there; it’s up to us to pay attention and to receive them.

Hugs, Anne

What the Rat in my Garage Taught Me about Marketing!

christina — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:35:42 +0000

As you reach out to your target market to share with them about your services, you’ll want to connect to their “pain.” Their pain is the area in which they are struggling, and the area that you have the solution to their problem.

Here is a really great example of how my pain met up with a service provider’s solution … beautifully.

One night recently, as I was taking some trash to the garbage can which is stored in my garage, I saw a BIG rat crawling above the top of the garage door. I hurriedly opened the garage door about a foot, and left it open for some time, praying that the rat would run outside.

EEEEUUUUUWWWW!!!

Living in South Florida, rats are a part of the lifestyle here, and they get into people’s homes all the time. Who can blame them? It’s warm, safe and a great place to raise their young. Still, this was MY home! (My pain, right?)

I immediately looked on the internet about what to do, and I discovered that you have to rat-proof your home because there are myriad ways for them to get in. I called a guy from a website, and he immediately called me back. (Score one for him! Immediate response.)

He gave me more information which intensified my fears (or pain): maybe I have rats in the attic or walls. Listen to see if I hear scratching or movement. Do you think I was listening that night? HECK YEAH! (I didn’t hear anything, but that didn’t necessarily mean that there wasn’t anything.)

When he came the next day, he checked our attic (nope, no rats, thank God!). He then looked at our roof and took pictures of all the places rats could get in, and showed me how the rat had gotten into the garage. Seriously, there was a 3/4″ x 3″ gap at the bottom of our garage door. THAT was how it got in.

My pain had increased significantly! I was so grossed out, and was now horrified that I could have a whole bunch of rats living in my garage.

Then, he took me through his sales process. He could fix the places in the attic, set traps in the garage, fix the garage door gap, and just as a matter of caution, set traps in the attic – just in case. (Score two for him! Great service.)

Do you think I was ready to sign my credit card to him? ABSOLUTELY! While it was only $600, I would have paid more, believe me, to get out of my pain.

So, here’s the point: My pain met up with his solution, and I readily – even happily – paid. He set the traps, fixed my open areas in my roof, and now I feel MUCH safer. (Score three for him! Problem solved.) My peace of mind was worth that and so much more!

We talked about his business, a little, too. He said it’s pretty much recession-proof, which I can believe. And he did all the “dirty” work. I didn’t have to do anything. (Score four for him! Easy-peasy.) Was he of service to me? Absolutely! Will I tell all my neighbors? Heck, yeah!

You see, pain is not a bad thing. And for your clients, their pain is not a bad thing. We all go through pain of a various nature, depending upon our situations.

When I went looking for someone to solve my pain, I was clear that I wanted someone who specialized in this field, someone who could take care of my problem (and even tell me what my problem was, i.e., openings to my attic via the roof), and who would do it quickly.

When we market ourselves, we truly need to connect to someone’s specific pain, and be clear with them about our solution to it. Once we do that, we invite them to take the next step in resolving their pain: hiring us. If your solution meets their pain, I promise you, they will happily work with you. Your job is to be clear about what you offer, and what your prospective client’s pain is, and then ask them for the business.

Score a BIG one for me! I learned the lesson!

Hugs, Anne

How Protected Are You?

christina — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:31:07 +0000

When I leave home, or if I’m feeling a little vulnerable in my home, I turn to one of my favorite exercises that I learned from Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. She said to ask the angels to surround you, or to surround your home.

What happens for me is that I ask the angels to please stand guard over my home, to stand at each window and door, and at each corner of my property. I ask them to ride with me in my car, on each bumper, and in the passenger’s seat.

And, when I’m flying somewhere, I ask them to lift the wings, to guide the pilot’s hand’s, to protect each and every one of us on the plane.

I regularly ask the angels to watch over my family members, but in particular if they are traveling.

What happens when I ask the angels to do this is that I end up breathing a sigh of relief. I relax into my life. And I realize that I don’t have to worry or stress about my safety or my loved one’s safety.

Where can you turn over some of your fears to your angel friends? Try it today and see how you feel. I think you will be delightfully surprised.

Thank You!

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