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Dear Friends,
I'm so glad you like our new webstore item, the Kai Body Buffer, a
clean smelling, lather-filled loofah sponge for use in the shower or
bath. We'll be replenishing our inventory this week and now's a good
time to try it out while we're offering our "Summer Self-Care Sale"
-- 10% off of your entire purchase (before S&H). Just enter the
following coupon code on the checkout page: 388706. To learn more
about how we found the Kai Body Buffer, check out the story here.
Mark your calendars! On next week's telegathering (8/25), I've
invited Andre Dubus, author of "The House of Sand and Fog," (an Oprah
Book Club pick and a movie staring Ben Kingsley and Jennifer
Connelly) to talk about his new book, "The Garden of Last Days," as
well as his work, and the art of writing fiction. Andre is a
charismatic speaker and a great interview so don't miss this
event. You can find the details
here.
Have a great week...
Love,
Cheryl
p.s. - Need a little Divine Direction? Use the "Touch of Grace" button on our homepage here: http://www.cherylrichardson.com.
"Do not be too timid and squeamish . . .
All life is an
experiment. The more experiments you make, the better."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
This week's newsletter was a favorite several years ago when Lori
McKenna, a woman who has now recorded with Faith Hill and been on
Oprah, was just starting her career. She's a terrific talent and a
good woman who has been an inspiration to several members of my
members. I hope this story inspires you to take some kind of risk
this week. Here goes...
Last night I had an opportunity to attend a special family event. My
brother Steven held a birthday party for his wife Janice and arranged
a surprise appearance from Janice's favorite musical artist Lori
McKenna. Lori is a nationally known folk singer/storyteller whose
music touches on topics about life, motherhood, and spiritual inquiry.
My sister-in-law Janice loves to sing (and has a wonderful voice),
and during Lori's performance the crowd began to cheer for Janice to
join with Lori on a song. Feeling shy and embarrassed, she refused,
and yet I could tell by the look on her face that some part of her
desperately wanted to say yes.
How often have you found yourself in a similar situation? Maybe you
wanted to get up and dance to your favorite song, yet felt funny
because there weren't enough people on the dance floor yet. Or,
maybe you had a strong desire to raise your hand and offer your point
of view during a workshop, and yet felt too afraid that your comment
might not be well received.
How might life be different if you challenged yourself to do those
things that the deepest part of you -- your soul -- really wants to
do? For example, imagine what might happen if you asked your boss
to let you try the new idea that you've been fantasizing about. Or
think about how your body and mind might change if you finally took
that dance class you've wanted to take. And what about that speech
you've been dying to give? Who knows where that might lead...
When you find yourself lacking the courage or confidence to comply
with your desire, here are three things you can do:
1. Find a way to make yourself feel more comfortable. For example,
while Janice didn't want to get up on stage with Lori, she did agree to
sing with her while sitting in her seat. By taking a step to
increase her comfort, she was able to fulfill her desire while still
feeling safe and less exposed.
2. Try a practice run. If there's a speech you'd like to give,
gather trusted friends or colleagues together to act as a test
audience. Protect your dream by asking them to only give you
positive feedback so you can build on what works. (We're doing this
for someone this week and I can't wait to see what happens!)
3. Motivate yourself with the following question: "If I do this one
thing, what else might I be able to do in my life?" Remember that
when you take a step outside of your comfort zone you expand this
zone to include an ability to do other things that used to feel
impossible. I'm sure you've experienced this before -- you finally
tackle one fear only to have more energy and courage to try something else.
When we listen to our soul's desire and follow through on its wishes,
magic happens. Once Janice moved past her fear and decided to sing
with Lori, not only did she radiate joy, she spread this joy
throughout the room. Everyone was deeply moved by her gift and her
courage. That's what happens. When you move beyond your fear and
share your gifts with others, everyone benefits. So what's the moral
of the story? Don't rob us of our joy :)
~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~
This week choose one thing you've wanted to do for some time and
write it down. If nothing comes to mind, ask a few close friends to
remind you of the ideas that you may have spoken about in the past.
Once you have an idea, ask yourself the following questions:
- What could I do to make this desire easier to fulfill?
- How might I practice fulfilling this desire before actually doing it?
- What other actions will I be able to take as a result of doing
this one thing?
Once you've answered these questions, take one solid action this week
to get you started. Make sure this action challenges you in some
way. For example, don't just gather information for your speech, set
a date and tell three friends. Pretty soon you'll feel the benefits
of moving past fear to joy.
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