Are you afraid to be different?

Truth or Consequences time, best beloveds.

Are you willing to be different, original, authentic -- truly YOU?

Or is acceptance more important to you?

The thing about being authentic and expressing your true self is that it's likely to land you outside the mainstream, which may not always be a comfortable place. Especially if your private measure of success is acceptance. It's just too scary to leave the pack and venture outside it. Much safer to take cues from external sources that will tell you what to do and how to be.

Just know that you're making a huge tradeoff -- because your fear is the absolute opposite of love.

So this question is addressed to those who ARE willing to be different, original, and authentic. Do you wake up every morning and commit to being in the flow of giving and receiving that is specifically for you? Here's to your courage and boldness!

Go for it! Cut loose! Be creative! Make waves! Make a difference!

By being your authentic, divine self you will attract to you the circumstances and people that resonate with you. And yes, you're likely to offend some folks. But if you are listening to your own Inner Being rather than the herd, you'll be in the flow, and your reward will be great. It is far better to stand in strength than to sit in weakness. Let your light shine, for heaven's sake!

Luceat Lux Vestra. Let your light shine.

L'amour, l'amour -- and lots of humor please!

Last night some fabulous friends got together for a cinema soiree. We watched "The Women," the wonderfully star-studded 1939 film version of the successful Claire Booth Luce play of the same name.

Norma Shearer shines, as do Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Marjory Main, Hedda Hopper, Lucile Watson, and more!

And there's the delightful Countess DeLave (Mary Boland), who lavishly proclaims the fabulocity of love. To quote her: "Oh, l'amour, l'amour, how it can let you down. Hmm. How it can pick you up again."

The costuming is magnificent, so perfectly 1930s. And, while the film is in black and white, there is a fashion show sequence in Technicolor. Very effective.

The dialog is witty and fast paced, and we laughed ourselves silly.

That's the point. In the flow of life there's lots of fun and laughter. All of us felt uplifted and inspired -- energized, in fact. I think each one of us is 10 years younger today because of it.

Your #1 success factor

Who knew that your ability to conquer FEAR would be your single most important success factor?

My good friend Andrea Conway, a superb Law of Attraction Coach who works primarily with solopreneurs and small business owners, emphasized this in her newsletter yesterday.

She said that in his last book You Can Work Your Own Miracles Napoleon Hill asserts, "... the absence of fear, and not formal education or brilliance of mind, is the major cause of individual success."

Whoa! Did you get that? Your success is dependent NOT on how brilliant you are or how well educated you are, but on your willingness to step out of your fearful NoZone and get into downstream mode -- into the FlowZone.

Andrea says:

Not that it's easy to remove fear as a factor in your life. But how liberating to hear it's not the college you attended, not your IQ, not "who you know," not your heredity, not your astrological chart, and not how much money you start out with that ultimately determine your success.

We innately possess the ability to choose how we think, and with that innate ability comes the power to remove fear as a ruling emotion in our lives and businesses.

I highly recommend that you subscribe to Andrea's newsletter for her great wisdom on Law of Attraction, even if you don't think of yourself as a solopreneur or small business owner. You can learn how to tap into the strength of your Inner Being and release ancient patterns of resistance and struggle. Wouldn't that feel good?

I can testify that it does! You see, she's not only my friend, she's my coach. Andrea helps me immeasurably in my own quest to live more in the flow of life -- in downstream mode.

Dancing -- to help dodge the breast cancer bullet

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as a breast cancer "victoria" myself, I'm happy to offer you a few ideas on how to stay healthy -- and dodge the breast cancer bullet if you can -- by making some joyful Life-in-the-FlowZone choices.

Like choosing to dance, for instance. There's plenty of serious research that points to exercise as an excellent lifestyle choice for establishing and maintaining good health, including good breast health.

Dancing, of course is good exercise.

The trouble with the serious research is, well... it's serious! The most important thing about dancing is that it's FUN! It feels good!

And feeling joyful pleasure in life supports good health like nothing else. Anybody can do it, too, even alone. Dance like no one's watching. Dance for the sheer joy of it all.

Need some inspiration? Just watch Matt Harding do his goofy, fun-loving, light-hearted dance, and I'll bet you won't be able to sit still. He's totally irresistible! You'll feel good just watching him.

Here's to YOUR health -- and fun in the flow of life!

Choosing to live in the FlowZone

Jerry Clark of Club Rhino fame, is one of my all time favorite motivational speakers. He's funny, he's smart, and he uses dynamic examples with staying power.

Many years ago I heard him speak about the four zones that people choose to live in -- and I knew I'd heard something profound.

He said that some people live in the NoZone. They won't hear anything new and they won't budge from their cast-in-concrete opinions and beliefs, even if it means vast improvements in their lives.

Some live in the SlowZone. They'll move slowly but persistently to improve their lives.

Some people live in the GoZone, taking lots of action and working diligently, maybe even passionately to achieve their goals -- and they will prosper!

And then there are those who live in the FlowZone, in the flow of life, where all things line up in their favor, the traffic moves in their direction, and they will find prosperity with seeming effortlessness, without struggle.

Jerry said that except for the NoZone slugs, we typically move around between the zones, and when we are willing to understand what's really going on, and how universal laws work, we will spend increasing amounts of time in the joyful state of the FlowZone.

The message clearly stuck with me. Recalling what Jerry said helps to remind me that ife doesn't have to be a struggle. No, life is meant to be lived joyfully in the FlowZone.

The Secret Pleasures of Menopause

Christiane Northrup has done it again! She's way out in front with a book on a topic that USED to be taboo -- but no longer! It's front and center for all women on the fabulocity path, in the flow of life.



And she's said all my magic words: pleasure, prosperity, fulfillment, joy, passion, abundance.... The best really IS yet to be!

Here's the overview:

Learn to Experience Pleasure, Prosperity, and Fulfillment Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

"How wonderful the world would be if we all had the courage to go forth and live pleasurably and joyfully! I hope you'll join me and treat yourself to an adventure of self-discovery, passion, abundance, and pleasure."

When you look in the mirror, do you see an old, unattractive person who wonders why anyone would give them a second glance?or an incredibly sexy and desirable woman ready to be embraced by the world? Today's leading women's health and wellness expert Dr. Christiane Northrup has someone she wants you to meet?the NEW YOU! Start your engines and discover that at midlife... life has just begun!

In The Secret Pleasures of Menopause, Dr. Northrup delivers a breakthrough message that will help millions of perimenopausal and menopausal women throughout the world understand that menopause is not "the beginning of the end" but rather the start of the best and most pleasurable years of your life!

Sounds like a must read to me! Be sure to let me know your thoughts/feelings on what she's saying.

Reveille -- set the tone for your day

This morning I awoke to the sound of Reveille being played at nearby Fort Devens. Why I haven't noticed it before I can't say, except that Devens, as it is now called, is no longer primarily an Army base. In fact, about 10 years ago my daughter and I ran our business from a building overlooking the beautiful parade grounds when Fort Devens was being transitioned to civilian use. The Army still maintains a presence, however, and they must be training Army Reserve personnel.

Not being in the military myself, I probably wouldn't choose Reveille as my personal wake up call. For military personnel it may be just the way to start a perfectly orderly day.

We all know from experience that starting our day out well influences how the rest of the day goes. That is to say, getting into the flow of life is way easier than pushing against it. And our assumptions about the day, right from the beginning, whether they are positive or negative, conscious or unconscious, harden into fact because that's what we project out into the day. Always. It can't be otherwise.

So take time when you are falling asleep at night to affirm peaceful, restful sleep and a gentle awakening in the morning. And when you wake up, consciously choose the highest outcome for your day. Get up in plenty of time to allow time for a morning ritual that supports your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being throughout the day. (And remember that if you get off track during the day you can choose at any moment to start your day over.)

I like this bit about "How to raise the odds that it's going to be a fantastic day." Very useful.

Oh, and by the way, back to Devens, if you're a golfer you'll be glad to know that the Red Tail Golf Course at Devens is #1 in Massachusetts according to GolfBoston Magazine. Set the intention to have some fun today!