Success Laws: Be careful what you wish for?

On January 10, 2013, I was reminded once again NOT to be careful what I wish for! Here is my crazy “little” story.
 

Our family has 2 vehicles, the “mom wagon” (The Mini Van), and the “fun car” (The Mini). While I was packing for the first part of my Canada book tour, I realized that my husband Ryan would need to keep the van to run the kids around, and I would have to take the Mini on my tour. Taking the Mini to Edmonton was no issue…I was by myself and I only had one book signing to deliver books to. My tour to Western Canada, on the other hand, involved driving from Calgary to various cities in British Columbia, including Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria. The BC trip would involve myself, my faithful book partner and cousin, Julie, and for a few days, my incredible niece, Brooke. Three high maintenance girls with luggage, twelve boxes of books and eight days of intense road tripping through the Rocky Mountains in winter was not going to work in the Mini. I started freaking out, and wondering what I would do. I discussed my options with my Business Manager, and she cleverly suggested that I try to switch vehicles with one of my family members. I knew I had a bit of time to think about my options (a week!), but I knew I was not satisfied with taking the Mini to BC. I put my “issue” out to the Universe and decided not to worry any longer. Plus, I had my Edmonton trip to worry about first!
 

While I packed the Mini for my Edmonton trip, I was surprised at how much room there was. I was also surprised at how much luggage one girl could need for two days! My trip to Edmonton was incredible…two tv appearances and two book signings, and then it was time to head home. When I left Edmonton, the weather was beautiful and the roads were clear, but I knew I was headed back home to a blizzard in Calgary. While I drove out of Edmonton, I consciously put my “Invisible Shield” on, cranked the tunes and started singing my heart out. Almost halfway through my drive, I heard a huge **SMASH**, and then heard the sound of wind coming into the car. While trying not to swerve all over the highway, I looked around the car. All of the windows were in tact, so I looked up. There was a huge hole in the roof where the sunroof had once been…and I was alive! The retractable mesh screen on the sunroof saved my life. I was AMAZED that I had survived.
 

I did not stop the car. I called Ryan (handsfree), and he told me to pull over as soon as possible. Luckily for me, Red Deer was just 10 minutes away. I pulled over and opted for a gas station with bright lights. I got out of the car, looked at the broken glass all over the car and in the sunroof, and I had no idea what to do.
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I was about to get back in my car and cry when two guys in a big black truck stopped in front of me and asked if I needed help. At that point, I didn’t know what I needed! 

My “Knights in Shining Black Truck”, Chris and Justin, reversed in beside me and assessed the situation. It was freezing outside that night (-15 degrees C). Chris went to work pulling out chunks of glass from the top of the car, while Justin went to ask inside for tape so they could seal the hole. These boys were troopers! There was no tape at the gas station we were at, so they drove to a different gas station, purchased a roll of strong tape and came back to me. They proceeded to tape a black garbage bag down to the top of the Mini. Poor Chris had cut himself on the glass and was bleeding, but that did not stop him from sealing that hole!
 

We proceeded to exchange contact information. They gave me their business cards, and I gave them each a signed copy of my book. As if what they had done for me was not enough, they said “hey, we’re heading back to Calgary too. Why don’t you follow us?”. So I did.
 
It was only an hour and a half to home. The roads were still clear when we left Red Deer, but within a half an hour we ran into a blizzard. It was dark, and the snow was coming down so hard it was like a whiteout! I stuck right close to my new friends, and trusted them to get me home. As I drove behind them, I felt protected, safe and happy. I could not stop smiling the whole way home, even though my fingers were gripping the steering wheel and the wind was howling loudly into my car. Once we hit Calgary, I took my
turnoff and I watched my “Knights” go riding off down the Deerfoot. The plastic bag stayed on the whole way home.
 

The Mini is in the sho015p awaiting a new sunroof from Germany so I ended up getting a rental Mini Van through my insurance company to take on my trip to British Columbia…so big, so comfortable, and so safe! Just what I wanted.
I contacted my “Knights” to thank them for not only keeping me warm on the way home, but also for ensuring that I made it home on those crazy Alberta roads. Surprisingly, one of them responded to me by saying “I am a believer in Karma, and greater forces in the Universe…was beginning to lose a little faith in the universe lately but meeting you let me know that I should never have doubted anything!”
 

The “morals” of my story…

  • I don’t know what smashed my sunroof, and I will probably never know. Sometimes, the little details don’t matter.
  • Ask, and you shall receive. 
  • Things do not always happen the way you think they will, and that is OK!
  • The Universe is ALWAYS watching out for those who ask for, and are grateful, for help.
  • Be thankful to be alive!
  • “Situations” ARE “Opportunities” when you think positively.
  • Don’t be careful what you wish for. Just keep your wishes awesome.
  • You never know when you will meet amazing people who have something for you.
  • THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES.

Enjoy your life, smile more, have more fun, relax, laugh, don’t worry, and hug each other. These are the things that really matter. Namaste!

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Tina O’Connor

President & CEO

Be That Books Inc.

Publishing the Best Books for Self Help.

   www.bethatgirlnow.com

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Work!

Things that are important to you in your life will always take work. As Doug and the Slug say
 
“Making it work-Takes a little Longer”

“Making it work-Takes a little Time!”
 
They are correct, and this applies as much to work as it does to relationships! If you want something to “Work” in your life, you have got to be willing to put in the effort. As one of my coaches, Devlyn Steele (www.toolstolife.com) says, things always take longer, and are harder, than you originally anticipate. Stay focused on your goal, make it work no matter what, and do not get discouraged when it doesn’t go the way you planned. The path to your success may not always “look” the way you originally thought…keep on keeping on and you’ll get there no matter what! Have faith, work hard, stay positive, and SING your way through life.   “Makin’ it work…” is in your control. Namaste.

How Can I Deal with Stress? Do Some Spring Cleaning.

Well, it’s Spring. Time for Spring Cleaning. We all think about cleaning out our closets and clearing the clutter in our homes when it’s Spring. But what about the vessel that houses our soul? It’s time to Spring Clean your body! No matter who you are, where you live, or how you live, your body is exposed to toxins everyday.

Take some time this week to assist your body with eliminating some of the “clutter” that it has collected through the winter, and do a little detoxification program. Below are some things you can easily do for 1 to 2 weeks to help cleanse your body in time for spring. All of these things will also help you create that perfect swimsuit body just in time for summer! Commit to at least 1 week of at least 1 item listed below. If you want to go longer, by all means do! The longer the healthier!

  • Drink 8 Glasses of water or herbal tea per day. Actually keep a tally. This is one of the most effective ways to give your body a boost!
  • Change your diet. Focus on eating only fiber rich foods. Great sources of fiber include oatmeal, flax (super grain!), apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries, whole wheat, whole whole grains (brown rice), nuts, celery, carrots, broccoli, green, leafy vegetables (lettuce, kale), grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, lentils. OK, so more fruits and vegetables and whole grains! Eat smaller portions of meat and dairy.
  • Omit sugar from your diet. (It’s only 1 week!)
  • Omit Alcohol. (I know, I know. Food tastes better with wine! It’s just a week…give your liver a break!)
  • Quit smoking. OK, this one needs to go on for the rest of your life, but start with committing to a week. Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking can do the trick!
  • Eliminate deep fried foods completely.
  • Try an herbal detox program that can be purchased from your local health food store. These kits assist with the elimination and cleaning of the most important home you have… your body! Ask the staff to recommend one based on the results you want.
  • Do 20 minutes of yoga everyday. Simple yoga poses effectively help to eliminate toxins and keep you calm, focused and flexible. Be sure to drink lots of water afterwards.
  • Get a massage! Massages also help to release toxins from their long term storage bins. Again, drink tonnes of water to help eliminate them so they are not reabsorbed. Perhaps a massage swap with someone close to you? Ooooh, detoxing can be amusing also!

Please note that you may experience flu like symptoms, like headaches and a decrease in energy for the first few days of any “detox” program. This is a result of a large amount of toxins being released into your body. Be sure to eat tonnes of fiber and drink lots of water to  help eliminate those toxins and avoid them being reabsorbed back into the body. I was recently looking for a fiber rich cereal when I noticed one called ‘Holy Crap‘. I had seen it on Dragon’s Den and was excited to see it on the shelves of my grocery store! I bought it and it tastes fantastic. Does it live up to it’s name? I am on day 1, so I’ll let you know! Enjoy your week or 2 of spring cleaning. Namaste.

Success Law: Don’t Just Think…Do!

To get where you want to go, you have got to take action!

You need to keep your dreams and your end goals in mind and focus on them, but you will not get there unless you take some action! You can’t just think…you need to do!

In University, I focused on Neuroscience, and I got a lot of exposure to rats and surgical gloves! I remember the day that my professor demonstrated a rat perfusion, basically clearing the rats brain with saline and then putting the furry little guy in the rat guillotine and saying “off with his head!”. The brain was then removed and frozen in preparation for slicing. Honestly, I was just in shock watching this…it literally freaked me out!

Oddly enough, I still jumped at the chance to work in a neuroscience lab, which required me to do rat perfusions every day. The first time I performed the operation, it was not the same as watching it, or thinking about it. I was just focused on performing all of the actions properly, and collecting the research data, which would be found within the amazing brain I was preparing. Not as scary as I thought at all!

Thinking and doing are very different. You can scare the pants off yourself with your own thoughts, and your own imagination about how things might go. So, don’t think too much. Assess opportunities logically and then start taking action. Just do it!

You can “prepare” for things to happen,  but they will not actually happen unless you “do” things. So take the next step.

Do something that you’ve been scared to do today! It will be less scary than you thought…trust me! Your dreams are calling, and it’s time to start answering. Have a superb week.

Success Law: Be Careful What you Change.

The Best Books on Self Help, Be That Books, encourage you to use their Success Laws.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Do not waste your time making changes to things that are working. Just assess everything, decide what is working and what isn’t, and leave well enough alone the things that do not need your intervention. Simplify!

Sit Back, Relax, and…

Take Action! Yes, you can relax and you can enjoy your life.  But you also need to be taking action in your life.  Maximize your time and results by taking the right actions.  Make sure you know where you want to go, and then just start taking little steps everyday towards getting you there.  If you make time and focus on your dreams and your passions consistently, you will achieve your dreams.

Focusing on your dreams must include:

  • visualization of, and meditation on your dreams
  • writing down your dreams and passions, without restriction
  • writing down steps to take to achieve your goals
  • creating time in your day to consistently work on your dreams

Find 20 minutes today, and everyday, to give your dreams some time.  You’re worth it.  Namaste.

 

Arrrr Matey!

Did you know that Roatan, Honduras used to be inhabited by Pirates, including Henry Morgan? The British Government made piracy illegal and then they proceeded to hire the “pirates” to ransack Spanish ships.  The pirates became known as privateers, and they lived on Roatan at Port Royal (which is also the name of one of the local beers… yummy).  Any loot that the privateers took became property of the British Government, and the privateers received a decent salary for their work.  They were allowed to keep one gold chain in their possession, so they got creative and made the chains really long and heavy! They were also allowed to keep one gold earring.  Getting a proper burial was very important to the privateers, and upon giving a fellow pirate their burial, the earring was taken as payment.

Today I am dreaming about finding a pirate map with a huge red X on it marking the spot where some of that British loot was hidden (they didn’t give it all to the British… they are pirates!).  Oh, the adventure I am going to have searching for that treasure! Once I find it, you can bet that I will share it!

There’s a little history lesson for you today, and also a reminder to have a dream! Dream big or dream small, just make sure that your dreams seem crazy, illogical, amazing and personal.  The more you can allow yourself to think about the impossible, the closer you will be to achieving those dreams.

Enjoy your search for hidden treasures, whatever that means to you.  Namaste.

 

 

Value your network.

Do not underestimate how important your network is in your life.  Ensure that you maintain every relationship in your life, no matter how small, or infrequent your interactions are.  Keep your relationships positive and upbeat, and never leave things negative if it can be helped.

You never know when you will need someone to help you out, or when they will need your help.  It really doesn’t take long to connect with people.  A quick phone call or email will keep you in the forefront of people’s minds, and you never know what they will have to tell you when you do check in! You do not need a reason to check in with your network.  All you need to say is that you wanted to touch base with them and see how everything is going.  Is there anything you can do for them currently? Are they doing well, and prospering? How is their family? Reach out to as many people as you can every day.  Your network is the key to reaching your goals, and the information and assistance that you need is already waiting for you in your network.  You just need to start searching for it! Ask questions, provide information, and be generally compassionate and interested.  You will find what you need quickly, and it will seem like magic.

Start using your powers today to get everything you need.  Rock your network!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is the start of the Chinese New Year, so Happy New Year to you all! (or in Chinese, Gung hay fat choy, which means “Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year.”)   Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days, and on the 15th day a lantern celebration is held.  A lot of food is shared over these next 15 days, and many interesting traditions involving superstitions are upheld, including not eating meat or sweeping ones home on the first day.  Interesting!

The Chinese Astrological Calendar is symbolized by animals, with each year being represented by a certain animal.

Today is the start of the Year of the Dragon.  If you have ever asked yourself why I have a Dragon on the cover of my book, Be That Girl, here is your answer. I was born in the year of the Dragon. To me, the Dragon is a mythical symbol of power, strength,  and confidence … traits that all of us could use a little more of at times in our lives!

The year of the dragon promises to bring excitement, unpredictability and opportunity.  This is the perfect time to create change in your life.

Have a wonderful day! Namaste.