The New Leaf™
The Official Newsletter of Authentic Promotion™
Volume 6, No. 2, January 13, 2004
U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1530-311X
Molly Gordon, Master Certified Coach
Subscribe at www.mollygordon.com
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all the readers who participated in the Fresh Start promotion. This was the first time I've put together a discount package for readers, and it definitely put me at my learning edge. My goal is to deliver exceptional value while creating right livelihood for me and for my colleagues and to share what I learn in the process so that you can do the same. Your feedback will help me do that. Send comments to freshstart@mollygordon.com .
In This Issue
Fast Focus: Risk Self Awareness
Simple Gifts: Clear the Decks
Readers Write: Report from the Surf
Open for Business: Of Business, Risk, and the Soul
Teleclasses: Registration Extended
The Bedside Table: Something Novel
Coaching: Openings in February
Workshop: Use Eastern Wisdom to Thrive in the Western World
Resources and Links
Small Print: Copyright | Getting On and Off the List
Privacy Statement | Contact Info
Please forward The New Leaf without cutting to your neighbors, friends, and colleagues. That's how we grow. To show our appreciation we donate 10 cents to Childreach for every new subscriber, and in 2003 we sponsored two children as a result. http://www.childreach.org
Fast Focus
Risk Self Awareness
Risk is woven in to the fabric of every business venture. That's part of what makes business such a rich territory for spiritual growth. Risk issues potent, if not always polite, invitations to increased self-awareness. Self-awareness, in turn, pays dividends on many levels, increasing mental, emotional, spiritual, and even material wellbeing.
Business places us at the intersection of intention, instinct, choice, and desire. In the marketplace, our hopes and fears meet the hopes and fears of the world. In these intersections, we risk profit and loss on every level. In these intersections, our insides and our outsides either match or they do not. If we have the fortitude to look steadily at the truth about our choices here, we will learn much about ourselves. With time, attention, and some manner of faith to guide and sustain us, we may experience increased willingness and capacity to sense into Life's unfolding so that we may step with apparent effortlessness into our unique role in the cosmic dance.
How will you bring self-awareness into your work this week?
Simple Gifts
Clear the Decks
What better time than this to get clutter under control? If you've resolved to clear your desk this year, Jeffrey Mayer's e-book, "Winning the Fight with Your Desk" may be just the ticket. And to help you make the most of his system, I wrote a set of tips based on my own experience with it. These tips will help get you over the hump of implementing a new way of staying ahead of clutter.
For your complimentary copy of Clean Desk Tips, send a blank email to cleandesk@mollygordon.com with "desk" in the subject line.
The Resources section of my Web site, http://www.mollygordon.com, gives you dozens of other resources and links that can help you work and live more meaningfully. If clearing the decks is not the most important thing on your horizon, stop by the Web site today and choose a simple gift that matches your intentions this week.
====> My family has been using my phone bridge to come together in support of my mom as she makes a major move. I've long appreciated the value of this seamless teleconferencing service for business, but I'm newly appreciative of its power to connect hearts as well as minds. For information about renting my bridge or leasing your own, send a blank email to bridge@mollygordon.com with "bridge" in the subject line.
Readers Write
Report from the Surf
I received more letters in response to my columns on surfing and struggle than on anything I have ever published in The New Leaf. Here's one response from a real life surfer and coach.
I really enjoy your New Leaf articles. As a life-long surfer and personal development coach and facilitator I have recently set up a business with 3 other like-minded people to combine the two - so I have especially enjoyed your last two pieces.
A thought ... the 'surge protector' and the 'surfing' are a powerful combination. It isn't possible to surf with any confidence or joy unless you are fit enough to handle the conditions - and the tougher the conditions the more fit you need to be.
I live a long way from the sea so only get to surf occasionally. To make sure that I can have a good time when I do get a chance to surf I need to maintain my fitness - just like the 'surge protector'; I have to practice when I'm not surfing so that I can handle the environment when I am surfing.
Hope this makes sense.
Chris Corbin
Chris's point is a good one. We all need practices to develop and maintain fitness to meet the surf. Here's a succinct statement of how meditation can prepare us to surf from Chogyam Trungpa:
In order to discipline the mind, it is essential to devote part of one's life to the practice of meditation...[However,] disciplines are stepping stones, but they are not a way of solving problems. The mind's cunning tricks are endless; therefore one should develop one's own way of freeing oneself from frivolousness. Meditation provides an immediate opportunity to bring one's neuroses to the surface, examine them, work with them and recognize them as materials of the path rather than villains.
From an unpublished "Dathun Essay" composed prior to 1973.
Copyright Diana J. Mukpo. Published in the Ocean of Dharma Quote of the Week. Subscribe by sending a blank email to oceanofdharma-request@tulku.mandala-designs.com?subject=subscribe
One of the projects I'm most excited about for 2004 is development of integrally informed teleclasses that integrate science and soul to address everyday issues as opportunities to build not only material well being but also to develop consciousness. Many of these teleclasses will be practice based, offering a tool or exercise you can use to develop the mental, physical, and spiritual fitness you need to surf the waves of life. If you'd like advance notice of these teleclasses, send an email with "integral" in the subject line to teleclasses@mollygordon.com .
Open for Business
Of Business, Risk, and Soul
Risk is woven in to the fabric of every business venture. So is denial. I've often thought that no one would start a business if they truly understood the risk involved or the choices that would be required in order for them to survive, let alone thrive. Fortunately, every risk and choice in life and in business can be met and measured not only in terms of material outcomes but also with respect to the opportunity to learn and grow. This ensures that, with the right attitude and support, business can be a great teacher.
But do we need such a teacher? Why learn and grow? It appears that evolution itself insists that we do so. Survival requires that we not be blinkered by near term success. Around every corner lurks the possibility of being wiped out by a critter more cleverly adapted to the emergent world. As Helen Keller observed, "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
Still, the realization that risk is inherent in life sheds little light on the complex matter of making meaning from the risks we choose. There is more to it than choosing between daring adventure and emptiness, more even than sussing out which risks are likely to pay off. For me, the value of risk is in its potent, if not always polite, invitation to increased self-awareness. The pressure cooker of risk seems to extract the essence of character, revealing strengths and weaknesses in their purest forms. Seeing the truth about ourselves, in turn, can pay dividends on many levels, increasing mental, emotional, spiritual, and even material wellbeing.
But here we need to be careful. While it has been my experience that there is a link between spiritual and material well being, it is not a link forged by fairy dust, nor was it forged by a judgmental God to reward the good and punish the wicked. Rather, it seems to me, the link has to do with the interplay among self-efficacy, self-awareness, and awareness of one's relationship to the mystery at the center of existence. Something of all that, I think, is what Dame Julian of Norwich experienced when she wrote, "All is well, and all manner of things be well."
Doing business places us at the intersection of intention, instinct, choice, and desire. In the marketplace, our hopes and fears meet the hopes and fears of the world. In these intersections, we risk profit and loss on every level. In these intersections, our insides and our outsides either match or they do not. If we have the fortitude to look steadily at the truth about our choices, we will learn much about ourselves. With time, attention, and some manner of faith to guide and sustain us, we may experience increased willingness and capacity to sense into Life's unfolding so that we can glide with apparent effortlessness into our unique role in the cosmic dance.
It's in slipping into this unique role that we experience true prosperity. Then, for a moment, and in spite of all the effort that the effortless dance required, we know ourselves to be in the right place at the right time. And we know this not merely because things are going our way, but because we have found a still point within ourselves that orients us in the turbulent tumble of ongoing events. In that moment we thrive beyond all doubt.
But do such moments deliver lasting, practical, or observable benefit? Research and anecdotal evidence say yes. There is mounting evidence that experiences of profound wellbeing produce measurable changes physiology, attitudes, relationships. Mentally and emotionally these changes may be expressed as improvements in confidence, judgment, resilience, resourcefulness, clarity, conviction, and discernment. Physically, they may produce greater stamina and a stronger but less reactive immune system.
So, in the year ahead, I hope you will weigh the risks you face in terms of the opportunity to know yourself as well as the probable impact on your material wellbeing. As Andre Gide observed, "One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."
I welcome your comments and questions. Please send your letters to letters@mollygordon.com . Please do not reply to this newsletter as your message will be lost in cyber-limbo.
Coaching
Openings in February
I have two time slots available for new clients in February, and I'll be interviewing folks to fill them over the next two weeks. Recent clients include athletes, artists, attorneys, and advertising folks – and even a whole slew of people whose businesses don't start with 'A.' If you feel called to connect the growth of your business or career with you personal evolution, contact my assistant to schedule your interview. Email debbie@mollygordon.com.
Here's what one client and former student of "Sweet Spot" says about my coaching: At my first official networking event of the new year, I went to sit down at a table and introduced myself to the woman who was seated next to me. She, of course, asked, "What do you do?" I was able to very comfortably and confidently give my elevator speech, and she replied, "Nice niche!" I couldn't have asked for more!
I'm finding that this new approach is really working for me and is eliciting some great follow-up questions from the people I'm talking to. I feel better about what I'm doing than ever before (that's no exaggeration) because there's some focus and credibility attached to it. Many thanks again for all of your help.
Kim Goad, performance improvement consultant
Ovations Inc., www.preparedtoperform.com
====> Pick a Coach: I'm not the right coach for everyone. I've invited a few of the many coaches I admire to share their experience and background in a brief referral guide. Request it at no obligation by sending an email with "referrals" in the subject line to referrals@mollygordon.com
Teleclasses
Registration Extended
What was I thinking, offering new classes over the holidays? While several very interesting people signed up (one of the benefits of participating in my courses is the caliber of people you meet), not enough folks enrolled to create critical mass. So I've rescheduled "Sweet Spot" and "Believe!" and extended the pre-registration discount to February 3, 2004.
Believe! Working with Your Beliefs to Build Your Business demonstrates effective ways to identify and shift beliefs so you can be more successful. This class goes beyond affirmations to explain where people get stuck when they try to think positively and how to make progress anyway. Four 90-minute teleclasses on Tuesdays from Noon to 1:30 pm eastern time February 17 and 24, and March 2 and 9. Learn more or sign up at authenticpromotion.com http://www.authenticpromotion.com/teleclasses/believe.html
Thriving in the Sweet Spot: Naming a Meaningful and Profitable Niche
Are you struggling to tell people what you do really? Do you want a simpler, more effective way to market your work? Thriving in the Sweet Spot will teach you a way to name your niche that increases your scope and your value to prospective clients while vastly simplifying the task of marketing your work. Four 90-minute teleclasses on Tuesdays from 2 – 3:30 pm eastern time February 17 and 24, and March 2 and 9. Learn more or sign up at authenticpromotion.com: http://www.authenticpromotion.com/teleclasses/sweetspot.html
Registration is OPEN: Discerning Meaningful Action in Life and Work with John Forman, OblSB.
How can a spiritual practice of discernment help you to integrate spiritual and material aspects of experience? What are the opportunities and pitfalls on this path? We’ll delve into these questions with John's expert guidance while engaging in a daily discernment practice. Mark your calendars for four consecutive Thursdays in February (Feb. 5, 12, 19, and 26) from noon to 1:30 pm eastern time. Given the fact that over 1800 people have downloaded my free discernment guide, this class is expected to sell out early. Learn more or register here: http://authenticpromotion.com/teleclasses/discernment.html
The Bedside Table
Something Novel
This week I feature a book recommended by a reader. I'll let her tell the story:
"I just finished reading the new novel by local (North Carolina) author Kate Green called The Hundredth Woman. The subtitle really says it all – 'What if women hold the key to our future?'
"Her book is catching fire around here, mostly by word of mouth. It is a delicious combination of character-driven page-turner, and instructional manual for living a healing, balanced, empowered life. It is designed to be lively entertainment while quietly opening up your heart and mind to spectacular possibilities that may indeed be the saving grace of our beloved planet.
"As she says, it points the way to 'doing what you came here to do, being what you came here to be, living your life purpose exactly'"
Thanks to Beth Livingston of Owl's Daughter Tarot and Intuitive Consultations, www.well.com/~zenrose/tarot.
Searching for a book or CD or other product on Amazon?
When you use these links to Amazon search engines you support The New Leaf. Please visit and bookmark them today.
US: http://www.mollygordon.com/searchbook.html
UK: http://www.mollygordon.com/eurobook.html
====> Don't miss a single issue of The New Leaf. Make an entry in your address book today for newleaf@mollygordon.com. For additional tips on ensuring delivery, send a blank email to delivery@mollygordon.com.
Workshop
Use Eastern Wisdom to Transform Your Life, and Thrive in the Western World
A three-day workshop with Charlie Badenhop and Dorothy Pietracatella
Washington D.C., January 30 - February 1, 2004, 9am-5.30pm
The discipline of Seishindo offers you the best of both Eastern and Western models of health and well-being. A remarkable system that merges Oriental philosophy with Western science.
Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, a fourth degree black belt and licensed instructor of Aikido in Japan, a certified trainer in NLP and Ericksonian Hypnosis, and a long term practitioner of the Japanese healing art of sei tai, and Self-relations therapy. To find out more about Seishindo visit his website at http://www.seishindo.org
Please use the link below to find out more about the workshop:
http://www.seishindo.org/workshop_programs/eastern_wisdom.html
Quick Links
Resources and Links
If you're interested in applying integral theory and methodology to global issues, you'll want to pay a visit to Dr. Nancy Roof's web site, www.global-spirituality.org . Roof also publishes Spirituality & Reality.
Get an interactive introduction to Spiral Dynamics at the What is Enlightenment? Magazine Web site at www.wie.org . Click on "Spiral Dynamics."
Another lovely graphical introduction to integral theory and spiral dynamics can be found at http://formlessmountain.com/collage.html
Thank you for supporting The New Leaf by purchasing the products and services recommended below. I personally test every product I recommend, and every merchant will refund your investment if you are not satisfied. If they don't make it right, I will.
===>Electronic Marketing Butt Camp (audio tapes)
I bought a set of Tom Antion's "Butt Camp" audio tapes two years ago, and now I'm going to his live one-day seminar in Portland, Oregon. If you want to get the straight poop about marketing on the Internet, you need Antion's savvy. Not hype, but horse-sense. His delivery is clear, his support materials are to the point, and he's got the track record to prove that he knows what he is talking about.
http://www.antion.com/t.cgi/192738/buttcamp.htm
===>Client Compass Software
Create and maintain client files that integrate intakes, session notes, billing, and all the administrative functions that support you to create prosperity by showing up and serving your clients. In addition, there are a Practice Building component for identifying "Ideal Clients," strategies for growing a coaching or therapy business, and prospect tracking. You have 60 days to try it and request a refund, so your risk is nil. http://www.cartville.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=32114
Small Print
Copyright | Getting On and Off the List
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and
edited by Molly Gordon, MCC.Copyright (c) Shaboom Inc. (r) 2004.
All rights reserved. www.mollygordon.com
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