This is a great movie showing that the tiny differences… the small degrees of perseverence, pushing, enthusiasm, planning and action make ALL the difference.

Keeping faith when it might not seem so easy…
Giving that “little extra” when you’re tired…
Believing in Yourself just a little bit more…
Looking for an edge when you’ve already done a lot…
Having more and Being more requires Doing more…

So what will you do about it today?

This is a GREAT video…

How Many Time Did You Try…?

17 different chances to fail and learn!
I find this to be true… and exactly why I tell entrepreneurs I’m coaching to brand themselves and not be attached to their first idea….
Only 1% have the courage…

I love this video about finding Hope in all kinds of people, places and things… Where can you find Hope today or help someone else find it for themselves…?

And on Memorial Day in the US, I think it’s appropriate because that’s what our veterans help us to have everyday… Thank you!

The Top 3 Signs You Might Be Going Through an Important Transformation in Your Life…

Have you been going through a “tough time” lately..? Do you know you are meant to do more and fulfill a larger purpose? This year has been a year full of massive change for me. Last year I lived in Texas, now Im bistatal, living in both Texas and Atlanta, last year I had no kids, this year I have two wonderful boys whose lives I am helping guide into self-empowerment! So much change… so little time! Though it’s been great in many ways, it’s also been difficult and a bit overwhelming for me! The great thing is, I know all this was placed before me to help me grow and step up to fulfilling my purpose in a bigger and better way than before… so, since I’m going through what I believe is a full-fledged Transformation, I wanted to pose this question to you (and give you some of my answers!):

How can you tell if it’s just a rough patch or you are really undergoing a Transformation?

1) It Sucks Sometimes.

Ay chihuahua! Think about the little caterpiller… stuck in a cocoon, think about the birthing process… There are periods of expansion when things seem to be going smoothly and you’re moving forward, then there are periods of contraction when things seem stuck, unpleasant, annoying and uncomfortable at the very least. And you may even feel yourself moving BACKWARDS sometimes!
It can really suck. And that’s ok… It’s always darkest before the dawn… just be sure to Hold On!

2) Are You Getting Pushback?

Are you getting some pushback from people around you? Even from yourself maybe? Could it be because you are threatening to heal or complete or grow or become more empowered in some way? Listen, when you make the decision to grow and become more, to live a life of joy and fulfillment, you’ll get a lot of unhappy people around you. I guarantee it.
You’ve probably heard this said before… you cannot stay unhealthy/sick/poor enough to heal or help another person. Be aware and be compassionate when the people around you get upset that you are going through a transformation. It’s scary to them and can remind them of the growth they might not be doing in their lives. Send them blessings and keep moving forward with your growth.

3) Are You Growing From It?

Listen to your intuition. This is your inner wisdom and it’s always leading you in the right direction for you. Trust Yourself. The thing is, many times we get caught up in our own “stuff” and can’t see or hear ourselves clearly!
When that happens, It’s helpful if you can find a coach or mentor to help you grow though these periods of change. I’m heading to Martha’s Vineyard the second week of June to do just that with a 2 day Vision Weekend to get clear on my own vision and path for my life during this time of growth… I’ll come back with details on how it helped me during my current Transformation!

So be aware and awake to see the opportunities for growth during these times so you can emerge bigger, better, brighter! And when you do, there are people around you who you’ll inspire to live their best life too! (Hopefully, like my two soon-to-be-step-sons!)

I created a process for myself that I call Cocooning… Doing this helped me seriously reduce anxiety and re-empower myself again. In this video, I go over several steps to create your own personal “Cocoon” ritual… and this doesn’t have to take days, weeks or months…

Try a cocooning hour or even 15 minute break once a week where you nurture yourself and your spirit.

I found this amazing woman on twitter yesterday… Someone tweeted about her and I followed and found a Grandmother with Attitude… Ruth Flowers.

She didn’t think her life was over at a certain age, she didn’t accept the limitations placed on her by other people, she’s grabbed life by the horns and is doing exactly what she wants…

The following is from Ruth’s website MamyRock.com

Ruth Flowers, 69-year-old, is the matriarch and the hippest English deejay of our time.

I have had a very lively youth, I used to go to balls all the time, I loved to dance, but then came the old age, pension, but above all boredom… I started looking for something more… One night, my grandson, of whom I’m very close to, celebrated his birthday in a nightclub in London. And he told me that I could join them. When I arrived, the bouncers didn’t let me go inside. It is true that I didn’t really match their usual clients (laughs)… I finely managed to entered… and I was dumbfound…there was such an atmosphere!!! It was so different from the parties I used to go when I was young. There was a real osmosis between the lights and the music, it really drove me!… It made me feel so much younger!

This night shattered my view of things but above all the way I saw my life…I had a lot of free time, I was on pension you know… I talked to my grandson about it, he thought I went mad. Now I think that I am ready to make everybody move their a** on the dancefloor (laughs).

“Indeed, I’d rather sign a contract with a record company than to sign up for the nursing home…” – Ruth Flowers

So my questions to you are… What limitations have been placed on you by other people that you can break?What will you do today to live the life you want?

I’m grouchy.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a Mastermind meeting with some incredibly successful entrepreneurs making millions a year… The very last person who shared told us all a very different story. Instead of focusing on ONE business and becoming successful at that, he had been trying to branch out to 5 different business niches over tha past couple of years. It was no surprise that he was making absolutely no money.

In fact, he was in a really bad place.

We all gave him tons of advice and asked him to please email us with what he promised he was going to do with the advice. (Million-Dollar advice from all of us, I might add)

We haven’t heard from him.

These are my thoughts about chasing too many businesses at once. Jeff filmed this at our Beach House on the balcony, so it’s pretty darn loud (and actually inspired me to begin using the Kodak Zi8 with a lavolier mic – which works incredibly – so please excuse the windy-ness)

We were just talking about this and it made me so angry and sad and so Jeff said “Let me just tape you on your rant…”

I suggested he begin with ONE niche, one way to add value, one product… ONE and then use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Ezine Articles (They’re all FREE!!!)  to drive traffic to the site wherever his optin page (and offer) are… AND to stop thinking it will be INSTANT. Everyone thinks you can just slap up a page with an offer and (theme music to “Field of Dreams”) they will come… and if they come… they will buy…

Not so much.

They probably won’t buy at first, so you must Look at what’s really happening (Google Analytics can help you with that), see where the breakdown is happening & TEST.

* Are they coming to your site and not signing up? Change the optin offer to a more compelling & juicy one.

* Are they not buying, once they’re in your list community? Talk more about the benefits… Really do your homework on this one. Find some case studies so people can see the results.

* Are you doing any live online events so people can get to know you? Use a free teleseminar line or try the free trial of a webinar service (and be sure to press “record” to have something you can use over and over…) and do your presentation over and over until you nail it.

* Play the theme song to Rocky (or whatever moves you) to get pumped up each morning and keep moving forward with focus and faith.

Have you had failures…?

C’MON… it’s time to get over it and do whatever it takes to move forward. We all have. The most successful people have also had the most failures.

During that Mastermind, I got out of my chair several times, my arms swinging wildly, my voice getting louder trying to get him to see that he’s been chasing too many things at once… no wonder he’s not getting ANYWHERE.

Your past failures (and even your wild successes!) do NOT define you. The only thing that defines you is what you choose to do NOW.

As we’re approaching the Thanksgiving and holiday season, I’m visiting family in Texas for a “pre-Thanksgiving” celebration with family and friends… I’ve still been working a ton while here, but making sure to take time for loved ones and friends. Yesterday I had a wonderful experience that showed me yet again…  the best gifts, the ones that are most appreciated are free to give… love, kindness, understanding and compassion…

When I was about 9 years old, my parents finally started being successful in business after years of study and planning (and counting their pennies every single day) My Mom was the business manager and had to work a TON to get the business actually up and profitable. She made a difficult decision many working moms must face to get help.

Help came in the form of an 18 year old girl named Estella.

During this time of appreciation, I want to challenge you (& me!!) to be more free in giving out these gifts that mean so much… When was the last time you told someone “I love you?” or praised someone for their efforts or showed consideration and patience with a loved one, a student or a stranger… You NEVER know what’s going on in someone’s life and each interaction we have is an opportunity to lift others up or pull them down.

A few marketing teachers have questioned the way I sign off on all my emails… I always end with “Love, Maritza”  – I may not personally communicate with all subscribers but I do wish them all love and success… and it sure works for me!

When you decide to take your products, services and business online… you must learn to “Teflon Coat” yourself! The internet is such an amazing place to: do business make friends expand your horizons and much more! It also opens you up to criticism, condemnation and negativity from time to time… and people can do it in a completely “anonymous” way which makes them much meaner than they would probably be if speaking to you face to face.

I didn’t attend Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this year (though next yer, I plan on attending) but I saw lots of people in my Twitterstream talking about what @AnthonyEdwards touched on… and it must have hit a nerve because people were tweeting up a storm about it!

From what I got in my twitterstream, he said “Please be more civil online”. When you interact with people, remember though it can seem a bit “impersonal” sometimes, there are people on both ends of the communication! Let’s pretend that every online interaction is a face to face one.

If you have an issue with someone online, either:

• If you don’t have anything nice to say, Don’t say anything at all. (ancient concept from Grandmothers all over the globe)
• If you do want to bring up a constructive criticism or debate, do so in a civil manner – just like you were standing face to face with the person, looking into their eyes!

Trying to be mean, cruel or “right” in an anonymous way just shows your true colors and is like throwing rocks and running to hide! No courage or personality needed whatsoever…

My advice to anyone who wants to start an online biz or be “visible” online, teflon coat your heart and focus on all the wonderful people out there because thankfully, they outnumber the trolls!

What is a “Troll” you ask…? Here’s a recent blog post from Seth Godin about trolls:

Trolls

And don’t ever let anyone stop you from being a Remarkable You!