Happy Halloween 2009

I know my post yesterday was a bit heavy. So, we're heading into the light for today's post, I promise. :)

Thanks to all of you who expressed concern and well wishes in the comments and also in personal emails to me. Things have turned for the better, and I feel I am on the right path. A few things have fallen magically into place, so I'm still optimistic all will end well.

Today is Halloween.

It is also the end of my writing contest and the end of the Think Pink Book Challenge. I sold one book, and no, it wasn't to myself or anyone else I know. With a dollar from each entry in the writing contest, and the book I sold, and what I'm chipping in, I will be sending a check to Susan G. Komen Foundation for $20.

Thanks to all who participated. I truly appreciate it.

November 1st kicks off National Novel Writing Month. I am participating this year, again, with a goal to have my book finished within a week. I did a bit of "training" this year, trying to make my "quota" of 2,000 words-a-day, and for the most part, I've met or exceeded that goal, and in one weekend I wrote over 10,000 words. It's a doable goal, and I will keep you all posted with my progress. If you are participating, and need a "buddy", write or email me.

The contest winners will be announced on November 15, 2009, so good luck to those who entered. I'm excited to see who wins.

My son is also coming home for Thanksgiving, so I will be counting the days (25) until he's here.

That's all for now.

I hope you all have a very safe and Happy Halloween!

Walking the Talk: Challenging Days for Miss Positive Princess

I'm one of those "glass-is-half-full" kind of people.

You all know that. I look for the silver lining in the storm clouds. When I dream of tornadoes, I know a major change in my life is coming. If I'm afraid when I see them, I know the change will painful. If I'm filled with a sense of awe and wonderment, then I know things will change, but it will bring the sunshine behind it. (I look for the sunshine. If it's not there, only darkness, it's not a good sign).

I also have money dreams. Money in suitcases, lots of it. Neatly wrapped in silver money clips. In a rundown, dilapitated building, with a lot of paper and trash all around. Usually, my Dad is there, laughing and saying, "I KNEW you would find it. Dang, Sis! You found it!" and I wake up before I know how much is in the suitcases. (Only once did I get a whisper of an amount--$13 million).

Always looking for the good. The positive. I could never understand why people commit suicide. Life may get bad, but it always gets better. Always. Right?

This year has been challenging.

One thing after another, after another and finally, after another. It started in January with George passing away from a heart attack. Then I lost my job in June. Then financial stuff happening and happening again in July. Then in August, my aunt Colleen passed away suddenly with a heart attack. Then the last couple of months with the recurring financial stuff and me misplacing the receipts. Then things kept feeding upon each other. One crazy mixed up thing after another. Nothing but doors slamming. Nothing but tension and stress and crying and strife. It came to a head.

Miss Positive Princess was losing it. I got a call from my son that sent me into a crying mode for two days. He was coming home for Thanksgiving from the Navy. A happy thing.

And possibly for good in a couple of months after that. Budget cuts were ushering him faster into the Reserves. He would be home, but with this economy, and everything else, I was worried. I just lost it. I cried for two days.

Then this week, things went from bad to worse. The weather was not cooperating either. It was cold and dark and rainy and windy. Depressing is a nice way to describe it. It doesn't do well for your mood when the weather is that way.

It was so bad, I passed by a cemetary and thought, "They're lucky. It's over for them." I had this thought, just for a second. But it scared me and jolted me to realize, I needed to go home. I felt like crap. I called my doctor.

As you know, I have been trying to get my writing career going since I was laid off, trying to find a job, and I've been doing the "shotgun" approach to marketing: throw as much up there as you can and sell, sell, sell.

My results: I'm not selling anything. I'm too desperate and people can smell it as sure as they can smell a skunk. Not appealing at all. Even if I was Frank Kern, I couldn't sell a glass of water to someone in the desert.

I've been up late, really late, like 4:00 in the morning lately. Writing, typing, searching. I didn't have a lot of sleep the night before, the night before that, or the night before that.

I have become nearly obsessed with money: hanging onto money, finding ways to make more money, selling stuff to get more money, money, money, money. Panic, panic, panic. Well, no wonder I can't get any money in my life, I'm a huge, negative turn-off!

Lack, desperation, stress, and me with my fist closed not allowing me to receive anything or giving anything to anyone else. It's mine, mine, mine, like Daffy Duck in the oyster clinging to the giant pearl.

And then, there's the clutter. I went into this mode of, "put it away, I'll deal with it later." I have stuff stacked and stored and I'm sorting through it, but I am not finding what I need. I misplaced important paperwork, and I can't find it.

I think God is teaching me a lesson, and it hurts. I've turned things upside down, inside out. I still have a lot more to go through, but one thing I have learned, I have a problem with hanging onto stuff. The stuff I don't need or use, I hang on for 20 years. Everything else, put it in a pile or a bag and go through it later. No more. I'm purging this week.

What's the point of this story? Why am I telling you all this? Do I want you to feel sorry for me and send me money? (At this point, I won't turn you down!) Or manipulate you into buying my stuff? (If I was Frank Kern, we wouldn't even have this post, because you would have already bought it!).

I'm telling you because I have been in the dark place. I had the thought about "dead people are lucky" and I decided that I needed to go home. I came home, took a long, hot shower and went to bed.

At 7:00 pm.

And slept for 15 hours.

QH checked on me a few times to make sure I was still breathing. I was.

I got up this morning and I felt a bit groggy, but I took a shower, got dressed up, put on eye makeup and went job hunting. I had planned to do that. It felt good to do something proactive.

As I drove around, I listened to a CD "Money and the Law of Attraction" by Jerry & Esther Hicks and Abraham. I felt things lighten and then I saw the most magnificent site. Two trumpeter swans swimming in a pond. The picture you see above. I felt better. I felt like things were going to be ok. I went home. Hopeful. Grateful. Lighter.

I've been praying to St. Jude. For those who don't know who St. Jude is, you may be familiar with St. Jude's Children's Hospital. It was started by Danny Thomas as a promise he fulfilled to St. Jude, the Patron Saint of Hopeless Cases or Hopeless Causes. There is a prayer those in the Catholic faith pray when things look lost with no hope.

I was there. I've been saying it for a few days. I have a promise to fulfill for St. Jude. I won't tell you what it is, it's personal. I will publish it when the time is right. And I will let you know where you can find it.

And I don't know whether it was the sleep, or the CD, or St. Jude, or the swans, or a combination, but I felt better today than I have felt in months.

Not to say, everything is coming up roses. The problems are still there, and they still have to be dealt with, but I know we can deal with them. We have a Force Greater Than Ourselves on our side. A Creator, who formed all we see, feel, hear, taste and smell.

Everything will work out. Not the way I would like, or want, but the way it was meant to work out. And in His Time, not mine. But that doesn't mean I sit down and give up. I still have a job to do. I still have articles and speeches and teleseminars and classes to write, speak, give and teach. And that suitcase of money still has to make an appearance. After the "good tornado" passes, and the sunshine, of course. :)

But I can't control everything. And I can't push people to buy, no matter how much I need the money. So, it's back to the marketing board. I still have a lot to learn and that's a good thing. I have to clear the path for my prosperity, literally. Then it will appear. And let go the outcome. It's not in my hands. It's in His Hands.

In the meantime, look for the swans. And get a good night's sleep.

Teleseminar Postponed to Thursday 11/05/09

The teleseminar entitled, "Forget the Recession" is postponed to next Thursday, November 5, 2009.

Times: 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Cost: $11 per person, which includes free MP3 recording of call on CD or digital download.

And other fabulous gifts.

Hope to see you there.

Forget the Recession

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of this whole recession.

Didn’t they say it was over?

Oh, it’s almost over?

What?!

What does that mean?

We’re not as broke today as we were yesterday? Guess what? We’re still broke!

How broke?

1. We’re so broke, Bill Gates had to switch to dial up.

2. We’re too broke to pay attention.

3. We’re too broke to have health insurance and those that do will die of H1N1 because there isn’t enough vaccine. Who knows, if enough of us with no insurance can stay healthy, we will have health insurance.

4. We’re so broke we’re looking to buy that “Box” from the movie trailer to get the million dollars. The moral dilemma is someone has to die. Maybe we will get lucky and it will be Osama Bin Laden. Or Bernie Madoff. Or the CEO of AIG.

5. We’re so broke we’d sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. And that goes for the ladies, too.

6. We’re so broke we have carpal tunnel from hanging on to our money so tightly.

7. We’re so broke we have arthritis from pinching so many pennies.

8. We’re so broke we could cry.

Please, don’t cry.

Instead, remember, laughter is free, and so is thought.

It’s time to Rock this Recovery.

Join me for my teleseminar “Forget the Recession” on Thursday, October 29, 2009.

Times are 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm Central Standard time.

Registration fee is $11.00, because I’m easy, not cheap. (See #5).

What you’ll get out of it:

*You’ll laugh a lot,

*You’ll learn a few things about money and thought and how to put the two together positively, and,

*You’ll leave feeling a little better than you did before you arrived.

If not, I’ll refund your money, no questions asked. Every penny.

To register, go to http://www.crawfordwriting.com/ and click on “Teleseminar Info”

The times and date don’t work for you? No problem. Register anyway. The call is being recorded. You’ll get an MP3 of the call on a CD or as a digital download. Same price. Same guarantee. No shipping and handling charges.


Search those couch cushions and sign up now.

Dear God, I Need Cash

I found this little prayer on Beliefnet.com. I think we all can benefit from this one.

Dear God, I Need Cash
For this I pray:

Not asking for a million bucks
Or money showing up in trucks
Just need some cash to pay my bills
And financial flow to cure my ills
Not seeking huge amounts
Just enough to make it count
To take care of a basic human need
And take care of those mouths to feed
I know that times are rough
But I want to stand tough
I just need some cash to keep on going
So please God, keep the money flowing.

Amen.

- Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Have a fabulous week, everyone.

My Favorite Fall Movie-Seabiscuit

Nothing says fall to me like the movie "Seabiscuit". There are a few scenes that take place in the fall on the east coast, where Red takes Seabiscuit out for a nice, long run, so he can "learn to be a horse again." The scenery as Toby Maguire, who played Red Pollard in the movie, is absolutely breathtaking. I cry every time I watch it.

But it's more than that scene. The story of Charles Howard, Red Pollard, Tom the Trainer, and Seabiscuit is a wonderful story of overcoming hardship, sticking together and proving "Anything is possible." Taking place during the Great Depression, it is a story that will uplift your heart and soul.

The little horse that could. The little horse who made everyone believe anything is possible and made everyone around him better.

I pulled this movie out of the cabinet and watched it today.

I needed something to lift my spirits. I've been a little down lately, thinking all the hard work I've been doing is pointless. I keep waiting for results, keep obsessing about the results, and not really enjoying the process like I used to, and I think it's why the results I'm getting are not what I want. So, I need to step back, stop, breathe. But most of all, I need to let go. I can't control the weather, or the future, or the Universe. It's not my job. I need to get out of the way and just let it happen the way it's going to happen. Go with the flow. And keep taking positive action towards my goals. And just believe I deserve the results I want. It's going to happen, it's just inevitable.

And I need to remember, if a little horse 15 hands high, could take on a horse 18 hands high named War Admiral and win, I think I can be a little more patient for the results I want. And like Seabiscuit, I could win the race of the century.

"It's not in his feet, George. It's in his heart," said Red to his friend, George Wolf, who rode Seabiscuit in the Race of the Century. "He'll fight for it."

Sometimes we all need to remember "how to be a horse again."

Thanks, Seabiscuit. :)

Sometimes You Just Have To Look The Other Way

Have you had a problem where it consumed every waking moment of your life? It was the first thing you think of when you got up in the morning, and the last thought before your shut your eyes (if you could) at night? Sleep was fleeting at best and your dreams would often reflect the problem in lots of bizarre ways and you would awake feeling like there was no escape for the problem.

For most everyone, the last couple of years that problem has been MONEY. It's been the headline story, the footnote, the ratings story to every newscast with lots of gloom and doom and the world is coming to end mentality. It's been fueled and fired by those who are making money and the media they control to get everyone scared and have them panic and make major mistakes with their retirement accounts, their stock portfolios and then they swoop in like vultures and clean up the dead. Not a very happy scene, to say the least, but for more than a few million Americans, it's become reality.

So, how do you go from the disaster the economy is/was, to being prosperous and abundant with money coming "quickly, easily, and frequently?" It's a hard thing to do, especially in this "information age" we all seem to be a part of, but it's also quite simple.

Look the other way.

Now, I can already hear some of you out there, "Oh, just IGNORE what's going on? Pretend it isn't happening?" Yes, and no.

Yes. Turn your attention away from all the "Bad, evil, horrible things" going on in our financial economy. Be informed. Be involved, to a point, but don't become OBSESSED. This is a very fine line, because if you are one of those unfortunate many, you've lost everything: your home, your job, your car, your dignity, your self-respect, your faith in God (or any other Higher Power), and you feel that you will never, ever, not in a million years be back where you were and you are consumed by fear, worry, and stress.
And not just for you, but for your kids, and your grandkids.

Let's face it. If you are anyone here on this planet who knows how to use a computer or cell phone or still have a television, the news channels just keep repeating over and over and over again the negative, horrible and gory news about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the H1N1 flu epidemic that will kill us all unless we get vaccinated (or if you watch the other channels, the vaccine will kill you, so you are screwed either way), the Health Care Reform Bill that will take all your rights away as an American Citizen by forcing you to get coverage (or accept government run coverage), and my personal favorite, how President Obama is doing in office so far (and did he truly deserve the Nobel Peace Prize).

Unless something dramatic happens, it's the same crap 24/7/365. The only thing you change with the channels is who is delivering the news.

On a rare occasion, you will find a heart-warming, uplifting story, the kind that makes you cry and feel at the end like human beings are the most magnificent creatures on the planet and can do magical things, like help one another without expectation, or be kind or loving without limits. But they are few and far between.

That's why the little baby dressed in just a diaper dancing to Beyonce's "All The Single Ladies" song is so popular. Or the guys who make those amazing shots with a basketball into a basketball hoop in all sorts of strange locations where you say after watching it, "How'd they do that?"

Your brain needs a break. Find your joy, your bliss, and shut the machines off for a while. You don't have to be "plugged in" all the time. Learn to live and be comfortable in the stillness.

One of the most peaceful times I ever experience if I'm not meditating, is when it snows. Late at night, in the dark, the snow falling gently from the sky, if you are someplace out away from town or the city, if you listen closely you can actually hear the snowflakes hit the ground. Your own breath is even too loud.

It's a time to be. Just be. And I love it when I can experience these things because I feel ever closer to God, the Universe, my Higher Power. And I am calm. Serene. In this crazy, mixed up world, I can actually experience this and be grateful. It's natural Prozac without all the side effects and it's also freeeee.

So, give your mind a break once in a while. Meditate, read, go fishing, walking, running, spend quality time with yourself, your loved ones, and let go some of the control. We humans like to control the results, impatient with time and the process of growing things. We want it all in a nanosecond. Sometimes, it's hard to wait for results, but we have to keep our faith in the process, otherwise we will drive ourselves and everyone else crazy.

If you can't think of a solution in your waking hours, then write down what your problem is and what question you want answered. Then say, "Thank you for my answer." Go to bed and sleep on it.

You will be astounded with the results.
*********************************************************
To help you become more abundant and more prosperous, grab my "Prosperity Kit" on my website: http://www.crawfordwriting.com/Prosperity-Kit.html


It's only $17 for a digital download or on CD.

No shipping or handling costs.

And one dollar ($1) from each purchase is donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation during the month of October.

To order online, go here: http://www.crawfordwriting.com/Prosperity-Kit.html.

To order by mail, send check or money order to:


Crawford Writing & Marketing
Prosperity Kit
P.O. Box 76
Zimmerman, MN 55398

And have fun with this! Joy is everything. :)

Happy Birthday To QH, Love of My Life!

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear QH, love of my life, Happy Birthday to you.

For those who are interested, today is also John Lennon's birthday.

Today Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. Why? Who knows.

Today I won at the casino. Did you read my previous post? If not, check it out.

And today was a fabulous birthday for my honey. All day long. :)

Ask. Believe. Let Go. Receive. :)

I won at the casino! I won at the casino! LOA Rocks!

For those of you who have been studying the LOA (Law of Attraction), part of making your manifestations or dreams come true involves "pretending" that you have received what you ask for. It works like this:

1. You ask for something you really want. You have to feel fabulous when you think of this something. The top things asked for are: money, homes, cars, jobs, and someone to love. So, think of what you want. Then ask for it. Ask God, the Universe, your Higher Power, and then move to step 2.

2. Believe you deserve to have it. Yes, I believe you should have it, so you should believe you should have it. You are the child of a King, start acting like it. I don't mean be a jerk and act like everyone should wait on you hand and foot, but just know that good things are coming your way.

2.a. There is a little codicle to this step. You have to let it go. Believe God or the Universe is going to deliver it and let go THE HOW of when it will show up. Everyone has a hard time with this, so this will take some practice. I know, it's hard for me.

We humans want to control how things come into our lives, we want to control those "X" factors that we really have no business controlling. Remember, God is a Creator, and sometimes, creation takes time. There is no failure, just a delay in results, as Helene Hadsell says. She should know. She's won every contest she's ever entered for the past 50 years, including a new home. How? She let go, and let God. Get out of His way so He can do His job.

3. Be ready to receive. If you don't believe you should receive it, you will experience a delay in results. If you have any little inkling of doubt or worry or fear, or have any negative thoughts as to how it's going to arrive, then you will experience a delay in results. Fear, doubt, worry, and negativity, act as roadblocks and will re-route your dreams.

You also have to be ready. Prepare your life for your dreams. If you want more money, make a list of how much and what you will do with it when it gets here. Don't spend it for real until it arrives. Spend it in your head, and then "pretend" you have another installment coming from your own spiritual escrow.

Yes, you have an account that holds all that you desire. The problem is, you are the only one with the "access code". If you are not in alignment with the vibrations of the Universe, then you will be denied access to your account. Think of your thoughts as spiritual "PIN" numbers. :)

If you spend a little time on this each day, you will be amazed at what you can manifest into your life. Make your manifestations good things. If you want to manifest something for someone else, that's ok too, but the results will vary. If it is something they truly desire, your energy with their energy will make it appear faster. But it isn't something they truly want, then you may be disappointed that they aren't excited about their manifestation.You will see faster results with your own desires.

The main key to all of this is gratitude. Be grateful first for what you have. Notice the contrast of what you don't have, but first and foremost, you must be grateful for what you have. If you aren't sure what to be grateful for, start with a list: health, family, friends, job, money coming into your life, money going out of your life (it means money is flowing naturally in and out of your life), your home, your life, the sunrise and sunset, your car, and anything else you love.

But what about those who are struggling or living in poverty? What about those people who have lost their homes and jobs and are going through a really hard time? Be grateful for your circumstances. You have a lot of things to be grateful for, including the struggle. Why? It will make you stronger, it will bring you to what is most important. Remember, "this too shall pass", and it will leave your life faster when you start to feel better.

Feeling better starts in your head. Start with some small thing that makes you smile, or laugh. Look at something beautiful. Remember a time when things were better, then feel how that was. The feeling will bring it faster.

And always, write down what you want. It's like placing your order with the Universe.

And we are going to the casino tomorrow.

Did I tell you, I won at the casino?

Be a part of the Prosperity Experiment. Kits will be available soon. Go to http://www.crawfordwriting.com/ and click on "Prosperity Experiment".

Don't Stop Believing-EVER.

For those of you who think that there's no hope in the world, just take a look at the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Twins. Both had tough games in the last two days. Both won, in spite of the odds against them.

Why do people give up so easily? Most of the successful people in this world, the entrepeneurs, the businessmen and businesswomen, the movers and shakers, are the ones who stick it out to the end. They are the ones that try, just one more time, even if they have everything to lose. Why?

Giving up is easy. Sometimes it's encouraged. Heaven forbid someone take the "Road Not Taken" as Robert Frost wrote of, and go through the hard and tangled brush, the difficulty, the obstacles, even those we erect ourselves. It's easier to take the smoother path.

But what fun is that?

Being a writer in a world that doesn't exactly encourage pursuing that career path is hard, difficult, and if you aren't selling books or articles or anything you produce from your craft, can lead you to financial poverty.

But what about the poverty of your soul?

I don't want everyone who has the desire to be a writer, or artist, or entrepeneur to just quit their job and go do it without some serious thought and planning and discussion with their family. But I don't want to see people living like a zombie, stuck in a job that just barely takes care of the necessities and nothing else. There's more to life than just paying the bills.

In the last few entries, and in the last few weeks, I have been promoting my ebooks and the fundraiser I'm participating in this month. It's not about the money and at the same time, it's all about the money.

Money is a tool. It's a way to measure success or failure, and it brings a lot of good things along with it when it arrives: food, shelter, electricity, phone service, Internet connection service, gas for the car, and a nice donation to a great organization.

I'm a writer by choice, and at the same time, I have no choice.

Writing to me is like breathing. I can't stop writing, and I can't stop breathing. Being able to write something other people will enjoy, or be helped by, or be informed by or even laugh when they feel like crying is the reason I write. And getting paid to do that is even better. It's the dream of all of us to live our lives doing what we love, and get paid to do it.

I was told by several people that they wouldn't buy my book, "The Golden Rules of Making Money (And How To Use Them)" and that's ok. It's not for everyone, just like romance novels aren't my thing either. If you wait for everyone to be happy with what you do, you will never do anything.

And if you decide that you will do what you love no matter what, and find a way to get a paid for it, just know that the path is not going to be easy, but when you come out on the other side, the view from here is spectacular.

And it's actually a lot of fun getting here, too.

But if you give up, the trip is over. Just don't stop believing and keep on going, you never know if you'll make it if you just quit.

Ask the Vikings and the Twins.

Think Pink Book Challenge

The 1,000 Book Challenge for
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month


Hi, Everyone,

As you know I was issued a challenge a few weeks ago.

To sell 1,000 books by Halloween (October 31, 2009).

I've decided to take $1 (one dollar) from each book sold and donate it to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of my mother and her two sisters.

All three were diagnosed, underwent surgical intervention and chemotherapy and radaition for the two sisters.
Here's their story: A Tale of Three Sisters

In return for helping me reach my goal, I have some great bonuses for you.
First, you will receive the first two chapters of my book "Permission Granted".

Second, you will receive a free pass to my upcoming teleseminar, a $25 value.

Third, the price of the book "The Golden Rules of Making Money (And How To Use Them)" will stay at $19 until Halloween.

Fourth, my gratitude in helping an organization that helps thousands of women survive this disease and helps their families cope with the trauma of surgery and treatment, with courage, humor and community. Each customer will receive a personal thank you from me.

As of now, there are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors. But many more can be saved if the disease is detected early. Please do your breast self-exams at least once a month and get a mammogram every year.

In this economy, there are women who are not getting the tests they need to get an early diagnosis and early treatment. There are ways to get a free or low cost mammogram and cervical cancer screening, just go to http://www.mnsage.com/ and see if you qualify.

For more information, go to my Resources page at http://www.crawfordwriting.com/ and click on "Think Pink Links."

I can't wait to exceed this challenge.

Thank you in advance for all your help,

Laura