Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Water is a great teacher...

by Madisyn Taylor


Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and humility.


The journey of water as it flows upon the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Water begins its residence on earth as it falls from the sky or melts from ice and streams down a mountain into a tributary or stream. In the same way, we come into the world and begin our lives on earth. Like a river that flows within the confines of its banks, we are born with certain defining characteristics that govern our identity. We are born in a specific time and place, within a specific family, and with certain gifts and challenges. Within these parameters, we move through life, encountering many twists, turns, and obstacles along the way just as a river flows.

Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and humility. When a river breaks at a waterfall, it gains energy and moves on, as we encounter our own waterfalls, we may fall hard but we always keep moving on. Water can inspire us to not become rigid with fear or cling to what’s familiar. Water is brave and does not waste time clinging to its past, but flows onward without looking back. At the same time, when there is a hole to be filled, water does not run away from it in fear of the dark; instead, water humbly and bravely fills the empty space. In the same way, we can face the dark moments of our life rather than run away from them.

Eventually, a river will empty into the sea. Water does not hold back from joining with a larger body, nor does it fear a loss of identity or control. It gracefully and humbly tumbles into the vastness by contributing its energy and merging without resistance. Each time we move beyond our individual egos to become part of something bigger, we can try our best to follow the lead of the river.


Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

The secret lies in the LITTLE Things…

Lies in the LITTLE Things…

by Hall of Fame Speaker Floyd Wickman



“Floyd, what’s the secret of success?”  I get asked that one a lot.  I usually have to chuckle to myself a little thinking, well gee, if I REALLY had all the answers I’d be on a mountain somewhere in robes with people climbing up to get my advice right?  Oh well, for this one – no mountains required.  The secret to success is different for everyone – depending on what their definition of success really is.   I can tell you one thing I’ve learned through the years though with ultimate surety and that is “There’s nothing special about special people, it’s what they do every day that make them special.”  In other words, there’s no “secret.”   Success – at least in terms of building a better business, nurturing stronger relationships, and finding peace of mind is a matter of doing all the necessary little things every day.

What KIND of “Little Things”?

Service:  Master salespeople make this a top priority.  Their integrity, values and reputation are on the line.  It’s not enough to just be “good” at your job – when you’re working with clients, you’ve got to make their number one goal – your number one goal.  Service is about doing your best and being your best for the people your represent.  From listening (more than talking sometimes) to fine-tuning your negotiation skills so that you can always be sure to protect their interests to just plain developing a relationship with them so you know where they are and how you can be help.

Commitment:  This is one of those “little things” that’s really a big thing.  From the job you’re doing to the personal and professional relationships in your life – people have to know they can count on you.  That you’re in.  That if you say you’re going to do something – you do it.  You don’t have to do more – but they know you’ll never do less.

Time:  It’s a precious commodity.  We only get 24 hours a day to do what we need to do.  Make sure that you’re managing it well so that the people in your life are a priority.  So that you’re taking time to re-charge and take care of yourself.  And so that you’ve got systems in place and you’re putting in the work to ensure you’ll be on track for your goals.

There’s lots of “secrets” to success.  The key is to look at what success means to you then figure out what YOU can do every day that makes you “special” and brings you closer to where you want to go.  And if you need help — contact us.  We’ve been training salespeople to succeed beyond their wildest expectations for more than 30 years.  Tell me – what’s YOUR secret?

Love,



Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

'If' By Rudyard Kipling

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!


Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Passenger - Let her go



Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Hold on just a little longer…

By M Kipp
You’ve probably heard about ULP before – it’s an Upper Limit Problem as defined by Gay Hendricks.
 
It basically means that we only allow ourselves to feel “so good” until we create behavior to prevent ourselves from feeling any better.
 
That is to say, we all have a thermostat of how happy we allow ourselves to be – because if we were any happier, there’s a part of us that thinks we’ll die.
 
I see ULP’s all the time in my work. Since I’m leading the Writer’s Mastermind here in Ubud, Bali – I’m also seeing our clients overcome their ULP’s and breakthrough to a new level of creative potential they never thought possible.
 
I don’t believe in self-sabotage. I think it’s a total crock. Think about it – have you ever woken up and thought to yourself, “Well, today feels like a GREAT day to sabotage my dreams?”
 
Of course not.
 
But, what I do believe in is self-protection.
 
We protect ourselves everyday. When we cross the street. With our financial decisions. Going to the doctor – changing our diets, etc., etc.
 
Protection is key to survival, but we can become too overbearing in our protection and squander our dreams.
 
You see, right when folks hit their ULP – they want to give up, they want to throw in the towel – but that is the exact moment that you should keep going.
 
All the major breakthroughs and revelations in my life have come just on the other side of not giving up.
 
There is a Uni-versal pattern that decrees that just outside the zone where you would normally give up is a world with a greater possibility than you could now imagine with more liberal rules for what’s possible.
 
The only thing keeping you stuck is a convincing story about why you can’t have what you want. You are self-sabotaging, and you are self-protecting.
 
But are you protecting yourself to such a degree that you are ULPing all over yourself?
 
What if you could take this new action, not give up and hold on just a little longer…
 
What then?
Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Thank you Floyd

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´
¸.•´ ¸.•*¨)¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´(¸.• (¸.•´¸¸.•¨¯`•.¸¸.Happy Birthday to my mentor Floyd Wickman!

Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Goodbye to My friend Lee C Owens (Age 53) of St. Clair Michigan

I stopped in to my local hardware store and I noticed my favorite employee, Lee was not there. I said, "Where's the Cowboy today?" (Lee was from Texas) and they said, "You didn't hear?" I said, "No." "Lee passed away last Friday." I was really saddened by this news. Not because Lee was a great guy, but because Lee was a grumpy guy and it was my mission to make him smile and to try to change his attitude even if just for a few minutes while he waited on me. There was a real sadness about Lee and I never knew his life story but I do know that he allowed bad experiences (whether as a victim or by his own choices) to cast a long shadow on his life. I'm gonna miss you Lee, thanks for being you because you caused me to live very consciously.
Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Let others...

Photo: Visit and subscribe to our official website for more inspirational quotes: www.PositiveOutlooksBlog.com
Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Simply be yourself.

By simply being yourself, you can help the people in your life see a living example of consciousness.


1. Living by your values allows you to become a positive source of inspiration for others. Don’t hide – express yourself and embrace life without reservation. By simply being yourself, you can help the people in your life see how one person can make a difference by being a living example of consciousness.

2. When you communicate your views, do so casually and in a nondogmatic manner. Allow the people you speak with to ask questions. Offer only as much information as they are ready to hear.

3. Igniting the spark of consciousness can be as easy as giving someone a gift. A favorite book, a medicine bag, or a beautiful gemstone can pique your loved ones’ curiosity and prompt them to begin an exploration of the soul.

4. Teaching a friend, relative, or colleague to meditate or chant can put them on the path to consciousness while simultaneously reducing their stress levels.

5. Others may want to know more about living consciously but are unsure of how to begin. Starting a discussion group – even a virtual one – can help you reach out to individuals that are eager to learn.

6. By recognizing and acknowledging the inherent value in everyone you encounter, you can teach them how to value others. Sometimes, the easiest way to encourage people – even challenging ones - to respect others is to respect them first.

7. Invite people from your personal and professional lives to join you in attending a ceremony or ritual. The experience may touch them in a profound way or introduce them to a new spiritual path.

8. Casually point out the interconnectedness of all living beings using concrete, everyday examples. Many people are unaware of how their actions affect the world and are intrigued when they learn of the power they hold.

9. Introduce your loved ones to conscious living in a lighthearted and enjoyable way. Serve delicious organic recipes at gatherings, volunteer as a group, and show them how wonderful it can feel to be truly aware and connected to the universe.


Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Tell everyone You Know!

"Tell everyone you know: "My happiness depends on me, so you're off the hook.' And then demonstrate it. Be happy, no matter what they're doing. Practice feeling good, no matter what. And before you know it, you will not give anyone else responsibility for the way you feel-and then, you'll love them all. Because the only reason you don't love them, is because you're using them as your excuse to not feel good."
 
- Esther Abraham-Hicks
Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Friday, October 4, 2013

The Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way.

"What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon. Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested."
 
- Paulo Coelho

Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Know that your future is always bright, no matter what your age.

Hello Dear Ones,

Louise Hay NewsletterI’m going to be 87 next week. I choose to see my life moving in different directions, all of them equally good. Some things are even better now than the way they were in my youth. My younger years were filled with fear; my todays are filled with confidence.

My own life really didn’t begin to have meaning until I was in my mid-40s. At the age of 50, I began my writing career on a very small scale. The first year I made a profit of $42. At 55, I ventured into the world of computers. They scared me, but I took classes and overcame the fear. Today I have three computers and travel with my iPad and iPhone everywhere! At 60, I had my first garden. At this same time, I enrolled in a children’s art class and began to paint. At 70 and 80, I was more creative and my life continues to get richer and fuller.

I still write, I lecture, I teach through my actions. I am constantly reading and studying. I own a very successful publishing company and have two non-profits. I’m a dedicated organic gardener. I grow most of my own food. I love people and parties. I have many loving friends. I travel extensively. I also am still painting and taking classes. My life has really become a treasure chest of experiences.

I want to help you create a conscious idea of your later years, to help you realize that these can be the most rewarding years of your life. Know that your future is always bright, no matter what your age. See your later years becoming your treasure years.

Instead of just getting old and giving up and dying, let’s learn to make a huge contribution to life. We have the time, we have the knowledge, and we have the wisdom to move out into the world with love and power.

Step forward, use your voice, get out in the world, and LIVE!

Love,

Signature

Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Give me good health and the strength to be of real service to the world...

"Deliver me from all evildoers that talk nothing but sickness and failure. Grant me the companionship of men who think success and men who work for it. Loan me associates who cheerfully face the problems of a day and try hard to overcome them. Relieve me of all cynics and critics. Give me good health and the strength to be of real service to the world, and I'll get all that's good for me, and will give what's left to those who want it."

- William Feather


Lisa Ekanger Your Hometown Realtor!