rainbowsoverruins

You Should Probably Dream More

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Over the past few weeks, as Home & Family took the show on the road, I visited Dollywood, the theme park that Dolly Parton developed.  Surprisingly, the treasure that I took away from the trip is that we should all dream more.

Approximately 30 years ago, Dolly Parton made an announcement on TV that she was going to give back to her community by building a theme park.  Everyone took it as a joke.  The reality was that Dolly was serious.  Her entire career was a combination of incredible talent, inspired by her roots – family, faith and the Great Smoky Mountains.   Her songs like Tennessee Mountain Home captured the heart and soul of its people and contributed to her success – so she began to dream her theme park into existence.

She found an old, existing theme park near her home town of Sevierville, Tennessee, went into partnership with him and began to build.  She found joint venture partners and sponsors who helped her.  I think Dolly would call this “putting wings and feet and legs on your dreams.”  Thirty years later, Dollywood is a prominent theme park, boasting some of the best roller coasters in the country according to roller coaster enthusiasts.  By holding onto her vision as a way to give back to the community, she now employs approximately 4000 people and the entire region has benefited financially as outside attractions pop up in the surrounding areas.

There is a great deal of visual dreaming apparent when you see Dollywood.  It’s as if Dolly sings from her soul and imbues it upon all that she touches.  First, she didn’t build a theme park on a parking lot.   Instead, she preserved the natural topography, including a brook that runs through the park.   Ducks are part of the ecosystem – and in the evening as the park is closing, they emerge from their watery nooks to sleep on the walkways throughout the park.  The mountains are an exquisite backdrop to the amusement space.

She must have thought fondly of the people who lived in poverty stricken Appalachia as she grew up.  Dolly’s songs and music emerged from this humble background.  She uses what she appreciated to build her businesses.  She plays the mountain instruments, like guitar, dulcimer, and autoharp.  She sings their stories.  She brings their history to the public eye with theatrical presentations, displays and museums throughout the park.  The blacksmiths, potters, candle makers and glass blowers that populate Craftsman’s Valley in the park now are reminiscent of those times and she has kept the artisans at work for the past 30 years.

Of course, food plays a big role at the park where traditional Southern cooking dominates – from taffy to cinnamon bread, turkey legs to fried chicken sandwiches and, of course, the story of stone soup.  The classic “Stone Soup” is retold as an example of how Dolly’s mom provided special attention to her children through their contributions to the stone soup in hard times.

Even faith gets its due within the park with the presence of an old chapel, moved onto the property.  This chapel has a real chaplain, a member of a resort chaplains association, and provides regular Sunday services to all who wish to attend.  Peter and I spent a few moments taking in the classic old church as we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at the park.

As Ms. Parton said on our TV show, “one dream leads to another.”  Her dream of a theme park led to one of a resort hotel where people could stay when they came to visit Dollywood.  She must have dreamed of its grand entry and magnificent picture window that opens upon all the outdoor pool facilities.

Dolly calls it their “watering hole,” just like the ones she knew as a child.   From the staircase leading down to it, you are high above it all and view the mountains rolling away into the distance.  Rocking chairs are an ever present reminder of times spent out on porches at night.  In her desire to make the hotel family friendly, she even provides bunk beds in the rooms next to the main beds, as well as refrigerators and microwaves (on request).   There is a camp for kids near the indoor pool.   Even the lounge echoes its Appalachian origins in the moonshine mason jars collage behind the bar.

Ms. Parton believes in the power of dreams and actively educates people to dream more.  Obviously, the name Dreammore Resort echoes her feelings, as well as her favorite inspirational sayings hung in all the corridors of the hotel, the dream box on display in the lower lobby, and the multitude of butterflies woven into the carpeting and other places.   When she speaks, you hear the message loud and clear.  “Love one another more.  Dream more, care more, do more and be more.”

On yet a deeper level, Dolly Parton carries her history and her vision into the contributions she makes to the community.  Her father could not read or write,  inspiring her to create a literacy project called Imagination Library, in which every child in the area receives a book when they are born and every month thereafter until they go to school.  The program has grown to include the entire State of Tennessee and beyond.  Dreaming comes from imagining and books can help us imagine.

Dolly has also worked with the American Eagle Foundation for 27 years.  To her, saving our national symbol from extinction was a way to honor and appreciate the wildlife in her roots.  Today, visitors to the park can see injured bald eagles recuperating on the slopes above them, contribute to the breeding and preservation of the species, and get to see the beauty of an eagle in flight as we did when the eagle Challenger flew overhead during our stage show.  It is an incredibly moving experience.

Dolly Parton has mastered the ability to manifest her dreams as she incorporates her roots and her values into her music, businesses and philanthropy.  She might say it more simply.  Standing on stage, she seems so genuine – raised in faith, building upon her roots and making a difference in the lives of others.   She is truly an inspiration and a reminder that we should all dream more.  As Dolly puts it, a dream is a wish plus work – and you can make that happen.

All of this came about because Dolly Parton had a dream. The best thing I can ask for you today is that you dream more and learn to do the tasks that lead you to their expression.

To Your Success,

Susan

 

Going Viral with Appreciation

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Did you feel it? My inbox and social media sites have been filled with expressions of gratitude as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the States.

Since the publication of Rainbows Over Ruins, I often hear from people who have been inspired by my story. After all, if I can survive the after effects of a landslide, and go on to thrive, others can hold onto the possibility that they can too – in all areas of life. They can use the road map I have shared in order to come to understand the power of their minds and retrain their thinking. They can start to grasp the creative process.

Still, when you are in the midst of a crisis, where do you begin? I used to ask myself, how do people pull themselves up by the bootstraps when they have no boots? And the answer was to imagine the boots. It may be a little too simplistic, but imagination is one of the great powers of the mind. Over time, I’ve found that our imagination yields richer results when we open its treasures with an attitude of gratitude and appreciation.

So how do we start? How do we express a sense of appreciation when we are at a low ebb in our emotional life? Here it is. Take the time to appreciate one thing in your life that makes you feel better, brings joy or a hint of well-being every day.

There is an immediate shift in the energy you are putting out. The new energies are closer to what you want to be feeling. The magnetism of that improved frequency draws more of the same. The more you do it, the more you attract.

One of the cornerstones of my meditative work is to express gratitude. I have been following someone’s suggestion that I look for 10 things every day for which I am thankful. Sometimes I have to stretch to think of so many things, but I focus on this feeling as it opens me to new and wonderful ideas during the rest of the day. It does not matter what it may be – a moment of rest and relaxation, sunshine, rain, food, shelter, loved ones, being greeted by a happy pet, solitude, friendship, a new inspired thought, a surprise gift, the opportunity to give to others, goals achieved, the ability to work toward my goals, the connection to consciousness and on and on. The key is to express your appreciation every day.

So what are you happy for today? What are you grateful for? What do you appreciate? If you are looking for an action step to improve your life, grab a pen, pencil or crayon and memorialize it in your journal or drawing pad – even on the back of a napkin. And keep doing it. If you’d like to spread the sense of appreciation to others, send me a comment, make a You-tube video, let the people who serve you know that they are appreciated. Let’s keep the feeling of Thanksgiving going. Let’s go viral with the feeling of appreciation.

May you share your love in the form of appreciation to all around you today.

To Your Success,

Susan

What if you had a “piano teacher” for your mind?

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Sharing the creative process and being what Noah St. John calls a “loving mirror” to others is similar to developing a pianist or fine athlete.  A piano teacher or athletic coach offers principles and techniques designed to teach you to make music or play a winning game. Similarly, a piano teacher for your mind teaches and offers constructive guidance to help you improve your life or achieve your dreams.

Do you remember those early lessons? Scales repeated every day, reaching for chords that stretched the flexibility of hands, learning to read the notes on the page, and beginning to discover the voice and tempo of a simple composition from clues written on the sheet music… In the beginning, it seemed mundane and arduous; a chore set before you by parents and teachers alike. 

Yet over time, with much daily practice and many weekly classes, we developed a certain agility. Our hands flowed more smoothly over the keys. We made fewer jarring mistakes and we made music. People noticed the improvement and started to appreciate what we were doing.

As long as we kept practicing to maintain these skills and get into the rhythmic feeling of the compositions, the piano yielded its treasures. We mastered them first for ourselves, then gradually shared them with our families, a school band or concert orchestra.  Perhaps we expanded our reach and participated in plays, on a team, or made movies.  We developed resiliency and strength to perform under the pressure of public presentation.

Why do others care about our music or creativity? Why do they come to watch or listen to our performances? Why do they value it? It’s my contention that we express our feelings through our craft and the audience listens because they like the way we make them feel.  And in return, we value the appreciation we feel when they respond to our work.

Our piano teacher is often the first one to guide us to this experience, supporting us through the early developmental stages, providing constructive criticism to help us improve and cheering us on as we achieve new milestones and try our hands at something new.

The analogy here is that the way we think needs to be nurtured in much the same way. We have a mind and we go to school to learn skills that we can use throughout life to help us survive and live a comfortable life. If we grow up in a spiritual home, we learn to pray, attend services or meetings with others and come to value service to our fellow beings.

But without the guidance of a “piano teacher of the mind,” we may not be fully aware of how we may coordinate these two aspects of the mind to create the life we desire. A teacher would help raise our awareness of the qualities of the conscious and non- or subconscious mind. In the materialistic world we do not always recognize the value of the subconscious mind – its open, receptive nature and ability to connect with what quantum physics calls fields of all possibility.  A teacher can help us learn techniques like afformations in order to collaborate with the subconscious mind’s inherent nature and obtain desired results. Anyone who can ask a question can learn to do this.

As a teaching guide to the mind and conscious creativity, my task is to show you the basics and raise your awareness that the subconscious mind does not judge. It accepts what come to it whether good or bad – and reacts in kind.  Your results depend upon both your conscious thoughts and the effect of your feelings as well.  With regular practice you can learn to use tools and techniques to manage both in order to influence the subconscious for your benefit. You can set up a daily inner routine for the mind that is even more powerful than what you do in your outer activities.

Your personal process requires practice, just like learning to play the piano. It also benefits from regular interaction with the teachers who support your growth and others with similar interests. It is inspired by companionship with those who express their joy and speak of discovering new awareness. It benefits from the presence of others who help us see what we may have missed and then help us adjust.

I have long since lost contact with my first piano teachers and my fingers are not so nimble on the keys these days.  Perhaps if I had stayed in touch, my musical skills would be far better. But I know the value of such teachers and apply it in my daily practice routine for my mind.  And I am grateful for interaction with those who keep my skill set up to date now.

If you want all the benefits to be gained through knowledge of the mind in order to get the results you desire, may I suggest you ask for your piano teacher of the mind, learn the basics of the creative process and practice regularly.  With your loving mirror nearby, you can clear the way and enjoy the full expression of your creativity.  Let me know if I can help.

Do You Know Your Value?

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I was thinking about how to identify the audience who would be interested in my offerings when I listened to what Noah St. John had to say about value – the value we bring to others. It made sense to me that before we can identify an audience, we need to know our value so that we can communicate it. However, this has been challenging to me personally. In fact, that’s part of the reason that my book Rainbows Over Ruins took the form that it did. When I began to write, I believed in the value of the success principles, not necessarily in my personal value. Over time, I learned that sharing my experiences, both positive and negative, as an example of someone applying these principles has a value to others.

So why don’t we always see this easily? Noah explains it simply. We cannot see ourselves without the assistance of a mirror. And when we look for a mirror, we want an honest mirror, not one provided by a funhouse that distorts our image. When it comes to the value we provide others, the mirror is not a physical tool, but rather what is reflected back to us from other people. Noah calls them “loving mirrors.” They are the people around us who believe in us even before we are able to believe in ourselves.

There is a special feeling connected with people who support us this way. I was most aware of it when I was studying psychosynthesis and in other group settings. As we shared thoughts, feelings and experiences together, we understood that our role was to listen and support others as they worked through issues in their lives in confidence. Whatever we heard there stayed there. We could share ways we handled similar situations, perspectives we had gained, behaviors we changed and how we changed them. We did not attack or challenge. What we shared was designed to help, not criticize. As often as possible, we found ways to appreciate others for their shares and the value they brought to our lives.

Because a support group is able to show the value we bring to their lives and to others, we gradually come to believe that we can change, cope, improve or acquire new skills. We come to believe that we have value and feel confident about sharing it with others.

Who are the people you would place on your list? They may or may not come from family and friends, co-workers or superiors. In fact, many people do not believe that they have any people who support them in such a positive way. That’s one of the best reasons to find a coach, mentor, support or mastermind group where you can feel the support you need. Once you do, you will find it easier to go after your goals by eliminating any negativity that works against your success.

Part of my daily routine is to express gratitude for the blessings I experience. Included in that list are an ever growing list of people who provide the support I need to keep reaching for growth, expansion and the creation of something new on a regular basis. I have learned that no matter in what circumstances you find yourself, you can find solutions if you are willing to ask for help, be open to receive the assistance that comes your way and then help others in return.

The thought brings to mind a beautiful image shared in spiritual circles of an individual climbing up a rock surface. One arm is extended up to those above him on the mountain. They help him. He, in return, has his other hand reaching back to assist those below who are also climbing. That’s the way I feel about my own journey. Picture me reaching up to those who have taken this journey before me. Now, I’d love to reach back and help you use the creative process to accomplish your goals. Together, we can climb the mountain.

Reporting in: I am where I am and it’s okay

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I am surprised to see how long it has been since I last posted here. Life has taken me off on a creative journey that has consumed every waking moment – and probably quite a few sleeping moments as well. I am happy to report that I am pleased with where I am now. It has taken several years to move from the night of the landslide through the rebuilding process, yet today, I stand at a place of infinite possibility.

You would think it would be enough to have found a ranch to replace the one we lost or to be part of a daily morning show like “Home and Family” that airs on Hallmark Channel. But that was only a piece of the puzzle.

Along the way, I became fascinated with the creative process. What did we do to make the ranch a reality? How could I learn to do that consciously? How could I help others do it too? I had studied to become a life coach, then refined my studies to understand the power of the mind and success principles as one of Bob Proctor’s LifeSuccess Consultants. Bob encouraged each of his students to write a book, but who was I to write? What could I write that would have meaning for anyone else?

In the end, I decided to translate an outline of the creative process into real life experience. The old adage held true – if you really want to know a subject, teach others about it. I set out to live what I was learning and share that journey. It was painful at times as I wrestled with the application of new ideas on old paradigms. Whenever I hit a roadblock in my understanding that interfered with the writing, new experiences would crop up to help me learn what was needed to move forward.

It took time to write, but after working with the editors at Balboa Press, I expect to place the resulting book titled “Rainbows Over Ruins” in physical production shortly. There will also be a free e-workbook available for anyone who would like to be mentored on their own creative journey while reading my story.

“Rainbows Over Ruins” is what one of my colleagues calls a Siddhartha journey. Along the way, I learned that the creative process embodies success principles. Creativity is an intimate dance with quantum consciousness, the interplay of conscious ideas, questions, and feelings with the power of the subconscious mind to take action and get results.

As I prepare to update listings to reflect my new status as author, I feel a bit like Indiana Jones, about to step off at a leap of faith location. I am so grateful for the support of my many mentors and colleagues. We have to do things on our own, but we do not do them alone. In that spirit, I offer the following question to get your juices flowing. Why do you want to create what you want today?

To Your Success,

Susan

Coming soon: The Let’s Make Money Success Conference

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Have you ever been so busy that you are not quite sure what is the most important thing to do with your day? That’s where I am right now. I am hosting and producing several projects right now. We are planning the Let’s Make Money Blogtalkradio show, have just begun to shoot the preliminary footage for The Think and Grow Rich Experiment and it’s only a couple weeks until my Let’s Make Money Success Conference event on October 5th, in Valencia, CA.

The big question is whether I can reach out to enough people to let them know the conference is happening. Viral social media is great if you catch the wave, but I feel as if I am struggling to stand up on the board, let alone ride all the way to shore. I have so much to learn.

However, even though it is challenging, if we want to succeed in today’s marketplace, it’s important to embrace the new ways of reaching other people. The consumer has changed. No one wants to be interrupted by telemarketers, wade through piles of mail left for the day when you have any ‘extra’ time to go through it. In fact, we don’t generally want to deal with sales pitches of any kind.

And the solution might be? It would be nice if I could hear you ask it. The solution is to really understand your client’s problems so that you can provide them some piece of information, some solution they want, as a gift. Then they are more likely to ‘lean in’ to your offer.

That’s why I will be spending the next couple weeks scouring resources to find information that will be valuable to the people I’d like to attend my conference. Such as referring them to Felix Hung’s blog “Babyboomers Without a Retirement Nestegg: Build a Business.” Building a business is one of the ways that I want to help people find to Make Money. The great revelation is that opportunities are everywhere if people will change their mindset.

That’s the theme of the Let’s Make Money Success Conference. We can create our own economy. We don’t have to listen to the news. We can create our own jobs, rather than waiting for someone else to decide we are good enough to work for them. We all have infinite potential to accomplish great things if we will just let go of the habitual thoughts that hold us back. There’s so much more to share. I’d love you to come to the conference and hear more.

Here are the details: Let’s Make Money Success Conference at the Hilton Garden Hotel opposite 6 Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA on October 5th. I will be joined by Rusty McMillen, ICR, Numis Network speaking about multiple streams of income and network marketing, as well as Kim Barbieri, managing director of The Martini Factory who is an expert in visual marketing solutions for the Internet and Mobile. It’s a day to network and be part of a business expo.

If you’d like more information, please go to the website, www.let-us-make-money.com. And seriously, Let’s Make Money!

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