Stop talking and thinking about getting started...just START!

When I was in Texas, I was talking to my daughter in law about how hard it was to start my video taping. I love teaching, talking and working with people, but just trying to look into that little camera lense seems soooooo hard. I was telling her about what others told me I should try and do. It seems like everyone has a different opinion and so I am trying to do them all. She just laughed and said, "Lynn, you don't have to do everything that everyone tells you, do what you feel is right, just get started and you will learn as you go". This younger generation are wise beyond their years aren't they? Yet someday they too will be in my shoes... a bit older and then maybe a bit timid about starting a brand new adventure at an older age. But then again, everyone's personality is different...I like things that are sure, steady and familiar...that really sums me up!

I now have a young girl who knows something about video taping and she is helping to tutor me in this whole process of mine. In turn I am teaching her to crochet!
 I am shocked at how much better I did when she was here. Maybe because I hadn't shared my fears and anxiety about it all to her. She just got behind the camera, wrote a few notes on the wipe off board for me, and before I knew it she was counting down 3, 2, 1... and I just started. Mostly because I guess I didn't want to let her down. She just believed I could do it, so I finally begun and I am still working at it.

My daughter sent me this article about just getting started on goals that you have had. I have just given you some of it, you can read the whole article HERE:
The reason I took out some parts, is because her language was a bit too colorful for me.
Anyway they were some great tips on how to get started!

Listen, there is no "right way" to start. What's important is that you START.

But starting can be scary, I know. Really scary. And there are a lot of things that might try to hold you back.

You cannot let that happen.

If this is something you want, then grab it by the horns and face it head on. I skirted around my dreams of starting my own blog biz for 3 whole years. Don't waste time like I did.

Today, I'm sharing the 4 main things that held me back, how I overcame them, and how YOU can overcome them too.

1. Focusing on the fear.

I'd always been drawn to the idea of letting my voice be heard, but for an introvert like me, I remained on the sidelines as an observer and nothing more. But I was sick of being an observer. I wanted to be a doer.

But my fear sucked away my energy. I constantly worried about the "what-ifs." 

Try this:

If you're only focusing on the worst case scenario, you're cheating yourself of all the great things that could result instead.

I'll be honest with you, my fear isn't something I've "conquered" or eliminated. It's always there.

Whenever I publish a new post, approach someone new, or push myself out of my comfort zone, I'm always TERRIFIED.

But that's okay. Wanna know why?

Because I do it anyway.

Fear isn't something we can truly eliminate, but it IS something we can overcome.

That's the key. There's no shortcut around it. Accept your fear and acknowledge that it's there, BUT THEN DO IT ANYWAY. Whatever your "it" is.

2. Not knowing where to begin or where to go from there.

I spent hours at a time reading blog post after blog post and book after book trying to learn everything I could. For 3 YEARS.

I'd be a millionaire if I had a penny for every wasted second I spent researching things that wouldn't make a world of a difference in helping me start.

I thought if I could learn more about x, y, or z, THEN I would be ready. THEN I could start. Over and over again I kept thinking like this, all the while not even knowing what "starting" really looked like.

When it came down to it, I was procrastinating.

You learn best by doing. What works for someone else isn't always going to work for you. You have to experiment. The way you create, work, and live is entirely unique to you. Just because you go about things differently doesn't make you wrong.

Try this:

Write out all of your goals.

Take some time to really think about what it is you wish to accomplish, and then WRITE THEM DOWN. Don't just think about them. Make them real. Commit to your goals. Tell your family or friends, create a poster for your wall, or do whatever it is you need to do in order to hold yourself accountable.

I made my goal of starting a blog public when I officially set my launch day. I gave myself a month and a half to get things ready, which might not sound like a lot of time, but it's what got me hustling. I was done with wasting time.

Choose one main goal to focus on and break it down into manageable chunks.

For me, starting a blog was my main goal. Now that's all well and good, but unless I had taken the time to map out exactly what steps I needed to take to get there, I probably wouldn't be writing this post.

I had to do some reverse engineering that looked something like this:

• Start writing blog posts (what do I write about?)
• Topics in my niche (how do I find my niche?)
• Figure out what it is I really want to do and who I want to help (how will I share these things?)
• Develop my brand (how do I raise awareness?)
• Network and form meaningful relationships with others (where do I find people?)
• Become more active on social media (but how do I get over my fear and stick with it?)
• Make a public commitment (what will hold me accountable?)
• Set a launch date (what do I do now?)
• Set up a website (how do I start a website?)
• Find a hosting provider (how do I find out which one is right for me?)
• Start a trial with Squarespace (how do I set it up in time?)
• Set a schedule and stick to it (what if I'm not ready?)
• Launch and learn

By breaking things down one step at a time, it's much easier to visualize where you're headed and what you need to do to get there. From this basic outline, I was able to make a plan that covered the main points I needed to make my goals a reality.

Were there some unexpected surprises? Of course. There always will be. But since I had already carved myself a rough path, I was much better equipped to face them.

3. Fear of networking.

I used to be straight up terrified of anything that could be remotely categorized as networking. Facebook groups were intimidating. Twitter was overwhelming (sending out a tweet was out of the question, let alone tweeting TO someone). And emails? Ohhh man, the thought of sending one of those was a nightmare.

But I knew that if I ever wanted this to become a real thing, I had to start reaching out to others. My blog would not have launched with the same impact it did if I hadn't been actively utilizing social media.

You shouldn't have to run your blog biz alone. You DON'T have to.

Try this:

Share other's content on social media.

Even if your website is not anywhere near launch, start sharing. You can never start sharing too soon. By sharing other's content, you're supporting your fellow bloggers by spreading the word, easing yourself into the flow of social media, and opening doors to future connections and friendships.

One of my favorite tools for this is Buffer, which allows you to schedule updates in advance as well as shorten URLs. It's played a big part in helping me stay active by consistently sharing useful content with my followers.

Comment on other blogs.

I know this is almost like a blogger cliché, but that's because commenting on other blogs is such an essential part to building relationships and extending your outreach.

Be sure your comments offer something of value to the post's author. Don't just say things like "Wow, great post!" or worse "Nice! Come check out my blog now!" 

Show that you actually put in the effort to read through their post. Talk about points that resonated with you most, your experiences, or any questions you might have.

4. Lack of confidence.

Second guessing myself is something I've always struggled with. I'll even second guess the dumbest of things.

In addition to the blog, I also run a music studio business. One time when I was shopping for supplies, I was struggling to decide on which stickers would get me the most for my money while still appealing to my students. Safari animals with 251 stickers or cute little owls with 248? Or maybe springtime flowers with 257??? WHICH DO I CHOOSE?!?!

Did I mention they were only $1 each? ....Yeaaahhhh.

So I'm sure you can imagine how indecisive I was when it came to launching an entire website.

I doubted everything and gave into the excessive amount of worries I had. Not to mention the fact that everyone and their cat seemed like they had already jumped on the blogging bandwagon. Why should I?

But the thing is, every single one of us has something unique to offer. You have your own voice, stories, experiences, personality, and opinions that are unlike those of anyone else. These are the things you need to hold onto.

Try this:

Define your WHY.

This is one of, if not THE most important step of starting your blog biz. I mentioned in last week's newsletter how your WHY is the driving force behind everything you do - every blog post, every product, every service, every single piece of content you create. It's the very core of your entire brand.

• Your WHY defines your purpose.
• Your WHY shapes who you are and what you do.
• Your WHY makes you stand out from the crowd.
• Your WHY connects you with other like-minded people and those you can help most.
• Your WHY prevents you from giving up when things get tough.

Since this is such an essential part of your blog biz no matter what stage you're at with it.

As you can tell, I'm no stranger to the fear that comes along with blogging, starting your own business, and putting yourself out there. It's not easy, but I promise you it's so worth it!

What fears have held you back?
How have you overcome them?

Anyway there were some great points in this article that really made me think!

For all of you who continue to wait and support me in this new adventure...thank you!

Thanks for believing in me!

Good night dear friends

What an inspiring quote!

Some days I really need to remember this!
Good Night dear friends!

Motherhood

It is almost Mother's Day and this is the week that many Mothers look back and wonder if they did the best they could when they were raising their family, especially when the kids were young. Now that I am a Grandmother ( Nana ) I realize that there are so many things you are responsible for when they are young, you have schedules, appointments, other children, other commitments, volunteer activities, health concerns, cleaning, washing, counseling, debating, teaching, loving and on and on and on. I was a stay home Mom for almost 30 years, I was with my kids all the time, I tried to wear all those hats at different times to keep my kids safe, clean, happy, responsible and kids who had manners and also be someone who was going to make the world a better place by being in it. Did it work? Was my job easy... or successful 100% Yes and No!
There were times I had to go to school and defend my kids, there were times I took my kids to school to apologize for their behaviors, there were times that I would sit in my room and cry because I thought I was the worst Mom in the world, there were times I thought there is no way I can be all these things to each one of my kids. There were many times when I kissed them goodnight and they told me how much they loved me, that I thought my heart would burst with joy.

The storm is getting closer!

Well the storm is getting closer and so we went through everything in the Emergency Packpacks and storage. Found out that we didnt't have any batteries or not that much non perishable food so... Jeff and Brad went to the store and got a few more things. We have areas right around us that are getting evacuated so we are trying to make sure that things are ready and that we are keeping the news on. Until then we are going to just sit still and hope that the electricity stays on.

Krystal was saying that she loves the weather channel and that she and her Dad used to go out on the porch and watch the storms come in. I asked if she by some chance liked the movie Wizard of Oz, she said Yes, just like I knew she would. I on the other hand had terrible fears as a child of storms, floods and high winds. I actually would stay awake at night wondering if our house was going to flood or blow away. I actually hated the movie Wizard of Oz and tried not to even show it to my kids. :)
But I am getting better and braver as I get older...thank goodness. So for now we are going to just do alot of bonding as a family! :) So at least we are together and safe and we are grateful!

"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship."  ~ Louisa May Alcott
"Storms make the oak grow deeper roots."  ~ George Herbert

 

Hope!

For Mother's Day I received a book from Jeff. It is about Hope! I just started reading it recently and I love it! I wanted to share part of a story that I just read in it.
 The author tells about when he was on a trip in Guatemala. He mentioned that at the top of the mountain everyone was stopping to take photos of the spectacular scenery. As they were there, they saw a father and young boy approaching. The father carried a huge load of firewood, using a leather headband instead of ropes. Called a mecapal in Spanish, this headband had two woven cords extending back past his ears that were fastened to ropes that held the sack in place. He was bent forward so that the weight of the wood  was distributed across his shoulders and back.
He goes on to say that since it was such a great example of the native culture there that they offered to pay him if he would allow them to take their photograph. The father was pleased and posed with his son. Because the light was not quite on his face, someone asked him in Spanish, for the Father to lift his head a little higher. As soon as the man complied, he gave a low cry and stumbled backward, nearly falling before he caught himself. Down came his head, and the load was stabilized. Then someone said " He can't lift his head, he has to keep his head down to keep the load balanced."
The author goes on to compare that to our lives and when burdens are weighing us down. How hard it is to lift up our heads, one because the burdens are so heavy or because we feel abandoned by God, that we have such great burdens and trials anyway. But he reminds us that we need to do exactly that... Lift up our head! For God has promised us that He will help make our burdens light or remove them. Through this we can be strengthened and have hope. ( Matthew 11:28-30 )
So HOPE is the antidote for despair. It may not solve the problem but it can buoy us up and give us the strength and courage we need to go on. We need to remember to lift our heads up, look to God and find great help and endurance.  ( Look up my Soul  by Gerald N. Lund )
I love that, and personally know that it is true. There have many times that I have had to go to God and ask for Him to help me carry my burdens. When I have truly trusted in Him and did all that I could do....somehow I was able to handle and endure what I had to. I can't deny His help, and how grateful I am to know that it will always be there, if I will only lift up my head! 
Good night dear friends!
 

"Where hope would otherwise become hopelessness, it becomes faith." ~ Robert Brault


"Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them."  ~Vincent McNabb

I love Teddy Bears!

A dear friend sent this photo / picture to me today. I love it! I love the whole concept that we can have protection and a friend, to be with us as a child. Most of you know that I collect Teddy Bears. Once I became a Mother, an older and wiser friend told me that I needed to collect something. I asked why, her reply was " all you life your kids and husband will want to get you something, if you can steer them in a certain direction you will be better off. If not you will have to put some real ugly things up in your house! " I laughed so hard...but it is true!
So I thought long and hard about it, and decided I would like to collect Teddy Bears. I would have loved to done that as a child but... didn't have that type of childhood. But if anyone ever needed a Teddy Bear to protect them... I sure did. My monster turned out to be my Grandfather... and so now years later, I am safe and have many beautiful Teddy Bears in my home ( for almost every occasion ). They constantly and simply remind me how SAFE I am, and that is a wonderful feeling. Plus, when I die, they can be given to my children and grandchildren and anyone else who I knew and loved. Yes, that is why I love Teddy Bears and I would love to get a copy of this print!

found this drawing here:

During my second battle with Cancer, I wonder one night as I laid awake in pain and fearful of my future, what in the world Mothers do that have kids battling cancer? How could their hearts handle all that the kids would have to go through? What is there out there to help the kids fight these terrible monsters? Thus came the idea for our Once Upon a Time or Recnac Monsters. It has been neat to sell them ( my girlfriend now makes and sells them ), plus give them away. When I pack one up and send it off to a child battling any life threatening problems, it feels wonderful.  I hope they bring them the same mental picture as the one above.
So the next time life gets really hard, ask for one of our Monsters, or go purchase yourself a sweet Teddy Bear just to be safe!  Good night and sweet dreams dear friends!

This photo is from Lauren's blog, you can find it here:

Once upon a time there was a monster under my bed.
So I shivered and screamed and pulled the covers over my head.
All of a sudden, that monster came out--and do you know what he said?
"can I be your friend and sleep with you instead?"
Congratulations! You've just adopted a ONCE UPON A TIME MONSTER!
Now you'll always have a friend to help you be brave and you'll never be alone again!

Cancer can be scary and I know you are afraid.
Just cuddle up with me and try your best to be brave.
If it helps to ease your worry, go ahead and change the name.
Turn cancer into recnac and see if you feel the same.
Make me your recnac monster; look at my silly face.
I hope I make you smile as you take me from place to place.


Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing."

"There is much in the world to make us afraid.  There is much more in our faith to make us unafraid."  ~Frederick W. Cropp

What is holding you back?

I read this story and loved the moral of the story, hope you do too!

A number of years ago, I had the rather unique experience of being backstage in Madison Square Garden, in New York, during the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.  To say the least, it was a fascinating experience.  I was able to walk around looking at the lions, tigers, giraffes and all the other circus animals.  As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.  No chains, no cages.  It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but, for some reason, they did not.  I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them.  As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away.  They think the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free."  I was amazed.  These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but, because they believed they could not, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because  we failed at it once before?  How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us?  Have you avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs?  Do you tell yourself you can't sell because you're not a salesperson?

http://soulnpeace.com/why-elephants-dont-run.html

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."  ~ Marie Curie

"Success can make you go one of two ways. It can make you a prima donna - or it can smooth the edges, take away the insecurities, let the nice things come out."   ~ Barbara Walters

fear/monsters

When I was a little girl I had some pretty big fears. I just couldn't seem to get control over them. Now having counseled with many abuse victims over the past 25 years, I know that I wasn't the only one. Even those of you, who had normal, happy and safe childhoods, might have had some fears now and then. One thing that has probably been one of the biggest thing many people fear... is Cancer. Now if you think we as adults are the only ones to get scared, we are wrong. When I first got diagnosed with Cancer many years ago, my kids were young and the fear that I felt, transferred over to them. That is exactly why we came up with the word RECNAC instead of CANCER. RECNAC as many of you know is Cancer spelled backwards. Isn't that silly ? You beat it is, but it sure sounds a whole lot better when you have to talk about that scary disease so often. We all could handle seeing MOM'S RECNAC APPOINTMENT AT 9:00 am with Dr. Johnson on the calendar. Also the kids found out quickly if they told any of their friends that I had cancer, then the friends ( well meaning ) would promptly tell them about their Aunt or Grandpa that died of Cancer. To this day ( I am proud to say ) we don't know of any one that has died from RECNAC. :)

Now don't get me wrong. My kids understood the facts about Cancer... but we simply needed to find a way to take the power back from the C word. Recnac (cancer) is a family disease, I don't mean by genes, but because of the effects it has on every person in the family. It was vital for me as a mom to keep a close eye on each child to see how they were holding up, I spoke to counselors, teachers and family members for help and support. Yes, RECNAC ( cancer was a family disease ). It doesn't matter how old your children are either, everyone gets scared!

Since my second bout with Cancer, I have started developing gifts for cancer patients that I hoped would help and make a difference in their healing. As I dreaded going to radiation every day, I wondered how in the world a mom would feel, if it was her child that had the cancer and had to go to radiation each day? Many people say that the  treatments are worse than the disease. So with that in mind I have ( along with a dear friend of mine ) developed some RECNAC GIFTS. Each one is designed to help and comfort the patient in some way . I just want to try and reach as many patients as I can and help them have some hope and comfort during their journey with cancer.

With that in mind, I have designed ( always with the help of my dear friend and family ) yet another RECNAC GIFT. We have developed the ONCE UPON A TIME MONSTERS, each monster comes with a name and the poem below. We are still working on coming up with a  different one for Cancer patients or cancer patient's children. 

Once upon a time there was a monster under my bed.
So I shivered and screamed and pulled the covers over my head.
All of a sudden, that monster came out--and do you know what he said?
"can I be your friend and sleep with you instead?"
Congratulations! You've just adopted a ONCE UPON A TIME MONSTER!
Now you'll always have a friend to help you be brave and you'll never be alone again!

Here is a photo of my granddaughter Angie playing with some of the monsters. She doesn't quite understand why she can't have every monster that Nana creates!  I will let you know when we get them on line and are up for adoption.  What better way to keep those fears away ...than your own personal monsters?  Monsters aren't scared of anything!

Until then, I am going to go get me a monster... and go to bed!

"EACH TIME WE FACE OUR FEAR, WE GAIN STRENGTH, COURAGE, AND CONFIDENCE IN THE DOING" ~ Unknown

TIME TO PRAY 
A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.
'Yes, sir.' the boy replied.
'And, do you always say them in the morning, too?' the pastor asked.
'No sir,' the boy replied. 'I ain't scared in the daytime.'

I love this scripture.

Sometimes I read a certain scripture over and over again and never quite understand it. When I here it explained though someone else's point of view, then I get a different perspective. One that helps. That's what happened today in my reading. I am reading a book by S. Michael Wilcox called Don't Leap with the Sheep and he opened up a whole new meaning to this certain scripture. He made it relate to me, that is what I believe the scriptures are meant for...to liken unto ourselves, to truly understand them. (Luke 24:45) Anyway the chapters that he talked about was in the book of Numbers 13-14.

The title of the chapter was Wall-watchers or Grape gathers
Before attempting to conquer the promised land, Moses sent 12 men, one from each tribe and "every one a ruler among them" into the land of Canaan.  ( Numbers 13-14 ) They searched it from the north to the south. From the brook Eshcol they cut down  "a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs."
Returning to the main encampment, they assured the children of Israel that "the land ...surely...floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it." However, in spite of the wonders of the land, the spies reported that "the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great....We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up the evil report of the land.:
Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, disagreed with the assessment of the other 10 spies. They confirmed the fruitfulness of the land and testified,  " let us go at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."
Now the people had a choice. Would they direct their attention to the large cluster of grapes and the promise of the future bountiful harvests, or would they concentrate on the height of the walls and the difficulties in conquering the land? Unfortunately, they chose to focus on the difficulties rather than the blessings.

Caleb and Joshua tried to kindle faith in their hearts by assuring them, "If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into the land, and give it to us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us." Their efforts, however, evoked from the congregation only the threat to stone them.
Realizing that the present generation did not have the faith necessary to claim their inheritance in the promised land, the Lord took them at their word. They had said it would be better to die in the wilderness than attempt such a difficult task as conquering the high walls and mighty warriors. As a result of the final rebellion, the Lord declared that they would wander in the wilderness until all the older generations had died. The wandered for forty years.

Often in our lives we hear the conflicting reports of the spies. Then we must decide whether we will become wall-watchers or grape-gathers. Will we focus on the difficulties in obeying the certain commandment of the Lord, or will we focus on the fruits, remembering the promises He extends to those who trust Him.

I guess the thing that struck me in this scripture and which he mentions in his book is that we must not focus on the height of the walls and the power of the warriors. But we much remember if the Lord delights in us, we will have the sufficient strength to conquer our fears, surmount our obstacles and enjoy the fruits of the land.

I am grateful for those who have the talent to share what they know in a way that make sense to me. What a talent to be able to write in such a way that you feel like you are sitting across the table from an old friend who has so much wisdom and insights to share with you.

I have to admit, there have many times in my life that I have been a Wall Watcher instead of a Grape Gather. I know that the Lord will not give me anything that I can't handle or conquer, but sometimes I focus too long on the Wall and forget to just TRUST! Great lesson for me today. I hope it will be a bit of inspiration to you too!