BUILDING MOREZMORE (PART 1)
A One of A Kind Million Dollar Challenge or
Do What You Love, Money Will Follow
(an Exciting and Terrifying Personal and Business Growth Journey
Step-by-step Work in Progress Journal)
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July 4, 2008
What It Is About
I am starting this blog on this rainy holiday evening listening to the distant sounds of the fireworks in the neighboring town celebraing the 4th of July. The neighboring town which is located in Northern Virginia countryside is generally rather big on fireworks - firing them every few weeks or so without no apparent reason, the 4th of July, of course, being the main occasion.
As I am writing this, I am sitting in my office on the lower level of the house - you can call it a finished basement - the Morezmore headquarters. One wall of this spacious 3-room space has a wide glass window with a glass door opening into the backyard which seemlessly extends into the valley with a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The door is open, the mountain air is fresh. It is a nice place to be in and I will miss it, as Morezmore is moving soon, but more about it later.
My cat Fluffy, distrurbed by the fireworks sound, is clinging to my feet under the desk. To me the sound of the fireworks feels very appropriate - I have my own reason to celebrate today - Morezmore is 1 year old.
Morezmore was born a year ago and has been viable and profitable from day one. I am proud and grateful for this, but for the most part is was an unconscious, natural kind of growth - not unlike a growth of a child during the first several months. Like a mother of a new-born child, the first year my attention was concentrated on everything I could do to ensure the survival of my new born "baby", attending only to the most urgent basic needs.
This is the time when we - Morezmore and I - are entering the next phase of development and I want to document this exciting (and terrifying) personal and business growth journey in this blog.
Another reason I want to keep this record is that I just signed up for a year-long Jack Canfield's Personal Coaching Program. The program will involve a lot of thinking, planning and soul-searching. This blog will be a central place to keep the day-by-day diary of the progress.
Yet another reason is that this blog will be a time-saving device - keeping my friends and family - and anybody who is interested - up to date on what is happening with Morezmore and myself. I will be very busy the next year and might not have time for phone calls and emails. My loved ones, friends, family and relations can easily log in to this blog, assure themselves that I am alive and stop worrying.
The Success Principles
The starting point for this journey was a book, an audibook, to be exact - The Success Principles by Jack Canfield that I happened to listen to two weeks ago.
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July 5, 2008
My first session with my Coach will be on July 17, before that there will be an orientation session July 10 and before that I need to do some homework.
The starting point, according to the book, is to determine and write down my life purpose.
That is a question that requires some serious thinking. It is not that I did not know what it was - I have been thinking about it for quite some time now. The challenge was to put my vague disconnected notions, visions, thoughts, wishes and ideas into a single statement. They were about:
present generation of people will live longer than ever
long life is only of value if an abundance in every aspect of life is present
that includes maintaining cognitive health
art therapy can be used to enhance the quality of life
including prevention of Alzheimer's decease, treatment of depression, eating and substance abuse disorders
Here is what emerged as a rough draft:
The purpose of my life is to use my creativity, imagination and enthusiasm to serve as an example, to inspire and to support others in creating a joyful, serene and abundant life, in using the creative process of art for healing and life-enhancing as well as for the sheer joy of the life-affirming pleasures of the creative experience.
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July 11, 2008
After read the book, I did quite a bit of thinking. Lots of things that were fuzzy in my head started to take shape. It is time to re-read the book and take notes to get it better into my head.
Success Principle #1: I take 100% responsibility for my life
One hundred percent responsibility for everything.
I have to give up all my excuses.
Everything I experience today is the result of choices I have made in the past.
I have to give up blaming.
I have to give up complaining.
I either create or allow everything that happens to me.
I will pay attention - my results don't lie.
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July 21, 2008
I am writing this to share with you something that makes me smile today!
Background: You might or might not know that I sell supplies for One Of A Kind Mixed Media Art Dolls. The prime material used to make hair for those dolls is tibetan lamb - it is long, soft and silky fur in texture resembling human child hair. Needless to say, a "must have" for my store.
Anyway, I hit a bit of a roadblock in June - my tibetan lamb supplier (USA-based) "stood me up", lol. Never delivered my order which was paid on May 16. I waited for 2 months and finally I had to file a chargeback on my credit card. This caused me to have a significant amount of money tied up for 2 months and, in addition, caused an interruption in Tibetan lamb listings, thus cutting my monthly earnings - earnings that I need to live on and to GROW!
But, as wise people say - CHALLENGE CREATES GROWTH. This roadblock pushed me to look for another Tibetan lamb supplier.
Now, Tibetan lamb lives in Tibet and Mainland China. It is a domestic animal which is mainly used for food industry, fur being a by-product. I decided to go to the source. I needed a fur-processing company in Mainland China which processes Tibetan lamb fur.
It was hard to find them - I don't read Chinese and Chinese internet is a jungle for me to navigate. Then it was hard to make a connection - language barrier and 12 hour time difference. Also, those people don't hang on internet 24-7 like we do. My attempt to call on the phone in the middle of a night was discouraging - I don't speak Chinese, they don't speak English.
But finally an English-speaking General Manager from that company answered my email! I was able to connect!! Great price (no USA-based middleman), acceptable minimum purchase quantity (100 skins at one order), they have their own professional fur-dying equipment and a promise of a very prompt delivery times! Just send the money and hold on for the shipment!
Just send the money, that's right. This was the next challenge for me - to TRUST MY INSTINCTS and HAVE FAITH that PEOPLE ARE GOOD. I needed to send money (quite a bit of money) to a bank account of an unknown to me fur-processing factory thousands of miles away, with no way of recalling the money if there is a problem. The advise of my family members was "you must be out of your mind to do it". Not helpful.
As I was listening to one of my self-improvement books - on money subject it was, I heard something, that helped me to take that leap of faith.
Poor people play the money game to not lose.
Rich people play the money game to win.
T. Harv Eker
On the basis of that nugget of wisdom, I created my own principle:
POOR PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING MONEY
RICH PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING AN OPPORTUNITY
The payment in the form a wire transfer was made on July 8.
The payment was confirmed with instructions to wait for shipment tracking number.
Waiting... waiting...
July 21 - Tracking number received!
Status:
2008-07-21 17:39:00 YINCHUAN Posting
2008-07-21 19:51:08 YINCHUAN Arrival at Sorting Center
2008-07-21 20:50:27 YINCHUAN Despatch from Sorting Center
Whew...
Feeling better already!
:)
will keep you posted...
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July 30, 2008
I promised to keep you posted, but in the flurry of the last few days I did not!
Anyway, I was watching that delivery link, like a hawk!
Checking every day:
Nothing... nothing... FINALLY!
2008-07-25 09:30:00 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22630 Arrival at Delivery Office
2008-07-25 15:25:00 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22630 Arrival at Delivery Office
2008-07-28 15:00:00 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22630 Delivery
YES, DELIVERED! 40 GORGEOUS TIBETAN LAMB FUR SKINS, as promised - SOFT, SILKY, BEAUTIFUL - PERFECT. Sending message to the supplier - I LOVE IT! He responds - Happy that you like it, contact me when you need more. VICTORY!
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Tomorrow is my first training session with my personal coach - his name is Gary. Technically, this is the second session, but the first time we were mostly getting to know each other.
To prepare for tomorrow session, I was expected to complete several assignments - my homework. I was pondering it over in my head over the last week or so and finally sat down this afternoon to write it all down.
The assignments were in the form of questions (not simple ones, I have to assure you). I finished the assignments and I am posting them here. One of the assumptions of the program that I am following is "Sharing your vision, goals and aspirations with other people will assure that the vision will materialize" - in other words, one gets accountable for one's own resolutions.
Well, as I am desperate for changes and utterly dissatisfied with certain areas of my life, I need all the help I can get in materializing that vision of mine. So here I go - I am accountable in front of the whole world (or rather, that portion of the whole world that will read this text).
My answers are in ITALIC
Assignment: Reflection On My Life Purpose
If I were provided with everything I wanted and needed to release my full potential and achieve my highest vision, what would my purpose be?
The purpose of my life is to use my creativity, imagination and enthusiasm to serve as an example, to inspire and to support others in creating a joyful, serene and abundant life, in using the creative process of art for healing and life-enhancing as well as for the sheer joy of the life-affirming pleasures of the creative experience.
Assignment: The Vision Exercise
Our next step is to create a clear vision of your ideal in the different areas of your life-of what you really want that stems from your deepest desires, values, and your Life Purpose.
Start by finding a quiet, comfortable spot, just as you did when you worked on your Life Purpose. Go through the same process of centering and focusing on your breathing. If you like, put on some relaxing music. When you feel you're ready, go through The Vision Exercise on pp. 32-33 of The Success Principles. What works very well is either to have someone read it to you so you can keep your eyes closed and just visualize, or to record the instructions on a cassette player in your own voice with about a minute pause in between each area of life. As the book describes, ask your subconscious to give you images of what your ideal life would look like if you could have it exactly the way you want it in each area. After you have visualized each area and created the clear picture in your mind of the ideal, write down that vision in the table on the follow page.
Area of Life
My Vision-The Ideal
Financial (income, savings & investments, debt, credit)
My income is 500,000 a year - coming from Morezmore - a professionally managed online and catalogue arts and crafts supply company, with total networth of 5 million dollars. There is no debt, not even a mortgage.
Career / Business (position or self-employment, top line / bottom line, opportunities)
I am on the Board of Directors of Morezmore, which is professionally managed and ran, and my own time is spent sculpting, sharing my art and my skills with other people - both online and by giving free classes, as well as writing books.
Free Time / Family Time (days off, trips, hobbies, special events)
For fun I like to travel to a new country for a week or so every four months. I have an Open House Tea every Thursday night. I am an avid reader - just like now - and I read every night in bed.
Health / Appearance (weight, well-being, chronological age vs. how old you feel)
I am easily maintaining my ideal weight of 170 lbs. I feel 30, I am completely free of pains and aches. My mind is as sharp and agile as it always has been. I am addiction-free.
Relationships (family, significant other, friends, business, civic)
I have a close loving nurturing supportive, just like now, relationship with my mother, my sister, my daughter. I happily share my time with my friends.
Personal (mental growth, skills, abilities, spiritual growth, emotions)
I am accomplished artist and an expert in the field of OOAK Mixed Media art. I have read everything worth reading on the subject and wrote several books myself. I live in serenity, emotional stability and joy - every day is a gift to receive, to cherish and to share.
Community (environment, safety, people around you)
My house is a beautiful safe haven for my family and my friends, an place of emotional and material comfort, a place where art heals. It is a serene retreat, inspiring creativity, peace and joy. One of the rooms is a large fully equipped OOAK sculpting studio - open to public for free art and craft lessons one or two days every week.
Assignment: Share Your Vision
Okay, now that you've created the clear vision of your future, choose someone to share it with in detail. Identify someone who you know will be positive and supportive. As you share your vision with others, many will want to help you achieve it. Many will be inspired by it. You'll achieve greater clarity and motivation and the belief that you can get there.
I will share my vision with: my mother, my sister, my daughter, my two friends and ON MY BLOG - BUILDING MOREZMORE. Actually, I already shared it with all those people and I already started the blog.
The date, time and setting will be... DONE with my friends and family! Will continue with the blog :)
Assignment: The Learning Journal - Discover Your Life's Purpose
If you are new to meditation, what was your experience with the meditation exercise described?
I followed the online video of Jack Canfield Meditation Exercise and I must admit, I was impressed of how it made me feel - calm, serene and purposeful.
What do you want to do to make formal or informal meditation a regular part of your life?
Yes, I will do it on my own, with pleasure. I have a rich imagination, it is easy for me, but I never really tried.
How did you feel as you worked to clarify your Life Purpose?
I already had my Life Purpose figured out before I started, but it had a focusing effect.
How do you feel about the result?
I feel good about the result :) More confident, more purposeful and more determined.
Assignment: Blueprint Your Life Balance
What are some of the ways that you have, over time, lost the ability to see clearly what you want and do what it takes to get it?
I honestly thought all my life that one needs to sacrifice one's own wishes, wants and preferences to live together with other people in peace. I think I overdid it.
What can you do to reverse that?
I can divorce (I am, actually) and then it will not be a problem at all.
What was your experience as you shared your vision with another person?
I shared it with my mom and my sister and my daughter. I think my mom and my sister did not believe me at first and are still not quite there. But every time I talk about it and bring to the table my small beginnings of my accomplishments, I can feel they believe me more every time. It is not that they don't think high of me - quite the opposite, but my goals are so high they appear outlandish to my family which are normal middle-class kind of folks and work hard for their money all their lives. My daughter is very supportive and believes more than my mom and my sister. Both friends were supportive but I am not sure whether they really believe it or just being polite. One thing for certain - the more I talk about it, the more real and attainable it appears to myself. The first time there was almost a sense of embarrassment talking about it, now it is easier and I sound more and more confident to myself. Just like Mr. Canfield promised.
Overall Learning
What stands out the most for you from the work you've done in Module One? What have been your biggest insights?
The good one - the amount of confidence that I gained about my own ability to reach my goals - from mere thinking and talking about it. That was impressive. The bad one - how much more confidence I still need - I am still doubtful, much much better, but not quite there yet. Another insight - how much more clear the prioritizing of my activities has become - I know what I need to do.
How will you use and apply those insights?
I will keep my eyes on the ball.
Who are you now, and who can you become, as a result of your learning?
Right now I am a sceptical doubtful scared apprentice. I will become a strong, kind and confident influence for people who will come in contact with me.
Assignment: Session Strategy - Identifying Your Life Purpose
This form will help you prepare for our coaching sessions so we can optimize your results and our time together. Prior to our appointments, please complete and send the answers to the following questions:
Next session date and time: July 31, 2008 12:00 pm
1. How am I today, right now? How has my week been?
I am well overall, determined and purposeful. I have moments and hours of doubt and I can feel the motivation going away. I start my day well - I feel I can move the mountains and as the day goes on, I am more and more doubtful and discouraged. Perhaps, it has something to do with my very long days and the amount of work I need to accomplish each day. I just probably get tired. When I finish my day, no matter how fast and how hard I work, there is still plenty left and I feel stressed and always behind. Again, this is because I really do have a lot of work.
I sell, invoice, process payments, answer questions, pack and ship about 2000 purchases every month - that amounts to 30-40 orders (packages) a day. My day is full - I have to move very fast to accomplish it all. The load is heavy. The new hired help is still in training and is too slow, although very motivated to learn. I understand that I need to be patient with her and take it easy on her, trying to be encouraging and supportive. I also try to be truthful with her - and tell her that I am expecting her to learn and get better and I am willing to wait and provide a kind support while she is grasping different areas.
Although I reached my goal of 20% increase in sales compared to June - actually, did better than that - from 9,385 dollars in gross sales (that is sales, not income) in June to 12711 as of now, July 30 (35% increase), it is still not enough - I feel constant cash flow strain. That creates additional stress from the delays in the supplier deliveries, unexpected, even small, losses and unforseen expenses, etc. It is just too much of a close shave. I would feel much better if I had a business loan of sorts but I don't know how to go about it - need to learn which I don't have time for either.
Overall, I feel hopeful, impatient, anxious, more confident that it will work and more stressed as my sales (and my workload) increases. I feel great in the morning and almost in panic in the evening. My business is developing wonderfully, the demand is very high, everything that I offer flies, I (my time) am the only bottleneck, I work from 5 am until 8 pm and I feel I am holding my business up. Need to do something about it. Hiring helper is a step in the right direction, although I don't feel the relief just yet.
2. What were my wins this week?
I wrote it in my blog earlier - that entry answers this particular question perfectly! I am reposting it here - it was that important for me.
July 21, 2008
I am writing this to share with you something that makes me smile today!
Background: You might or might not know that I sell supplies for One Of A Kind Mixed Media Art Dolls. The prime material used to make hair for those dolls is tibetan lamb - it is long, soft and silky fur in texture resembling human child hair. Needless to say, a "must have" for my store.
Anyway, I hit a bit of a roadblock in June - my tibetan lamb supplier (USA-based) "stood me up", lol. Never delivered my order which was paid on May 16. I waited for 2 months and finally I had to file a chargeback on my credit card. This caused me to have a significant amount of money tied up for 2 months and, in addition, caused an interruption in Tibetan lamb listings, thus cutting my monthly earnings - earnings that I need to live on and to GROW!
But, as wise people say - CHALLENGE CREATES GROWTH. This roadblock pushed me to look for another Tibetan lamb supplier.
Now, Tibetan lamb lives in Tibet and Mainland China. It is a domestic animal which is mainly used for food industry, fur being a by-product. I decided to go to the source. I needed a fur-processing company in Mainland China which processes Tibetan lamb fur.
It was hard to find them - I don't read Chinese and Chinese internet is a jungle for me to navigate. Then it was hard to make a connection - language barrier and 12 hour time difference. Also, those people don't hang on internet 24-7 like we do. My attempt to call on the phone in the middle of a night was discouraging - I don't speak Chinese, they don't speak English.
But finally an English-speaking General Manager from that company answered my email! I was able to connect!! Great price (no USA-based middleman), acceptable minimum purchase quantity (100 skins at one order), they have their own professional fur-dying equipment and a promise of a very prompt delivery times! Just send the money and hold on for the shipment!
Just send the money, that's right. This was the next challenge for me - to TRUST MY INSTINCTS and HAVE FAITH that PEOPLE ARE GOOD. I needed to send money (quite a bit of money) to a bank account of an unknown to me fur-processing factory thousands of miles away, with no way of recalling the money if there is a problem. The advise of my family members was "you must be out of your mind to do it". Not helpful.
As I was listening to one of my self-improvement books - on money subject it was, I heard something, that helped me to take that leap of faith.
Poor people play the money game to not lose.
Rich people play the money game to win.
T. Harv Eker
On the basis of that nugget of wisdom, I created my own principle:
POOR PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING MONEY
RICH PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING AN OPPORTUNITY
The payment in the form a wire transfer was made on July 8.
The payment was confirmed with instructions to wait for shipment tracking number.
Waiting... waiting...
July 21 - Tracking number received!
Status:
2008-07-21 17:39:00 YINCHUAN Posting
2008-07-21 19:51:08 YINCHUAN Arrival at Sorting Center
2008-07-21 20:50:27 YINCHUAN Despatch from Sorting Center
Whew...
Feeling better already!
:)
Checking every day:
2008-07-25 09:30:00 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22630 Arrival at Delivery Office
2008-07-25 15:25:00 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22630 Arrival at Delivery Office
2008-07-28 15:00:00 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22630 Delivery
YES, DELIVERED! 40 GORGEOUS TIBETAN LAMB FUR SKINS, as promised - SOFT, SILKY, BEAUTIFUL - PERFECT. Sending message to the supplier - I LOVE IT! He responds - Happy that you like it, contact me when you need more. VICTORY!
3. What were my challenges this week?
My main challenge - to keep my spirits up and not get despaired in the evening. I would like to be able to appreciate more my accomplishments and be in peace with myself and my pace (which is, by the way, awesome - I understand that - in my head, but not emotionally).
4. What are the key areas of insight and learning this week?
1. Life vision focuses you and makes it clear what to do next.
2. The main thing is my own motivation and my own spirit
3. It is hard to keep my spirit strong and my faith unwavering.
4. Writing down a goal somehow magically makes it happen (I wrote down 20%, I got 35% in gross monthly sales increase. I wrote down lose 10 lbs, I lost 13 lbs in June).
5. POOR PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING MONEY
RICH PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING AN OPPORTUNITY
5. What issues do I want to discuss on the coaching call?
How to keep my demons (defeated thoughts) away from me - throughout the day.
6. What in the coming week do I want to be held accountable for?
Not in a week, but over the next month, if possible:
20% increase in gross monthly sales - to 15,840 by August 31.
Weight 183 lbs by August 31. Started with 206, right now is 193, ideal - 170 on 6' frame.
7. Anything else?
How do I stay serene and calm? How do I keep my bad thoughts away?
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The allowed length limit of the post has been reached - continuing on Part 2:
http://blogs.ebay.com/morezmore/entry/BUILDING-MOREZMORE-PART-2/_W0QQidZ564096011
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