Lessons from a Recovering DoorMat

Law of Attraction in Action: Clear Intentions

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:22:00 +0000

This is my fourteenth post in my Monday series on the Law of Attraction, inspired by watching Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, the movie, expanded version. I feel very strongly about helping you understand how to take control of the power you have and run with it. I get so many goodies since learning how to mobilize the Law of Attraction in my favor. I am so mad for the new MacBook Pro I got last week! That wouldn’t have happened without the Law of Attraction’s support.

When I talk about using the Law of Attraction, I emphasize being clear in your intentions. Today I want to elaborate on what that means. There are so many catchwords in today’s inspirations. It took me a while to understand how to use the concepts of the Law of Attraction for my highest good. Now I do!

The Law of Attraction takes your intentions literally. It doesn’t interpret to figure out what you really want. So be as clear as possible in how you word your intentions.

Just yesterday I got an email that a musician sent to his mailing list. I know he’s very spiritual and was surprised that his message sounded negative. A radio station that had supported him had new management, and they’d stopped playing his music. He expressed concern that something he’d already taped for them wouldn’t air. If it did, it could greatly help his career. He ended by asking everyone to email the station to ask them to play his music. He sounded worried.

I wrote back suggesting he be more careful about how he phrased those kind of messages. He sounded like he didn’t expect to get the station’s support anymore, which the Law of Attraction would support. He was surprised that it had come across that way, since he did still feel faithful. I know him and believe he feels that way. But the Universe doesn’t look beyond the literal message. The Law of Attraction brings you what you put out.

Your choice of words can determine what you receive.

As a writer, I’m very conscious about how they can make a big difference in how your message is perceived. Clear intentions are specific and direct. Most people don’t have them. It takes thought and care to create the most powerful mindset to attract what you want. You might think you’re being clear, and then wonder why you got something else.

“I will” is more definite than “I hope to.” The first attracts what you will do. The second keeps you hopeful.

Be clear about what you want. Don’t just pray for a job—be specific about how you’d intend to use your skills. Or write down details of what kind of work would make you happy. If you’re not sure exactly what you want, whether it’s a job, romantic partner, new location, etc., ask for what’s best for your highest good. Often the hardest part of getting what you want is figuring out what exactly that is. Ask for help with that too! Pay attention to how your thoughts affect what you receive. It’s important to hone your desires and add as many details as you can.

Write down your intention and see if you’ve made yourself very clear.

A perfect example of the importance of being specific is a couple I know named Kevin and Kimberly. Kimberly moved from Rochester, NY to New York City. In her prayers, her intention was to marry a man from Rochester. When she met Kevin in church, they knew they were meant to be together. Kimberly laughed when she said she believes her Lord has a sense of humor. She got what she asked for—Kevin was from Rochester. But she wasn’t specific – he was from Rochester, MN! Seventeen years later she’s glad she left that part to God. They have a wonderful marriage and kids so it all worked out.

If you’d prefer to get EXACTLY what you want, express it ALL!

* If you don’t want the job offer you want come to you from a city you absolutely don’t want to live in, intend to get the job where you want to live.

* If you don’t want to meet a romantic partner who drinks too much, doesn’t want kids when you do, works the opposite hours as you, or any other incompatibility that matters to you, spell out what you do want.

* If you don’t want to get an opportunity that isn’t conducive to your schedule, or to find the perfect apartment at a rent you can’t afford or to get a ton of publicity but it’s bad, pay attention to what you ask for and how.

If you’re not attracting what you want, monitor your thoughts and tailor your words to direct the Law of Attraction to exactly what you want. That gives you the best chance of receiving it. Put it out clearly and expect to see results. The power is in YOUR hands, and in YOUR words!

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

I Got a New MacBook Pro Laptop from Apple--FREE!

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:43:00 +0000

I’m excited. In my Law of Attraction in Action: Service People post at the end of August, I talked about how being considerate to customer service people attracts a lot better service and other good things. Leo Durocher said, 'Nice guys finish last!' When you believe that, you probably will finish last by being nice. But this recovering DoorMat knows that being a healthy kind of nice fuels the Law of Attraction’s ability to bring you more of what you want.

A combo of considerate friendly communication and a firm intention to get resolution for a problem brings the best possible service.

In the post I just mentioned, I discussed how I had problems with my Apple iBook G4 laptop in varying degrees for over a year. I’d bring it into the genius bar for help and get a small temporary fix. The problem was electrical. Some people suggested I needed a new logic board but the tech guys never thought so. It often buzzed so loud that it made me stressed. I was exasperated by it and my warrantee was about to expire.

My frustration was fired up. Friends told me to make a fuss. I knew it would be easy to let loose with my pent up anger on a tech or customer service person. I’d lost many workdays bringing in the computer, only to have it come back with the same problem in a week or two. But I’ve learned that taking your anger out on a customer service person serves no purpose other than a temporary release of anger while you piss them off. Instead, I nicely called customer service and firmly insisted on speaking to a supervisor.

I didn’t demand it in a hostile way. But I resolutely refused to speak to the tech person and got put through to a Product Specialist.

I was friendly and he listened carefully. When I told him all the symptoms he agreed that my logic board was probably causing the problem. If I’d yelled and screamed about all my inconveniences and how annoying it was, I’d have wasted time in getting it fixed, and, put the Product Specialist into a bad mood. Venting is what we often do when a situation gets us angry.

But, I knew the Product Specialist didn’t cause my problem and I needed his help, so why alienate him??? Yet so many people do.

Instead, we had a nice conversation. He made many notes on my file and I got a new logic board after 9 days of more problems. Five days later the computer crashed and the logic board needed to be replaced again. Again I kept my cool and was courteous to my Product Specialist, who said if anything else happened, he’d give me a new computer. I wrote about that in my blog post. People asked if I believed him. I did. Most were skeptical. Would Apple really give me a brand new laptop?

The promise was put to the test last week when my adapter failed.

The computer wouldn’t charge. I called and got Ty, another Product Specialist. He sent me another adapter but that didn’t work either. He offered one more part. As I waited for it to arrive, other funny things began to go wrong. I’d had it! So I called and said I want the new computer. I’d had a laptop that hadn’t worked consistently well for over a year and was done.

Did I get an argument? Did Ty try to placate me in other ways? NOPE! He just took my address and this week a brand new MacBook Pro arrived.

I LOVE this laptop! It's got a sleek design and has lots of great software. And it’s mine! For free! On Saturday I have an appointment with the Apple store to have all my data transferred from the old laptop to the new. Then I send the old one back to them using the prepaid label they gave me. Everyone involved in the process has been as nice as could be. I put out a nice attitude and it returned to me! ☺

Apple still rocks in my book! I’m such a devout Mac-a-holic and continue to be. I’m so delighted with the great customer service I got. They really do stand by their products and try to give help, at least when you treat the person nicely. I do bet that had I had a conversation with my growl on, it might not have been such a pleasant experience. Now I have an advocate for the future.

Next time you have a service problem, calm down, force a smile, and expect satisfaction.

If the first person you reach doesn’t give you resolution, go higher, and higher until you get someone who can help you. Be friendly. You can be nice while still being firm and letting the person know you expect good service. Create an advocate like I did, instead of being a big ol’ pain in the butt that the person wants to get rid of fast. I chat with all my advocates. Some even buy my books and read this blog. ☺

Next time you need customer service, force a smile, calm down, and speak to the person the way you’d prefer to be spoken to. Courtesy costs nothing but can be priceless for what it can attract. Nice people truly CAN finish first! I sure do.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Thanks to Our Veterans!--Operation Gratitude

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Today is Veteran’s Day, when we honor the men and women, past and present, who gave their time, service and sometimes their lives to protect our country. While I don’t agree with why we went to war in Iraq, I completely, with all my heart, support our brave troops. My dad was a very proud Lt. Colonel in the army. When he went back to civilian life, he remained in the army reserves, putting in time each year until he retired. When he passed away, he was buried in full uniform and had a military funeral.

So I’m happy to be able to do something in honor of Veteran’s Day. This post is a call for support for our troops. I’ve been a fan of Operation Gratitude for a few years. They send care packages to our troops. Carolyn Blashek, who orchestrates this wonderful organization, sent out a call for help today. I told her that I’d reprint some of it here. She also asked for people to write letters to the troops. They have a Letter Writing Contest. Our troops get lonely and letters help too!

Please forward this link to anyone who might care about helping our troops. If you have a church that might want to get involved, refer them to the Operation Gratitude website. If anyone wants the whole letter, just ask and I'll forward it. So in honor of our veterans, here’s a condensed version of what Carolyn sent:

Dear Friends of Operation Gratitude,
Today, an absolutely amazing individual sent me a follow-up to a story I shared with you last year. His letter speaks far more profoundly than anything I could write. On September 26, 2007 he wrote:

"HI Carolyn, Our unit will be leaving Iraq in a few weeks. I just wanted to thank you for your support of all soldiers over here. Your care packages helped lift morale here greatly and you should know you helped save the life of a young soldier.

We had a soldier who never got mail, care packages, or anything. He did not have much family and as it turns out was planning on committing suicide on Christmas, but because that soldier received your care package it was like a Christmas gift. It made the soldier change his mind. The soldier now writes letters and emails to folks whose names were in the box and the soldier's attitude and outlook on life has really improved. This is not a story--it is true.

We found out when the soldier finally opened up and talked to the Chain of Command about what was going thru his mind and got help for his depression. Your care package made a major difference in a human life. Because of your organization, one less family received terrible news at Christmas time. This has been my third deployment here and I remember how on my first deployment, I almost never got mail and then received a care package from your group. It made me feel much better about being separated from my loved ones.” V/R, SFC J.S.

Today, he simply wanted to send me a brief update and ask again if there is anything he could do to help:

Hello Carolyn, It has been quite a while but I thought I would update you on the soldier whose life was saved by an Operation Gratitude care package. His work attitude and leadership skills have so improved that he has since been promoted to Sergeant and is currently a squad leader and "one of the best" in the platoon he is assigned to, I am told by his platoon sergeant. He has a steady girlfriend and just recently re-enlisted. If you had taken this soldier over a year ago and put him next to the soldier he has become you would swear it was two different people. And it was all due to a care package sent to a soldier by good people back in the states that he had never met before.

Please let everybody there know. As for me, I am leaving the service. Unfortunately, I had a run in with an IED that has ended my military career and left me pretty banged and burned up. I have been in recovery and had a few reconstructive surgeries over the last months. I only have three days left in service. Please continue helping those still over there and going over there. I know we are old news and a lot of folks back home are tired of the news there, but it is important that we not forget those who still serve. We have to remember and support them "until everyone comes home."

Especially on this Veteran's Day, now is the time to express our appreciation to the men and women of our Military who stand strong and stand guard to ensure our freedoms here at home and to promote the ideals of democracy around the world. Now is the time that you, too, can be part of their effort by supporting them on the front lines:

"Thank you so much for your care packages and the inspiring words of support, faith, and encouragement you so graciously and lovingly put together and sent to our team in Afghanistan. It really does make a difference to us over here. As service members, we are called upon to leave behind family, friends, and the comfort of our homes to support our nation. Because we have so much, we also will sacrifice to give to those less fortunate. Some mistakenly believe people serve in the military because we love war; what they don't realize is most of us serve because we love and cherish liberty and freedom and want everyone in the world to enjoy the same as we have in America. God bless you.” Sergeant C.S. and the whole ANA COMM ETT (Afghan National Army Communications Embedded Training Team)

Operation Gratitude is facing its most challenging year since its inception in 2003. Right now, 75% of the 70,000 Care Packages we will assemble for our troops will not reach them without your help. While our Corporate Product Donors have generously provided all the items we need for our care packages, our financial donations have dwindled to a trickle. Yet, our shipping expenses are higher than ever before at $9.30 for postage alone and more than $10 per package overall.

All donated funds are used for production and shipping expenses. We do not expend funds on overhead, fundraising campaigns, direct mail or advertising. We take no salaries. Every dollar donated directly supports our troops. Operation Gratitude sends a care package personally addressed to every deployed service member whose name we receive. We send 100,000--120,000 packages per year, which requires a cash budget of $1.2 Million/year. This Holiday Drive, we will assemble 70,000 care packages. Right now, we only have the funds to ship one-quarter of them.

"We had a tip from an Iraqi child that we gave one of your beanie babies to, who let us know that bad people were making bombs in his neighborhood. The information he gave us led to a major terrorist cell being captured and countless lives being saved. You may not realize this, but we utilize everything you send--we do not waste a thing. Thanks again for what you do.” Captain D.A. US Air Force"

Nothing would be sadder than to have more than 50,000 fabulously full and completed care packages still sitting in our warehouse on Christmas Day. Fifty thousand Care Packages lovingly assembled by our dedicated volunteers that could not be shipped to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan solely because we did not have the funds for postage. We need your help to raise $500,000.00 this month to ship the care packages in time for the Holidays.

All donations to Operation Gratitude are tax deductible. Donations can be made by Credit Card through the Operation Gratitude website or by check payable to Operation Gratitude and mailed to:
Operation Gratitude
16444 Refugio Road
Encino, CA 91436

Today I urge you to partner with us once again to serve the courageous members of the United States Military, who risk life and limb to serve us. Your tax-deductible contribution during the Holidays will allow us to put smiles on the faces of our bravest Americans during a very difficult time away from home and loved ones. They and we will be forever grateful.

Thank you!
Carolyn Blashek
Operation Gratitude

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Law of Attraction in Action: Miracles Part 2

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:39:00 +0000

This is my thirteenth post in my Monday series on the Law of Attraction in Action, inspired by watching Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, the movie, expanded version. You can find the other posts at the end of this article.

I want to talk more about using the Law of Attraction to attract miracles to you. Last week, my post, Law of Attraction in Action: Miracles Part 1, discussed the first phrase in the Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson (Multnomah Publishers). The 4 part prayer says:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.”

I explained how the interpretation of “bless me indeed” is to ask for lots. The more you put out, the more you get back. God wants you to have miracles but you must be clear about exactly what you want. And ask for it. And affirm that you have it. And truly expect it. The more miracles you get, the easier it becomes to expect more. I know, because I’ve had so many and keep having them.

As you manifest miracles, also focus on doing what you can to help others as the second part of the prayer—“and enlarge my territory”—states.

Wilkinson explains that “enlarge my territory” means to find ways to do good things for other people. Using that part of the prayer is asking God how you can serve Him. How can you give back? How can you make someone’s life better? Giving of yourself to help others attracts a lot more goodies to you. I get so many blessings from people and try to help others whenever I can. Some of what comes back to me is truly miraculous!

What I get may not be from the same people I helped. The Law of Attraction isn’t an equal bartering system.

I’m kind to someone and someone else is kind to me. If someone I help then asks what they can do for me in return, I usually suggest passing on the kindness to someone in need. I’ll get mine when I need it. Whenever I need help with something, someone is there. All my websites have been built by people I didn’t know well yet who offered to do it for free! Kindness abounds in my world! People send me free products. I may never have to buy certain items I use regularly because I get so much free stuff. Just last weekend I went out for coffee and told the manager how much I love their hazelnut coffee. A few minutes later, he came back with 3 packages of it in a bag—because I’m a nice person he said!

After living in my DoorMat world of users and takers, I now create a loving world of kindness, generosity, and miracles. YOU can create a lovely world amidst the chaos of the bigger picture of our world—IF you CHOOSE to!

Be vigilant about how you can help people. If you’re concerned about offering to do something you may not be able to do, remember the third part of the prayer—“that Your hand would be with me.” You’ve probably heard it before but may not have quite believed it. If God brings something that you want to do but have doubts about—whether it’s volunteering to do a tough job, a big career opportunity, trying something you’ve never done before, etc.—He will be there for the outcome to support you.

The key is clearly asking for and expecting the help. Then let Law of Attraction do its work!

Fretting about what you need to do and expecting not to be able to do it sends a message of doubt. The Law of Attraction will support that doubt. Then you’ll be even more sure in the future that you won’t get support or can’t accomplish things. Counterproductive Alert! The Law of Attraction doesn’t dig into your psyche to see what you really want. It brings you back what you expect.

So EXPECT the support you need to get something done well when you take on something. God’s hand will be there with you!

When my book How to Please a Woman In & Out of Bed came out, a friend said, “You have to get on Howard Stern’s radio show.” Yes, I decided I did have to. I put it out as a serious intention. Told people, even on a TV interview, that I’d be on the show within 3 weeks. I was truly sure! When I told the publicist at my publisher my intention, she laughed, asked how I’d do it and then warned me not to get my hopes up as she’d never gotten one of her authors on. I laughed back and said I’d be the first.

Still, she was stunned to call me 3 weeks later to say the show had called to book me. I’d done nothing other than put out my intentions, and make sure the publicist sent a book to the producer.

I was fine until the night before the show. Friends advised me to listen to it beforehand to prepare myself for Howard’s nastiness and jabs. I replied that I didn’t need to, since I expected to be treated well! “Oh yeah, right. Howard Stern will be nice to you. Dream on!” The night before, as I went to sleep, I got nervous. It hit me that I’d be on Howard Stern! What if he was mean to me or tried to embarrass me? I picked up a spiritual book I read from often and opened to a random page. I know that it was no accident. I was meant to open to that spot.

It said that if God causes something to happen, He will be there for the effect too.

I knew where the message came from and fell asleep quickly and calmly. The show didn’t just go well. People asked if I’d hypnotized Howard since they’d never heard him be so nice to any other guest. He did get sleazy. After all, he’s Howard Stern. I rolled with his jokes. But he kept me on for 35 commercial-free minutes, gave my website several times, and kept saying that I made a lot of sense and people should buy my book. I knew all of this happened from EXPECTING to have a satisfying experience and The Law of Attraction fulfilled my expectation.

When you KNOW that you have God’s support, God KNOWS what you need and provides. My appearance on Howard Stern’s show was truly a miracle!

I read Prayer of Jabez just before 9/11. Right after my city was attacked, I knew I had to do something to help. I discovered that they needed many laptops to input the names of the missing people and try to track them. I sent out an email to everyone I knew asking for donated laptops. People forwarded it to others and I began hearing from heads of major corporations---IBM, Time Warner, Intel, and more---all wanting to help and not knowing how. I compiled a list of all the people and notified the 9/11 Fund about it. They asked me to keep it for when they needed it. Soon I became the go-to person for Ground Zero IT needs.

That Saturday, I heard from a VP at Time Warner. She’d been given my name as that go-to person and explained the National Guard needed walkie-talkies at Ground Zero. I explained I’m a writer and had limited contacts. She was Time Warner! But she insisted they needed me to get them. Okay I said. Since it was Saturday, none of the people on the list I’d compiled were available. I didn’t know what to do but kept trying. Then I heard from a head honcho at HBO who was volunteering with the National Guard. They desperately needed the walkie-talkies. What could I do?

I talked to God, saying the prayer and reminding Him that He’d gotten me into this and I now needed His hand in finding the walkie-talkies.

It was after 6PM on a Saturday. I had no one left to call. But all of a sudden I got out the Yellow Pages without thinking about it. I found stores that had walkie-talkies. The first one I called was closed. So I said the Prayer of Jabez, told God I was counting on Him and “randomly” called a second. They too were closed, BUT, there was a message and a phone number to call if this was related to 9/11. I called and the guy provided the walkie-talkies. Incidents like this happened more times as I continued to be asked for stuff to help at Ground Zero. They were nothing short of miracles!

Ask how you can serve and keep your eyes open for where you’re needed. You’ll get the help you need to get through, and helping others—when you can, not by sacrificing your own needs—will come back to you with miracles.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Law of Attraction in Action Series
Law of Attraction in Action: Concrete Use of This Power
Law of Attraction in Action: Service People
Law of Attraction in Action: Kindness
Law of Attraction in Action: Easing Your Way to Joy
Law of Attraction in Action: Smiling in Your Mirror of Other People
Law of Attraction in Action: Age
Law of Attraction in Action: Who Are You?
Law of Attraction in Action: Revenge
Law of Attraction in Action: Too Blessed to Be Stressed
Law of Attraction in Action: Recovering Your Health
Law of Attraction in Action: Respect
Law of Attraction in Action: Miracles Part 1

You’re Getting Older If You Smile When Construction Workers Whistle

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Okay, I’m being somewhat facetious about the title of this post. But there's some truth in it! For most of my life I’ve hated walking down the streets of NYC and having to endure whistles and loud comments about me or my body. Construction workers, delivery guys on bikes, and occasionally some other guy had to yell something about a body part or two, or make a general “hey baby, looking good.”

I admit to having a curvy body. In proportion. Some call it an hourglass figure. I’ve always gotten some attention when I walk down the street.

Usually I hate it. “I want to get into your pants” has especially gotten my blood boiling. Being a walk-a-holic, I found comments and whistles distracting to my pleasure in hoofing it around NYC—an intrusion; a distraction from my exercise flow. I power walk and get into a rhythm that gets broken by these annoying men. So I got in the habit of walking with blinders on—looking straight ahead and ignoring any side affects.

I still see myself as hot and sexy yet getting older, especially in a city like NY, can make even a confident girl question if others still think she’s got it.

I recently had a birthday. While I feel great about me, it is a fact that as women age, they’re not considered as appealing as younger ones. I do still feel VERY appealing. Being confident, happy and whole makes me feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been. I run 3 or 4 times a week in Central Park and work out with weights with a personal trainer. I didn’t do either until 5 years ago. But, messages about older women losing their hotness can make a girl wonder if other people appreciate the attractive and sexy woman I know I am.

I’ve loosened my blinders as I walk down the street. Right after my birthday I sped past a group of guys in hard hats and heard the familiar catcalls I used to block out:

* “Oh baby!”
* “Nice!”
* “Shake it honey.”

And I smiled after I was out of their vision.

Since then, my blinders came off more. I noticed appreciative looks from men I pass. Even guys in cars at a light give me the up and down once-over and smile or comment. While I still don’t like men yelling to me on the street, my initial “Grrrr…” reaction to it has changed somewhat. I’ve noticed that lately I also smile when guys look me over with a smile. I'm more amused than annoyed about it these days. Hmmm.. am I going soft. NO!

It feels almost like a validation of my belief that people are SOOOOOO WRONG about women losing their appeal as they get older!

I do know I’ve still got it. Yet I also remember what I’ve heard said about older women and smile, because each whistle and catcall is an unbiased affirmation that people are wrong. I don’t consider myself a cougar. I'm just me! It feels good to have the kind of confidence I do, since so many women, even many younger than me, think they’re getting used up when they approach or reach 40.

These construction workers and other men on the street affirm that a woman who takes care of herself feels and looks good, and gets whistled at.

Age doesn’t determine when you’re over the hill. YOU determine that. I’m still the same woman I was at a younger age. Actually, I’m better, because my confidence is much stronger and I do more to keep my body healthy and fit. I was attractive when I was a DoorMat, but didn’t appreciate it then. I was also thinner. Yet I didn’t put much time into keeping myself looking as good as possible. Why bother? Back then, I saw myself unworthy of nice clothing or good skin care products.

Now I love looking my best because I love me! And as other women stress about getting older, I revel in getting better.

It’s fun to get the admiration I know I deserve, even as my age continues to increase. I won’t deny my body is changing and while I don’t look my age, I don’t look 20 anymore. But, that doesn’t take away from who I am today. A friend pointed out that the main reason I get attention when I walk down the street is because I walk straight, shoulders back, head held high and exude confidence.

Confidence transcends age. It’s attractive no matter how young or old you are!

We can rock at all ages! While men on the street will continue to annoy me with their unasked for attention, I’ll probably hang a smile in my annoyance. But unlike some women who feel like they’re losing it as they age and thinking, “Wow, I must be lucky that anyone whistles anymore,” I think, “Damn, I’m still good and it’s nice that others appreciate that too!”

So don’t place yourself over the hill. Stay on the bright side of it. You're still the same person you've been, even if the packaging is wearing out a little. Embrace who you are and do your best to be your best at the age you are now. Then wear the confidence it brings and see how much more attractive you get! ☺

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Law of Attraction in Action: Miracles Part 1

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:14:00 +0000

This is my twelfth post in my Monday series on the Law of Attraction, inspired by watching Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, the movie, expanded version.

I want to talk about using the Law of Attraction to attract miracles to you. I first learned about the power we have to manifest miracles when I read the Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson (Multnomah Publishers). It’s a teeny book explaining the meaning of a 4 part prayer attributed to a little known man named Jabez. Yet his prayer is included in the bible. It’s simple but profound:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.”

When Jabez said that prayer, it was answered. I read the book’s 93 pages in one sitting. I had the benefit of being in Vermont for the weekend to relax, so I sat down in a pretty place in a park and just read it. I didn’t expect to finish it but there aren’t that many words on a page so it went quickly. A quick explanation of the prayer that Wilkinson elaborates on so well in the book is:

“Oh, that you would bless me indeed” This means God wants you to ask for miracles. Lot of them! He wants you to have them! This was emphasized in the book.

“and enlarge my territory” This means you should ask how can you serve God by helping others. I do love to help people so this felt good to read about!

“that Your hand would be with me” This was a fantastic reminder that if God brings you something you must do, He’ll be there with you to help you get through it.

“and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.” This means protect me from being tempted to commit a sin.

This prayer blew me away and got me thinking. When I read the second line, I wondered how I could help someone. There was a couple a few feet away taking pictures of each other against the scenery. So I asked if they’d like me to take one of them together. They were thrilled and explained they’d wanted to ask but didn’t want to disturb me since I seemed so engrossed in my book. So I found a way to help right away!

I was most intrigued by “Oh, that you would bless me indeed” Indeed! Wilkinson explains that God wants us to ask for miracles. Lots of them! After all, if you don’t ask, how can God know what you want? I’ve always expected good things but never thought about it in terms of miracles before. What a lovely thought, that God wants us to have miracles! Since then I realized it’s true, because I’ve had many! Since reading the book I’ve been more focused on asking for and expecting miracles.

It doesn’t matter how unlikely it seems. When you expect miracles, they happen!

One incident continues to remind me that miracles come to those who expect them. I did a 3-month book tour for my last music business book and drove around the US, 10,500 miles, by myself. My New Orleans and Mississippi appearances were canceled due to Katrina, which meant I had a week free before my next events in Atlanta, so I booked a flight to NY to take a break. I had to drive from Mississippi to Atlanta for my 9:30 PM flight. I thought I had plenty of time as I had a late lunch in Mississippi until the waitress reminded me that I’d lose an hour in Georgia, and I’d go through Birmingham during rush hour.

I looked at my AAA triptik and realized they’d left out 2 pages. Birmingham and getting to it were missing so I’d really misjudged the timing! The waitress was sure I wouldn’t make my flight. I hurried back on the road. I did have bad traffic near Birmingham and also many pockets of construction. Driving, I began to panic. I knew I needed to get to the hotel I was staying in when I returned to Atlanta (they were letting me leave the car there) by 8, in order to pre-check in and then have time to wait for their bus to the airport. It was 6:30 and it looked like I had at least 2 more hours to drive. Then I saw more construction delays. I began to think that it would be impossible to make my flight.

As the thought came to me, I shouted, “NO! I HAVE TO make the flight!” I asked God for a miracle, promising I wouldn’t look at my watch until I get there, and put myself and my drive in His hands.

I didn’t check the time again as I drove and drove. I was curious to know how much time I had but kept my promise. I talked to God and explained that I knew if I didn’t see the time, He could do the miracle work without my seeing how it happened. The rest of my trip, I continued affirming that I had to make my flight, and would. There was more construction. Most people would have accepted missing the flight. Not me! As I pulled into a spot at the hotel parking lot, I screamed to see it was 8:05.

I don’t know how it happened. It really was impossible to go the distance I did, in the traffic I had, in an hour and a half. But there I was at the hotel on time.

They checked me in fast. The airport bus was waiting for me. With a little rushing, I made my flight! I have no idea how I got there on a logical level. There hadn’t been enough time. But miracles aren’t logical. You have to ask for them in strong faith, like I did. I was excited as I expected my miracle. Others would have been skeptical. Skeptical attracts negative results. The Law of Attraction reads skeptical as not expecting the miracle. But when you open your heart to a miracle in good faith, it can happen.

Start asking for miracles. If you can’t bring yourself to ask in total faith, ask for support in believing that it can happen.

It’s normal to have doubts. Instead of fighting them, acknowledge them and also acknowledge that you’d like help with getting past them since you want miracles. Start with small ones. As miracles occur, your faith will grow. Life with miracles is lovelier than life without them! Ask and ye shall receive.

Next week I’ll do another post about the Prayer of Jabez and miracles. Read it here.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Do You Want to Win at the Game of Life?

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:31:00 +0000

Have you ever watched someone who seemed to possess second-rate skills or talent have a first-rate success? Did it make you wonder why, since so many people who are more gifted or smarter go nowhere? The latter ones may have a key component to success in common—a determination to rise to the top of their game and their careers and they go the distance to achieve it.

Actress Sophia Loren said, “Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent but with great inner drive go much further than people with vastly superior talent.”

All the talent in the world won’t help if you don’t use it. Being the most delicious cookie in the box won’t get you eaten if no one picks you. Being the smartest person in your office won’t help if you don’t open your mouth and show your smarts. Many people waste their natural abilities by not putting them to the test and proving what they’re capable of.

This Recovering DoorMat has learned she can do anything she chooses too. YOU can too!

Think about what you could accomplish if you develop the ability and the inner drive to advance in whatever you want to do. How can you prepare yourself to take the steps to pursue what you say you want? The keys to making progress are:

* Learn what you don’t know. Take a class, get a tutor or mentor, read books, or whatever it takes to teach you what you need before going forward.

* Practice your skills until you improve them and then keep practicing to be as good as possible. Practice may not make you perfect but it will make you better. And the better you get, the stronger your confidence becomes.

* Ask yourself, “How badly do I want [whatever it is you’re pursuing]?” If it’s just a whim, let it go. But if it’s something you want from your soul, acknowledge that. Focus on it. Write it down. Keep in on your mind so you can build a mental momentum.

* Stop making excuses about why you’re not ready or can’t do it. Excuses are self-inflicted road blocks. They say you’ve made a a conscious decision not to go after what you say you want. “I can’t learn to ski since I’m not fit enough.” Give it up or eat healthier, hit the gym and improve your fitness. “I don’t know enough to run the office.” Give it up or educate yourself. Ask lots of questions. Write down what you think you don’t know and find out how to learn it. It's your choice, not your sentence, to let excuses stop you.

* Decide if achieving your goal is worth the effort. Literally make yourself choose if you prefer to complain or make excuses or do what you’ve gotta do to make it happen. Consciously make the choice. And if the choice is to go for it, start doing the work.

* Affirm your intentions. “I trust myself to do____.” “I want___ enough to do what it takes.” “I can do it!” “I’m good enough!” Make up your own affirmations to fit your situation.

* Focus on doing what you have to. Start with one baby step at a time. Do something to move forward, even if it seems trivial. One step closer is one step closer! Then take another. Even if reaching your goal takes time, keep moving forward.

* Push through the doubts or fears or pain if you want to get to the other side. It will be worth it when you get what you want.

This morning I saw gymnast Kerri Strug on a TV morning show. I remembered watching the gymnastics finals in the 1996 Olympics. The US team was in contention for a gold medal and Kerri was last to do her vault. It was all up to her. Everyone thought it was over when Kerri fell and injured her ankle on her first try. She was in pain but needed to stick her landing on the second vault. Most athletes would have mourned their bad luck and allowed themselves to be carried off. Not Kerri!

I held my breath as she focused on her second vault with determination. She did it perfectly, landed on both feet and held it long enough to secure gold for the American team. Then she collapsed from the pain. Some have it, some don’t. It’s hard to stay in the game and not get discouraged or give up because of difficulties. Advancing in any career takes work. Some goals add extra elements of difficulty. You need a strong soul, and strong faith, in both you and in knowing you have spiritual support. Kerri Strug wanted to win badly enough to endure the pain and focus on what she needed to do. Do you?

Kerri is now working with ING to encourage young people to get out and run through a program called Orange Laces. Check it out and donate if you can! She's now determined to help kids become more fit.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Law of Attraction in Action: Respect

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:49:00 +0000

This is my eleventh post in my Monday series on the Law of Attraction, inspired by watching Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, the movie, expanded version.

I’ve encountered some interesting views of the concept of RESPECT. Some people tend to use the concept without really knowing what respect means. I’ve heard complaints about a boss, romantic partner, friend, service person, client, etc. saying or doing inappropriate things and called them not being respectful. Yet they never addressed what they complained about. That tells the person it’s OK to keep doing it. People complain about their opinions or input not being respected. Yet their actions attract it.

Years ago, I was on the board of an organization. During board meetings, other members would call out and often refused to follow the rules of order. Sometimes it became a free-for-all. I was the chairwoman, but when someone wanted to speak out of turn, she ignored me. I’d encourage respecting the way board meetings are supposed to be run. They scoffed. I encouraged respecting each other, and themselves as board members. One day, one said in disgust:

“You and that respect word! Don’t you get tired of it?”

No, I don’t. I try to respect others while respecting myself. Yet so many folks don’t get this concept or what a lack of respect attracts to you. When you don’t respect yourself, the Law of Attraction supports your not being treated with respect. When you don’t respect others, the Law of Attraction brings negative behavior back to you. The woman who asked that questions was normally a people pleaser. She didn’t get much respect, which may be why she bristled so much at the word.

When I was on Oprah, audience members discussed how much they please to be liked. But RESPECT? Not important!

Many equated being respected with alienating people, which is far from the truth! I understand, and felt that way when I was a DoorMat. If I didn’t jump to do someone’s bidding, that person might not like me anymore, which back then was tantamount to death. The more I gave no matter how they behaved, the less respect I got. But I didn’t care! DoorMats usually don’t like themselves anyway and feel undeserving of respect. I hated me back then and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to respect me. Needless to say, I didn’t respect me!

When you make pleasing others most important, the Law of Attraction supports that belief and you don’t attract respect.

When you don’t respect yourself, you send the message that you’re not worthy of respect and therefore, don’t expect it, so RESPECT continues to allude you.

Oprah’s audience talked about all they did for others. One person after another sheepishly stood up to share the great lengths they took to give or do for others. Was it often reciprocated? Not really. They tried to justify it by explaining how good it felt to give and make others happy. Yet there was an underlying unhappiness in their defense of people pleasing ways. Fear drove them to give and sacrifice respect. They were scared of losing friends or just not being liked. Insecurity does that to people who were brought up to be nice, without learning to set boundaries.

Most of Oprah’s audience thought you couldn’t be liked and respected at the same time. But you can, by earning respect first.

Add RESPECT to your vocabulary! Doing that was the ticket to my first destination out of DoorMatville. As I began to respect myself and my right to have my needs too, it became easier to turn down favors I didn’t want to do. Yes, some people didn’t like not getting everything they wanted from me. And yes, a few friends disappeared. But by then I accepted that the ones who turned on me for not doing favors weren’t real friends anyway. Now I value respect and get it from most people. And since I’m still a kind and considerate person, most people still like me!

A nice person whose behavior commands respect is more sincerely liked than one who keeps friends by being agreeable.

Do you associate respect with alienating people? Au contraire, respected people get more! Respect must be earned but many of us weren’t taught how. I was taught to please, not to expect good treatment from others. And, people must be taught to treat you with respect. That begins with respecting yourself. After all, if you don’t, why should people give it to you!

Respect yourself enough to stop letting people play on your kindness! As I said, respect must be the priority. As you learn to respect yourself—which to me means expecting courteous and polite treatment from everyone—AND treating yourself with similar consideration—the Law of Attraction will bring more respect to you.

If you want to attract respect, pay attention to your behavior:

* Do you let people put you down without speaking up? Insults or unasked for input (usually criticism under the guise of “helping” you) make you feel bad, which is disrespectful. Recognize it for what it is and put a stop to it. You don’t have to be confrontational. Respectfully tell the person it’s unacceptable to say those things as it makes you feel bad and thank them for their consideration. If it happens again, remind them of what you said before and if necessary, leave.

* Do you put yourself down to make people laugh or to try to make others feel better? That’s so disrespectful to YOU. It also puts out the message that you don’t respect yourself or think you deserve good treatment. The Law of Attraction will bring it back to you as more disrespect. Listen to yourself and become aware of when you do it. When I had major body image issues Try to catch yourself when you can. Reassure others without putting yourself down and entertain with less personal jokes.

* Do you jump to be accommodating, even for people who aren’t considerate to you? Ask yourself why? What are you afraid of? Losing someone who doesn’t care about you beyond what you do for him? Not being liked by someone who uses you? Having her get mad if you say no? Think before agreeing to something. Ask yourself if the person deserves it. If no, politely decline. Then consciously feel the self-respect it brings!

Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, “…only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.”

As long as you’re still kind, considerate, and courteous to others, you’re still being nice, even if you stop being their fairy god-DoorMat. The ONLY person you owe more to is YOU! As you begin to show yourself the respect you DESERVE, the Law of Attraction will bring it back to you. When you earn respect first and continue to be nice to others, people who aren’t just there to use you will still like you. But it can’t come the other way around. Kissing up to everyone doesn’t attract respect.

Having enough self-respect to keep your well-being as your first priority will attract a lot of respect from those who are healthy to have in your life. That’s a good use of the Law of Attraction!

Practice showing respect to yourself and to others for the RIGHT reasons—to be a courteous person, not to gain approval. When you make RESPECT part of your working vocabulary and do nothing unfair to others, you’ll like yourself more and others will like you more too. When you begin with earning respect, you can be both respected and liked.

As I valued me more, tolerance for disrespectful behavior crumbled. Since I’m friendly, fair, and courteous, most people still like me. Those who don’t—hey, it’s their problem! If you don’t feel respected, examine how YOU treat you. You get respect by respecting yourself.

As yourself, what’s more important: being liked by others, or yourself? You can guess what this recovering DoorMat chooses now! ☺ Having RESPECT for yourself and for others attracts wonderful people a situations.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Nasty Bosses

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:17:00 +0000

I was at a diner I like recently and asked my usual waitress if she felt better, since the last time I was they said she went home sick. She whispered to me that she’d has a run-in with the manager and got so upset she felt physically ill for 2 days. What happened? Charlotte said the boss picked on her for unfair reasons. Really railed her. Not long ago, I witnessed this same guy lose his temper with a waiter, who quit on the spot. Yet he continues to verbally attack his staff.

Many people can’t control their anger or frustration. But, they NEVER have a right to take it out on you!

Charlotte said that she was ready to quit. I admired her because I know she needs this job. Yet so many people complain and accept being yelled at by a colleague or boss. Not saying anything gives them permission to continue it. Yelling back just sinks to that person’s level. The best way to address someone who speaks to or yells at you in a disrespectful manner is to calmly let him or her know it’s unacceptable. Period!

While it’s important to speak up, your choice of words and the tone you use determines the impact of your response.

When I was a DoorMat, I whined a lot. “Woe is me for being spoken to like that!” “I’m upset that my colleague often loses her temper and directs the venom at me.” But I was too busy being miserable and hurt and angry to say something that would stop it. Just saying you don’t like it, or getting angry back, doesn’t rectify the problem. You must make it clear to the person that it can’t happen again. Some of the things I’ve found helpful are:

* Don’t get bent out of shape. Losing your own temper gives the person control over you and won’t get you taken seriously. Force yourself to stay calm when you speak. That can rattle someone who’d prefer to rattle you. When you keep your cool, they know you mean business.

* Tell the person it’s inappropriate to take their frustrations out on you. Inappropriate is one of my operative words when dealing with behavior I don’t like. It gets a message across clearly in work situations, better than yelling back!

* If someone yells uncontrollably or irrationally like Charlotte’s boss did, immediate that it’s unacceptable. Unacceptable is another one of my favorite operative words. It makes clear that you won’t tolerate the behavior, under any circumstance.

* Don’t accept blame for being yelled at. The person might say that you provoked the response. You didn’t do the project fast enough so she lost her temper. You said something that annoyed him. That’s a cop-out! No one has the right to yell at you!

* Take professional action. If there’s someone with a higher position, ask for a meeting and request advice on how to deal with the unacceptable behavior. File a complaint. Keep a written record of the behavior so you have something to show later. Yelling at you is harassment if you’ve warned the person and it doesn’t stop.

* Be prepared to walk, if the yelling at you won’t stop. You shouldn’t accept it. Period.

Charlotte returned to work the next day and calmly told the assistant manager that she’d leave for good if it happened again. He spoke to the manager and made him see reason. So far he’s left her alone. She’s a good worker and he didn’t want to lose her.

Just because someone has a higher position that you at work does not give them the right to to talk to you in any way that's not respectful. Accept that verbal attacks are unacceptable. Sometimes we don’t recognize the damage they cause. Being physically hit seems more like abuse. But verbal railing leaves mental scars, that can hurt you even more! Be very careful.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Law of Attraction in Action: Recovering Your Health

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:26:00 +0000

This is my tenth post in my Monday series on the Law of Attraction in Action, inspired by watching Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, the movie, expanded version.

I haven’t been feeling well for 3 weeks. It began with my trip to Miami to speak. I had a lot to drag with me. On the plane, it was hard to get enough water to drink. I normally bring my own but one can’t get through security anymore with water. I brought a nice lunch, which I ate around noon. Schlepping through Miami airport took a while. When I finally got to my hotel, I was exhausted, but went downstairs to meet the others who were there to speak. Forgot to drink enough water.

Because of people arriving late, dinner wasn’t till nine. I was distracted and didn’t at least grab some of the nuts I had with me. It was a high energy evening, followed by a full day at the event I was there for. After all the schlepping, running around and going long periods without food or enough water, I began to feel shaky. The very high humidity didn’t help any either. And, I was very wound up from all the activities.

I was ragged by the second night. And it didn’t get any better!

I stayed in Miami an extra five days at an apartment someone offered me. I was kind to myself but my body didn’t want to heal. Just couldn’t unwind, which made sleep tough. As I began feeling a little better, I had to go home. That trip was more stressful than usual. Returning home, I had a lot to do and a lot on my mind. Sleep wouldn’t come easily. I began to have ailments I never had before. It was scary. I was so weirded out, stressed, and exhausted I didn’t know what to do.

So I chanted affirmations. Over and over. “I feel fabulous. I’m VERY healthy, VERY relaxed, VERY energized, and I’m sleeping VERY well. All is truly well in my world.”

For the last three weeks I’ve been saying that many times a day—with enthusiasm I didn’t feel. I thanked God too, for my good health and for feeling fabulous. And, I treated myself with the Reiki skills I have. But nothing seemed to work. During this time I had to take some smaller trips, which tended to wipe out any progress I made in getting my good health back.

But I never stopped chanting my affirmations and thanking God for my fabulous health, even though I was getting shakes and poor sleep.

I plodded through my writing with no energy. It got scary. But I tried not to talk about it much. When someone asked how I was, I resisted the urge to share my woes, and just said I was great. I wanted sympathy so badly, and reassurance. But I knew the more I complained, the more energy that went out saying that I wasn’t well. Instead I told most people nothing, or that I was good.

The two friends I mentioned it to pushed me to go to the doctor. They suggested diseases I could have. But my faith is so strong that I continued to put my health into God’s hands and enthusiastically affirmed how fabulous my health was. It actually was hard. But the more I said it the more I believed it. It continued sending my expectation of good health out to the Universe. Friday night I noticed a shift in my energy. I’d been doing affirmations and felt more relaxed. That night I fell into a deep sleep and woke up refreshed.

It felt like a miracle. But I knew it was the Law of Attraction in action. I continually put out good health. I guess it took time for my body to respond. But it did!

The common response to not feeling well is to succumb to the energy, or lack of, and put out a vibe of illness, etc. I know that the Law of Attraction will pick that up and support it. That sure wasn’t what I wanted! So despite not feeling it, I did my best to put out that I expected good health. It took a little while but eventually worked!

I’ve had people tell me they must have the flu or a bad cold when their noses get stuffed. I’ll try to suggest that maybe it’s nothing much, or allergies, but they aren’t having it! Self-diagnosis can make it worse when you expect it to be something unpleasant. Next time you don’t feel well, do what you can to nurture yourself and help the symptoms, but don’t take your mind to places of bad illness. Keep telling yourself it’s really not a big deal and you’re healing.

Let the Law of Attraction aid your healing, instead of prolonging your health problem. It really can work when you let it!

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Interview with Richard LeMieux

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:16:00 +0000

Today I’m continuing my Embracing SUCCESS series with Richard LeMieux, who ran his own successful business for 14 years and was very financially solvent, had a happy marriage and lived a decadent lifestyle. But when his business failed, he lost his livelihood, his home, his possessions, his wife of 17 years, and his children.

Suddenly, he was living out of a van with only his dog Willow for company. Willow saved him from committing suicide when things looked bleak.

Richard was homeless in Bremerton, Washington for a year and a half. With a secondhand manual typewriter, he sat at picnic tables in parks writing his new book, Breakfast at Sally's (Skyhorse Publishing, 2008), about his journey living off the kindness of the Salvation Army's and other organizations' kitchens. He also describes folks he met along the way. Richard’s memoir tells the story of one man's resilience in the face of economic disaster. His quiet determination and determined willingness to live with his situation is evident in this story of an all-too-common American condition.

Richard created the Willow Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization to raise awareness about the homeless and to help other service organizations assist the homeless with emergency housing, food, and other necessities and services. Funded by book sales, royalties, speaking fees, and corporate and private donations, The Willow Charitable Foundation is dedicated to a community-based approach to the problem of homelessness.

Richard LeMieux may not be rich but I consider him a role model for SUCCESS. He’s using his book to help people in the situation he’d been in. Here’s what he said:

What was your life like before you were homeless? I had a great life with all the trappings that indicated my success. A beautiful home on the water, boats, cars, hot tubs, exotic vacations were all part of my ‘success’ in business.

How did you become homeless? I had a directory publishing company before days of Internet prevalence in our marketplace. I did not see some of those changes coming and in one year all my biggest clients decided to build web sites instead of buy advertising in my directories. I hadn’t really built a safety net for myself that would have sustained that level of business loss.

What was your life like when you were homeless? For the first 6 months, in my mind, I could sort of tell myself that Willow (my faithful canine companion) and I were on a ‘camping’ trip. Migrating around town from church parking lots to campgrounds. I was fortunate, I still had my car, a van I stayed in, many people did not have that.

Where did you eat/sleep when you were homeless? My van was Willow’s and my “home on wheels” and we could get hot meals at The Salvation Army and other meals programs around town like The Lord’s Diner, the Methodist Church and the Lutheran Church.

How did your dog, Willow, affect your experience of homelessness? Willow continues to be my companion and she is a certified mental health service dog. The need to take care of her was and is what keeps me going.

Do you think Willow saved your life one night on a bridge? Absolutely. There was really no way that from the center of the Narrows Bridge I could have actually heard her barking in the car when I left her at the observation deck with a note on the dash saying, “This is my dog Willow, I call her the Wonder Dog, Please take care of her.” But I ‘heard’ her nonetheless. I could not leave her there by herself not knowing if she would be cared for.

What role did mental illness play in becoming homeless? My therapist at Kitsap Mental Health once told me that I should not be alive. The number of things I lost in one year, my successful business, my house, my wife, the estrangements of my children all contributed to my fall into depression and struggle with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). The darkness of this time consumed me. I saw no way out.

There are a lot of stereotypes of homeless people – is there a common thread of why people become homeless or what types of people become homeless? In the ‘beginning’ when I started writing (or journaling as my therapist called it) Breakfast at Sally’s there was no purpose. Now there most definitely is a purpose. If you’d told me when I was 50 years old, atop the Eiffel Tower that I would be homeless when I was 59, I’d have said there is no way. And at 55 when I was on a cruise through Greece, I’d have said you were crazy. There will always be the stereotypes of homelessness, but what I found on the streets were people like you and me, educators and nurses, teachers and skilled labor, children and teenagers, families split between shelters. A cross section of our country and people just like us fallen on a bad time, a lost job, a medical condition, a death, a foreclosure.

How did people treat you when you were homeless? I felt like an outsider in the store, the bank, all the places that were a part of my previous life. Those that I met on the street turned out to be the purest form of relationship, there were no expectations, there was no judgment, there were those who maybe only had $5 to their name and they would give you $3 if you needed it. Generosity like I’d never seen before. I “found myself” there so to speak, in a way I never had.

What is your relationship with the Salvation Army? How do they help homeless people? I still go see Pat the cook, Major Baker, eat meals and do what I can for those still on the street. The Salvation Army does an amazing work in our communities, many times un-acknowledged. I am always struck by their “motto” so to speak and it resonates with the kindness I found there.

How can we solve this crisis of homeless people in the U.S.? WE can. That is the answer. It’s each of us doing a small thing that snowballs into a movement in our society. I am part of the formation of Willow Charitable Foundation that will work toward doing just that. Using the awareness tool of Breakfast at Sally's and the arts through music and visual arts in a unique way to put faces on our homeless, put a face on the statistics. Only in connecting with a story will we change our future story.

What is your life like now? Willow and I share life in an apartment and still pinch ourselves to realize what a special opportunity we have make life different for many, many people. I am ready to sit on Oprah’s couch. I want to win the Pulitzer and march that plaque down to our Salvation Army corps in Bremerton and slap it up on Major Baker’s wall. Just this far is a dream, why not dream big!

I highly recommend reading Breakfast at Sally's if you want some inspiration and to read more about Richard's incredible story of hope.

If you enjoyed my post, please leave a comment and/or click on the bookmark and write a short review at some of the sites, especially Stumbleupon and Digg. Thanks!

Law of Attraction in Action: "Too Blessed to Be Stressed"

daylle@daylle.com (Daylle Deanna Schwartz) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:16:00 +0000

This is my ninth post in my Monday series on the Law of Attraction, inspired by watching Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, the movie, expanded version.

"Too Blessed to Be Stressed"
Stress is all around us. I hear folks often discuss how stressed they are. The energy of working hard, taking care of family, and fitting everything you might want to do into a time deprived existence can lead even the most spiritual of us to be stressed. And the current economy can certainly exacerbate stress about your finances. People are more worried today than ever before, at least in my lifetime. Is my job, savings, investments, retirement fund, college fund for my kids, etc. safe?

It’s scary times right now—IF you allow it to be.

Fear, stress, worry, etc. all send the message that you don’t have total faith that everything will work out for your highest good. It expresses doubt in your spiritual power. The Law of Attraction, which isn’t selective about what to support, brings more fear, stress, worry, etc. back to you. This is so important for you to understand!

Faith can create miracles in a situation that doesn’t look good. But you must be willing to surrender your control of it and just expect it to all work out well for you.

Yes, investments are tanking, jobs are decreasing, the economy is in the toilet, the news sounds bleak. But it doesn’t mean that your world has to be bleak. Many people still have their jobs. The stock market is rebounding. It will take time to sort itself out and make a positive impact but it will happen. You can focus on all that’s wrong and attract a bad mood and negative situations, or look forward and find the blessing in your situation.

When you can put a lid on your worries, have complete faith that things will work out for you, and focus on your blessings, miracles can happen.

People post their blessings on my Conscious Gratitude Yahoo group. One lives in Houston. We didn’t hear from her for a week after the hurricane hit. When she finally had access to Internet service, she shared a long list of her blessings. I bet most people wouldn’t have found the blessings like she did! Her house was flooded. Much of her possessions are ruined.

She and her family rode out the storm at a neighbor’s house. The roof blew off and several families sat huddled together as pieces of the roof came down all around them. This woman posts her blessings every day. Her faith is strong. She wrote that as pieces of roof flew around them in the wind, it was like someone had put a bubble around the families because no one was hit with even a bit! Now that’s a miracle of faith and the Law of Attraction bringing more blessings to someone who expresses gratitude each day. She focuses on blessings and got a BIG one. And she continues to post blessings, despite still having many residual problems from the storm. Having your family and friends safe is much more valuable than anything else.

Focusing on your blessings can neutralize negatives and attract more blessings. The Law of Attraction loves to provide blessings to those who focus on them.

I recently had a visit with a woman who did work for my parents for many years. Though my parents are gone, Nazzy and I have stayed in regular touch. She and her husband Henry are in their eighties now. Yet when they walked in, they radiated the same sunshine in their positive and exuberant energy that they had when they were young.

All my questions about how they are were answered with very positive responses. “I’m blessed to still be healthy.” “I’m blessed to have my kids and grands around me.” “I’m blessed that our home is paid for.” I pushed. Surely this economy was making them stressed, since they’re not too financially solvent to begin with. But Nazzy kept smiling and in a joyous tone said,

“I’m too blessed to be stressed!”

She always focused on what she had and felt great appreciation for it. Her faith was strong that she and her family would be safe. “I’m too blessed to be stressed!” She was so happy with all she had that she couldn’t worry at all about potential problems. Since they weren’t on her mind, the Law of Attraction didn’t bring the problems or when they came, it brought solutions too. Being stressed gets supported by the Law of Attraction. Why attract it?

When life, or all the bad news about the economy get you down:

* Turn off the news on TV or radio! I normally watch the news but the last weeks I change the channel when dark scary reports air. When I listen to the radio, I do the same thing when negative stories are discussed. I don’t read newspapers too often. The news is scary. It puts thoughts in your head that attract negatives to you. I’m so much happier since I stopped listening to negative news reports. It really does all work out on the other end when you expect it to.

* Put situations that worry you into God’s hands. Whether you believe in God or the Universe or another spiritual being, put yourself in those competent hands and rest assured that things will be OK. I can’t always cope with things as well as I’d like but God can. That belief allows the Law of Attraction to bring me good outcomes.

* Remind yourself, “I’m too blessed to be stressed!” Then list your blessings and focus on them so you create more.

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