My Favorite Self-Help Stuff

I hope you’ve had a fantastic Christmas!

I’m sorry I goofed and got this here a bit late, but I was MEANING to post a Holiday post.

I’ve been on the phone with some of my friends and family who are all over the globe. Makes for lots of phone calls, but it’s also great to connect and stay in touch.

It used to be that it was actually difficult to get through around Christmas Even and Christmas Day, but apparently, the capacity has been expanded so that this is no longer an issue.

I hope you’ve been able to spend the day souurrounded by your loved ones and that Santa brought you everything you wanted.

And if he didn’t… It’s not too late to get some of those gifts for yourself

That’s what I’m going to do (and have done for years).

And well, if a new and improved life is on YOUR agenda, you’ll enjoy my little gift for you:

I’ll write more about it in another post, but in the meantime, why not get your FREE 5-part e-course on how to make 2010 a MUCH better year?

Meanwhile, I also hope you won’t let that holiday glow wear off too quickly! Let the tree lbrighten up your days a bit longer, and go check out the tacky light shows around town. That’s what I will do in any case.

And continue to have

Happy Holidays!

I don’t think I have talked much about Bill Burns on my blog. Maybe not at all. I did mention the “mirror technique,” one of the most powerful techniques he taught me, in my stress ebook though.

It’s time I started writing about him though… After all, it was Bill who really got me started on my personal growth journey.

So who is Bill Burns?: Bill is a brilliant/absolutely amazing psychic in Los Angeles/North Hollywood.

I first met him many years ago, when I was a graduate student in Berkeley. And, well, my life has never been the same.

It was him who really introduced me to a lot of the personal growth and new thought ideas that I now live by. I didn’t realize it at the time — and didn’t always understand everything he was telling me.

But now that I’m familiar with the Abraham-Hicks material, a lot of what he told me about way back makes total sense. I guess it was part of the growth process.

In the meantime, his teachings set a lot of things in motion, and had a profound influence on my personal growth.

At the time, I was really stuck, and one day, I decided to drive to church (where I hadn’t been in years) with the express intention of praying for some kind of enlightenment.

And what I got — on the car radio no less — was Bill Burns, doing a call-in psychic radio show, where he helped a few people figure out what they were really meant to do.

He was so down-to-earth and right on, I found myself glued to that radio, parked on the street in front of that church, listening to Bill. I was amazed. If I had had a cell phone back then, I would have called in right then.

Well, I called the radio station the next day, and they gave me Bill’s number in Los Angeles. And when he came back to the Bay Area, I went to his lecture.

And when he did a “spot reading” on me, he so nailed something about me that I told him during the break that I had to have a reading with him — even though I didn’t know how to pay for it.

I got the very last slot and he actually let me pay in installments because he knew I needed the information “now.” And that reading changed my life. As they say, when the student is ready…

More on that in another post.

Right now, I just want to mention what triggered this post right now…

I was listening to one of Bill Burns’ tapes in my car earlier today and it was another one of those tapes that I needed to hear right then. It was about “financial feast and famine” and how growth sometimes can create a bit of a mess in one’s life. Very reassuring. I’ll write more about that later too…

If you’re curious about Bill Burns though, you can check him out at http://www.billburns.org — this is NOT an affiliate link by the way (Last time I checked he didn’t have an affiliate program although I really think he should start one).

He’s got some great resources and even some downloadable audios. I have a whole collection of his tapes, and they’re amazing (some more so than others but they’re all good). Again, more details about that in another post.

Meanwhile, since it’s the 23rd of December, and actually Christmas eve in Europe and in New Zealand, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a GREAT Holiday season!

Elisabeth

P.S.: And if you need some last minute ideas for gifts…
visit my htp://www.Christmaspresentideasblog.com

T’is the season, and one thing just about everyone loves:

Chocolate truffles.

I’ve just been experimenting with a super easy recipe… that allows also some amazing variation.

1) Take a bar or two of your favorite chocolate.

I happen to like sugarfree chocolate, but sometimes this can get kind of boring, which is why I came up with the idea for turning it into truffles.

See, I bought a huge stash at the grocery store when it was on sale, and I don’t like tham all that much.

So I decided to try an experiment. And by the way, if you like regular chocolate, this will work with regular chocolate too of course.

I broke a couple of bars up into small chunks and melted them in the microwave.

Then I mixed in some butter and some Coconut Oil (experiment with whatever combination you enjoy — I also like it with all coconut oil).

That will add the extra smoothness and softness…

Then, mix in whatever flavorings you like.

Try cinnamon, a bit of rum, vanilla, or get a bit adventurous. I tried 5 spice seasoning (the same kind I happen to like in hot chocolate), and wouldn’t you know it — it works really well in truffles too.

You can also add “mix-ins” from raisins to chopped nuts to…

Bacon bits! Be sure you get the REAL kind.

That’s right. There’s now a high priced chocolate out there that combines chocolate with bacon and it is a VERY nice combination. Mo’s bacon bits or something.

You can do that yourself at home.

Or you could cook some strips of bacon and drag it through the chocolate mix while it’s still melted and then put it on wax paper and refrigerate.

Ooooh. I’ve got to try that!

To make it even better, get this fancy peppercorn bacon!

Of course, this works with all kinds of other stuff too. Just have fun.

Oh, about finishing those truffles… Let them cool off enough to be able to form them into balls, then roll them in something suitable, i.e., cocoa powder, chopped nutws, shredded coconut, or whatever.

Or you can just deposit lumps of them on a piece of wax paper and enjoy it in various shapes.

Needs to keep refrigerated or else it will melt before you have a chance to eat it.

Experiment with various ratios of chocolate to coconut oil. I’m using about a couple of spoonfuls per 3 ounces of chocolate for pretty good results.

There are fancier recipes out there, but this one is great for turning your favorite regular chocolate into truffles. Also works with chcolate chips.

Enjoy.

Elisabeth

Have a business or want to promote your stuff online? Or maybe you have a friend or loved one who does — and that’s someone who you still need a gift for?

Read on for some last minute gifts for growing your business!

First of all, if you’ve been procrastinating, you should check out the gift idea in the P.S.

Otherwise (or in any case) read on because I’ve got a few cool recommendations… and all of them can be gotten instantly!

1) One of my favorite “gurus” Marlon has a special sale. And yes, I’ll earn a commission if you buy any of his products, but I also own 4 of the 7 options myself, and I have to tell you, they are worth WAY more than what I paid for, and I paid a lot more for them than you would have to if you get them right now, while they’re available at a big discount.

Christmas Special Offer for Marketing Success

2) If you prefer, you can check out this cool video to find out the same “guru’s” 3-step process for to build a list:

FREE How to Promote Video

3) My other favorite marketer friend Jason (and I own almost everything he ever created — he’s that good!) has another free (and very cool) video for you — check it out here:

Jason’s FREE video

4) And last but not least… My blogging course makes a pretty cool gift…

Get it here at a discount (which I have decided to keep for a little while longer, as a special Christmas gift to you:

My Blogging Course Special

Your gift recipient will be able to get started right away, and then will be able to join in with my next live class that I’ll start in January 2010!

Happy Holidays!

P.S.: And stay tuned for a couple of ridiculously easy truffle recipes that I’ll be posting here soon.

P.S.: If you or someone you need a gift for is challenged by procrastination, why not get the best course I’ve ever come across…

Time Mastery Course

I just remembered that LAST Christmas, I posted a post with MC Hammer’s video “Can’t Wrap This!” which was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time.

And while I don’t want to mess with old posts or create duplicate content, I figured, I could LINK to it, right?

So here goes:

MC Hammer Video: “You Can’t Wrap This”

Enjoy!!!

And I’ll post a few more treats here shortly

In the meantime, check out my FREE do-it-yourself-treats-making ebook:

More to come!

Elisabeth

Do you ever feel like you don’t have enough of a budget to really do the kind of effective marketing it would take to reach your audience with your message?

Read on… I’ve got a couple of free treats for you today that will help a lot.

1) First of all, there’s a FREE teleseminar “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget” by my marketing expert friend Sue Clement. Her seminars are always jam packed with great information. You can find more information right here:

Shoestring Marketing Teleseminar”

Be sure to sign up even if you can’t make the live teleseminar so you’ll get the recording afterwards. You’re really going to like this. And I’ll be on the call too — wouldn’t miss it for the world!

2) As you know, I’m teaching a blogging course. And I’m a great believer in blogging as a fantastic marketing tool — and lead attraction tool.

So I’m currently running limited-time special for my blogging course. This one is a version for network marketers, but it’s really the regular version with a special add-on for people who need to generate lots of leads — and who doesn’t!

And here’s the FREEBIE:

For the next few days, you’ll also be able to get a big step-by-step keyword research tutorial (with domain name tutorial add-on) that I’m giving away as a preview and ethical bribe. Get it here:

Blogging Course Offer & Free Gift

And since good keywords are a key (pardon the pun) to being found on Google (and thus putting your website in a position where it can attract visitors and leads), and I’m showing you all FREE tools, I figure it goes really well with the teleseminar theme of shoestring marketing.

I hope you’ll take me up on one or (preferably) both of these offers.

Happy Santa Season,

Elisabeth

Please note: This is a FREE gift

P.S.: I just wanted to share my newest discovery. The graphics of the site you get to when you click on the above link was created by my new best friend Cindy! And she’s created a bunch more for me, whcih I’m setting up, one after the other. Talk about marketing on a shoestring.

Of course, when she asked me if I wanted to be an affiliate, I immediately signed up. There hasn’t been ANYTHING I spent money on in internet marketing that has provided me with such an amazing return on my investment as my membership in Cindy’s unlimited minisites “club.”

If you want to find more about my new secret designer, click on the banner below:

Have you ever picked up your iPod or turned on the radio (or TV) and the exact thing you needed to hear was playing right then?

That’s what just happened to me.

Earlier today, I had been listening to an interview and then I went on to my day’s work. Hours later, I picked up my iPod to go for a walk before it got dark. And I noticed it was playing….

Apparently I had forgotten to turn it off, and with the earphones you don’t hear it playing unless you’re pretty close (at least not at the volume that I tend to use).

I checked and it was playing Dr. Robert Anthony’s ” Allowing vs. Resisting” from his “The Science of Deliberate Creation” program.

It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear right then and there, so I listened to it several time, during my entire walk. Right now, I’m listening to the next segment.

It’s not that I didn’t know this information. I HAVE listened to his program before, and, of course, I have listenend to dozens of Abraham CDs. I’ve read a bunch of books, from Joe Vitale’s to Michael Losier’s books, plus Abraham books, and so on.

Still, it helps to be reminded occasionally that the way to create change is to focus on what we do want and not on what we do not want.

So now I’m doing just that

But isn’t it funny how life sometimes puts things in front of us with perfect timing? Coincidence? I think not.

Here’s another interesting incident I remember from quite a few years back — back when I was getting a lot of my info by way of listening to tapes on my car stereo.

One day, I was driving along and when I arrived at my destination and turned off the ignition, the last thing Roger Mellott said on his “Stress Skills for Turbulent Times” Tape was “Do what you say you value.”

This, he said, was the ultimate key to stress reduction.

Now I had listened to this tape quite a number of times, but I had never noticed this particular phrase. But now, with it being the very last thing before I turned the key, it practically boomed in my brain. And I spent a lot of time over the following few weeks thinking about what I needed to change in my life to get into better alignment in terms of how I spent my time.

So I believe that obviously these things are not coincidences. In some way, we attract what we need to hear, at last if we pay attention.

And so, today, I am going to pay attention to Dr. Robert Anthony. It’s time to get back to focusing on what I DO want, and to finding joy in every moment.

May our days be filled with joy and serendipity.

Elisabeth

Get your FREE edible Christmas gifts recipe ebook!

Nam-myoho renge kyo, Ohm, or Christmas carols. Is mixing spiritual traditions sacreledge or a sign of new spiritual openness?

It’s Christmas season, with Santas in the malls and in store window displays. It’s also the season of Hanukkah and Kwanza, plus there are other spiritual traditions that celebrate this part of the year.

I was just thinking about that because I’ve been mixing some traditions myself and I used to feel a bit guilty…

As I mentioned before, I often chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ever since I learned about it, and I also learned that chanting is supposed to be done in multiples of 108.

Of course, that’s where prayer beads come in. I don’t always count… sometimes I just feel inspired to chant and do it without keeping track, just letting myself be guided from some place within.

But when I thought about acquiring prayer beads, not too long after I found out about the significance of 108, I suddenly realized something. A rosary has 54 beads, not counting the five that are on that extra short bit that ends in the cross. So I figured — two rosaries make 108 beads, right?

And I started using a rosary for chanting. No thunder has struck me yet, but then I have told hardly anybody about that. It works great, but I still felt a bit guilty.

Apparently, I shouldn’t have. I just Googled “rosaries and chanting” and came up with this site:

http://www.healingsindia.com/rosaries.asp

And praying the rosary is much like chanting anyway, except the prayers are from the Catholic tradition. I had the rosary handy because a few years back I re-discovered that praying the rosary really supported me during very stressful times. Yet clearly, the rosary has a much broader tradition than I had realized.

And so does Christmas, which actually has some of its roots in Pagan traditions.

And at Unity, the church were I’ve found my spiritual home base, all faiths are welcome, and as the year goes on, a number of traditions are highlighted and invited to participate in the service.

After all, why not share celebrations with each other and enrich everyone’s life?

Cheap Christmas Present Ideas, or Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas, either way, this year is a great time to go all out on that particular path.

And you know what? Sometimes that strategy might lead to the better gift too.

Yeah, I know, it’s not just the thought that counts, but the more thought you put into something, the more likely it is to result in something good.

I just came across a cool blog with a ton of great ideas. I’ve had some of my own, and I wrote about them on my Christmas Present Ideas Blog, but some of these were just terrific!

So here’s the link for that blog post:

63 gifts under 10 dollars

I bet you’ll feel as inspired as I did. I mean, a cheese and fruit basket? Sounds pretty fancy, doesn’t it? Yet if you put some thought into it, you can asssemble a nice one for less than 10 bucks. Heck, I’ll make one for myself

But there are tons of other ideas too… Not to mention free ones.

In fact, she lists several that could have come straight out of that ebook that is my own gift to you…

If you go to that Christmas Present ideas blog I just mentioned, you can sign up to get a FREE ebook with edible gifts recipes — and yes, those are essentially gifts in a jar, that you can assemble and give as a gift with instructions on how to prepare.

And of course, you can make some for yourself too.

There are other frugal ideas as well… So I’ll shut up.

One bonus tip… with those gift jar recipes, you can actually prepare them to suit your diabetic and celiac friends too — since you’ll have total control over the ingredients.

If you already have my stress tips report, just sit tight and keep an eye on your inbox. I’ll send it to you really soon.

Everybody else — check this out:

I just expanded my FREE stress tips report and added a bunch of tips for how to reduce holiday stress. It’s now the expanded Special Holiday Edition!

And where can you get it?

Here:

Holiday Stress Tips Report

And that’s just for starters.

I’ve also added a ton of new stuff to my Christmas Present Ideas blog, and created two new Squidoo lenses on the subject too, one of them on Last Minute Gift ideas. And another one: Christmas Present Ideas. Yeah, more of them.

I guess it’s the season

After all, what to buy for whom is a great source of stress during the holiday season, so I figured I’d help you out.

And don’t forget — if you aren’t already on my email list, please click on the link above and get my Holiday Stress Tips Report It’s free!

Happy Holiday Season

Elisabeth

P.S.: A couple of years ago, I read about EggNogg’n tea (by Bigelow), but I couldn’t get my hands on a pack. But now I have. It’s great stuff! Yummm.

And Stash also has a great holiday tea with pumpkin and spice and stuff, and it’s even caffeine free!

A nice cup of tea can be very relaxing. And if you’ve found any special holiday teas you like, please share them here in the comments section .