Celebrating 100 Fans

Celebrating 100 Fans on My Facebook site

Guided Journals

Buenos dias, mis amigas y amigos,

I just hit 100 fans on my Facebook Fan Page and I want to celebrate by posting my guided journal. Many of us understand the importance of journaling and writing to help us focus our vision, hone in our passion, and harness our creative energy, however, many of us have trouble getting started with what to write, especially when it is not clear to us why we are writing every day.  I have posted 15 prompts from my Guided Journals, My Life is My Message  on my blog. Each posting is designed to inspire a response from you. You can answer with a picture, a few words, a quote, a gratitude, or a long answer, whatever comes to mind, whatever was inspired in you when you read the prompt.

As you work on responding to these poetry prompts, feel free to use them in your own blogs or posts. All I ask is that credit be given for the poem and the prompt and a link back to my page as the source. Remember, it only takes 30 days to build a new habit. If one of your goals for 2012 is to SOAR…start now…by getting in touch with your inner voice.

Any one who answers all 15 prompts...here, on FB, or on your own blog, will be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of the My Life is My Message Guided Journal or a copy of Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul.

Graicas, mis amigas y amigos…y disfrutan.

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos ADELANTE!!

My Answers to Proust Questionnaire...

My responses to the Proust Questionnaire (See Previous Post)

• What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

To lose a child

• Where would you like to live?
• In Los Angeles, where I am living
• What is your idea of earthly happiness?
• Living in such a way that I do what I love and love what I do—living the writerly life
• To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
• Chocolate
• Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
• Santiago from The Alchemist
• Who are your favorite characters in history?
• Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Antohony
• Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
• My mother—a beautiful soul who graced this earth for a short period of time
• My Aunt—a deep soul who graces this earth still
• Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
• Scarlet O’Hara from Gone with the Wind
• Your favorite painter?
• Frida and Deigo
• Your favorite musician?
• Gloria Estefan
• The quality you most admire in a man?
• Creativity, ambition, motivation
• The quality you most admire in a woman?
• Intelligence, creativity, motivation
• Your favorite virtue?
• Justice
• Your favorite occupation?
• Writing, Inspiring, Motivating others
• Who would you have liked to be?
• Me, Myself, and I

Proust Questionnaire

In her book, "Stepping Out of Line"  Nell answers the Proust questionnaire with her own answers as a way of discovering insights into her personality. I am reprinted here the Proust questionnaire with Proust’s answers. (To see Nell’s answer you will have to look into her book.)

This is a questionnaire that allows us to look deep into ourselves and see what resonates with us and what makes us tick. Take a minute to answer the Proust questions, your answers may surprise you and offer some insights into your nest steps, overcoming obstacles, understaning what makes you tick, or just be a reflective exercise helping you get in touch with the inner you.

The Proust Questionnaire

http://www.chick.net/proust/question.html

• What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

To be separated from Mama

• Where would you like to live?

In the country of the Ideal, or, rather, of my ideal

• What is your idea of earthly happiness?

To live in contact with those I love, with the beauties of nature, with a quantity of books and music, and to have, within easy distance, a French theater

• To what faults do you feel most indulgent?

To a life deprived of the works of genius

• Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?

Those of romance and poetry, those who are the expression of an ideal rather than an imitation of the real

• Who are your favorite characters in history?

A mixture of Socrates, Pericles, Mahomet, Pliny the Younger and Augustin Thierry

• Who are your favorite heroines in real life?

A woman of genius leading an ordinary life

• Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?

Those who are more than women without ceasing to be womanly; everything that is tender, poetic, pure and in every way beautiful

• Your favorite painter?

Meissonier

• Your favorite musician?

Mozart

• The quality you most admire in a man?

Intelligence, moral sense

• The quality you most admire in a woman?

Gentleness, naturalness, intelligence

• Your favorite virtue?

All virtues that are not limited to a sect: the universal virtues

• Your favorite occupation?

Reading, dreaming, and writing verse

• Who would you have liked to be?

Since the question does not arise, I prefer not to answer it. All the same, I should very much have liked to be Pliny the Younger

http://www.amazon.com/Stepping-Out-Line-Lessons-Women/dp/0767924843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324008477&sr=1-1

Book Recommendations!!!

Books Recommended by Nell...

Julie Stav...our own Suzie Orman...
http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Share-Striking-Market/dp/B0042P58CO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323458752&sr=1-1



The One Page Business Plan-
Before you can make it happen, you have to create it...
http://www.amazon.com/Page-Business-Plan-Creative-Entrepreneur/dp/1891315099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324008438&sr=1-1

Stepping Out of Line:
Nell's great book on making it
http://www.amazon.com/Stepping-Out-Line-Lessons-Women/dp/0767924843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324008477&sr=1-1

How to Grow a Business

Starting a business can be exciting and fun and full of creative energy. Growing a business takes time, dedication and perserverance...here are some gems from Nell Merlino shared with us at the Coca-Cola Tour: ADELANTE Conference...

Here is Nell...according to Zee...

How to grow a business...

·         Tell people what you want and what you need

·         Mobilize who you know...One person can only do so much...Rely on your friends and networks

·         Grow your own networks...

·         Work with a partner...work with a buddy

·         Think about solving a problem...

·         You don’t have to do it all yourself

·         Expand your product line

·         How is your product different? What is it that you and only you can do? What else can I turn over and who can I turn it over to?

·         Think about expanding your capacity for growth

·         You are the Boss

·         Add to your resume

·         So many examples of things you can make

·         How do you expand? Is it still yours?

·         How do you broker the opportunities?

·         Give voice to the voice you have found

• Start with the end in mind...let your imagination run wild

Expect resistance...Listen for the spark of truth...Listen for the valuable message...Listen to the naysayers...what are they saying that you need to be aware of...

What would work? Use the info...Mobilize people, You have to be ready...let them know you are launching...go find customers...they need to know what you are...they need to know what you do, they need to know why you and not your competitor?

Write it down...make it happen...

Create a tornado of activity...

What are you going to do right now...today to move forward...

The sooner you do it, the sooner it can happen...

Are you being trained to be small??

Selling or creating or expanding...strategic partnerships

A little talking...a little writing

Who can you work with...

Tell people what you need

An extraordinary journey...just decide that this is where you want to be...

What is your 10x10?

10x10

What is your 10x10? at the Coca-Cola Tour ADELANTE

https://www.facebook.com/CocaColaTourAdelante?ref=pb

Sandra asked us to list 10 different ways we were different in 10 different groups. Our 10x10, so to speak and how do we stand out, stand up, and stand together to be counted. What is your 10x10? What are 10 ways you are different form the following (Feel free to change and adapt the groups to meet your needs):

1.       From your FB friends

2.       From your family

3.       From other Latinas

4.       From other educators

5.       From other women

6.       From other artists

7.       From other entrepreneurs

8.       From your colleagues

9.       From other mothers/aunts/grandmothers/cousins

10.   From other...

Pearls from Nely

Pearls from Nely Galan

Split Personality...how do we merge our 2 sides...how do I find a better me, the real me, the hidden me, the hyphenated me...the and/both me...how do I craft the identity of the me and who I want to be?

Fear and failure are your best friends

Grow everyday by any means necessary

We all need mentors...connect...

Honor your little girl. What are the unresolved issues? How can I be the best mom to that little girl?

Life is about stages...you do not have to prove yourself...over and over again...

Be kind to yourself...you are enough as you are!!!

Top 10 Gems for Dealing with Obstacles

1.       Make fear and failure your best friends...reframe failure , if you are not failing, you will never succeed
2.       It is never too late the right the wrongs of your life...honor your pain
3.       There is no Prince Charming...no one is on the earth to save you...
4.       Sometimes, when you win, you lose and sometimes when you lose you win...
5.       In your deepest pain is the answer to your purpose and who you are meant to be...take your pain and turn it into work and the work is transcendent...use your shadow material to create your life’s work
6.       Follow your bliss...but have a back-up plan to keep making money
7.       There is darkness before there is light...you will always be tested
8.       Maintenance...put yourself first...
9.       Being Latina is the Best of both worlds...Know how to give...and how to receive
10.   Happiness is...being self-actualized...having the tools to do it...take small actions...-little things will make you successful

If you have not seen Nely's book, check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Swan-Curriculum-Spectacular-Life-Changing-Amazing/dp/B0007MTTGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324007449&sr=8-1