So I was waiting while a DVD played in the background. Normally
I tune out and focus on my messages but this time three words
caught my attention:

“Insufficient Reward Syndrome”

Say WHAT???

(It resonated so loud with me on behalf of all entrepreneurs
everywhere that I may just have to have my hearing
tested…!) ;=)

Naturally, I had to do a little more research.

The DVD that clanged this concept into my brain was referencing a
biological neurotransmitter deficiency that prevents people from
feeling happy.

But listen to this… according to “Behavior Therapy in Dealing With
Depression” (the only source in non-medical geek speak resource I
could find), there are four factors that apply in a behavior to
positive reinforcement ratio.

The idea is that you can predict behavior based on positive
reinforcement (or lack of it). (Can you feel your entrepreneurial
cells reaching for the light yet?)

The four factors are:
1. Frequency of positive rewards
2. Amount of positive rewards
3. The duration and continuation of the rewards once started
4. The amount of effort required to produce expected behavior

In other words, if your rewards are infrequent, too conservative
and/or prone to stopping even though the behavioral demands
continue, you’re going to suffer ‘insufficient rewards syndrome’.

Even more, if the effort to perform increases, the behavior to
reinforcement ratio also increases and, if not met, also results in a
deficient rewards syndrome state.

The bottom line is that the quality of your life and health depends
on your ability to reward yourself consistently in proportion to the
effort you’re putting out. It helps you to stay motivated and in joy.

That being said, as an entrepreneur, chances are you’re focusing
on your bottom line rather than your body when you’re deciding
whether to give yourself a reward like time off, a new toy or a
frivolous expenditure.

Rewards don’t have to be expensive… but they are vital to your
well-being.

So the teaching is that you must work and play in proportion.

Because the cost of NOT giving yourself rewards as you go is far
greater to your emotional, psychological and biological health than
the cost of the reward itself in time or money.

(And at the very least, I figure it’s important that I lead by
example and I haaave had my eye on that awesome crystal singing
bowl…)  ;=)

To Rewards As Vital Keys to Your Health and Success… ~~~

Lynn

P.S.: If you want to listen to one of the rewards I like to play
during my breaks for blissful little 26 minute mini-vacations, check
out this song, Sound Is Divine, by Sheila Chandra:

http://youtu.be/K2_EkiWp1FM

Enjoy! :+)

Fall is already coming… the signs say so. There are ‘back to
school’ ads, people talking about the cooling weather in other
parts of the country and sweaters displayed in the stores (and
that’s a real brain-bender when it’s 102 degrees outside here
in Austin, TX!).

The point is that the fall season makes people hearts beat a
little faster.

There’s a quickening that happens as people get ready to settle
in for our ‘regularly scheduled’ year. It’s soon back to school
and back to work.

By the way, this means there are only 138 days left in the year
in which to complete your annual goals (we’re two-thirds
through 2011).

One other fun fact – Deepak Chopra says that 40% of our
happiness depends on engaging in activities that express our
creativity and/or make other people happy through voluntary,
intentional choices.

(To round out the happiness formula, 50% depends on whether you
see problems or opportunities in your world, and the other 10% of
your happiness is based on your living conditions.)

To see his short video on that, click here:

http://youtu.be/qKwZXhOXSa8

My intention in sharing the happiness formula is simple…

You can choose to be fully present in your life and proactively work
your goals or not – both the choice and the consequence is yours.

However, it’s a lot easier to do when the energy can help carry you
along to get your groove back… so take advantage of the quickening
energy to get a jumpstart on completing your priorities this year.

And bonus – you’ll be happier because you’re actively choosing it!

So, in order to make the most of the energy of this incoming
season, it’s important to focus on what’s important.

In fact, here are three things you can do right now:

1. Take the time to go through your priorities as you outlined
them in January to see what’s left for you to do – then
follow-through with actualizing and implementing a plan.

2. Use the longer days of daylight that we still have to get in
an extra hour on your to do list to get some new momentum going.

3. Go to www.HiddenAwareness.com and let me know your focus and
action commitment for the next 7 days – that ensures your
clarity and engages your energy to make it happen.

I look forward to getting your focus / action
commitments asap… :+)

www.HiddenAwareness.com

To Your Quickening AND Your Happiness ~

Lynn

Five thousand years ago, ancient Egyptian commerce was advanced by
traveling Merchant Priests. These priests were trained to regard
business a sacred practice, rather than just a financial
transaction. It was considered a vehicle by which both vendors
and customers could raise their vibrational consciousness,
contribute to their communities and, ultimately, create
their self-actualization.

The Merchant Priests were responsible for maintaining balance and
flow of abundance with people and amongst communities. Business
was their channel for making sure that there was a healthy flow of
goods through and across the population geographically and amongst
economic levels so that there was consistency in experiencing wealth.

They considered goods as a measure of energy vs. being a profit
center; their emphasis was on prosperity as a practice and trust
was the keystone of good business. Even more fascinating is that
these merchant priests traded in precious goods as determined by
their ability to carry positive energetic frequencies rather than
focusing on their financial value.

This is radically different from today’s marketplace where you can
find and exchange anything and everything, much of it without
energetically supportive qualities or in a way that honors the
connection as the sacred trust it actually represents.

There was considerable training for these ancient Merchant Priests
in the skills of emotional intelligence and alchemy as well as
empathy, to help them understand the shifting environments
surrounding negotiations, and then to have the ability to
transmute and even clear any non-supporting energies during
business transactions.

The Merchant Priests were concerned with the overall health and
well-being of the collective community and could actually monitor
and manage the psychic tone of their culture, much like we rely
on the stock market to tell us how our economy is doing. (Ouch –
can you feel the difference already?)

Business is a symbol for the health of our collective community. It’s
an accelerator of cultural evolution and personal expansion. By
allowing your spiritual practice to come through your business,
you are walking the path of your divine purpose. By unifying your
life and your livelihood, you are increasing your ability to
contribute in a more powerful and profound way to your growth,
your legacy and the greater good.

So, here’s the secret of business as I see it – it’s your highest
calling made manifest through service. And sacred commerce, or the
merchant priesthood, is the foundation and the future of business.

When you look at how you’ve been approaching your business, and
how people have been doing business with you, is it in integrity
with higher consciousness? Or is it just a way to make money?

So think about this concept of sacred commerce
and then decide…

Are you in or are you out?

To Raising Consciousness Through Commerce ~

Lynn

I’ve had several conversations with entrepreneurs in the last week about business models, and decided that it must be a message to share this information in a bigger way. It’s just one of the literally hundreds (thousands?) of nuggets you can get in Big Book of Accelerators.

www.AcceleratorsBook.com

So, there are four essential revenue models for business. Be familiar with them so that you can plot the progression of your future business revenues.

1. Service-Based: this is trading time for dollars.

2. Transaction-Based: this is project-oriented (vs. hourly rate).

3. Recurring Revenue: this is continuing revenue on consistent basis (i.e., membership site, etc.)

4. Passive Revenue: this is where you create a product or service that is automated and “ever-green” in relevance to meeting your market’s needs as a solution.

My intention is that this information supports you in thinking about the growth of your business in a new way. Let me know how it prompted you to think differently about your business strategy when you get a chance by replying to this email.

To Honoring Your Gifts AND Making A Living ~~~

Lynn

P.S.: Remember, the Big Book of Accelerators is the distilled power bites of information, strategies, insights and how-to’s that I compiled from more than a decade’s worth of knowledge so that you can have what you need at your fingertips.

Here’s what Perenna Fleming of www.TheInsightfulSage.com said about the Big Book of Accelerators:

“I have known Lynn for many years and she has been an invaluable resource for me and my business. This book encompasses some that I already knew – and much that I didn’t know – but to have it all in one place, have it so easily accessible and to have an amazing supply of information at my finger tips  in such a beautifully presented, easy to read document is a complete gift, as far as I am concerned. Within five minutes of having my copy, I had the information I needed to do a radio interview the following week. I highly recommend this book if you are starting out or even if you have been in business for years. You will not be disappointed!”

To download your copy now, go to: www.AcceleratorsBook.com

I am what I am.
In having faith in the beauty within me, I develop trust.
In softness I have strength.
In silence I walk with the gods.
In peace I understand myself and the world.
In conflict I walk away.
In detachment I am free.
In respecting all living things, I respect myself.
In dedication I honor the courage within me.
In eternity I have compassion for the nature of all things.
In love I unconditionally accept the evolution of others.
In freedom I have power.
In my individuality, I express the God-Force within me.
In service I give of what I have become.
I am what I am:
Eternal, immortal, universal, and infinite.
And so be it.

1. When you don’t know what to do with yourself, someone will always be happy to tell you.

2. Why seek approval from someone who doesn’t even approve of himself?

3. Fawning before an angry person is like asking a rabid wolf for its approval.

4. The more approval you get, the more you have to have.

5. Keeping any person or circumstance in your life that demands you surrender your right to be a whole and happy human being is wrong for everyone involved.

6. When you are standing in a storm, don’t blame the weather.

7. Real strength always follows uncovering one of the roots of weakness.

8. Don’t seek yourself. Dare to be yourself.

9. If you were really doing the right thing with your life, you wouldn’t need anyone to tell you that you were.

10.“Permitting your life to be taken over by another person is like letting the waiter eat your dinner.” (Vernon Howard)

We humans think in pictures. And your profile photo, or headshot, captures your essence so anyone who sees it can see your story in a moment. A good headshot will illuminate your inner light, show your personality and give a peek into your life. In a professional context, this is vital to activate sharing your innate message with the world (who you are) as well as create a connection point with your potential and current clients.

A long time ago, in another land far away, I was a Glamour Shots photographer – yes, it’s true. And now, by using the ancient art of Chinese face reading with my clients, I have seen A LOT of profile photos! Without further ado, here are a few tips from what I have seen that can make all the difference in you having an awesome headshot.

1. No distractions! If you are in a social environment, or a friend casually snaps your photo while the guy in the background is reaching for a soda, or you’re in front of an art exhibit, you are competing with your environment for a good headshot. Let the background be neutral to really show YOU off!

2. No lopping off friends! I see it time and time again… people are hanging with their friends, arm in arm, and they like how they look, so they simply chop off anyone else in the picture. Not only is that not healthy energetically, it’s a disservice to you because people are relating to you relating to that person in the photo vs. the person looking at your headshot. That is two completely different relationships, obviously… if you’re looking to attract business, don’t use a shot where you’re hangin’ with your homies!

3. No body shots! A headshot on a web page is already small, so if you decide to use that photo of yourself dressed up in full, you are taking valuable “real estate” away from your headshot. Your head ends up being smaller than a postage stamp, and it’s really not enough for people to get the feel of your energy. A headshot is just that… a HEADshot!

4. Good lighting! If your headshot has funny shadows, harsh lighting (which will age you), you’re squinty in the sun, or your face is looming in from a dark background (as in, your picture being taken at a social club), it’s not working for you. Natural lighting is great, or a professional photographer will know how to use light to complement your features. It’s all about the lighting!!!

5. The eyes are the windows to the soul! This is the connection place between you and the person seeing your headshot – this is how you engage people when you’re not there. If you are friendly, approachable, and/or playful, it’s likely people will want to connect with you. Eye contact shows whether you are open to relationship in some manner or if you are closed for business. If you’re doing a stare-down, not looking at the camera, or wearing sunglasses, you’re not giving your people the opportunity to engage with your light. Eye contact is a key to your emotional being and is just as important in a headshot as it is in person.

6. Creativity wins! If you want to do a profile shot with a quick look at the camera, or catch yourself in the middle of a good laugh, or want to wear something that is “you”, do it! A picture paints a thousand words… and in business, your headshot can attract you thousands of dollars. Your headshot shows what is important to you, so capture your personality in the moment. Let your headshot reflect who you are – after all, that’s who people want to know.

7. Supermodels are out! A good headshot isn’t about being glammed up to the point where people in your world wouldn’t recognize you. This is about you being you, comfortable in your skin and inviting people to come play (and do business) with you. There is no need to glob on the make-up or wear clothes that you wouldn’t normally wear. It’s vital that you be your natural self that happens to be getting a picture taken because THAT is the most attractive quality you have – YOU!

It doesn’t take much to have a great headshot – a little attention to detail, some decent lighting, allowing your personality to shine through and you’ve got great face! So get out there and share those baby blues and pearly whites with the world – we’re waiting for you!!!

Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, works with soul-driven entrepreneurs to create a livelihood from their true purpose. This type of business development requires extreme personal clarity in combination with innovation and active implementation of proven business practices. Download a free report to learn “The Seven Deadly Mistakes That Keep Soul-Driven Business Owners from Making Money” at www.mycreativecatalyst.com.