~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I want to thank you for drawing near and listening to these “fireside chats”
throughout 2003. In the last issue of Marketing from the Heart I revealed that
strategy without clarity does not work and that clarity by itself works very well.

This month I’m going to take this idea a little bit farther. There is a big delusion
at the centre of business and in the middle of much of the “human potential movement”.

We think we get what we get because of our doing. On the face if it, it is hard
to dispute. For example, folks who do nothing do not reap the rewards that
motivated and determined entrepreneurs are able to realize. Surely the
difference is that some people take action and others don’t.

Most motivational speakers talk about taking action. Tony Robbins, the great,
talks about taking “massive action”. Nobody can argue that a person with a
great plan, a burning desire and a full head of steam will accomplish an
extraordinary amount in a short time. I have been involved in more than a few
blitzes in my time and without a doubt action was at the fore of all that was
achieved. But I think of action as the tip of the iceberg.

Action without awareness is only flailing. Have you ever heard anyone say,
“Don’t just stand there—do something!”? Action for the sake of action cannot
bring you to the results you want. And, without clarity about what you want,
it’s better to do nothing.

I want to persuade you that a congruent state of being must precede action
and that right action is merely a side effect of the thought momentum of a
focused state. In fact, if you are clearly and congruently fixed on your outcome,
many times action becomes unnecessary.

Some wise person said that we are human beings, not human doings. We are
also not human havings. Once we understand how we really get what we get,
we can relax and enjoy life. It’s not that we stop doing things. It’s just that we
realize that it is not effective to rush around trying desperately to maximize the
number of phone calls we make or e-mails we initiate or return. That’s not how
we get what we get.

Here’s how we get what we get: get what we expect. Expectation is a very
powerful state. We get what we thing about. Our thoughts literally create our
state. We get what we focus upon. Our minds are very powerful instruments
and if we use them to focus on lousy thoughts, we get lousy results.

A few reflections on the power of thought, which is described by metaphysicians
as the most powerful force in the universe. This is a simple formula that has
allowed me to completely change my circumstances, inner and outer. It is
deceptively simple, but very powerful.

Your thoughts determine your state -- or vibrational frequency.
Your vibration attracts to you everything you experience in your
life -- without exception. If you focus on what you want, you get it.
If you focus on what you don’t want, you get that too.

You can only think one thought at a time.

At any given moment you can choose your thought, and, by extension,
your vibration. (This may be the most significant fact of all human
existence.)

There is nothing more important than being in a positive, attractive
state.

When you want to feel good, think the most joyous thought you know.
Don’t be shy to think it a thousand times or ten thousand times, if that
is what it takes to get yourself into a perpetually positive state.

It’s very simple really. Choose your thoughts, engineer your vibration and reap the
psychic, personal and monetary rewards. When you do that, a little voice inside
you will tell you what to do and when to do it. You will no longer be stressed out
and the results you want will seem to flow effortlessly.

I wish you a great holiday and the great state of clarity that comes from reflecting
on what you want. I will talk to you in the New Year.

Tom St. Louis

Celebrity Endorsement.

I have met many graphic designers in my business life. I have worked with
literally dozens of them, many excellent. I want to tell you about, in my opinion,
the best of them all. Her name is Mercy Ehrler. Her company is Advanced Design.

There’s a joke in marketing that runs like this: “Fast, inexpensive, excellent—choose
any two”. With Mercy, you get all three, but there’s more to her value than that.
The biggest beef I have always had with designers is that they have a dim
understanding of the marketing implications of the pieces they are working on.
Text, to most designers, is an annoying clump of words that clutters their clean design.

Mercy not only understands text, she is an excellent copywriter in her own right.
Mercy suggests killer headlines as part of her service. The other thing that really
impresses me is that she is patient with all the fiddly little edits that are often
necessary to complete a project. Always friendly and positive.

So, if you have any brochures or logos, postcards or book covers you want
designed, talk to Mercy. One other thing I forgot to mention—Mercy owns a
lot of stock imagery and includes them in her very reasonable fees on projects
like brochures or postcards.

I know I should be hoarding her and keeping her a secret from everyone, but she
is too good and deserves to be exposed to a wider audience. I happen to know that
she is planning to work right through to the end of December this year, so if you
have an design projects you have been putting off because you are afraid of how
much they will cost, give Mercy a try. I promise you will be amazed and delighted.

Her number is (630) 718-0872. E-mail: mehrler@ameritech.net

P.S. If this issue of Marketing From The Heart has been
inspiring, useful or thought-provoking, please take a moment
and forward it to your friends and associates.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marketing From the Heart is written for a diverse and
ever-growing group of business owners and entrepreneurial
individuals around the world to help them achieve more in
their marketing and in their lives. Marketing From The Heart
is archived at http://www.zerald.com. Our subscription policies
are provided below. To unsubscribe, scroll to the bottom
of this message.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please note: We appreciate your presence on our list.
Only subscribers who have requested Marketing From the
Heart receive it. We NEVER sell, trade, or give your
e-mail address or information to a third party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may reprint this issue in its entirety as long as
you include the by-line at the top along with the
credits and subscribe/unsubscribe information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've been forwarded Marketing From the Heart and wish
to subscribe and receive your Free copy of the E-Book
'The Three Most Powerful Marketing Strategies in History',
just click on the link below.
http://www.zerald.com/html/free.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~