This morning I am in Seattle, Washington with my partner Greg. I arrived by ferry from Victoria on Vancouver Island late last night. It is the culmination of an intense 7 weeks of activity with almost 50 client appointments, several teleclasses, a major book launch that took me to best-selling author status, and a major two day workshop this month. I have also done almost 40 videos for a new website being launched shortly and have a philanthropic launch for Christmas that is ready to go this week.

What made this intense schedule so interesting is that I have been “couch-surfing” for the past 7 weeks and have been living out of suitcases, dealing with less than ideal telephone and internet situations as I have moved from place to place. So how did I get the very long, long list done with joy, ease and grace and a ton of FUN?

Two things contributed to the success of the past 7 weeks. One is that I was committed to getting it done. In my mind, it wasn´t optional that it all get done. It absolutely needed to get done. No ifs, ands, or buts in my mind.

Secondly, I had a huge reward. I get to spend the next 3 1/2 months in the sun of Mexico and Guatemala because I got it all done. That was a huge motivator as after 3 days of rain in Vancouver, this past month, I was ready to scream. I am so tired of being cold!

Just the thought of being this weekend with my friends in Bucerias, Mexico, drinking Margaritas and playing was a huge incentive to keep on going and get through the list.

I find that most people don´t have a big enough reason to taking action. There is no reward or incentive to get stuff done…so it simply doesn´t get done. Is that true for you?

Why should you get it all done if at the end of that list, you simply create another long list of To-do´s with no time to celebrate or play in between? Good question, yes?

To create your amazing life, it needs to be a balance of work and play, fun and contribution. You also need to have a level of commitment that it is worth getting done because there are rewards. Ideally those rewards really excite and motivate you!

Today it can be really easy to have your stress go through the roof. There is quite simply lots going on. So here are 3 ways to easily reduce your stress.

Hang out with people who are fabulous, positive and empowering. People who are negative are stressful. Make sure that you would be considered fabulous, positive and empowering yourself as “like attracts like”. This includes your reading material and what you watch on TV.

Stay focused on an attitude of gratitude. No matter how hard things may be for you, you always have things that you can be grateful for. As you are having a shower, driving in the car or waiting in line or on the phone, start giving thanks for everything you have. That will help you release some of your stress and shift your focus to positive.

Remember to breathe. When I find that my stress level is going beyond what is acceptable in my life, then the first thing I do is stop and breathe. A few deep breaths and then I ask the question: What do I need to do next? By simply stopping for a few minutes and breathing, I find that my stress plummets.

A huge part of creating an amazing life is reducing your stress. This is an on-going process so remember to check in daily and keep your stress levels low and your fun levels HIGH!

The excitement is in the air! The book I have contributed to will be launched later this week. It is called Overcomers Inc. True Stories of Hope, Courage and Inspiration.

Is this a book that you should have in your library? I believe yes! I have described it like Chicken Soup for the Soul for 2009. I believe that it is a very timely book for today. Here´s why.

What I have noticed over my years of working with clients is that it is very easy to focus on the negative aspects of our lives. We often believe that we can´t accomplish things because of our stories that we repeat in our own minds and then tell others. You probably have your own set of stories that you have told so many times they feel normal, natural and comfortable. Those stories are often what limit us from creating our amazing life.

It´s not that we want to be negative. It can simply feel like we are pulled in that direction and it is beyond our control.

I have personally found that we need someone or something to keep us focused on the positive and what is truly possible. It´s why I am constantly surrounding myself with mentors and people who have done what I want to do. Those mentors come into my life through teleclasses, workshops and books. By doing this, the negative can´t worm its way into my life, which you may have noticed can happen very easily. This has been a very positive practice for creating my amazing life.

Overcomers Inc. is all about dealing with the stuff that happens in our lives, conquering the challenges and moving through with grace and ease. It´s about doing what seems impossible or difficult and reaping the beautiful results. It´s a book designed to build the faith you have in yourself so you can operate from the knowingness that you can create your amazing life. And of course you can. At some level you know that and believe it. Overcomers Inc. will help to make it a reality.

To be sure you are included in the inspirational book giveaway that starts tomorrow, go to www.overcomersinc.com and then watch for further launch details so you can pick up your copy.

Be part of a movement to live in the fullness of your fullest potential!

I am visiting with a friend and client on Eagle Island just off the coast of Vancouver and on her fridge was this quote that I loved.

“If I had my life to live over I´d like to make more mistakes next time. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I´d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I´m one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I´ve had my moments, and if I had it to do over again, I´d have more of them. In fact, I´d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I´ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I hd my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the Spring and stay that way later in the Fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.”

This was signed, Nadine stair, 87 years young, Louisville, Kentucky

Creating an amazing life is all about taking the risks, embracing the journey and having more fun. As I have been on the road now for 13 days, countless beds, planes, buses, subways, new places, new adventures, I spent this weekend in complete Thanksgiving for the life I have created.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving week of gratitude.

Sometimes as we are creating our amazing life, we can get tired, when things don´t go as quickly as we would like. It can be easy to lose sight of the dream and let it slip away like water swirling down a kitchen drain.

Here´s a few suggestions to help you stay energized and focused on your dream.

1. Stay focused on what you have accomplished, not just on where you are heading.
2. Remember why you were first excited about the dream.
3. Be prepared to modify your dream and start with a smaller dream so you can reach it.

If eradicating world hunger for example is your big dream, it would be a very good idea to have your dream broken down into smaller dreams such as working with your local food bank, creating a school lunch program for underprivileged kids in your community or organizing a trip to a developing country. That is attainable and doable.

Lastly talk about your dream and keep it alive. A fire that is left unattended dies very quickly so keep your dream alive through your journal, working with a coach or a mastermind group. You really can create your amazing life and realize your dreams.

While working with a client yesterday, we talked about baking chocolate chip cookies, flying kites and kayaking as simple pleasures that mean so much. One of the things that we both also agreed upon is that it can be hard to create a simple life in North America. Both of us have spent plenty of time in other countries and we agreed that simple is good but also easier outside of North America.

However, it doesn´t mean that it can´t be accomplished. It can! This past weekend, my girlfriend´s Dad, Alfred came to Sedona for part of the weekend. We went up to Jerome, the ghost town about 30 minutes from here. Alfred and I had a fabulous dinner including drinks, entrees, dessert and the bill was $54 for the 2 of us. We left with leftovers for lunch on Sunday as a bonus.

Sunday morning we got up and hiked for four hours through Boynton Canyon. Alfred had joked with me on the phone about the forest fires in the desert – “impossible” he said. However, when he was standing in a forest of oak and pine trees on a blanket of pine cones and needles, he was saying something entirely different! We even saw a Western Diamondback Rattler and two deer “in the forest in the desert”.

After a great lunch, Alfred headed back to Phoenix. We had a wonderful time together, laughed, played, got some great exercise in, had an amazing dinner, hiked and even some Yahtzee games. It was simple but it was good.

Creating an amazing life does not mean you have to have hundreds or thousands of dollars to spend. I keep on stressing this because my client was feeling a bit guilty that she loved baking cookies for the new man in her life as if there was something “wrong” with finding such joy in a simple thing that Grandma used to do. Really, who bakes cookies anymore? I´m sure most kids today think that cookies come out of a box or bag, NOT an oven! However, by the time we had finished her session, she was more than comfortable with finding joy in the simple things of life…including baking cookies.

What about you? Can you pick a simple thing to do like reading a novel, going for a walk, flying a kite, going to the lake to swim, packing a picnic lunch or laying in the bathtub with a glass of wine and candles and do it this week…guilt-free of course?

Enjoy and let me know what you decide to do!

Some people shudder at the thought of loving money. Money is considered a “necessary evil” and is often regarded with distrust, disdain and disregard. If you don´t have enough money in your life or bank account, start to think about how you view money.

What does your wallet look like? Has it seen better days? Do you scrumple up money and leave it in the bottom of your drawer, purse or pocket? Are your bills organized, paid on time and filed away or are they not even opened until you can´t avoid paying them any longer?

Money is like a guest in your house. We´ve all felt welcome in someone´s home and we all know what it´s like to not be welcomed. What kind of reception does money get in your life? Does it feel welcome, like it wants to stay or does it feel like it needs to get the heck out of there as soon as possible?

If money doesn´t stay long in your house, wallet, or bank account, then look at how you view it? Money needs to be appreciated, honored and treasured. It´s sacred, special and important in your life. You need to love money.

Creating an amazing life requires money. You can do lots of things for free. You can save money in lots of areas but at the end of the day, you need money and the more, the better. Loving money is a critical part of creating the life you really want.

It my special puppy friend´s first birthday today in Bucerias Mexico. Her birthday party was postponed because of the hurricane-like weather hitting Puerto Vallarta yesterday and today. Nothing like having a house full of dogs with a storm going on outside. So they decided it was best to postpone and wait for the great weather to return.

Precious was an abandoned puppy that my friends Marisol and Arturo rescued when she was just 3 months old. What a lot of love and affection will do for a lost, little puppy! Talk about creating an amazing life! We can all learn a lesson in that arena from Precious! You´ll want to turn your speakers on for this one. You´ll be dancing with the music.