"One, One Coco Full Basket"

 

What on earth does that metaphor have to do with Internet Marketing I hear you say? But if you are a child of the Caribbean - in particular from the land of Bob Marley and Usain Bolt - none other than Jamaica, you will get my point. 

Jamaicans have a *proverb/metaphor" for EVERYTHING. In this case, I am reminded of this one in particular because of a recent incident. 

 I awoke at about 2 AM to hear "drip, drip, drip" not a sound you want to wake up to. In this case, I followed the noise and cautiously made my way to the bathroom, only to observe that the shower had been slowly dripping all night. Of course, I did not hear it earlier because of the usual day time noises and distractions. I turned the faucet tighter to secure it and returned to bed.

I woke again an hour or so later to that same "drip, drip, drip, now drippety drip, drip". 

Clearly, my tightening of the faucet earlier had not worked. It was obvious I had a problem. I wondered out loud how much water could I possibly be losing, 'It's only a drip, it can't be much' I pondered. I decided to test this out by going to the laundry room and returning with a bucket to place under the dripping shower head, determined to deal with this first thing in the morning.

When I woke up again, some hours later and went to the bathroom I was surprised, the bucket was almost full. The harmless "drip, drip, drip" was now at a significant level. It was more than half full. Immediately, the proverb jumped into my head "one one coco, full basket".   

You see, I have been doing internet marketing for almost a year, diligently following the steps. Some days, I felt great and others, I felt like I am not achieving anything. Although I have had small successes along the way, there were days when I was ready to throw the towel in and return to that trusted "2 weeks guaranteed salary".  

But that is not how it works, I have been making progress. Those small baby steps have been meaningful. I cannot see it because I am in the trenches daily working at perfecting my craft. I have learned so much (I knew nothing when I started about making money on the internet) but I can in fact do so much more now. I was scared, I was fearful, I was timid and I did not trust the process fully. Now here I am, waking up to the realization that I am making progress.

 

I am good at some things and getting better at others. Those small baby steps will show dividends just like this collected pool of water from a leaking faucet. If I had not placed the bucket under the drip I would not have know exactly how much water I was losing from this ostensibly harmless drip.  

"One, One Coco Full Basket" translates "one by one cocoa can full a basket". It means do not expect to achieve success overnight. Take your time, hone your craft, keep practicing and implementing and you will see results. 

Don't walk away from your investment, respect the process. Keep going your time will come to shine. Like the dripping water, the process is constant. If there are times you don't feel successful, step away, take a breather, you are getting it done.

I love this quote by Dan Millman: "Looking back, we see with great clarity, and what once appeared as difficulties now reveal themselves as blessings" 

If you want to learn more about Jamaican proverbs, you can find them here: www.onehandcantclap.co.uk. This company started by a friend of mine in the UK. She is devoted to providing exciting and empowering wisdom through her training and mentorship using these simple proverbs. She is a shining example of perseverance. She took what little she had, put them together and filled her basket. 

                                     ******************************************************  

*Jamaican proverbs are metaphorical sayings normally based on a truth or on general experiences. Jamaican proverbs are imbued with African and European influences about day to day survival.

 

 

 


WORDS OF WISDOM FROM DR. MAYA ANGELOU

These are great words of wisdom  that has been posted and re-posted on the internet

while Dr. Maya Angelou was with us.

I read them again today and wanted to share:-

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

Dr. Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.

Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.

And, there on television,

she said it was "exciting." Regarding body changes,

she said there were many, occurring every day...like her breasts.

They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.

The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest

woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this: "I've learned that no matter what happens, or how

bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." "I've

learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things:

a rainy day,

lost luggage,

and

tangled Christmas tree lights."

"I've learned that regardless of your

relationship with your parent! s, you'll miss them when they're gone

from your life."

"I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing

as "making a life."

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a

second chance."

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on

both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually

make the right decision."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.

People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Serenity

Serenity


5 Simple But Powerful Thoughts To Have Today

Today's blog is not even my blog but it so represented what I wanted to say that I specifically wrote to Sibyl Chavis - Possibility of Today - to ask her permission to reprint it. 

So with her consent, "Of course you can post the article on your website. Thank you for sharing it". I am reprinting it. However please note that you can go directly to her website and sign up there. https://www.possibilityoftoday.com/. I highly recommend it.  I love receiving her blogs. Really great content that resonates. Generous too.

April 2, 2015 

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” Buddhist Proverb

You know those times when you’re waiting on something you really want to happen? You’ve been doing your best to figure things out and push forward day after day, but you’re still waiting on things to completely smooth out and finally fall into place. Actually, maybe today is one of those times? I know it is for me. For what feels like a very long time, I’ve been working and waiting for certain things to fall into place in my life and with my work.

Well, something important dawned on me the other day about these times. Actually, one of my favorite quotes of all time popped into my mind. It’s a great Truth to remember when you’re doing everything you can, but you’re still waiting on things to fall into place.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Of course, we’ve heard over and over again the importance of continuing to believe and hope. That’s not really anything new. But, what struck me was something else and so I reminded myself…

You’ve got to surrender while you also keep holding onto what you want and hoping.

I am a big believer that we’re meant to trust the way things unfold. Or, as many people say, surrender to whatever happens, knowing that somehow it’s for your highest good. When I look back on my life, I can see all the times that surrendering and trusting whatever happened, no matter how terrible things seemed, was what lead me exactly where I was supposed to be. The countless rejections. The failed relationships. The many doors that closed. Every single time I felt crushed or disappointed, but then surrendered and trusted it, in the end I was guided to something even better. I couldn’t always see it at the time, but looking back now, it’s pretty easy to see.

So, what dawned on me the other day is how you actually let go and trust what happens while you still hold on to what you want. 

Well, what you let go of are your expectations that things happen a certain way or at a certain time. But, when it comes to those things you feel deep down are meant for you, you don’t let go. That’s one thing you stay focused on and you hold onto your hope with all your strength. That means you’ve got to be willing to accept and manage through any disappointment one moment … and then rebound and start hoping all over again the next moment. As that famous quote explains, “Never lose infinite hope.”

Even though the Chief Negativity Officer in your mind may keep saying, “Don’t get your hopes up too high because every time you do that you end up being disappointed.” You choose to do the exact opposite. Every single day you choose to do the things that strengthen your hope.

Because hope not only recharges you and keeps you moving forward toward what you want, it’s also an essential element for things finally falling into place. It’s like another great quote by Laini Taylor explains,

“Hope is a powerful force. When you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen.” 

So, if you’re still working and waiting for something to fall into place, remind yourself to have “Infinite hope”, even on days when you have to dig deep to find it. Strengthen your hope throughout the entire day. Remind yourself of the things that have already fallen into place and say “thank you”. Search for the Light in everything that happens, even the challenges and closed doors. Keep following the Light. It always takes you where you want to be. Here are 5 simple but powerful thoughts to have Today.

5 Simple But Powerful Thoughts To Have Today

Reprinted with kind permission from Sibyl Chavis - the Possibility of Today

http://www.possibilityoftoday.com/

 

 

My Little Sister Makes Soup!

It's been a few years since I saw my youngest sister. 

I have to be careful about the use of adjectives like "little" and replace them with "younger". You see my little sister is really my youngest sister. We grew up in London. She is the last - one of a series of six (four girls and 2 boys). So everyone from 1 thru 5 refers to her as our little sister. Except now that she is married and living in Europe with her own teen boys she dislikes the use of the term "little". 

Anyway after a hiatus of about 4 years she decides to come hang out with me in Miami.  It's freezing where she lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands and its cool here in Miami, Florida. She gives up her family's annual ski trip to the Swiss slopes to spend some bonding time with me. Every year she tries to get me on the slopes but I am like "too old to break any bones". Insurance in the USA is very expensive. 

As soon as she arrives, she is excited about this new recipe for a fabulous new soup. Its called the 'surprise soup' and given that she has only a week to be with me (I had so many things planned for her as a surprise) she sets about trying to locate the ingredients. This is hilarious. 

Day 1 - We head out to the great Walmart, she is looking for amongst other things, pine nuts only to find that they are hugely overpriced. We leave the store and decide to find another store more reasonably priced. In my mind - where is more reasonable than Walmart?. 

Day 2 - We attended a special opening of an art event my husband was having in downtown Miami - debuting the spectacular work of a rising artist, Everton Wright from the UK  -"Walking Drawings". It was a great event so again there was no time for her to shop for her soup ingredients.

Day 3 - She was determined to get the rest of her ingredients to make her soup. Despite an early start, we were once again delayed as a film maker was visiting our home and wanted to show us a documentary he was working on called - unbelievable coincidence - Soup. We reserved our soup bonding time to review his wonderful unfinished material. We enjoyed his documentary on the symbolism of soup and Haiti's independence. I can't say anything else about it here because he is hoping to enter it at Cannes on completion. 

Day 4 - We were out again looking for the special ingredients and ended up segueing to a museum and doing some art walk in the wonderful Windwards area of Miami.  As an artist and a designer the chance to visit museums are on the top of her list.  After much socializing and schmoozing thru the art district, it was time for home and of course bed. No time for Soup.

Day 5 - Once again we headed out to gather in the remainder of her ingredients. She wondered out aloud whether this soup would ever be made. By now, I am curious as to what is so special about soup? This time it was the saga of the fresh French baguette and Crème Fraiche. Store# 1, baguettes were not right. She needed to find the right ones. Of course, I am no expert in French baguettes - clearly there is a difference. Store #1 did not have Crème Fraiche either. Store #2 had no idea what Crème Fraiche was and the floor assistant told us that we could use Sour Cream as a substitute. You should have seen her face….Are Americans crazy? Who would substitute Crème Fraiche with sour cream?  Store #3, the assistant went above and beyond (even though he initially had no idea where he had seen Crème Fraiche in the store, so he went on a mission to find it). He returned victorious Crème Fraiche in hand. Of course, this was #Wholefoods. Their mission is "never to disappoint". Sure enough, they did not. Baguettes too were perfect at Whole Foods. Armed with all the ingredients, we set out to make this soup. I was commissioned sous chef. Not one to disappoint, I was an excellent student.

On this day, I gave witness to a work of art. One by one, I chopped and prepared garlic, potatoes, leeks, mushrooms and parsley. I watched her add butter, bouillon cubes and mustard. She added salmon. Finally she placed the baguettes into an already warmed oven to sensually permeate our home with the wonderful fragrance of fresh French bread. We talked and laughed as we prepared this wonderful looking soup. Still as I chopped and prepped I wondered silently how this would taste. It seemed wonderful and eclectic but with myriad fragrances. I could smell the intoxicating smell of the baguette and rationalized that even if the soup didn't come out all that well, I would take pleasure in devouring the warm bread. 

Finally after all that prepping, we set the table and she then began to add all the ingredients to the soup bowls. At that point she asked me not to look because it was all part of the surprise. I obliged.

The result...

Special Surprise Soup

Special Surprise Soup

 

When we finally sat down to eat. Verdict. Out of this world.  This was the soup version of the layered cake. Every morsel, every mouthful was a surprise.  It was full of flavor, warm, inviting and luxurious. The salmon at the bottom of the plate was oozing with flavor. I could now taste and appreciate why she wanted to make us this wonderful leek soup with salmon. It truly was a moment to bond with my "little sister". Our mother would have been proud. She has added so much value to the skills (or maybe lack thereof) that she possessed when she left home.

If you want the recipe, please leave me a comment and I will send you the link.

What we did on Day 6

Sister bonding time at spa after soup day

Sister bonding time at spa after soup day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overload

One of the things about Internet Marketing or even just working for yourself is that eventually you will feel overwhelmed. There is absolutely no "if" it's a guarantee. 

Yesterday, I had arrived at overwhelm and beyond. I had even listened to what the mentors are telling me and made a simplified "to -do" list for the day. I had no more than TWO (2) items on my list.  I wanted to feel good about myself at the end of the day. I wanted to check off that list of TWO things by the time I went to bed.

I am all about mindset. I get to my desk early after a rigorous early morning workout. I shut down Facebook within 15 minutes after checking there's nothing urgent for me to respond during the day. I check my other social medias and did the same. Nothing urgent. Now to my personal email and BAM.. my day just messed up. I got a message from a friend way over up there in Kazakhstan (yes way over there!) that I had sent him a  suspicious message about Oprah and he was sure that wasn't me. So he let me know right away that he thinks the spammers are into my mailbox. 

I checked it out and yes, some smarter than me creep had invaded my personal mailbox and was busy hitting  up all my friends with "stupid emails". Of course my simple to do list was bumped over to the side to deal with this immediate forest fire. That took some time. 

Having accomplished that with my IT and e-mail support  (it took up a great deal of time) but for now it seemed safe.

I get a call from my teen daughter - who hadn't driven to school that day - to come pick her up because of blah blah blah... 'who freakin' cares, I say in my head' - but of course I don't articulate that. We agree a time I and stopped what I was doing to head out to get her. Now, really that would be simple right....only maybe 40 minutes max out of my time. If you lived in any other major city than Miami, public transportation would be available. No, not in Miami. Who even knows the number or bus routes here?

I get to her school on time, but on the way she - forgets to call me but - sends a TEXT  to say she had to take an all important lab test she had missed and the teacher was allowing her to make  it up TODAY ...YES TODAY..... I am driving so I don't see the text. I pull up in the school parking lot and then I saw it...... No words here!! Brain overload!!

I just give into the FLOW! I refuse to blow anymore gaskets.. I am OK I say. I calm my self down. I am thinking, 'today was not a good day to start my NO CARB day because right now at this moment only CARBS will do. 

I gently back out of her prestigious school parking lot, pulled into the nearest Latin restaurant in the area. In fact, I was headed for a sushi but in this case 'Pollo Tropical" reared its Latin head. MAXIMUM CARBS there. I got me some FRIED Yucca's, shrimp and yellow rice.

I eat my fill and Yes, I said "let it go..let it go..."  hearing the Disney Frozen theme in my head. Yes, there is always tomorrow and more carbs!

Overload or overbusy.jpg

Hiring a Team to Build Your Website

One of the things I am glad I did was to hire a team to help me get my website off the ground. If you have the IT savvy skills to do it on your own, go ahead, but it's very time consuming. Here are some tips to help you along the way. 

If you are going to hire outside help to build your website for you, the planning stage is probably the most important part of the entire process. That’s because planning is when all the important, global decisions are made.

Even before you bring in anybody to help you build your website, you need to make the big decisions about what should or shouldn't be included in the site, because modifying your concept later could be a relatively expensive proposition. Once the framework of the site is built, it is more difficult to add new features or alter the overall structure.

So first, you want to determine your core goals:

•    What do you hope to achieve with this website?

•    Who is your target audience?

•    How will you know when you have achieved these objectives?

Before you bring anybody else on board, you need a firm understanding of the exact results you want your website to produce. As you move through the website creation process, this vision will remind you of what you wanted to accomplish in the first place.

Although there will be many things that will change during the creation process – like specific design features, different applications, and your unique content – your core goals will remain constant.

Building Your Team

You are going to make the global decisions and direct your managers to implement these into action. As the head of your business, you are going to have a lot of issues that you need to resolve.

Usually, you won’t have time to deal with the thousands of details involved in your website’s creation. So you are going to need help.

Once you have settled on your website’s global core goals, it’s time to find somebody to manage your website creation for you. This project manager will then report back to you regularly with developments so you can make the biggest decisions.

It’s best to find somebody with a lot of technical experience so they can easily communicate your vision to the web designers, developers, and programmers who will actually be building your site.

Following Your Lead

The project manager will use the core goals you identified to create the first important document: the project charter. This is a concise and nontechnical document that will guide the process of creating your website.

The project charter will include critical information about goals, target audience, feature requests, and any other important information to develop your site. It’s different than your core goals in that the project charter is a constantly changing document.

That’s because experienced collaborators will be offering their suggestions and ideas about how to effectively turn your ideas into reality.

Other Important Blueprint Documents

Once you approve the project charter, your project manager can meet with web designers and developers to produce blueprints for each page.

In website creation, these blueprints are known as “wireframes,” and they include such things as diagrams of complex web applications, or workflows, and technical specifications that can guide your web development team.

The next document to consider is the site map. This defines how users will navigate your website. It includes such things as a list of pages within the site, links, and a
hierarchy of page organization.

Once these blueprint documents are completed, the project manager can then work with the technicians to begin building the first prototype of your website for your approval.


To learn more techniques like these for improving the profitability of your business, look at our lead generation system by clicking on this link now [link removed]

Or you can contact my web designer: www.dudleyalexis.com and let him know I sent you.

If you found this article useful, I would love for you to leave a comment below.

Thank you.

Perspective

My day began when my son missed his school bus.
 It was cold, unusually frigid temperatures in Florida. He had celebrated his
"BIG 15th” birthday the night before. So getting up bright and early the following day could be excused. He is not lazy. 
What happens next brings everything into perspective. 

Not expecting to drop him off messes with my schedule so now I am not in the moment I am thinking ahead to the next task  to try to get back to my schedule in my head. 

In my rush I left my home unkempt - if you grew up with a Caribbean mother you know that's a no-no. You hear her in your head "what if you dropped down in the street and someone had to bring you home?" ... Well the modern day woman would have replied - "they won't bring me home, they will bring me to the hospital". But of course a good daughter does not reply with logic she just heeds the caution and years later it creates a psychological guilt like it’s doing today. 


As I drove out the gate, the car's dashboard information indicates that I was losing tire pressure and maybe had a flat. I jumped out to check. Yep, not quite flat but low.


Already late, I stopped at the nearest gas station to add some air. The sign said .75 cents.

Not even the air is free.

As I am rummaging in my purse, my 15 year old son comes around to help me and says "mom there is no air, the pump is cut in half . Of course I hadn't checked. Now I have to slow down and drive safely to school. 

On the way back, after safely depositing him at school, I took the side streets instead of the highway and passed one tire place after another "closed". It was still early. 

I realized I would have to drive to my dealers because I know they open early. As soon as that thought crosses my mind, I see one little tire store with its "OPEN" sign. I pull in; I smile at the mechanic and explain my problem. He comes out smiling and helps me. It’s cold by the way, but he seems caring.  He tops up my tire and lovingly explains that we are currently getting some unusually cold weather here in Florida and the tire pressure will adjust. I say thank you and offer to pay for his services. He declines and responds "we all need air it is free to breathe and free to you". I say thank you. "Wow". 

He gives me his card and says "if I ever need tires to come to him". I make a mental note to do just that and probably send a few friends too.

I am already late.  I drive off and then  realize I needed a few items from the grocery store but didn't want to stop because now I am super late. My day is going to be backed up. Suddenly the universe reminds me to "stop". I am reminded that I am energy. We are all energy. It does not flow when it's constricted. If I am not here (in the present moment) then I am constricting its (energy) flow by thinking of the next errand, the next task. IT reminds me of the energy circulating around me and to be responsible. I succumb. I decided, "I am not late". I need the few groceries. I will stop. I will be present and focused and give thanks. Everything in its own time.


Has this ever happened to you?

We are constantly rushing to do the next thing. We have no idea sometimes that we are not in this moment but living for the next. 

I am reminded of a question that was posed to the H.H. Dalai Lama:
 “What thing about humanity surprises you the most?”
His answer was as follows:
Ans: "Man”…because : he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health!
And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn't enjoy the present,
And as a result he doesn't live in the present or the future!
And he lives as if he’s never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived!"

Let’s stop and learn to live in the present. 

Everything flows the way it is supposed to when we are consciously aware of this. 
 
This moment is all we have. 
 
Have a great and blessed day.


Am I Afraid? Heck Yes!!

AM I AFRAID

Imagine this, I read:-

"Fear is the one thing that stops us from soaring". Boom! 

That is it on the head.

The fear of exposure.

The fear of sticking your head out. 

The fear of someone saying "who do I think I am?". What do I

have to contribute? 

To do an online business is really about coming out from under

the covers. The covers of privacy - stepping out and stepping

up to the challenge.

Right now, I am being taught how to develop a Facebook Fan

and it is daunting because it means that I have to post.

It means that others will hear my voice, even those people who

don't really know me will be invited to comment.

My  instructor continues,  "brand yourself" "brand your image".

Like a deer in the headlights it hits me. I am afraid of putting

ME out there.  I don't think I am good enough.

I don't want to be judged. I don't want others to think that 

I am better than them, that I think I know it all. I don't!  

And what is this internet marketing thing anyway? 

I keep mulling this over in my head.

"Who is scamming you into thinking its a real business"? Wake

up and get back to your usual life.  

Wow what fear.

I had to become still. So I open my daily spiritual guide and

this it what greets me:

The “fabulous you” is screaming to be released. It is asking the “fearful you” to let go and unlock the prison of your mind. This is it. Time for you to leap! Your greatness is the safety net. It is strong, reinforced and indestructible". 

I get it. I get it.

I am building my brand and doing something completely

different than I have ever done before.

Welcome to my blog.

Welcome to my page.

 

The New Me!

I finally sit down with my first Skype meeting with my coach Helen Avery. She is calm,  knowledgeable helpful.

This is what the online educational program promised - a coach.

After some emotional bonding (she had a personal experience  that she shared and which was essential in understanding her & her business style). We got underway when I realized how much one really  has to know & invest in becoming successful. This is a real business indeed.

Well I signed up for this. It reminds me of being  conscripted into the military.... there's no turning back. 


Do we really understand our journey?

Photo courtesy Asmar M. Bailey(@)2015

Photo courtesy Asmar M. Bailey(@)2015

This is something that I work with daily. I know this for sure. "

"A universal creative power always responds, and must respond, because it has no will or purpose of its own, but simply acts in accordance with the demand made upon it". What demands are you making of the universe? If we knew we could ask without impunity what would your focus be?