You are smart

I am smart

We are all pretty smart … agreed?

Sometimes our intelligence and our ability to “GET” a concept is a HUGE Obstacle to living the life of our dreams

Watch this Video to see exactly what I mean … and don’t give up at, “Got It”

Video Transcript:

Midlife Crisis and when Smart People act Stupid

Hey, Dike here, with a really important principle when smart people get stupid. And I know that I’m smart and I also know that you’re smart. We’re really all smart. We know a lot of things and that’s the problem because one of the key defense mechanisms that keeps us from growing personally, living the life of our dreams is the trap of understanding.

Let me tell you where I’m at. I’m at Fort Casey in Washington State at the Eastern Inlet Strait of Juan de Fuca and behind me here is a gun emplacement that was put in place to defend us against Japanese invasion in the Second World War.

This gun is special because it’s on a canon levered trolley that allows it when it fires to drop down into the hole that it’s sitting in and then pop up back to fire and then drop down and hide, this exactly the way how the defense mechanism of understanding works.

I’ll tell you what I mean. When was the last time you were at a conference and somebody taught you a really cool concept and then you thought it was really cool and then you checked it out until you got it. That’s the keyword. I’ve got it, I get it. Because right then what’s happened is understanding is popped up, you get to the point where you understand it, get it and it pops back down again but you stop dead in the water because understanding is the booby prize.

Understanding is just step one. And if you think about it in terms of living the life of your dreams, of purpose, of your spirit, of your soul, of essence, none of those parts of you, care what you understand. They care what you live, right? So understanding stops us from living in accordance with these timeless principles. And I know you know exactly what I mean. I know there are places in your life just like there are places in my life where we understand something and when we look around in our life, we’re not living it, pop up, I understand it, woosh, done. Eeeegh.

So here’s my encouragement to you, this is when smart people act stupid. I know; I’ve done it a bunch of times myself. If you got a really cool concept that you’ve learned, maybe it’s even so cool that you teach it to other people, have taught it to your kids. Maybe even coach people around it but, you look in your life and you’re not living it.

It’s okay, take a breath and start trying it on, put it on like a coat and check it out and see if it works for you. Actually live it because only then can you understand the concept. Only then, have you gone far enough to really know whether it works for you. Only then you know, if it’s going to help you live the life of your dreams or not. So when you get it, don’t stop, when you’ve got it, don’t quit, otherwise, you’ll fall in that trap, the trap that makes smart people stupid.

Well, here we on the only sunny day that’s only been had in the State of Washington. What I’d love to do is show you a little sunset on the Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, the throat of water that goes down to Seattle and just give you a little spin here just to kick you off on a great rescue day.

Dike Drummond MD is a struggle-free midlife crisis expert. He teaches how to embrace your Crisis as a Call to Action to

live a more passionate, meaningful life. Learn much more at his website http://www.threehourmidlifecrisis.com

This is a guest article by Andrew Baird of New Zealand, who tells us in his profile that his role is “Helping Business Owners Create Their Amazing Business”.

Andrew’s Story of Starting His “Minimum Effort, Maximum Result” Business

I started my business in an unusual way – I lost my job in a downturn and couldn’t find another one, so I started a business.

I struggled at first and in the second year I almost went under. I kept going though, and researched some of the weirdest ways to be successful in business; I applied them to my business and kept tweaking along the way.

Today, and in fact for the past three years during some pretty tough times locally & globally, I’ve had a six figure business, without working full time and with low overheads to keep my profits high. Trust me, if a failed employee (who wasn’t a natural at business) can do this, then you can too.

Let me give you one of the big lessons I got out of this journey from failed employee to successful entrepreneur.

I hope you’ll agree with me that once you know how to do something it’s easy. It’s getting to that point that’s the hard part. And in business most people don’t make stacks of cash because of two main reasons – Either they don’t know the right strategies to use OR they know them but fail to use them successfully.

First you need to find the right strategies to use – and this is what I did, I went out and found the best ways to make more money while working less. My vice principal at school once described me as “Minimum Effort, Maximum Result.” He knew I was all about working smarter NOT harder.

This can be a nightmare though. For anyone just starting out or not getting good results, it’s nearly impossible to know where to turn to get the right information. I understand, remember I struggled at first in business so I’ve been there…

If you have a terrible English teacher, then your English will be terrible too. But with a good teacher, someone who has real world experience and the ability to explain things in simple, easy to grasp concepts – you can learn anything, understand it more quickly and put it straight into use.

But even if you find a great teacher, who has all the right strategies you can still struggle to use them in your business – because knowing what to do is only half the battle.

You have to also use them in your business! You have to know what to do and also get out there and do it. For a limited time I’m running a free video series showing business owners how to do this –Just click to see the first video in the series.

- Andrew Baird

Image Credit: Kakisky

Love It, Or Wish To Ignore It, Style Is Essential

Style, Beauty, Image, Design, Fashion, Home Décor, Environmental design, Color… the buzz is endless and the business is big. And as long as first impressions make a difference, style will impact you whether or not you like it.

We are here to de-mystify the issues and make developing your personal style fun and straightforward.

Contribute Your Style

You’ll want to check in and co-create the direction here if:

• You just Love the latest fashion, great design, natural beauty!
• You are an eco- fashionista hungry for the word on what’s going to be ‘in’ or what the next ‘it’ item is. Our Guest mentors from top fashion cities will be giving you the scoop.
• You are a style-preneur and create, produce or promote products, trends and events within the creative industries. You want to know what’s going on and get your business featured too.
• You are a creative professional and trends are your business. You are ready to be interviewed or be featured.
• You don’t really care about all the “hottest, latest” buzz– but you want to stay in the loop and see where creative markets and marketing converge. After all, trends are interconnected these days.
• Perhaps you simply desire to find out what suits you. And to get your image in synch so that you can be confident, represent your brand and not worry about what to wear while building your business. We’ll be here to help and introduce you to some amazing mentors, designers with spirit, style and savvy.

When it comes to choosing eco-ethical, fairly produced style you may be curious, committed or in between…here, you’ll have a chance to see behind the scenes and decide for yourself.

In addition to showcasing style, we’ll be talking to the people who are actively working to creative more awareness and better conditions in the production, promotion, sales and life cycle of all things style. We buy stuff for our environments, our bodies and our relationships…where does the product come from, how do we choose and why?

Inspired Style Thought:

What’s important to you when you buy an item?

On Expressing Your Fabulous Creative Self Freely…

If you are like many of us in the Inspired Community, you are fabulously creative! Whether your creativity is absolutely central to your work, or you long for more time to play, or are not even sure how you are creative… you will love to meet the sometimes subtle, sometimes over the top, but always interesting creative spirits we will be featuring here.

Plus, lots of tips on how to be more creative… our creativity Mentors will soon have you experiencing the joy, expansion, and practical results you can get from unleashing your creativity.

Eco-designers, interior designers, color experts, lightworkers, entertainers, speakers, trainers, writers, artists, event designers… We’ll be featuring the conscious creatives who are changing the way people not only see things, but also how they think about their choices.

Every month we will feature interviews with influencers, innovators and inspirational creatives from various industries around the world.

Inspired Creative Practice:

Access your inner workshop and directly experience the magic of unlimited ideas whenever you desire.

We Believe EVERYONE Is An Inspired Spirit

When you connect with spirit, you’re empowered and inspiring, and so we think everyone is an amazing spirit! Every day we offer a place to take a minute, take a deep breath, celebrate your brilliance and Inspire and Be Inspired!

We are connecting and featuring healers, spiritual guides and spiritual business leaders who are deeply aware that we are all interconnected. We are also holding the space for you to share your own experience, or be a Contributor or Mentor and pass on your wisdom.

Do you resonate with the idea that you are a spiritual being choosing an experience here and now in this time of rapid change? Are you a part of the movement that is actively making a difference? Or raising consciousness through how you do business?

In addition to interviews, articles, inspirational stories and step-by-step guides to actualizing your highest vision, every month a new Mentor will offer an overview of their own tools, techniques or healing modality.

You’ll find encouragement and practical steps to take to nurture, embrace and expand your highest Self…so that you can truly shine and live with joy.

Inspired Spirit Practice:

Do you allow your Self to experience how brilliant You truly are? When do you do so, how does it feel?

Ideas In Action

Do you have brilliant ideas? A conscious business concept? Ideas that you know would make a tremendous difference to someone? Or maybe to the entire world…

Inspired Mentors has been started with the intention to not only inspire you, but to also help you nurture and implement your ideas. To help you go from:

• being confused about which idea to focus on… to crystal clear and on track
• having unlimited great ideas…  to implementing the best ones for multiple streams of income
• writing a plan… to building a vibrant, thriving, triple bottom line business
• a conscious concept… to a completed project or product that makes a difference
• holding great wisdom… to sharing your ideas and being valued for the transformation you facilitate.

Help To Implement Ideas

Here, you will find practical ideas, techniques and tips that you can implement immediately to stay inspired and on track with your dreams.

Have a great idea, technique or tip that you want to share with the world? Join us and become a Creative Contributor. Share your own ideas and continue the conversation in the Community Groups.

Inspired Mentors Idea#1:

Take the time to get crystal clear on your essence and illuminate your brand with your amazing authentic self.

A Triple Bottom Line

What does wealth mean to you? Prosperity and abundance in all areas of your life? What about conscious wealth? Do you have an expanded picture that considers not only Profit, but also People and the Planet?

We are going to be talking about all aspects of creating wealth from a place of awareness. Personally, locally, globally.

Perhaps your interest is in developing a more positive money mindset. Or finding out how you can integrate your values with wealth building. Or maybe you want to hear from wealthy social-eco entrepreneurs… or be introduced to organizations that are intent on shifting the world’s wealth patterns and creating change on personal, local and global levels.

Our intention is to open the space for fresh perspectives, while sharing practical steps you can take to discover how you are going to define and create Conscious Wealth.

Inspired Wealth Practice:

As a conscious entrepreneur, is your business designed to not only make money, but also make a difference? Do you have a sustainable triple bottom line business model? Are you “doing good” and getting paid? Or are you at the “I am making a difference but I have to make money, never mind give it away!” stage? Pick one area in which you can do something differently, and be even more aligned with your deepest values.
(Hint: where is your cash flowing to?)

It’s about finding your right people… Conscious Entrepreneurs

As promised…here is more about our intention in founding a community for Conscious Creative Entrepreneurs, who this is for, and how you can co-create your perfect path.

You are here because you were invited by someone who sees you as transformational entrepreneur (Or you were drawn to us by synchronicity, which is great – welcome!). Whether you are in a creative field, into spiritual transformation, human potential or another aspect of business – you’re one of us. A passion for people, the planet and profit… a desire to create, get our work out there at the highest possible level and contribute to a positive world is something we all have in common.

Become a Founding Member

We are excited to be able to invite you to be one of the very first founding members of our new inspirational, innovative online community of Conscious Entrepreneurs. It’s designed to leverage where you are now and help you to go to the next level beyond just social networking… into actual co-creation and tangible results in your business and life.

The intention behind this Community

The Community is all about bringing together start-ups, emerging and established entrepreneurs, experienced Mentors and professional creative contributors who are all learning, sharing their wisdom and continuing to grow and bloom.

It’s about conscious creatives having a safe place to connect, stretch and grow. To find common ground where we can collaborate and cross-promote and get our work out there at the highest level. It’s about all of us working together in a positive way and spiraling our businesses up to the next level for more joy, abundance and impact all over the world.

Who is this Community ideal for?

This community is for those who know that being success and business-minded, and also creative and spiritual, are not mutually exclusive… but in fact go hand in hand in today’s world.

It’s for those of us who are active in the transformational economies – creative professionals, spiritual and healing practitioners, human potential trainers, coaches, eco–friendly and socially responsible business builders.

Have you ever experienced…

• the brilliance of a conscious mastermind group
• the value of receiving genuine down-to-earth advice from a mentor
• a transformative coaching session
• a supportive comment that re-inspires you
• the presence of someone who gets who you really are
• a tough-love critique of your work that took you to a higher level
• the genuine, exhilarating camaraderie of connecting with other like minded people

If so, you understand the intention and heart of what we are co-creating.

We Welcome All Levels of Entrepreneurs

Whether your dream is still in the idea stage or you are emerging into being known…

Whether you are a start-up just pulling together your structure, or an extremely established serial entrepreneur…

There are many levels at which you can get involved and interact. Some free, some for fee…

WIIFM (the “What’s In It For Me” Benefits)

• You are a Founding member and have the opportunity to have input and influence on the structure, intention and offering of this community from the very beginning.
• You are first in the door- and as such will have access to the founders and the inner circle.
• You have the first opportunity to promote your knowledge and gain a following, or build an even bigger following. Bigger following = expanded conscious wealth and greater positive impact.
• You have the opportunity to be the first featured in the blogs, interviews, magazine, artist showcases and reviews. Or sign up for the conscious business directory…
• You are one of the first amongst the conscious entrepreneurs invited and can apply to be an “Insider Mentor”- giving you instant credibility and positioning… or adding to your existing influence.
• You have the opportunity to establish your own group, forum and mini-community within the network… and position yourself as a leader and innovator in your field.
• You have the opportunity to create dialogue, JV’s, masterminds and cross-promotion with the other founding member Conscious Entrepreneurs who see opportunity and take action.
• Have fun, be inspired, meet like-minded entrepreneurs who are building vibrant conscious businesses in the creative, spiritual, health and human potential fields.
• Find a Mentor. Be a Mentor. Or both. Or just connect and collaborate.

Would even one of these benefits help you grow your business? What would all of them do to help you connect, access new business, and build your credibility?! That is our intention and we’ll be there growing our businesses with you.

We look forward to connecting with you and building an inspirational, innovative new community that takes us all to the next level beyond social networking… to the support, collaboration, training and resources that we will leverage into results in all areas of our businesses and life.

Welcome to the development and test stage of InspiredMentors.com.

We are developing:

• Inspired Mentors blog
• an online magazine with writing, art, photography, video, interviews and tips by Inspired Mentors.
• the Inspired Mentors community where conscious entrepreneurs can participate in Experience Exchange Forums, Inspired Groups, Master Classes, Interviews, Directories and Talent Showcases
• a creative collaborative atmosphere and practical platform where creative and transformational industry professionals are can collaborate, receive support and mastermind to enhance their current business