Stop looking so hard...and guess what?

[Focus on Life]

Hiya gang

Well I havent been very crafty lately but there's a reason for that and I thought I'd share it with you cos it proves a certain theory can be true

I qualified as an NLP Practitioner a couple of years ago and thought "I'll set up in business as a freelance therapist"

And, as many of us here know with most businesses, that isnt always as easy as it sounds - you try some adverts if you can afford em - print some leaflets & biz cards and get them out wherever you possibly can - work hard and look hard, look hard and work hard - but sometimes no matter how hard you work and how good you are, its still a struggle making your mark and getting started

Then I found crafting! Loved it, found you guys, loved you too (still do!), learnt how to make a blog for heavens sake (thanks to you!) and started thinking about a new business - so did all the above again, worked hard, looked hard, worked hard some more etc etc....

....then blow me.....I go back to work, land a temp admin/secretarial job for the Council/PCT.....and they've only had me do an NLP presentation for their Mental Health team, on the back of that I now have a private (paying!) client from their team who's having her second session next week AND theyre paying me to do an NLP taster Workshop at the end of this month which could lead onto regular Workshops in future.....

So I just wanted to say to anyone who's working hard and looking hard and, possibly, getting a bit disheartened - try taking your eye of the ball for a while as it might bounce right back your way at a time when you least expect it

After all, you often find love when you stop looking, then you get pregnant when you stop trying! And yes, the two can be closely linked! :D

Happy not-hunting
Shaz x

[auntynet]

Lovely words of wisdom Shaz.

Glad to see that you've finally achieved what you set out to do in the beginning. Hope it all goes well and your new client recommends you to many more paying customers - just don't give up the crafting.;)

[Critchley]

So it all turned out OK in the end. I'm so pleased for you it sounds as if you well and truly deserve it. Tenacity - thats the name of the game.

Carol

[Peter]

......................that's made me scared about stopping trying.................I don't want to get pregnant at my age. :o

[Critchley]

......................that's made me scared about stopping trying.................I don't want to get pregnant at my age. :o

Well if you know the cause you know the remedy (Killjoy arn't I)
Carol

[Ifor-Jones]

Well done Shaz, that is absolutely brilliant and I am thrilled for you. Just going to take my eye off the ball now and see what happens. Only joking, this ball seems to be rolling OK at present. My painter, who is decorating the outside of the house as we speak, has just placed his order for 70 Christmas cards - special painter design done for him. Last year he had 50 and was so pleased he wants 70 this year, so all good stuff. Well done you anyway and hope it continues on the up.

[janetdc]

Great words of wisdom. I know a bit about NLP having sold books on the subject during my publishing days and I am a great believer. As to taking ones eye of the ball, I became a first time Mum at 42 whilst doing my super career woman thing. Don't have high earning power these days but I do have something that money can't buy and that is far more important. Very best of luck.:D

OOps added an extra year in there so had to edit!!

[BeadsbyLili]

Hi Shaz - good to hear things are flowing in a good direction for you !

[ShinySilver]

Thanks for a lovely and inspirational post (and thread!). It's so wonderful when life just seem to work. And it's interesting that it's connected to NLP which seems (from what I've read - and very interesting it was too) to promote the idea that if you focus on something then it brings it into your life.

Your own experience almost seems to have that in opposite - if you focus on something, then let it go, it comes back to you. . .

I'm so glad it's working out and so positively for you.

[Pebbles]

......................that's made me scared about stopping trying.................I don't want to get pregnant at my age. :o

Imagine how much money you could make if you did get pregnant, not sure of your age, but I think it would be a miracle all the same!

(i know you have a pink laptop, but I am not sure you have any of the other necessary equipment :p)

[Pebbles]

It sounds like you are doing really well. I did wonder why you hadn't been around for a while.

Thanks also for the inspirational words, you are always so positive, today,, even more so.

Good luck with it all..... long may the success continue

[Babushka]

Well done & thanks for the great words of wisdom. It can be a struggle at times & I agree with your theory. I find when I really put in a lot of effort, I get nowhere, but when I give it a break for a bit, I get loads of commissions.

Good luck with it all :)

[Tip Top]

Shaz - is that a pitter patter of tiny feet I can hear??? And not yours!! Is it??!!:o:D

Well done on all your work - I knew it would sort itself out for you!!

[Poppy4lee]

Well done Shaz, and thank you for your insights & inspiration. I've hit a point where I need a break but am too scared to take time away from my business, in case everything I've worked so hard for goes t*ts-up. I'm now thinking that, maybe, some time off may bring rewards that I can't even imagine at this point in time.

[craftdancer]

Wonderful!

I've had a similar experience: ever since the house was flooded last year (and it still hasn't had any renovation work done) and my treatment room was put out of action I've been thinking about giving up the complementary therapies, and for the last couple of months I've been getting phone calls for appointments. I can do the reflexology treatments on home visits, and the massage ones: well, one or two people have said they don't care what state the room is in they want me to give them a treatment. And what's more most of these have been a full rate rather than "mates rates"!

Also, I've decided to give up trying to sell the cards I've made and concentrate on the preserves and cordials and suddenly I'm starting to make sales on the cards!!! (The chutney and preserve sales are also going quite well).

The world is a very odd place and people are totally weird!!!!!! :)

Linda

[Rodeo Lady]

Well done you . So glad it's all going in the right direction and I'm more than sure your fantastic bubbly & friendly attitude to life has a lot to do with it.

Really really chuffed to bits for you.

Cheers Janice

[Kiamyka]

Such words of wisdom for sure . Yesterday morning I read your post and thought how right you are. I am going to stop worrying about the business and just let things happen. Within half an hour the post arrived- 1 item and I could see what looked like a card with a handwritten envelope . I sat here trying to guess who it was from and what it could be (As a Reiki healer I tend to get a few Thank You cards) When I opened it it was a Thank You card with a cheque for £100. I often do work on an exchange basis and this person had trained with me over the last 3 years and was now in a posiiton financially where she could contribute . Later in the day I also received emails confirming sales and payment of £75 so today I am going to carry one not worrying lol

[silversurfer]

works every time eh? Well done on NLP status.

[woodtattoos]

Congratulations on the really good news, nice to see someone getting some success.

If anyone has any surplus good luck going spare, I'd really appreciate it being sent my way!! :D

Si.

[Pebbles]

Congratulations on the really good news, nice to see someone getting some success.

If anyone has any surplus good luck going spare, I'd really appreciate it being sent my way!! :D

Si.

Aw, what's wrong Si? Having one of those days?

No surplus good luck here, sending you some happy thoughts though :sm:

[woodtattoos]

Aw, what's wrong Si? Having one of those days?

No surplus good luck here, sending you some happy thoughts though :sm:

Days? One of those months. June was horrible and will be erased from my memory forever. Onwards and upwards!
Si.

[Chris W]

The same thing has also happened to me today, I let go of my expectations on an important issue and now it looks like being resolved. Good luck with your new venture.

[Kiamyka]

Days? One of those months. June was horrible and will be erased from my memory forever. I'm in my Saturn return, y'see!

Si.
Si I had a bit of an inspirational thought for you when I was looking at your website yesterday - the boxes you make could be focussed on specific things - not making much sense am I? Let me give you an example - I'm a Reiki Teacher and healers often have a way of recording people they send healing to - many have a book (idea for other crafters here) and some have a box in which they keep pieces of paper with the names of each person on. Reiki also has symbols associated with it which could be incorporated too. If you were to make anything like this I could direct traffic to them from my Reiki website

[woodtattoos]

Si I had a bit of an inspirational thought for you when I was looking at your website yesterday - the boxes you make could be focussed on specific things - not making much sense am I? Let me give you an example - I'm a Reiki Teacher and healers often have a way of recording people they send healing to - many have a book (idea for other crafters here) and some have a box in which they keep pieces of paper with the names of each person on. Reiki also has symbols associated with it which could be incorporated too. If you were to make anything like this I could direct traffic to them from my Reiki website

Perhaps you could email me with some of these symbols and their meanings so I could think about potential designs? Thanks for the thought, definitely worth considering!

Si.

[Focus on Life]

Thanks for all your great stories, I knew the same kind of experience would ring true for many but I was really hoping it would help someone who might be thinking "blimey how hard do I have to keep trying for something to happen"

When I was training, we called it the "lost sock" syndrome:

Sometimes you just have a "lost sock" and thats all there is to it

And maybe, just maybe, if you stop searching for it, it'll turn up again of its own accord - just keep its partner safe until then

Love
Shaz x

PS Tip Top - gosh I'm full of Monty Python quotes lately - "where's the foetus gonna gestate? In a box?" LOL ;););)

[Ashbee]

It sounds like an experience of a friendof mine. 10yrs ago she gave up full time teaching to do supply work as she wanted to concentrate on training on Reiki. She had a few clients but was also learning Tai Chi, last year her Reiki work was drying up but she then qualified to teach Tai Chi and is now doing that instead. However, her philosophy was 'let the Reiki go' as she felt if it was what she was meant to do then it would come back to her again.

She is one of the clamest people I know and yet is brave enough to take tough decisions that many of us would shy away from (broke up with her partner of 10yrs last year - this year met a new guy and is now married!)

I use her as a role model - I still stress out over things but reach a point now where I can let them go and wait to see what happens. I would not have been able to do this 2yrs ago so see it as progress...

Ashbee