Andrea asked me to post a quick update here for everyone on the blog... as some of you know she was scheduled for surgery today (for details on the surgery check out this post).

I just got off the phone with her husband Mike and he said that everything went great. Her surgery was a success, and by early afternoon she was in the recovery room... groggy of course, but feeling pretty good.

Outside of a grumpy sponge bath lady, the hospital staff are great and treating her well... i'm sure Andrea will have them all charmed in no time. ;)

She will be in the hospital for at least a few more days, and then she'll be resting and recovering for the next 6 weeks at home in Calgary. Mike will be waiting on her hand and foot, right Mike? hehe... I know she was looking forward to some 'unplugged creative time' during these few weeks, along with some visits from family and close friends.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who has sent their well wishes and good vibes... On that note, if you care to leave a comment here on the blog for Andrea feel free to do so... she will enjoy hearing from you when she's back in action i'm sure.

A trip to an independent bookstore is like a trip inside a person's mind, that person being the store owner more often than not. That's where the pure delight of it resides.

Big chain bookstores are basically homogenous - you expect to see the top ten bestselling authors in all categories prominently displayed, and I can pretty much tell you what will be featured on the table in front of the business section at any given time.

Every shelf on an independent bookstore on the other hand, is a surprise. A tickle for the mind that can set thoughts and actions into motion such that you would never have expected. Like visiting the bookshelf of a good friend, or trading in some paperbacks at a spa resort - the randomness of the selection there is in itself, a gift.

I talk a lot about the value of individualism. Of being a 'Google' for your clients.

In a business climate where everyone seems to ask 'What keywords are people searching on today?' there is immense value in asking instead 'What keywords would I like to create an interest in tomorrow?'

'Purple Cow' meant nothing until someone made it worth searching on. There's a fine, nuanced, valuable difference there.

Here's what I'm reading after a delightful visit to Abraxas Bookstore and Art Supplies (link not available) on Denman Island, a day trip from Vancouver Island.

Ann Lovejoy's Organic Garden Design School, A Guide to Creating Your Own Beautiful, Easy-Care Garden has a chapter dedicated to 'Making Beautiful Dirt.'

That, and Ann's propensity for mixing the language of art and storytelling into the craft of building a garden had me at first scan.

With our move to Vancouver Island imminent, this will be a useful indulgence.

Carry Tiger to Mountain: The Tao of Activism and Leadership by Stephen Legault is one of those books I know I won't read right away. But owning it is a way of keeping my heart and mind propped open to the topic. I'll grow as a person because the book is on my shelf.

Like Schnarch's Passionate Marriage, it's a book that teaches by existing. And, I'm sure the words will be significant too, but I'm okay with not knowing for sure how just yet.

That said, it does contains a chapter called 'Reatreat to Ride Tiger' a topic very close to the one I wrote on 'Riding the Tiger' in Money, Meaning and Beyond...it's a different treatment, but similar. I just love the power behind the riding tiger analogy and couldn't resist, so I didn't.

Easy Curry Cookery (reprinted by popular demand) leaves no curry recipe unphotographed. Page 56 - Creamy Chicken and Basil Curry is first on the agenda, followed closely by homemade naan.

In college it used to be that macaroni and cheese brought comfort, these days it's curry, and with my surgery in just one week - this will feel great to come home to.

Last but definitely not least, I'm reading Zen Guitar, by Philip Toshio Sudo, which turns out to be very close to a book I've been writing in my head and in various journals. Finding it releases me of this task, the better to finish other manuscripts!

This is a treasure of a gem of a find of a book that I already love - though nominally it is about music, and how to play guitar from a spiritual perspective, it's actually just a spiritual perspective that translates to everything - business building, coaching, etc.

Here are a few slivers of goodness:

"When you fall, fall like a cat."

"Prepare to meet your death. When the moment comes, there is no time for thinking."

"Measure a compliment the same as you measure a critique."

"Add two and two to make one."

"See the glass as half full. Understand that as you try to fill it, the glass gets bigger."

"Speak directly from your heart to the heart of your listener, as if passing the flame of a candle."

My dear reader, if your business and life has been feeling a bit too familiar, here's a suggested exercise for mixing things up a bit at a root level...something I seem to do on a monthly basis.

Like the soundtrack of your life, there's also your life's reading list. So take a look at what you're reading right now. Are you only reading books that everyone else seems to be reading? It's kinda neat to share a common new language that way.

And...instead of considering only what's on the bestseller list, why not walk the road less travelled a bit?

Try browsing randomly in a bookstore - chain or independent, online or in person. Visit a neighbourhood library for that matter.

In person, spend a full 10 minutes reading back covers in a section of the store you usually don't visit. Perhaps it 's a section of the store you don't 'believe in' or even get upset about.

Online, browse other people's lists of favorite books. Or the recommended booklists of fellow bloggers. Take a tangent by peeking at bibliographies using Amazon's Search Inside tool.

And then, once you've selected a packet of new books, don't forget to mix and stir.

Ask "If Ann Lovejoy (of the organic gardening book, above) and the Easy Curry Cookbook authors were to get together for a bottle of wine and supper, what would that conversation lead to? (Someone say Organic Curry Garden Design!) Or? (Fill in your own interesting spastic iteration here.)

What if your mind, with all its attendant thoughts and shades of meaning were to mix, kaleidoscope-like, with __________________ (Again fill in your own interesting random author, book, school of thought here.)?

This exercise is the best cure for being in a rut I know of and with time, will make you a more original, meaningful, interesting thinker and leader in your industry.

Have you ever asked yourself - what is the one thing that will guarantee your success in business and life?

Actually, that's not a fair question. I know the answer already because of the email we've exchanged before, and your interest in the 'Money and Meaning Movie' we enjoyed together last year.

Conventional wisdom says a lot of things about "never giving up." "Success" means persevering and never quitting, since "quitting is for losers." Right?

Well, there's possibly a very different - and useful - point of view. A contrarian one that might shake you out of your rut. Are you ready for a shakedown this week, my dear business owner? :-)

If you said 'Sure, Andrea!' read on to find out why New York Times Bestselling author, Seth Godin, recommends you quit instead of persevering. Hmmm...

You've probably heard of Seth. He's not only one of the best marketing experts on the planet, but he's also the author of the bestselling books, Permission Marketing and Purple Cow, and a highly sought-after speaker.

The thing is, there are two BIG chances to hear Seth live on an invitation-only conference call coming up. On these *open house* calls, you will learn why quitting may be the best thing you can do for the growth of your business, your relationships and your happiness - really.

These calls are being hosted by two well-respected entrepreneurs and business visionaries:

CALL #1 WITH SETH

On Thursday, June 21st, at 2pm ET, hear Andy Wibbels, blogging expert and author of Blogwild, interview Seth about his new book, The Dip, and how quitting has everything to do with becoming the "best in the world."

Click here to register for this call:

http://www.andyinterviewsseth.com

CALL #2 WITH SETH

On Tuesday, June 26th, at 1:00 pm ET, hear Rich Sloan, business visionary and Co-Founder of StartupNation.com, interview Seth about his new book, The Dip, and learn how to determine when to quit and when to stick.

Click here to register for this call:

http://www.richinterviewsseth.com

Important Note: These are two separate calls and BOTH are invitation-only, and no-fee. BUT it's important that you realize how valuable the calls really are - and attend them ready with that mindset, okay?

Register even if you can't attend in order to receive the recording AND yes, it is OKAY to want to register for both. The material will be similar in theme but obviously very different. Andy and Rich have very different minds and will elicit unique thought patterns from you through their questions.

Personally speaking I can tell you I'm in the middle of a big dip myself. And I'm enjoying the concepts Seth's presenting very much. They're useful, doable and enjoyable, and I wish I had them years ago when I was stuck
trying to make something work when I should have quit.

Here are the registration links again:

http://www.richinterviewsseth.com

And hey, if you have the chance to speak up on the calls - go for it! If not, and you prefer to question, comment or otherwise pontificate so that Andy and Rich can grab some of your thoughts, go ahead and post them here before the calls.

A quickie invitation for you today, to a useful open call about Real Estate with my very own Real Estate Coach!

If you've always 'wondered' what Real Estate could mean to you, your business and your life, here's a chance to stop procrastinating and learn more in a no-pressure safe environment.

The call description is below with a registration link. Just remember it's an Open House call so there is no charge. I hope you choose to join in - I could think of no better person to introduce to you for real estate wisdom than my personal investment coach. And no worries - you can be ready this very minute to begin investing OR you can be just curious. Everyone's welcome.

===========================================================
"Making Real Estate Real" Open House Call with Investment Coach Cassandra White
===========================================================
sponsored by Andrea J. Lee of 'Money, Meaning and Beyond'

If you had $25,000 or more to invest right now, would you know what to do? If you knew real estate was where you'd like to put your money, what would be your next step?

As conscious business owners, not all of your hard-earned money need be reinvested back into your business. At a certain point in your business life cycle, real estate investment makes real sense, and that's just what Andrea and her husband Mike have been doing the last 4 years.

Now with four properties, some of which have appreciated over 50%, and looking at a fifth, Andrea credits her latest mindset shift to her investment coach Cassandra, who at the age of 33 now juggles joint ventures and investments for over 25 properties.

How does she do it and what does she advise? "Everyone with a little determination and creative thinking can do the same as me." "You don't have to start out with a ton of money." The great thing is, there are real investment opportunities available today, for investors who are ready to make the leap.

Join this one hour Open House call to learn about specific opportunities to pursue real estate coaching with Cassandra if the time is right for you.

Or, if you're new to this topic, register at the link below to hear Andrea interview Cassandra about how to get started, and generally get her to demystify the whole real estate game. You're right, you could pay thousands
of dollars to attend real estate training seminars to do the same thing.

But why not save those dollars and put them into the investment properties themselves instead?

There's no charge for the call - it's our way of opening up this conversation in the community. Just help us spread the word by forwarding this invitation, alright?

From Thursday June 14, 2007 | Audio Recording UPDATED WITH CORRECT AUDIO 6.22.07

Use the player below to listen to the audio recording from this call:

There were a lot of things we couldn't do 40 years ago, and I don't just mean call someone on a cell phone in the middle of a rainforest. 40 years ago today, I, a Taiwanese woman, would not have been able to marry Mike, my Irish/Scottish husband, at least in the US. To do so would have been illegal and real people served time in prison for this offense.

Of course, there are still certain types of marriages that are considered illegal.

It's Loving Day today, the 40-year anniversary of the date the Supreme Court legalized interracial marriage in the United States.

Personally speaking, having been married in 1995 in Canada, Mike and I didn't have to battle a legal system to express our love through marriage, though we did have to manage a little family disapproval. And we do face societal judgements on a daily basis. It's not a huge dynamic in our lives and I'm not about to share any horrible racism stories. But it does get interesting from time to time when we discuss what school our multi-racial children might attend, in what neighbourhood.

In fact, I rather enjoy the fact that we've 'loved against the odds.' It's gritty and sweetens our relationship in a special way that I think is true of all couples that have this 'forbidden-esque' element.

Call me biased, but I think it's in the 'mixing' of anything that creates some of most of the interesting things in life. And where many great business ideas come from. Take....peanut butter cups as just one example. I for one can't imagine life without interracial marriages, peanut butter cups and a whole host of other combinations! Call it my propensity for divergent thought. ;-)

New combinations force us to:

- look at things with fresh eyes - new lenses through which to see
- review our assumptions and throw out the ones that no longer hold
- make room in the box in our head that maintains the status quo
- adapt and expand the conversation as new possibilities show up

In business, new combinations give rise to demand for services that don't yet exist. Then, the opportunity to supply that demand must be met. New Demand + No Supply = Huge Business Opportunity. Suffice to say - new combinations of existing things are elixir in the business world - markets love them, the majority of the time.

What's something you as a business owner love, that you think has nothing to do with your business?

What's a hobby or vocation that you dally in 'outside' of your business sphere?

What if you married those things in a new combination and in doing so give birth to a new demand in the marketplace?

It's been done before:

- Love of skateboarding + Ski School = Snowboarding
- Love of dogs + Childcare = Doggy Daycare
- Love of horses + Executive Coaching = Equine Assisted Leadership Training

What about:

- Romance Novels + Self-Help Books = Motivational Reading that you get aroused to and thus anchor your growth
- Coaching + Video Games = Situational Coaching in Real-Time Environments Via Computer

- Your example here?

Exercise: Describe a project you're working on, or your business as a whole, and then add the words 'and a frog.'

Examples: I train virtual assistants and a frog. My target market is lawyers in the state of Virginia and a frog. I write flash fiction, edit grant applications, write a blog and a frog.

Adding 'and a frog' helps exercise your 'that's ridiculous' muscle so that you start to see slightly ridiculous combinations in a different light. If you do this enough you can start to see ridiculous things as almost normal. Everything and a frog start to become regular - except that the people around you haven't done the 'and a frog' exercise so you become the most creative person among all your friends. :-)

The questions Loving Day make me ask go along these lines:

"Do I care about anything enough that I'd fight for the right to express it?"

"What do I love so much that I'd allow myself to be banished from my home for 25 years and go to court to fight for my right to love?"

Because that's exactly what Mildred Jeter (black) and Richard Loving (white) did from 1958 to 1967 and that's what Loving Day commemorates. Read the full story here.

Who knows what acknowledging and accepting new combinations of things is preparing us for...

Who knows what asserting ourselves for our deepest desires is creating in the world, really...

In a world where there's very little new under the sun, I raise a glass to embracing new combinations of things.

Got a multiracial friend or inter-racially-married couple in your life? Send them to this resource page from the official Loving Day website. Ipride.org is especially cool.

Happy Loving Day everyone!

In 1997 I formed a partnership with a recruitment consultant in Calgary, and called it Eureka Recruitment. I loved the name! And I'd fought hard for it. "Enough!" of the terribly tedious "Last Name, Last Name & Last Name, Inc."

Eureka ended up having a great logo that stood out like a thonk to the head in the classified section and on faxes, our main mode of communication with clients.

No matter that not two years later I'd become so disgrumbled with that biz that I took a summer sabbatical. In turn, that time off endlessly surfing this new thing called the World Wide Web would lead me to the coaching sphere. If I had Eureka Recruitment to do all over again, boy would coaching make things different.

Cut to 10 years later, and I find myself blowing on the proverbial ink for a new business partnership, also to be called Eureka. I loved the name then, and I love it now. It's deja vu all over again!

Tech Coach for Coaches Sandra De Freitas connects some dots for Canadian business owners.

While the US dollar remains at its 4-year low, Canadians and other nationalities can use their own currencies to buy US business services ahead of time, and save money. Like many online entrepreneurs, you may pay for some services by the month or year. Things like autoresponders or shopping carts, blogging platforms or domain names.

For Americans, Sandra suggests using this as a marketing strategy to encourage Canadians to spend their money down south. How about a July 1 (Canadian 'Independence Day') 'Gift to Canadians' sale on your marquee product or service? I haven't noticed tourism hopping on this just yet, but then summer is just now here so it may well be coming...

But back to business owners. If cash flow permits, now may be a great time to put money down for your shopping cart for the entire year, for example...for that matter, if you've been investigating real estate south of the border, or planning your yearly business trip to Maui...now could be just the time.

Viva La Looney for now!

25? 100? 1000? (Yes, I do know someone with over 1000 emails in their inbox, yipes!)

If you have more than 50 emails in your inbox right now that is too many... in fact even less than 50 is ideal.

Working virtually as so many of us do, our inboxes literally become our offices. So when our inboxes get out of control it is the equivalent of walking into an office covered in paper, folders, books, sticky notes... and hey, is that my lunch from last week in the corner?

Seems a silly topic in some ways (clean up my inbox? yawn...) but really, if you feel at all overwhelmed by 'what to do first?' when you open up your email it is time to do something about it. An inbox out of control can be a real drag on your motiviation (and hence your bottom line).

Cleaning up the flow of your inbox can help improve the flow of your business.

Now available, Audio CD + Workbook from the live class led by Tina Forsyth of OnlineBusinessManager.com

Escape from Email Hell | How to Make Peace Out of the Chaos of Your Inbox

In this program you will learn:

• what emails to answer asap, what can wait and what to delete!
  
• how to setup a folder system in 10 minutes
  
• a no-brainer way to sort emails automatically and get them out of your inbox
  
• using autoresponders to answer your most common/repetitve questions
  
• how to use your inbox to help manage your daily activities

I started with 120 emails in my Inbox. I now have 13 emails in my Inbox and it feels so freeing. 120 was way over my comfort level.

Thanks for sharing how you handle your emails Tina - I wish someone had told me this ages ago - it's the main area of clutter in my life - well, it was. No longer!

- Vicki White, www.LifeDesignStrategies.com

Escape from Email Hell | How to Make Peace Out of the Chaos of Your Inbox

Includes a 50-minute audio CD plus 12-page How-To Booklet.  $37.00 + shipping

May I ask you a question? Might you be guilty of being too smart for your own good? Let me tell you a secret - you're not alone. Smart people tend to get in their own way a lot. And for some reason, a disproportionate number of business owners are smart, at least in my opinion.

So here's my encouragement for you today: Stop making things complicated for yourself. It all starts with picking the ripe apples.

Imagine yourself in an apple orchard for a moment. Picture yourself reaching your arm out, fingers curving around the bottom of an apple.

You pull.

But instead of the apple falling into your hand, the entire branch comes with it.

When an apple isn’t quite ripe, it sticks to its branch.

On the other hand, when it’s ripe, it quietly breaks away from its branch with a snick.

There’s something to learn from the way a ripe apple effortlessly leaves its tree when it’s time.

As business owners, one of the valuable things to learn is that there is a season for everything. And sometimes, in our single-minded focus to get ‘something’ done, we force that ‘something’ before it’s time.

The result? Not much to show for a lot of effort!

If you’ve been trying to get something done…

Or you’ve been trying to convince someone of something…

Or if you think you simply must persist towards a certain goal or target or result…

Ask yourself…is this an apple that’s not quite ripe, and must I pick this particular apple now?

The answer is usually no, there are other apples – or even other fruit - that are ripe right now that would be less difficult to pick.

Often, bright people can think their way into a decision that’s based on logic alone. Their intellect ‘informs’ them that their choice is the smart one.

But recognizing there is a natural cycle to everything – including business – will help you put your effort where it’s warranted…where the ripe apples are.

Wisdom Nugget:

Struggle – of all kinds, in business and life – is highly overrated. Are you someone who thinks you have to struggle or work hard in order to achieve something? Where did you learn this message?

Consider the possibility that you could achieve just as much if not more, in your life, not by struggling, but with ease. What feelings come up for you when you explore this concept?

Freely brainstorm and list what you are struggling with right now, using the comment section below, or a piece of paper on your own.

Now that you've done that, what are three things you could let go of, and stop struggling? Put a line through each of those. Take just a moment longer here and become aware of your energy and emotions. How do you feel as a result of shedding just a little of your habit of struggling?

This article is an edited version of Chapter 13 from the book 'Money, Meaning and Beyond.' More details available at
http://www.MoneyMeaningandBeyond.com

It's my birthday today. I'm 37.

Sign of aging: I was writing a check to my personal trainer today - I thought that was nice symbolism - writing a check for something so healthy on my birthday.

Only thing was, I dated it June 2, 1970 - 37 years ago, and then I had to cross it out and initial it. Think she'll think that's funny? Probably not if the back sends it back as -- what's the word for an old check that's past it's 'cash by' date? Hmm.

Also saw the movie "Away From Her" an absolutely, amazingly, tremendous film. Not only in its unabashed un-Hollywoodness, but in everything from the acting, the setting, the script, and the topic. A heroic movie by first-time director Sarah Polley.

If you've ever wanted to really see and feel what it's like to live in Canada outside the big cities, this is the film to watch. And boy if I needed something to help me remember how really truly lovely my life is, this was also the perfect film.

Thanks for all the well wishes today. The cards, telephone calls and gifts! My wish for the day is that you wish yourself a FABULOUS day too - because you know what, I believe we're all heroes somehow and we don't celebrate that often enough. Happy day to all of us!