Our lovely and talented friend Kyra Krilly recently launched her online store GhostShip

She makes beautful, eco-friendly, artisan jewelry under $30

In this article she writes about the Buddhist moments revealed in learning how to work her magic on sea-glass.

Click on the image below to make it readable (and laughable).

We DO have a purpose!  (Thanks to Tom Cheney and the Cartoon Bank)

Michael Neill’s Solutions Cafe: beat the price rise

I’m a fan of Michael Neil’s work - his newsletters are little gems, full of learning, insight and humour.

His Solutions Cafe is a fabulous resource:  500+ tips, videos, courses.  Sort of like his newsletters, but more and easier to get hold of.

Check it out here

I’ve just heard that he’s significantly increasing the membership price in 2009 because of an upgrade in infrastructure, and I want to give you the chance to jump in now before that happens.  Here’s how Michael puts it:

This change has necessitated our purchasing our own servers, so from January 1st the annual cost of a new cafe membership will be increasing substantially. We will, however, continue to honor the promise we made several years ago when it all began - the price you pay when you join will NEVER go up. That means all existing cafe members will continue to get access for the same annual price they originally joined at.

If you would like to join the cafe before the price increase, we will be extending all new memberships from today through to the end of 2009, so as well as accessing all the great content now you can participate in the next Success Made Fun one year program beginning on January 1st, 2009. (Enrollment in this program, normally $99, is included as part of your cafe membership.)

This will be money well spent.

Prepublication special: Find Your Great Work

My latest book is a practical collection of tools and techniques to help manager and leaders find more Great Work.

It contains 12 fast, practical and highly usable techniques to help you figure out what your Great Work might be - and to go and find it.

Each one of these maps passes “the cocktail napkin test” - that is, you need no more than a pen, some paper and five minutes to make a difference. Each map will help you get a new perspective on what’s going on - and inspire you take a next step toward Great Work.

Some of the questions you’ll get answers to include:
- #2: Who’s Great?
- #5: What’s your motivation?
- #8: How might this end?
- #10: How courageous will you be?

We’re working with a designer right now to get it ready for publication - with our target publication date July 4th (Box of Crayons’ birthday).

You can register now for prepublication specials here. Absolutely NO obligation to do or buy anything. You’ll just get the chance to get the best deals of the book.

In short: No downside. All upside.

Want to Find Your Great Work? Register here.

The way we were

The way we are…

We published Get Unstuck & Get Going…on the stuff that matters in 2005.

We sold our last copy yesterday.

But don’t worry … we’re still fully committed to spreading “the possibility virus” and we’re currently working on “Get Unstuck & Get Going Slim” - a cheaper, more flexible (but still super cool) version.

If you would like to know when we are ready to launch the new Get Unstuck

you can sign up for notification here.

I get asked to promote products on a regular basis.

And my opening stance is this: I’ll look at it - but it’s probably not good enough.

Because I have two standards for me to promote someone else’s product here
- I love it
- It works
- I secretly wish I’d done it myself, but I’m not sure I could

So when Cathy at Live Dynamite! got in touch, I was my usual cautious self.

And then, just before Xmas, it arrived

And my first thought was: This is Cool. And this is Beautiful.

Because when you receive this, it’s like opening a present: a beautiful box which, when you remove the lid, is filled with cool stuff.

And what is it?

The Upside is a self-coaching tool, a funky blend of inspiration and process, designed to help you articulate and then stick to your goals.

Six cool things

There are six elements to this that make it work

===>The Play book, a 90 page book full of thought-provoking ideas and exercises to help create clarity and stretch yourself
===>A Daily Log, so you can track your experience and hold yourself accountable
===>Daily Practice Sheets, to help you stay on track on a daily basis
===>Expand & Create Cards and case: So you can write down and carry your goals with you and keep them present
===>Think Big Coasters: So you can display quotes or reminders on your desk, all the better to keep your goals front of mind.
===>Boost Section: More inspiration for you to download and “keep the fires burning”

You can see what you’re getting here

The ultimate test: My Wife

My wife is pretty much unmoved by any coaching product. She’s not a coach, she hasn’t been coached, and if I even LOOK like trying to coach her, I’m in trouble.

So I showed the Upside to her as the final test.

And here’s what she said: “This is genuinely smart and good. The instructions are clear, the components are accessible, funky and good quality, and if I had this system, I’d be eager to set things up.”

But if you’re getting excited, reconsider

As cool as The Upside is, it’s still a process you need to invest time and effort in for it to work. It’s not a miracle cure, and if that’s what you’re looking for - walk away.

But if you’re looking for more structure and process to help you achieve your goals, then this is something you should consider.

Check it out here

The energy is building for the live art career event of the year: the smARTist™ Telesummit on January 17–26 2008 http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=689605

I’ll be joining a dozen other art career experts, and career artists, to help you balance your life and sell your art.

Every one of us wants you to get recognized, exhibited and paid—what you deserve!—for your art in 2008.

To kick everything off, there is a “Virtual Opening Reception Party” where you can…

(read more…)