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Karen@KarenCommins.com

Karen Commins

Award Winning

Atlanta Audiobook Share-rator™

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Law of Attraction

Do you perform in your underwear?

19 July 2006

I subscribe to several voice-over lists. The subject question is actually a current and very active topic on one of them. Many people have answered the question, but I will never be among them. If you haven’t already posted an answer, I hope I can give you some new things to consider before you press the Send button with your reply.

It’s not like these lists are some little private gathering where you can whisper secrets among close friends. Sure, camaraderie exists if you’ve been a list member for a long time, but you don’t really KNOW the other list members. You may have regularly contributed to an e-mail list or forum, but would you know someone from that list if they walked into the room?

Answering or reading such messages is a huge waste of time. If you have some down time, you could be doing any number of productive things to advance your career like calling a client, updating your database, modifying your web site, recording new scratch tracks for practice, learning to apply filters in your editing software, etc. You could be doing things to otherwise improve your life like communicating with family and friends, taking a walk, learning to play a musical instrument, decluttering your office, planning a trip, etc. Of course, you could just sit and be for a few minutes, reveling in the quiet, doing absolutely nothing other than enjoying being alive, perhaps meditating and visualizing the kind of life you want for yourself!

In addition to the time-wasting nature of the topic, you never know who might read your words later and form an opinion about you. Would you answer this question if you knew that your clients or potential clients were reading your messages? How about if your parents or your significant other were to find your post? Would they be hurt or shocked by your response to something that you thought was just silly banter? Any of these people could read what you write on-line because your words live on into perpetuity!

I wrote in a recent post

Nothing is more powerful on this planet
than the words that you think and speak.

This concept was driven home to me in the small yet powerful book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. Rather than paraphrasing the beautiful wisdom of the book, I’ll quote from the cover:

Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don’t Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Don’t Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

The Four Agreements may sound simple, but they are difficult to implement on a daily basis. Just realizing the power of your words is a life-changing step! When I first started in voice-over, I would laugh and say I would do any job where the check would clear. Now, I decline to perform jobs when I don’t like the words that would be coming out of my mouth. They may be someone else’s words, but I would be the one saying them. If I’m using the power of the word against someone else or against my own beliefs and values, then I won’t take the job.

Since I don’t want to use the power of the word against myself, I don’t want say things that might hurt my professional reputation in others’ eyes….like answering a question in a public forum about how I’m dressed when I perform my job. If someone wants to know how how I look when I work in my studio, they can see the picture of my stunning soundproof studio on my web site.

Answer the question, if you feel so inclined. However, I won’t interested in the answer.

 

Filed Under: Law of Attraction, Narrators, Observations, Voice-Over

A prosperity mindset will yield better-paying jobs

10 July 2006

I was reading the tremendous ongoing discussion about non-union voice-over rates on the Voices.com VOX Daily blog. Many people rightly pointed out in their comments that the rates are too low. However, some talent questioned how they could ask for higher rates without having their clients go ballistic and/or running for the hills.

I would like to address this question by stating that you have to develop a prosperity mindset. Nothing is more powerful on this planet than the words that you think and speak. (You would think, of all people, someone in the voice-over industry would be aware of this important Universal rule! smile) To change anything you dislike in your life, including the rates you are currently charging your clients, you must first change the thoughts that you think.

If you want to read a life-changing book on attracting prosperity into your life, I cannot recommend too highly The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity by Catherine Ponder.

This book was recommended to me 3 years ago, but I just read it in the last few weeks. It was written by a minister and has references to God and Bible. I’m not a religious person, but I didn’t find the references excessive or offensive. The advice on changing your mindset to one of prosperity and abundance is incredibly practical; already, I have seen results from applying the principles in this book!

You may say you wish you could attract clients who have bigger budgets. The difference between a wish and a goal is that a goal is written down. While I have other business-related books to recommend later, I love the book Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It by Henriette Klauser. The author gives countless delightful examples of how people used the power of their words (and remember, nothing is more powerful!) to chart a roadmap for their lives. I think this is a great book to start getting you to think in possibilities.

The best program I have ever heard on goal-setting was delivered by Brian Tracy. Click here if you’d like to order his CD titled 21 Success Secrets of Self Made Millionaires

If that program doesn’t sound enticing enough, take a look at the others on that page and see if something else strikes your fancy. Whether you listen to Brian Tracy or some other speaker, you can always have the opportunity to improve your thoughts and your mind whenever you are in your car or by loading the CDs on your iPod or other .mp3 player. I recently listened to a teleconference with celebrated speaker Zig Ziglar, who is still going strong and on top of his game at almost 80 years young.

He said he doesn’t listen to the radio when he’s in his car but instead tunes into Audio University, or his name for audio learning programs. He concentrates on improving his mind by listening to various audio programs on all manner of topics. Sometimes he learns something new, while other times the programs serve as a refresher to something he needed to remember.

I, too, like the philosophy of Audio University. I’m bored listening to the same Kelly Clarkson songs played over and over and over on the radio every 6 minutes, and I can’t abide the endless negativity and fear-based reporting found on TV. Give me a good audio program on my iPod any day! Enriching my mind will in turn enrich my bank account!

I was cleaning up some clutter, which is another thing that holds us back and probably another blog topic for another day. I found a notepad from a conference at which Louise Hay spoke on 10/18/03, just days after I lost my dad. I wrote that she said:

Struggle, pain and suffering have created nothing.
Be here for the joy of it.
Atmosphere within and around you should be one of constant joy.

I also wrote that she said to:

* Make a list of delicious memories from the past, things that make you feel good.
* Make a list of how you would love to live.

Also during my clutter clean-up, I found a Christmas card, and I will leave you with the sentiment from its cover:

Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts

to finding peace of mind and happiness.

 

Filed Under: Books, Law of Attraction, Narrators

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