How to Grow a Thriving Business  

Copyright © 2005 Leni Chauvin 

The Client Attraction Coach (tm) 

http://www.SuperstarNetworking.com  

An interesting thing happened to me this morning.  I woke up,  

looked in the mirror, and realized that today was the tomorrow  

I had alluded to for so many yesterdays.  I understood finally  

that on so many levels and for far too long I had lived a  

Scarlet O'Hara existence:  "I won't worry about that today;   

I'll worry about that tomorrow."  

Sound familiar?  Have you ever said, "I'll clean up the office  

'tomorrow;'  I'll spend more time with the kids 'tomorrow;' I'll  

start working out 'tomorrow;'  I'll make those calls 'tomorrow;'  

I'll stop smoking 'tomorrow?'"  

How many tomorrows have come and gone for you and how many  

things on your list became things to do "soon" instead of  

"tomorrow?" Do you remember when they went from "soon" to  

"one day," to "some day?" If you're anything like me, it was  

probably in the blink of an eye.  

Shocking, isn't it, how fast time flies?  There are things to  

do, places to go, people to see. Somehow lots of tomorrows come  

and go and many of the things on our "to-do" lists (which once  

seemed so important), fade from our memories, until we wake up  

one morning and say, "Oops!" 

Well, you can't get back yesterday's tomorrows, but today's  

tomorrow will be here soon, and, as they say, it will be the  

first day of the rest of your life.  You CAN make the best of  

it, and make better use of all the tomorrows that follow. 

How?  By taking charge of your life and your career; by taking  

responsibility for what you want to create, and by staking your  

claim to the future you deserve to have.  It's time to become  

clear on the vision you want for yourself and your business,  

and it's time to live up to your potential.  

We're only given so much time on our individual journeys; stop  

letting things get in the way of what you want to contribute, of  

what you want to accomplish, and what brings out your passion.   

There is no time like the present to start working on your  

future. 

Being clear on what YOU want to create is the first step.  You,  

not your boss, not your mother, not your spouse, but YOU.  What  

do YOU want, and do you truly want it, or is it something that  

you think you "should" do?  

Do you hate cold calling, but think you "should" do it anyway  

if you want to make a sale?  Why would you want to dig yourself  

into an unfulfilling rut when you can easily find another way  

to get the business on YOUR terms? 

Have you been given a promotion which will bring you lots more  

money?  Great!  But does it mean you have to move 2,500 miles  

away from your family and friends?  Not so great!  How important  

is it for you to have a support system?  

If a support important, your decision becomes a no-brainer:   

don't take the job! Eliminate the "shoulds" from your life.   

Look to what is truly important to you, your sanity, and your  

belief system.  Then go for it! 

They say that the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago  

and the second best time is today.  If you haven't accomplished  

what you had wanted to accomplish by this time in your life,  

don't beat yourself up.  Let it go and start planning and  

creating what you want. 

There is a wonderful story called "The Daffodil Principle,"  

written by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards.  If you're not familiar  

with it, "The Daffodil Principle" concerns a mother who  

reluctantly accompanies her grown daughter on a trip to see  

a field of daffodils.  

The weather is bad and the mother is strongly opposed to the  

trip...until she rounds a corner and sees five glorious acres  

filled with magnificent daffodils in every shade of yellow,  

pink, and orange imaginable.  There were 35 varieties in all,  

each planted as a group and each group swaying in unison, as  

they were touched with gentle breezes.  It was absolutely  

breathtaking. 

When the woman asked her daughter who had planted all the bulbs,  

the daughter told her that it was just a single woman who lived  

on the property.  They walked up to the woman's home and saw a  

sign on the front porch indicating answers to the questions most  

often asked about the beautiful carpet of flowers growing in the  

field. 

According to the story, the first answer was "50,000 bulbs." 

The next answer was, "one at a time, by one woman.  Two hands,  

two feet, and very little brain."  

The final answer was, "Began in 1958."  

They call this The Daffodil Principle.  It's quite simple,  

really, but it's not at all easy.  It takes a vision, some  

planning, lots of hard work, and most of all, an enormous  

commitment.  Without commitment, we only have dreams, never  

daffodils.   

Bottom Line:  It's never too late to create the awesome future  

you want.  Work diligently and have faith in yourself; you can  

accomplish whatever you wish...one bulb at a time. 

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Leni Chauvin coaches ordinary people to build and market  

extraordinary businesses. The strategies in her Attract Clients  

Galore Marketing System(tm) help solo professionals get more  

(and better) clients without having to spend a fortune to do it. 

Subscribe to Leni's newsletter for tips to help you grow your 

business, too.  http://www.SuperstarNetworking.com