Conscious business creates greater success for you and your business. When you have more awareness you can anticipate problems and opportunities. You're more alive, alert, brilliant and perceptive. You can engage your full power and strengths to create greater possibilities.

How do you be more conscious with your business? Gary Douglas, the founder of Access Consciousness who I've studied with for the past 10 years, defines consciousness as including all things and judging nothing.

Conscious business includes all things and judges nothing. By including everything and judging nothing, you're more fully present to create the success of your business.

Judgment contracts your body, your personality and your ability to be fully present and use your full power and abilities. You're unable to receive and fully use the key information that will unlock success for you.

When you judge you come to a conclusion. It's like you're walking down this long hallway and you've created these huge solid walls of judgment to the left and to the right of you. All that you can see is the conclusion you're headed for. There are no other possibilities available to you. 

How do you change that? How do you open up more possibilities? By asking questions and being aware. Ask a question and stop! Instead of trying to figure it out with your mind, allow the universe and your awareness to go to work for you. Your mind can only define the limits of what it already knows. Your awareness is far more powerful. And the universe is just waiting to support you if you let it.

Have you ever thought of something you wanted and then forgot about it? And later on it just showed up as if by magic in a way that you could never have imagined could possibly happen?

When you ask questions and open yourself to receiving more support and information, it's as if doors of other possibilities suddenly appear along that long dark hallway where you were headed to a conclusion. Ask questions and be willing to receive greater awareness. See what opens up for your business.

Here's an example of what that looks like. I have a client who's a fitness trainer that I've been working with for over a year. After 3 or 4 months, she came to me and said "I'm feeling very guilty. I'm going to be moving to another town in 6 months and I feel like I should tell my students." Now I could have told her that that was a bad idea and that she would lose a lot of students, but instead, I asked her a question. I empowered her to acknowledge her own knowing. We have far more knowing than we allow ourselves to be aware of.

I asked her two powerful questions that you can use in your own life or business. They are:

Will this be rewarding?

Will this make me more money?

I asked her those questions  And she used an awareness technique that you can use to know the answer to a yes or no question right away. The truth will always make you feel lighter. A lie will always make you feel heavier. When she looked at the yes and the no, it became clear to her that it would be a lot more expansive for her business if she didn't tell her students that she was gong to be moving until a week or two before she left.

From that awareness and by working with her to clear her judgments, she was able to be far more present and available to her students. She brought her full gifts and contribution  to them and they were able to gain so much more. And her business is thriving.. She's making a gross income of over $10,000 a month.

Are you willing to let go of judgments and be grateful  for everything that happens in your life and  business? Are you willing to ask questions and be aware? Are you willing to let your consciousness create greater success for you?

You can hear a recording of the speech I gave yesterday at Toastmasters "What is Conscious Business?"

By the way, I am a practitioner of Access Consciousness. Voice0041

Thinking first is how a lot of MBA's are trained these days to make decisions. The science of analyzing. It limits the possibilities that can show up. There are two other approaches to business that are far more intuitive and interactive – seeing first and acting first.

Professor Henry Mintzburg  is an internationally renowned academic and
author on business and management at the McGill MBA program in Montreal. He's a champion for using seeing and acting more than thinking first.

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The greatest way to see and act first is to ask empowering questions and getting your awareness to go to work for you…

Being unique creates your success. Every success is unique because the power behind any success is not really a 'proven system'. Success requires unique strengths and personal power. In Seth Godin's blog post Every Successful Case is a Special Case, he talks about how all success is special. He asks us to see what attributes made people successful and how we can find those attributes in ourselves. That's a great insight. What qualities for instance made Richard Branson so successful? He saw opportunities to serve unmet needs and he had the courage to trust his intuition and go ahead when others said he was crazy. If you look at just about every success story, it's the vision, courage and effective action of those people who create from their personal power and integrity. What willingness to be unique and follow your vision can create success for you today?

What is conscious business? It's not what a lot of people think it is. There's a lot of talk about conscious business these days. It's often thought of as contributing to the planet, being green and paying a fair wage etc.

While these are all laudable goals for business. They are not necessarily conscious. Consciousness is actually not the appearance of the actions we do.

So what does  it really mean to be conscious? Consciousness, as my mentor Gary Douglas the founder of Access Consciousness says, consciousness includes all things and judges nothing.

Why is non-judgment so important to business? Well a lot of people think that judgment is a creative force. After all they use it all the time to live their lives thinking that they will be more powerful. In fact, judgment is a destructive force.We either judge ourselves or judge others. Judgment contracts our bodies and your personalities. It stops us from receiving anything that doesn't match our judgment. And that severely limits our lives and the lives of people we come into contact with. And so much of the time we're not even aware we're doing it.

Judgment is so pervasive and persistent, we do it all the time as second nature. Look around and watch the people you interact with everyday.. There's some good will and also a lot of judging going on. Envy, jealousy, prejudice, hatred. And the worst form of judgment is self-judgment because that's usually the cause of all judgment.

A conscious business leader doesn't  judge themselves, other people or events. They're open to greater possibilities and willing to be connected to everything and everybody.

A great example of a conscious business is Richard Branson and his Virgin companies. Richard Branson is amazingly non-self judging. He's willing to do just about anything and look ridiculous if it will promote the Virgin brand.

He's also an acutely savvy entrepreneur. He finds the best people and allows them to be self-determine their jobs. Richard Branson doesn't try to control them and hold back their creativity like so many corporations do.

That willingness to trust your own instincts and to trust your reading of people comes from not judging and being willing to be aware. It opens the doors to enormous creativity and generosity of spirit towards customers and the public.. That's what builds truly valuable good will and customer loyalty for a company.

And non-judgment is not just a lack of judgment. It's an overflowing generosity of spirit and invitation to being and doing more.

One of the greatest keys to not judging is gratitude. Gratitude for everything that happens in your life, the good, the bad and the ugly. When you are grateful, you let go of the charge you have on things that makes you want to judge it. That doesn't mean you don't choose to change what isn't working or that you're a doormat at the mercy of people who want to take advantage of you. . But in fact it's far easier to change things if you're in allowance of what is and

And when you're grateful, things can happen faster and a lot easier. When you're not judging

So gratitude and being willing to receive everything without judgment opens you and your business to being greater and to creating and receiving more enjoyment, satisfaction and money for you and your business.

Are you willing to let go of judgment?

 Did you watch Piers Morgan's interview last night with news reporter Christiane Anampour? It was fascinating to watch. She's an amazing woman of power and joy. If you watched you would have seen another side to her that you don't normally see when she's reporting the news. In the interview she was alive and flowing  with earthy fun, self confidence and a lively sense of humor. Very few people I've seen have her incredible raw aliveness along with such powerful dedication to bringing the truth to light and changing the world. 

Most people don't express that amount of power and joy. They seem to feel that they can't be powerful and joyful at the same time. Actually it's the joy and presence that makes for potent change. If there's no joy, then power if just force. Joy comes from letting go of controlling yourself with judgments and conclusions about doing things the right way. Instead of being magnificently present and available to the moment.  

 
Is it possible that your life is less successful because you're controlling how you express yourself? Are you holding back the full power and joyful expression of you? 

 
Christiane Amanpour seems to have no stops to her power and joy. And it's not narcissistic or greedy for attention. She's fully confident and alive. And she brings that power to all her actions. Whether she's confronting a head of state with the truth or relaxed and just being herself with an interviewer. 

It's not based on a need to be right. It's a total presence and openess to the possibilities of the moment. Most people seem to feel the need to be right instead of fully being ourselves. It's based on some judgment or conclusion that requires them to prove something. 

The result is we distort and weaken the results we can get. It doesn't invite or inspire people to enroll in our ideas. 

You don't get the greatest success out of each moment from trying to use force over self-judgments like so many people try to do. That just creates a seriousness and lack of appeal that turns people off. You have to let go of whatever doesn't allow you to be fully in the moment.  

 
One of the major reasons Amanpour is so successful is that she is so fully present and available to the moment. 

She's a potent catalyst for change because she is totally willing to bring all that she is to the moment to change whatever is not working. 

 
Have you ever seen a truly powerful performance by an actor? What makes great actors so exciting to watch is that there's no separation between what they're acting and the way they  present it. It's totally raw and real. That power and freedom of expression can set something free in you. 

 
It's what acting coach, Harold Guskin talks about in his book "How to Stop Acting" .  He's worked with very successful actors like Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, James Gandolfini and Steve Martin. He advises his students  to "discover what makes you tick as an actor. Use what works and discard whatever gets in the way, no matter how sound the concept." As a result, they are completely being the energy of the thoughts and emotions they are portraying in each moment. Great actor's  performances like Marlon Brando in "Apocalypse Now" surprise you with their rawness  because they invent that moment with full power. That doesn't come from thinking, it comes from being fully willing and available to bring forth greatness in that moment. 

 
Great actors aren't trying to follow some formula or do it the right way. Not in those moments that they let go and they express something fresh and real.  There's an abandonment of control when you're fully present and available to the moment that allows you to fully express your power and abilities. What ever is required for the greatest results comes forth. Done well, there's no fear or judgment about how they appear; no expectation or anticipation of a response from the audience. It's very powerful and very cathartic to see. 

 
Watching Christiane Amanpour  was freeing after seeing so many people limiting their powerful expression. There's tremendous power in fully being with whatever is happening without judging it, trying to control it or expecting 

something from it.

 
What if you stopped controlling your creative expression? How much more expansive could your life be if you were that 'out of control' with your joy and power powerful expression instead of trying to do things the right way and the acceptable way?

 
Would you be willing to see what is truly posssible if you are out of control, out of judgment and out of expectation expressing you and your full power and joy?

Each day now often comes with a new revelation and new

 possibilities.Yesterday I saw so clearly how people empower

and how people dis-empower.

I saw the harshness of stressed out employers lashing out at

their employees. And I saw the softness and tenderness of a

young mother smiling and beaming support to her children.  

Empowering yourself and others is like blowing on the embers of a 

dying fire. It bursts into flame and gives light and warmth for those

who gather round it.

Honoring comes from our heart and creates endless possibilities. We

see that life giving force that flows within us and know that we can

can trust it.  It grows in us and when we empower others, they catch

that fire of awareness.

And in truth, no one can empower or dis-empower someone else. Each

of us chooses to be empowered or dis-empowered no matter who or 

what we deal with. The way that we empower people is to show them

different possibilities. 

It's a choice to uplift, encourage and support beyond words… with great

energy, heart and fullness. And the possibilities start by you empowering

you and spread from there. Each person you empower in turn can empower

others. And that generosity of spirit is what will expand your business because people recognize that and are drawn to it. It makes doing business with you a pleasure that attracts people time and again.

Are you ready to empower the  possibilities that are growing in the world

today?

We live in a world of endless problems. And endless new possibilities for a better life for more and more people. The question is are you choosing to be part of the problem, or part of the possibilities? Yesterday I saw so clearly how people empower and how people dis-empower. I saw the harshness of stressed out employers lashing out at their employees. And I saw the softness and tenderness of young mother smiling and beaming support to her children.

Empowering yourself and others is like blowing on the embers of a dying fire. It bursts into flame and gives light and warmth for those who gather round it. Honoring comes from our heart and creates endless possibilities. We see that life giving force that flows within us and know that we can trust it.  It grows in us and when we empower others, they catch that fire of awareness.

And the truth is, no one can empower or dis-empower you. You can choose to be empowered or dis-empowered no matter who or what you deal with. The way that we empower people is to show them different possibilities. It's a choice to uplift, encourage and support beyond words… with great energy, heart and fullness.

And the possibilities start by you empowering you and spread from there. Each person you empower in turn can empower others. Are you ready to empower your business…  your employees,  your clients and the community you live in?  

To grow your business happily and successfully, you have to use your talent and strengths at peak performance. To do that, you have to function with greater power and awareness.

In his latest blog post Jonathan Fields talks about the 4 qualities the Buddha promoted loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity and how they can grow your business.

That makes perfect sense. In order succeed, you have to have generosity of spirit, understand your customers, appreciate and learn from your competitors and not be afraid of success or failure.

Read Jonathan’s blog and start thinking about what that means for you and your business.. In my next post I’ll talk about how you can use those qualities to transform yourself and grow your business.

What's the latest in the world of accessing your creative
power? Well yesterday I had to go to Inverness in west
Marin County just north of San Francisco. I was delivering
a fictitious name listing to a local newspaper and took
advantage of the brisk but beautiful day to take some
photos and drive out to Point Reyes National Seashore.

I remembered some advice I gave to a client who found
it very fruitful. She said it was making a big contribution
to growing her business with greater potency and ease.

She reminded me of it yesterday morning. I don't always
remember what comes out of my mouth when I'm coaching
clients. So it was a timely reminder for me.

Ask the Power of Nature to Work for You
I had suggested she take some down time, to go out in
nature. And to be aware of the generative energies
around her and ask them to contribute their potent
energy to open up and bring to fruition the possibilities
for her business.

 Being out in nature frees you and nurtures you. John Muir
knew that and spread his gospel of going out and getting
Nature's glad tidings.

Touching the earth and being fed by her energies is
so necessary when you spend a lot of time in front of a
computer sitting in a chair for long stretches of time.

Beauty Harmony Potency and Being Creatively Alive
By going out into nature and experiencing the beauty of the
world, you not only feed your soul, you  can tap into energies
that can feed and grow your business. And you can request
and direct those energies of harmony, beauty, potency, creativity
and vibrant aliveness go to and strengthen and amplify the
possibilities for your business and  help them come to fruition.

Be The Potent Creator You Are
And in fact, nature doesn't just replenish you. It reminds you who you are. You are not separate from nature. You are in every part of nature and nature is in every  part of you. You are the beauty of the blossoming tree, the magnificent mountain rising up to the sky, the dancing ocean playing with the shore. When you forget who you are and separate from nature and use her and abuse her, you contribute to the tsunamis and the droughts and all the ways that nature works against you rather than working for you.

 So what energies of nature can you be with and request to expand
and grow your business? Every way in which you believed  that

you aren't the beauty and the wholeness and the potent creator
of possibilities in collaboration with the earth and the universe, would you destroy and uncreate all that?

You can see the beauty of spring at Point Reyes at

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=292950&id=518908045&l=b833c6336a

Have a fun potent weekend creating the things you love!

Would you like to have more customers? Who wouldn't. Ok, so do you have your Google Place page for your business yet? Here's a great article on the advantages of having your business listing if you own a restaurant or in fact any local business with a retail address.

Google Place Pages

To get a free analysis of how your business can benefit from a Google Place page and local and mobile marketing optimization call or email me.

Rich Atkinson
Marketing Services
rich@accesscreativepower.com
415-250-8421