When Vrinda Pendred (nee Barker) was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 7, the doctor failed to notice she had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as well, despite OCD symptoms being a huge part of why her parents had brought her to the doctor in the first place. Even when she was finally diagnosed with OCD at almost 14, Vrinda had no comprehension of how complex and wide-ranging the disorder was, even within herself. Only as an adult did she finally start to understand just how deeply OCD affected her life, mentally, physically, emotionally and socially.
Vrinda’s story is not at all unique. In fact, if there is anything rare about it, it’s that she was diagnosed as young as age 13. Some people don’t discover there’s a name for their intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviour until mid-life. Others are never diagnosed throughout their entire lives, their ‘quirkiness’ remaining a mystery both to themselves and to the people in their lives. We can only imagine the suffering they’ve experienced, struggling through homelife, school and work, feeling misunderstood by teachers, parents, friends and colleagues.
And it’s not just the people who have OCD who are suffering. Think of the frustration and heartache felt by millions of teachers and parents around the world, who watch their students or children struggling with OCD (often undiagnosed), but cannot understand what is happening because these children are too young to express what is going on inside their heads. The sense of helplessness, and even guilt, can be enormous, as they simply do not know what to do to help an OCD child, and are at a total loss as to how to manage or respond to the unusual behaviour and destructive anxieties.
And what is most poignant is the thought that all of this could be avoided – and even treated – if there were more education about the many facets that make up OCD.
And that is what Vrinda Pendred has set out to do. Now 27 years old, and a mother herself, she has merged her two most passionate callings in life: 1) writing and 2) educating the world about neurological conditions, such as OCD. Vrinda has created a unique publishing company called Conditional Publications, whose primary aim is to help push forward this education, by devoting its catalogue to publishing the works of writers with neurological conditions, thus giving a voice to the real experts on these mysterious disorders.
Put together by 20 writers and artists from around the world, all who have OCD, Check Matesshowcases a range of emotions, from love to hate, joy to rage, fear and sorrow to hope and optimism. There’s even a little bit of humour. What it doesn’t do is shy away from the truth. Every angle is covered, no matter how painful, which makes for a startling and moving read.
If you are wondering why I am so empassioned by Vrinda’s story it’s this: Vrinda is my own daughter, and I personally know what she has gone through to reach this remarkable achievment. I also know what I, as a mother, have felt watching her grow up. And lastly, my father had undiagnosed OCD, and it is only through Vrinda that I have come to understand much of the pain and confusion from my childhood.
On this Day-After-Mothers’-Day, I could not be more proud of my daughter than I feel today.
Whether you’re a parent or teacher of a child dealing with OCD, a therapist or coach of OCD clients, or you have OCD yourself, everyone will find something in this book that speaks to them.
And if you don’t think you know anyone with OCD, have a look around. I think you’ll be surprised (if not shocked) at how many people have it, but are hiding in silence and isolation. This book will open up your eyes, your mind and your heart, and will bring a long overdue healing for many.
And, true to her principles, Vrinda will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every copy of Check Matesto OCD charities, to encourage research and treatment for the condition.
AND… In addition to my gift, there are over 30 other wonderful gifts being offered by mind-body-spirit teachers, authors, coaches and healers from around the planet when you purchase the book on May 11th.
To find out how you can buy this book on May 11th
and receive over 30 other gifts, just click HERE
I hope you will join me in celebrating the launch of this unique book, Check Mates, the first ever collection of fiction, poetry and artwork about OCD.
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 08:30. Add a comment
It might sound like a surprising thing to say, but Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder affects pretty much everyone. Maybe you have it yourself. Or perhaps your partner has it, or your sibling, or an old childhood friend, or maybe your next-door neighbour. You might not even be aware of it, but the chances are high that you know someone who is obsessive-compulsive.
In recent years, OCD has become more publicly discussed, with celebrities coming forward and admitting they are afflicted by the condition. Yet when David Beckham went public with his diagnosis, much of the world made jokes and laughed. There was little consideration for his lifelong struggle with his own mind, or the difficulties it might pose for his family. There was even less acknowledgment that most people are at least a little obsessive-compulsive themselves.
Check Mates, edited by Vrinda Pendred, is the first ever collection of fiction, poetry and artwork about OCD, by people with OCD – the real experts on the subject. It also marks the launch of Conditional Publications, the only dedicated publishing house for writers with any kind of neurological condition.
Divided between ‘Realism’ and the ‘Beyond’, this book drives the absurdity and horror of OCD straight home. It has been put together by writers and artists from around the world, and showcases a wide range of emotions, from love to hate, joy to rage, fear and sorrow to hope and optimism. There’s even a little bit of humour! I think everyone will find something to relate to.
What it doesn’t do is shy away from the truth. Every angle is covered, no matter how painful, which makes for a startling and moving read.
If you have OCD, you’re going to find yourself in this book and realise you’re definitely not alone. If you don’t have OCD…you’re probably going to find a little of yourself anyway, because that’s what this book does: it forces us to look at our own neuroses. I think this book is set to crack wide open a few stereotypes that have been flying around for far too long.
And what makes this book even more special, is that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every single copy of Check Mates will be donated to OCD charities.
AND … Vrinda Pendred, editor and co-author of Check Mates, anda genuine artist of surreal fiction, is giving away an EXTRA special gift of her own: ‘The Passenger’, an unpublished short story about Tourette Syndrome. And yes, Vrinda herself has Tourette Syndrome, OCD and other neurological conditions.
AND… would it be just TOO unprofessional of me to mention that the lovely and talented Vrinda happens to be my very own daughter? I am more than just a little bit proud of what she is doing, and I have to say this book is absolutely gripping. Very impactful, it touches me on just so many levels.
To find out how you can buy this book on May 11th, claim your free copy of ‘The Passenger’, and receive over 30 other gifts, just click HERE
I hope you will join me in celebrating the launch of this unique book, Check Mates, the first ever collection of fiction, poetry and artwork about OCD.
Be sure to sign up for a “launch reminder”, and then mark your diary for May 11th!
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago at 22:53. Add a comment
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you know that the 8 finalists have been announced in the the beautiful Awakened Wisdom Experience Contest on offer from Patrick Ryan. I know because I set up the page for them this afternoon!
The winner for this contest is being decided by PUBLIC vote. Each of the contestants had to answer a single question: ”
What will YOU give the world when you reclaim your brilliance?”
Please take a moment to go over the to voting page, and read the (very short) answers to this question each of our 8 finalists gave. Then, vote for the one you believe has the most passion and desire to make good use of the Grand Prize, which is a $3000 “Awakened Wisdom Experience” (AWE) including 4 one-to-one coaching sessions with Patrick Ryan, 2 VIP guest passes to his 3-day workshop “Awakened Wisdom”, and a signed copy of his new book, “Awakened Wisdom”. All I can say is there are some VERY deserving people on there.
And if YOU missed out on this great contest, no worries. Check out Patrick’s book “Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance”. It’s coming to Amazon on Tuesday April 20th (that’s just ONE week away). When you purchase the book on that day, you can receive over 40 GORGEOUS gifts from a lot of wonderful people (including me!!).
Patrick’s a personal friend and mentor of mine, and I have to tell you that his work (and this book) is simply AWE-some. I urge you to go over and sign up for a “launch reminder” at this page: so you’ll remember to pick up the book next Tuesday, and be able to claim all those gifts (my mind is boggled at how many there are).
Ok, that’s enough for now. Just remember 2 things:
P.S.: The CONTEST ENDS ON SUNDAY APRIL 18TH! Be sure to cast your vote before the end of the weekend, as the winner will be announced just after midnight on Monday.
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago at 04:34. Add a comment
“As students, we see our teachers come and go. After we leave, rarely do we get the chance to come back to tell them how they have impacted our lives. It is difficult to explain how the act of telling a teacher he changed your life can make you feel complete. What greater privilege can there be than to be able to tell someone, ‘You are the person who awakened my soul from its slumber; you were the vessel whence I found my voice.’”
This is a passage from my book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Selfwherein I describe the feeling I had when I was reunited with a particularly influential teacher from my past after 33 years. It is a wonderful thing to be able to glorify and give back something to our teachers and mentors, no matter how old we are. That is why, with great delight, I wish to share with you the highlights of a recent interview I conducted with one of my personal mentors, Patrick Ryan.
Patrick Ryan is an executive coach, leadership trainer, spiritual teacher and author. He was one of two leaders (the other is the wonderful Mary Butler) who trained, held and watched me evolve when I was on the 10-month Co-Active Leadership programme in 2007-2008 in Spain. Patrick and Mary’s expert training transformed my life in the most profound way and I can say without reservation that I seriously doubt I would be doing what I am doing today had I not crossed paths with them. After the course was over, I also had the great pleasure of talking Patrick’s workshop Awakened Wisdom when he delivered it in London (a rare treat). It was on that 3-day course that I stood up in front of a room of people and declared boldly that I was finally stepping into the (somewhat scary) call to become an internationally known author and spiritual teacher, no longer hiding from my own Essence. And the rest, as they say, is history… and the future is still unfolding, minute by minute.
So of course, when Patrick asked me to be the manager for the launch of his book Awakened Wisdom – A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance, which was the long awaited book version of the teaching he had been transmitting through his workshop for many years, it was a no-brainer. What an opportunity to be able to give something back to one of the people who shaped my life so profoundly. In a nutshell, I simply want other people to enjoy and bask in the simple wisdom of his teachings. I also want Patrick to enjoy what he deserves by seeing his book reach thousands—perhaps millions—of people.
As part of the promotion for his book release, I had the great pleasure to interview Patrick on my radio show Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul on March 24th. It was a wonderful interview, and I thought as part of the Virtual Blog Tour, it would be perfect to share the highlights from that interview with you.
You can hear or download the complete interview in the player below:
If it does not appear correctly on your screen, you can grab it online at:
Here are some of the highlights of that interview:
Wisdom Gained From a Near-Death Experience
When Patrick was in his late teens, he “died”, his body being kept alive only from CPR. During that time, he “met the Divine,” which he describes as “that wisdom that is of this Universe and that this Universe is of”. He said this meeting, “Woke me up in a most profound way to the mystery and the ultimate nature of this world we are living in.”
He said, “That experience allowed me to see that there is a profound Wisdom holding this Universe. It enabled me to trust that that Wisdom ‘just is’, but at the same time it provided me no answers. So, I still had to go and figure it out. And that really is the journey all of us are on: ‘figuring it out’. And I think the thing we’re figuring out, at the core of it, is ‘who is the one that is walking the walk of this life?’ And, at the end of the path, when you keep dropping the veils, and move further and further into the Essence of that answer, you find there is no distinction between you and your neighbours, no distinction between you and the animals and the forest, or even the organisation you work for, and that we are just this one entity, this one Being that reflects back and forth who we are to each other.”
Reflections on Hearing and Answering Our “Call”
Patrick was leading a life on an entrepreneur, but was always interested in what makes people behave the way they do. He said he woke up one day curious about what else was “out there.” He felt “called”.
“But like with any call,” he says, “you usually cannot see the path ahead with much clarity. So it requires you to take a leap and just enter onto that path.”
I asked him, “What are some clues that people are hearing ‘a call’ in their life?”
He said, “For me, and also for a lot of people I was spoken with, some of the common factors include a ‘stirring within’, a sense of dissatisfaction with life as it is today, and a desire to touch into a deeper meaning or purpose. There’s a wanting to get more fulfilment or more congruency between our moving through every day and the higher levels of values we know exist, even if we don’t understand what they are.”
“I had always dreamed about going on a walkabout,” he continued. “That dream had never left me. And that’s something people should pay attention to. What’s the recurring, nagging, dream that won’t leave you alone? First it knocks gently, and then it shakes you harder, and at some point, if it’s important enough, it’s probably going to create something in your life much more dramatic until you ‘get it’.”
Experience as a Monk in Burma
Patrick told his story of how he became a monk in a monastery in Burma in the mid 90s, even though he had no such prior intention, nor did the monastery have a policy of taking on western disciples (he goes into this story in greater detail in his first book The Eagle’s Call).
He gave us a little taste about the essence of the teachings he received during his time as a monk, as well as a student of many shamans and other masters around the world. He said, “At the end of the day, I’m a very practical guy, and as much is it is easy to become seduced by the mysticism and big words around spirituality, it’s very important to me to be able to ground it to my daily life in such a way that makes sense. That’s why I created the ‘Eight States of an Awakened Life’ that my book Awakened Wisdom is based upon.”
Distorted Self, Divine Essence and the Observer
Patrick went on to explain the three-part aspects of our nature: the “Observer”, the “Distorted self” and our “Divine Essence”. He said it’s important to know “who’s in your shoes” at any particular moment in life.
He describes the “Distorted self” and the voice in us that “wants to take us out of the game” and “hold us in a zone of safety and comfort” and “whispers messages to us like ‘you’re not ready for that yet, if you do that people won’t like you, etc.” He said that it is interesting how the body will so often respond to this by getting ill on the very day you are meant to do something you fear, etc. He said, the more the “Distorted self” takes over the decision making in our lives, the more isolated we become and the more ‘self’ there is in us.
“On the other side, we have that part of us that is infinitely wise, that moves with the wisdom of what we acquired in this life, and also that goes beyond what can be explained by what we received in this life. This is the one in us that does not get caught in fear—the one that is about creating beauty in the world, about bringing life-giving energy into the world and transmitting it outward. It’s the one that can go into an organisation and sit in a meeting and speak the truth about what’s really going on, in a way that makes everyone go ‘Wow, you just nailed it. That’s exactly what we needed to hear.’ That aspect of us, I call the ‘Divine Essence’ because the more connect you get to this aspect, the less ‘self” there is in it.”
He said that our “Observer” is that other part of ourselves that is able to report the facts in life clearly and without judgment. Both Divine Essence and Distorted self are receiving the report from the Observer and “we get to choose who we’re going to put in charge.”
The Eight States of an Awakened Life
In the last part of our interview, Patrick named and described his “Eight States of an Awakened Life”.
1. A Good State of Intention
2. A Good State of Words
3. A Good State of Being
4. A Good State of Purpose
5. A Good State of Effort
6. A Good State of Practice
7. A Good State of Doing
8. A Good State of Understanding
He then offered a few REALLY simple and very profound practical example of how to apply the principles. If you wish to hear more, please listen to the audio.
Book coming to Amazon Tuesday April 20, 2010
I also strongly encourage you to buy Patrick’s book Awakened Wisdom – A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance. Dozens of leaders in the mind-body-spirit field have joined together to support Patrick in celebration of the coming of this book, and are offering over 40 free gifts to everyone who purchases it on the day of its Amazon launch on Tuesday April 20th.
I myself am offering 4 audio meditations from my transformation workshop The Garden of the Soul, to cultivate the four spiritual principles of Giving, Receiving, Becoming and Being. To be sure you receive this gift, along with all the others, just go to http://www.awakenedwisdom.com/Public/Amazon/BookLaunch/index.cfm and sign up for launch reminder so you remember to buy the book on April 20th.
Tomorrow, Thursday April 8, Patrick stops at Caron Goode’s “Intuitive Parenting” site. It should be really interesting. Check it out at http://intuitiveparenting.wordpress.com
Posted 4 months, 4 weeks ago at 20:52. Add a comment
In today’s world, you’ll see a lot of advertisements for beauty makeovers, pamper days and the like. That’s great for the body, but how about a makeover for the mind and spirit?
That’s what I imagine it will feel like to the lucky person who wins a wonderful contest being offered by coach Patrick Ryan, author of the upcoming book Awakened Wisdom: a Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance, which is coming to Amazon on Tuesday April 20, 2010.
As part of the celebration of the launch of the book, Patrick is giving away a $3000 “Awakened Wisdom Experience” (AWE) to one person. The AWE-some Grand Prize includes 4 private 1-to-1 personal coaching sessions with Patrick, a personally signed copy of the book Awakened Wisdom AND 2 free VIP passes to attend his 3-day Awakened Wisdom Workshop anywhere in the world.
Patrick is a world renowned executive coach, leadership trainer and spiritual teacher. For more than three decades, he has studied and practiced the way of an awakened life with spiritual masters and indigenous teachers all over the planet, and even served as a Buddhist monk in a monastery in Burma. His depth of spiritual knowledge, combined with his natural, down-to-earth personality, make him both a powerful and accessible coach and teacher.
Anyone who receives this exceptional prize should ready for a complete “inner beauty” makeover. And remember: there are TWO free passes to the Awakened Wisdom workshop, which means you can share this gift with a friend or loved one.
To enter the AWE contest, you only need to answer one question:
“What will you give the world when you reclaim your brilliance?”
To qualify, you will be asked to sign up for a “launch reminder” for Patrick’s book, Awakened Wisdom first. As soon as you’ve done that, you’ll be taken to a page with a link to the contest entry page.
A list of semi-finalists will be announced on April 12th. The Grand Prize winner will be decided by public vote (so be sure to get your friends and family on board to support you!).
And…
Even if you don’t want to enter the contest, do please check out Patrick’s book Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brillianceon that same page. If you scroll down on that page, you’ll see that dozens of authors, coaches, entrepreneurs and spiritual teachers have come together to celebrate the launch of this profound and practical book, by giving away over 40 very special gifts to anyone who buys the book on April 20. And I am one of them!
To everyone who buys Patrick’s book, I will be giving away FOUR free audio meditations from my Garden of the Soul Workshop. These are very special meditations I have never offered before anywhere, unless you happen to have taken my workshop. I hope you’ll like them.
Best of luck to all of you who enter the contest. Please keep me posted if you win, so I can announce it in my upcoming newsletter. I’d also love to hear your answers to this great question!
Please check out the video I made as my “pitch” for the “Next Top Spiritual Author” contest. I have entered my book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self, which as many of you know, is currently self-published.
The grand prize is a book contract from Hampton Roads Publishing, one of the top Body-Mind-Spirit publishers in the world, along with a promotional package worth over $50,000.
There are 3 rounds of voting. The first round starts MONDAY March 29, 2010, and ends May 3, 2010. I could REALLY use your vote to help me advance to Round 2.
Here’s the video I made for my contest entry. I poured my heart and soul into it! If you cannot see it on your screen, view it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8P92UVYwCQ.
If you think The Garden of the Soul deserves to go to a wider audience, please help me by:
1) Watching this video to help you decide whether you think I deserve the prize AND THEN
2) Voting for me at http://tinyurl.com/TopAuthorLynn between March 29 – May 3rd.
3) Help yourself to a THANK YOU GIFT on that page (it’s a collection of audio excerpts from my book)
4) SHARE the page via Twitter or Facebook (you’ll see the buttons right there on the page).
And there is NO pressure to choose only one author to win this contest! There are hundreds of great authors for you to consider, and you can vote for as many authors as you like (but you can only vote ONCE for each author per round).
I you can help me advance to Round 2 of this exciting competition, I will be EXTREMELY grateful!
My motivation is fuelled by your encouragement and comments. I’d love to hear what you have to say about the video, my book and whatever else, in the comments box below (if you are reading this in your email inbox, click HERE to leave a comment).
Presenting an exciting NEW concept on the Internet, combining coaching, learning, community and business-building in a creative, spirit-based environment…
Spirit Authors (www.spiritauthors.com) is an innovative new membership site where established, new and aspiring authors in the mind-body-spirit genre can find everything and everyone they need to make their publication a success. Founded by bestselling author and award-winner teacher and coach, Lynn Serafinn, Spirit Authors provides learning, support and professional resources to mind-body-spirit authors, whether you are just starting out, or are already successfully published.
Won’t you please join us for our Grand Opening Celebration?
Monday 22 February through Friday 26 February (one webcast per day), from 3pm Eastern (8pm UK)
FIVE unique broadcasts on different topics including writing, publishing and marketing your book and beyond
FREE to attend; FREE to listen (via webcast)
A superb VIP panel of 18 spirit-based industry professionals, all leaders in their fields
Panellists include top-selling mind-body-spirit authors, editors, marketing specialists, translators, literary agents, publishers and basically wonderful people.
On the broadcasts, you will…
Hear the experiences and insights of 18 leading mind-body-spirit publishing professionals
Learn lots of new things about spirit-based writing, publishing and promotion
Have the opportunity to direct questions to the VIP panel via our webcast
Find out how you can “Test Drive” Spirit Authors Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience for only $1
Receive some great free gifts just for checking it out.
Can’t make it to the live broadcasts?
No problem! Register for the webcasts you want, and you will receive a link to download the MP3 after the event. But don’t leave it too long before you listen to them… we’ll be giving away some freebies that will be available only during the week of the Grand Opening launch.
Who are our VIPs?
HOST: Lynn Serafinn, bestselling author, book promotion coach
SIDEBAR NOTE: If you haven’t yet gotten your copy of Allison Maslan’s Number-1 seller, check this page out before Friday 29 January: http://myblastoff.com/booklaunch to receive 20 free mind-body-spirit gifts when you buy the book, “Blast Off!”.
This is a true story of how one small thing can change your life.
Back in September 2009, a fellow named Tony Eldridge, whom I had met on Twitter, asked me to write an article for his book marketing blog, talking about the promotional strategies I had used that enabled my book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers to unearth the Self to become a bestselling title. I was a first-time, self-published author. I wasn’t exactly rich, and I had next to nothing to spend on promotion, so I did just about all of it myself. But somehow, by dint of my having spent the previous two years attending dozens of live seminars and teleseminars and reading hundreds of articles and eBooks on the topic of book promotion and Amazon launches, I built my online platform, designed my campaign and found some truly wonderful joint venture partners to assist me. As a result, my book became a bestseller in the UK in spirituality and mind-body-spirit categories, as well as in self-help category in both the US and the UK. I couldn’t have been happier. At age 50-something, it really was the dream of a lifetime.
I knew that the success of my launch had come from building my platform at least a year before my book had come out. So when Tony approached me to write the article, I decided to call the article “Pre-Natal Care for your Book,” with the aim of encouraging authors to start building their platform months before they even finished writing their books. When he published my article on 6 October 2009, Tony announced it on Twitter, and continued to ReTweet the link to it throughout the month.
I was very pleased with the article, and very pleased Tony seemed to like it too. I had no idea, however, that this one small thing was very soon going to be the catalyst that would change my life.
A few days after the article was published, an author from California named Allison Maslan saw one of Tony’s ReTweets (bless your tweet heart, Tony), and clicked the link to read my article. She was intrigued with it and contacted me through my website, asking me if I would “coach” her to create a book promotion campaign, because she had just landed a book deal with Morgan James Publishers for her book Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality.
I asked, “What do you want me to do?”
She replied, “Exactly the same thing you did for your own book. I want to do all of it.”
Without thinking, I heard myself saying to her, “OK. Except it’s not enough. My book made it to Number 18, and that was great at the time. But I want your book to do better than that. I want it to go all the way to Number 1.”
Reaching Number 1 was something I had a difficult time imagining, but I really meant it when I said it. Over the months Allison and I worked together, I found myself saying, “I want your book to be a Number-1 bestseller,” again and again. The desire was so powerful I could feel it in my gut.
I have to admit, though, that somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear a voice chiding me, “Number 1, you say? Uh-huh. Well we’ll just see about that!” But in spite of my occasional self-doubt, my logical mind told me if I simply applied all the learning I had amassed from having completed my own launch several months earlier, I could avoid all the pitfalls I had encountered and easily surpass my previous achievement. It seemed perfectly “do-able”.
And while such logic is a wonderful thing, the greater thing I have learned is that when you set a sincere intention, the Universe conspires to ensure it comes to fruition. So honey, let me warn you—before you open your mouth and speak loudly enough for the Universe to hear, you’d better be sure you are ready for outrageous success. But when you say it, you really have to mean it. Don’t just wish it. Don’t just say to yourself, “That would be really nice.” Feel the desire so powerfully that you will not accept anything less, and then commit to doing the work that will make it come true.
Over the following months, I worked closely with Allison to design, coordinate and deliver her campaign. First we tightened up her platform by building a strong online infrastructure and integrating all her social networks. Then, I showed her how to operate many new software programmes. She got to be a real pro at them in no time and soon she was off and running and gathering new followers every day. She was a natural at it, and because she was such a nice person, people simply WANTED to be connected to her.
Then I introduced her to an excellent communications coordinator, Yvonne Perry from Writers in the Sky, whom I had met on my Garden of the Soul Ning group. Together, we three assembled a truly vibrant team of spirit-based joint venture partners. We then designed all the timetables, promotional copy, strategies, sales pages and so many other things. As the day of the launch approached, we worked out tracking systems and a rota for watching the sales. There were some pretty hair-raising last minute “tweaks” behind the scenes and Ali, Yvonne and I were writing emails to each other so rapidly, it was almost like talking in real time.
The day of the big launch finally came Tuesday 19 January 2010. As I live in the UK, I was up hours before Allison or Yvonne. Soon, Britain woke up and started shopping online. I found my heart pounding when I first saw Allison’s book get into the Top-20 bestseller lists in the UK, alongside and even AHEAD of celebrities from Britain’s show “Dragon’s Den”. I frantically started sending out blogs and newsletters and tweets to tell people about this great news. Then, as North America woke up (Allison amongst them), and I started to see her book climb the US and Canadian charts, I could feel my heart pounding even louder. Heck I think I could even hear Allison’s heart pounding all the way from San Diego! Wow! Suddenly Blast Off! was soaring up the charts into the Top-10. Unbelievable. She had indeed passed my own book’s rank, just as I had said I truly wanted.
Behind the scenes was a FRENZY of emails, Tweets, Skypes and on-the-fly blog posts. We analysed. We strategised. It was total madness! I think if I could pick one thing I am most proud of about the campaign, it would be when Allison got to the Number-4 ranking, just behind Gary Vaynerchuk and Michael Gerber—two monumental names in the charts. We looked at the sales figures and estimated that we were very close to the Number-3 position, and all we needed to get over the “hump” was another 15 book sales. At that point, I sent out an appeal to all our members on Spirit Authors fan page on Facebook, as well as my blogs, and Allison sent out emails to her lists, telling them exactly what was going on. Yvonne started Tweeting like crazy. Within minutes, people responded with messages of support, telling us they had just bought the book.
I watched as an amazing truth became evident—people WANTED Allison reach Number-1. Their desire was just as strong as ours… except now there were hundreds of people all desiring the same thing.
And do you know what? With all that passionate desire being sent into the cosmos, the Universe could not help but fulfil our collective wishes. It was like an ocean of desire flowing into cyberspace.
In less than an hour, the book Blast Off! by my wonderful client (and now dear friend) Allison Maslan not only moved into the Number-3 rank, but within the next couple of hours, it also rose in both US and Canada to become Number-1 bestseller in entrepreneurship and was dubbed Number-1 “Hot New Seller”. It also made the top 5 in several other categories including “motivational” and “self-help”.
As you might imagine, Allison is over the moon and she is getting a lot of media attention. I spoke to her this evening and she has FOURTEEN radio interviews tomorrow! I can’t imagine that many interviews in one day. And I have to say, it couldn’t happen to a nicer person.
As for me, I’ve been living on not much more than adrenaline all week. But I really wanted to come back down to earth to tell you about the exciting things that have been happening in my life since the success as Allison’s campaign.
My first big announcement is that “Lynn the author” is now being represented by Waterside Literary Agency in Los Angeles, who also represent an array of illustrious spirit-based authors such as Eckhart Tolle, Neal Donald Walsch, Barbara Marx Hubbard, and of course my own client, Allison Maslan, amongst many others whose names you would undoubtedly recognise. Together, we are getting ready to approach publishers with a proposal for a NEW book I am writing. I’ll be telling you more about it over the coming months.
The second bit of news (and this will probably come as no surprise) is that, ever since the launch, I have been approached by a steady stream of authors requesting I help them with their book campaigns. Some of these are truly BIG and exciting projects. I’ll be telling you all about these wonderful books over the coming months.
All of this truly takes my breath away and, of course, I am absolutely thrilled so many people are approaching me about managing their spirit-based book campaigns. But there is a flip side to all this that also needs to be considered:
a) There’s only one of me and there are hundreds of authors who need help with their book projects and
b) Private campaign managers are simply not a financial option for everyone.
But here’s the beauty of the situation. The Universe is so incredibly wise and clever, it has been orchestrating a solution to this dilemma for the past two months, long before any of these events had occurred.
What is the solution? My new Spirit Authorssite, of course!
For the past two months, I’ve been very excited about my new project Spirit Authors, which is a membership site that allows me to combine my professional experience as a teacher, coach, author, online promotion expert, WordPress “techie” and non-stop talker (!) in one place. I call it a “Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience” for mind-body-spirit authors—including those who simply have a dream to write and be a published author in the future. What Spirit Authorswill offer authors is the opportunity to learn from myself and a range of other industry professionals about writing, social network-based promotion, self-publishing, Amazon launch campaigns, and making the most of your success, while always retaining your spirit-based focus, and being true to your personal values. It is also an online community, offering you the opportunity to make close personal and professional connections with others of like mind, for friendship, support, ideas sharing and business partnerships.
I originally set up this project because it resonated with my own values and interests. It also fulfils a long-term dream for me, because I have an MA in adult education and distance learning, and for many years I wanted to create a really fabulous online course, using all the principles I have learned in my many years as an educator.
But what I now understand is that the real importance of the project is that it will be able to help HUNDREDS of authors get the information and support they want and need for their projects. I couldn’t possibly do that as a one-to-one coach.
I have arranged a Grand Opening Webinar Week, Monday 22 through Friday 26 February. I’ve got over a dozen industry professionals from authors, marketing specialists, publishers, editors, etc., coming along to share their wisdom and experience on the air. And, yes, Allison Maslan will be amongst the guest line up to tell us what life has been like since becoming a Number-1 bestselling author. It’s all going to be FREE in celebration of the Grand Opening of the new Spirit Authorssite.
The sign-up page for the Grand Opening won’t be available until NEXT week, so for now, if you’d like to make sure you receive a VIP invitation to the FREE Grand Opening Webinar Week, just got to http://spiritauthors.com and enter your email address in the right-hand side of this screen. Then, you’ll receive all updates about the event.
So there you have it. It all started by someone asking me to write a simple little blog article. Less than six months later, so many things I wanted to achieve in life are all joining together. It has truly been a dance of synchronicity, desire and manifestation.
If you follow my work, you know that one of my key messages is that there is great learning to be found in every story of our lives. So for this story, let me offer you these two “thoughts for the day:”
a) Never underestimate the power of an opportunity you are given, even if it seems very small. You simply do not know how far it will take you.
b) The more you desire to fulfil the dreams of others, the more your own dreams become fulfilled.
Thanks for reading. I really needed to share this story with you. Just by reading these words, you have become a part of my journey. Even if we have never spoken in person, I know on a subtle level that your presence in the world is impacting my life in ways I cannot yet measure. Similarly, I truly hope my presence in the world is impacting you in some small but positive way.
Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
Transformation Coach, Book Promotion Coach,
Author, Teacher, Talk Radio Host Spirit Authors Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience http://spiritauthors.com
P.S.: If you haven’t already, have a look at http://myblastoff.com/booklaunch. You still have time to receive 20 free mind-body-spirit gifts if you buy Allison Maslan’s (Number-1 selling!) book Blast Off! before the end of Friday 29 January. I’m also offering over 1 hour of audio book excerpts from The Garden of the Soul as a gift, along with other great gifts from coaches, authors, marketing pros and holistic practitioners. Have a look and see what’s on offer.
P.P.S.: I’m celebrating my 55th birthday this Thursday 28 January. If you are on Facebook, come join my “Virtual Birthday Party” on my Spirit Authors fan page. I’m giving away a gift to all fans on Thursday, so come along and invite your friends. http://facebook.com/SpiritAuthors.
Yesterday I told you all about the launch of the book Blast Off! by my good friend and client, and fellow Spirit Author, Allison Maslan.
Well I am pleased to announce that her book came out early this morning and has already been dancing around the top 25 list in “Entrepreneurship” category all morning here in the UK, reaching as high as number 14 so far. I find myself smiling as I see her title on the same list as Michael Gerber’s classic E-Myth Revisited, Gary Vaynerchuk’s recent smash hit Crush It, and several books by UK “Dragons Den” icons, Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis and Duncan Bannatyne. She’s even been AHEAD of several of the “Dragons” over the past couple of hours… giving them a real run for their money… a lot of fun to watch, actually.
Now what’s so great about this is that Allison’s book is a radical shift from many other entrepreneurial approaches. She takes a spirit-based approach, where she helps you connect with your passions, and she actually gives you a step-by-step method to work towards anything from building an entrepreneurial enterprise, to finding a soul mate.
But what I like best about Allison as a person, and a writer, is that she keeps it “real.” She doesn’t talk “over your head” when it comes to talking about business, like so many other books I have read. As a coach and a homeopath, she speaks to you like a real person because her first interest and sole focus (or soul focus?) is people.
If you haven’t yet picked up your copy of Allison’s book, try to do so before the end of the day because when you do, you’ll also be able to pick up 20 great bonus gifts from some of the nicest mind-body-spirit and business professionals on the planet. I’m giving away over 1 hour of free audio book excerpts to help celebrate with her.
What a great start to have her be in the top 20 in the UK, right from the starting gate. I can’t wait to see how far Blast Offwill go, especially when readers in the US start buying the book later today.
This is why I LOVE being a book promotion coach!
Enjoy the rest of your day,
Lynn Serafinn
Author, transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host
Author of mind-body-spirit bestseller The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self
Author and Coach Allison Maslan Helps You ‘Blast Off’ in 2010
by Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
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These days, the market is flooded with self-help books. Unfortunately, all too many of them leave me feeling dull and lifeless, and they don’t really “help” very much. Half of the books I come across hit you over the head with “power talk” that makes you feel guilty for not being rich or for getting the occasional cold (I won’t mention names, but I have indeed tossed more than one self-help book across the room because of this!). The other half usually drown you in lofty “woo woo” language that never quite gets down to practical action. Frustrating! For a new self-help book to stand out from the crowd and become keeper in my library, it would need to be friendly, engaging, fun AND practical. In other words, it would actually have to HELP me help myself. In her new book Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality, author, coach and registered homeopath Allison Maslan, has achieved exactly that. Her book is a step-by-step programme to achieving some of the most challenging and important goals in life: Continue Reading…
(Pssst! See the END of this post for info on my SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT GIVEAWAY, where can you receive over 1 hour of free audio book excerpts this holiday season.)
Meditation 28: Aesthetic Awareness
from “Lessons from the Iris: the Principle of Receiving”
Aesthetics are the subtle qualities of beauty, originality, ingenuity and artistry that surround us at every moment in the world. They are not things that can be defined or quantified with any kind of measurement. They speak to us at an intuitive level, and can be found both in nature, as well as in the creations of humankind. After all, humankind is also a vital part of the Natural World, even if we sometimes lose sight of our connection to it.
Aesthetics surround us at every moment. When we feel moved by a sunset or other natural wonder, cry when we hear a particular song, feel a lump in our throat over a work of art of any kind, or find ourselves affected in an inexplicable way by the poignancy, perfection, or uniqueness of anything we witness or experience, Continue Reading…
Many thanks to Simon Ireland-Davies of ID Coaching, Liverpool, who selected the number 65 for this week’s meditation. If you would like to help me write my upcoming book “The Companion Guide to the Garden of the Soul” and possibly have your name listed in the acknowledgements of the book, and announced on my weekly radio broadcast, just select a number from 1-80 and post it in the comment thread below.
Meditation 65: Wisdom
from “Lessons from the Lily: the Principle of Being”
Wisdom is the natural energy that flows through us when we surrender our ego so we may establish our connection with the Divine. Wisdom does not come to us as the result of learning. It is not something can be increased by any type of effort. Wisdom is Eternal, Infinite and Absolute. It belongs to no one and to everyone, simultaneously and equally. When we imagine that we can capture Wisdom via our own efforts, we are operating from the platform of ego, wherein we imagine that there is a limited amount of Wisdom to be gained in the Universe, and that it can be controlled and conquered by our own efforts. If this were the case, then the Universe would be a merciless and poverty-stricken place, as only the strongest or most intellectually gifted would ever have access to Wisdom. But the Truth is the Universe is infinitely opulent and full of mercy. Wisdom is the birthright of all living entities, and no effort is required to manifest Wisdom other than to allow it to enter us, without ego blocking its way. Continue Reading…
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1955, and now residing in the United Kingdom, author Lynn Serafinn is a Personal Transformation Coach, teacher, motivational speaker and talk radio show host. Owing to her long and diverse professional history in the music industry– from symphony violinist, to opera singer, to east-west fusion artist, to a number-1 electronic dance artist in the 90’s– Lynn’s writing is lyrical, rhythmic, colourful, highly visual and undeniably metaphoric. She was the ghost writer and editor on several published books on Vedic spirituality and philosophy, and is the author of the eBook The Path of Least Resistance to the Self. The Garden of the Soulis her first full-length book.
Lynn was educated at New England Conservatory of Music, University of Texas at Austin and University of Phoenix, and holds a B.Mus. in music history and an MAED in adult education and distance learning. Awarded the National Defence Foreign Language Fellowship in 1980-81, Lynn journeyed to Calcutta where she began her long-term studies of Indian music and religion. A fully qualified teacher, she taught music and music technology for many years, and was the recipient of the Microsoft UK Innovative Teacher of the Year Award in 2005. She holds a CPCC through the Coaches Training Institute and is a graduate of the Co-Active Leadership Programme. Now living on her own in Bedford, England, Lynn is the Founder/Leader of the Global Wellness Circle, a thriving community-based holistic education project spread throughout the United Kingdom. She has a grown daughter, who is also a writer, and a young grandson.
For book signings, live readings, speaking engagements, etc.
Title:The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self Author: Lynn Serafinn Publisher: Bright Pen Books Publish date: 20 March 2009 ISBN13: 9780755211265 ISBN10 (ASIN): 075521126X
AMAZON BESTSELLER in:
Spirituality, mind-body-spirit, New Age, self-help.
Synopsis: The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self is a book about becoming whole…
Called ‘as spiritual as Deepak Chopra and as magical as Paulo Coelho,’ The Garden of the Soulis a journey on the ‘path of least resistance to the Self’ through the imagery of four flowers that represent four spiritual principles: ‘Give’ (the Rose), ‘Receive’ (the Iris), ‘Become’ (the Daffodil) and ‘Be’ (the Lily). Taking the reader on a daring and magical journey through the author’s life and imagination—from stage fright and burnout in a classical music conservatory, to life inside an Indian temple, to a hidden life of domestic violence, to finding inner peace atop an old English footbridge—The Garden of the Soul explores birth, death, love, art, spirituality and transformation in an eloquent, poetic and ultimately unforgettable way. It is an open invitation to readers to re-examine their own life stories, even the painful ones, and see the beauty, significance and meaning within them, so they can see that they are already the hero of their own story. Appreciative readers report that reading this book has helped them to heal from trauma or abuse, explore and embrace their own creativity, and to feel encouraged to be more courageous in expressing their authentic voice. Within the first few days of its release, the book attained Amazon bestseller status in both the UK and US in the New Age, Mind-Body-Spirit, Spirituality and Self-Help categories, reaching as high as number 18.
Our Garden of the Soul Gift Shop has books and music from author Lynn Serafinn and guests from her radio show “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”
What kinds of books and music will you find?
Mind-body-spirit, memoirs, afterlife, spirituality, inspirational, meditational, personal growth… well… check it out and find out.
ABOVE: Very cool video with author Lynn Serafinn reading from the book, nature photography by Sheila Finkelstein and uplifting music from London band Bleep Test.
Here’s what one viewer had to say about the video: “I finally had time to go listen to the Song of the Rose – It’s exquisite – I love the words, Lynn’s voice, Sheila’s images, Lynn’s sequencing of them – the whole thing is a gem! I feel very inspired.” –Tomar Levine, Picture to Ponder subscriber
Receive articles, excerpts from the book, events announcements, media broadcast announcements and more.
UPCOMING TITLE:The Path of Least Resistance to the Self Genre: philosophy, mind-body-spirit, self-help Release date (proposed): Summer 2009 Enquiries:info@give-receive-become-be.com
Synopsis: Fulfilment is any easy process of simply allowing your true self to blossom…
That is the primary message of this upcoming release, The Path of Least Resistance to the Self. An alternative approach to the “law of attraction”, The Path of Least Resistance to the Self outlines 10 simple principles that demonstrate that true fulfilment is as easy as stepping into the authentic Self, and allowing one’s Self to blossom. It is the ultimate challenge to those who believe that happiness comes as a result of struggle, and it shows the easy way to manifest joy and to live your life purpose.
For a limited time, you can enjoy the first SIX chapters of this book right now for FREE in both AUDIO AND PRINTABLE format. Altogether, that’s a £14.95 value, absolutely free by clicking HERE. Why be satisfied with a daily dose of world news, marketing programmes and business reports? Treat yourself and feed your soul once a week. Enter your name and email to receive your first chapter “What is the ‘Law of Attraction’ REALLY About?” right away.
Chapter 1: “What is the Law of Attraction REALLY About?
Chapter 2: “The Wonderful Uniqueness that is YOU”
Chapter 3: “The Voice within the Golden Silence”
Chapter 4: “Meeting the Hero of Your Own Story”
Chapter 5: “Ways We Resist the Wealth of Our Essence”
Chapter 6: “Swimming Upstream–the Salmon or the Swan?”
Enjoy this collection of inspirational readings and audio carefully created to bring some positive energy to your day! Every 7 days, you will receive a new chapter in both pdf AND mp3 format taking you through the path. The audio is a great way to spend your tea break or lunch hour over the next few weeks. Just click HERE to request your free chapters.
–> TUNE IN to my weekly radio show “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”, exploring life purpose, personal empowerment, balance of mind, body and spirit, and how to tap into the inner hero that lies within every human being: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn
–> RECEIVE my book blog updates for latest news about my book events, radio show, videos and future publications: http://www.give-receive-become-be.com
–> RECEIVE my “Creative Living” newsletter for monthly inspiration and self-coaching tips: http://www.create-a-life.co.uk
–> JOIN my social network “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”, a vibrant place for cultural and spiritual
creatives: http://gardenofthesoul.ning.com
Divided between ‘Realism’ and the ‘Beyond’, this book drives the absurdity and horror of OCD straight home. It has been put together by writers and artists from around the world, and showcases a wide range of emotions, from love to hate, joy to rage, fear and sorrow to hope and optimism. There’s even a little bit of humour! I think everyone will find something to relate to.
Hi everyone,
In today’s world, you’ll see a lot of advertisements for beauty makeovers, pamper days and the like. That’s great for the body, but how about a makeover for the mind and spirit?
Please check out the video I made as my “pitch” for the 
SIDEBAR NOTE: If you haven’t yet gotten your copy of Allison Maslan’s Number-1 seller, check this page out before Friday 29 January: 
Well I am pleased to announce that her book came out early this morning and has already been dancing around the top 25 list in “Entrepreneurship” category all morning here in the UK, reaching as high as number 14 so far. I find myself smiling as I see her title on the same list as Michael Gerber’s classic E-Myth Revisited, Gary Vaynerchuk’s recent smash hit Crush It, and several books by UK “Dragons Den” icons, Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis and Duncan Bannatyne. She’s even been AHEAD of several of the “Dragons” over the past couple of hours… giving them a real run for their money… a lot of fun to watch, actually.
Meditation 28: Aesthetic Awareness
Meditation 65: Wisdom
Give, Receive, Become, Be…
