Hello!

It’s been a while… hope your summer has gone well…in fact where has it gone? I’ve been back at work and some days it’s a real struggle! There’s been overwhelm and pressure.. still for the most part I love what I do! I’ve been updating my online course… done! Lots of additions, lots of good information too- if you’re already signed up? You have lifetime access so guess what? You can go back through it now! And I hope you will.

It’s back to school time! A good time to learn a few things yourself! And It’s the best time to sign up to learn new things and guess what? If you have new products, September is said to be the best time to launch new products! So, you’ll want to do that!

What I really want to talk about is Struggle. There are so many things we struggle with, yet also some things we can let go of and stop struggling with, then there are other things that we just will have in our lives that often create struggle. Struggling is a part of life. I’d love to share a story with you-

‘As a child, I loved to go to the County Fair- I particularly like the Incubators in which the eggs were struggling to become baby chickens- it was messy. The shell would be slightly cracked or you could see part of a baby chick. The shell was restricting the little bird’s progress, the egg would roll around.. a little kick, and the crack would become larger. I could see damp feathers, and perhaps little feet. I admit it was a struggle to hold back- I knew I could help the baby chick. Why I could break the shell open myself if I could get inside the incubator!

The baby chick wouldn’t have to work so hard. The chick wouldn’t have to struggle breaking the shell that it had outgrown. One of the instructors at the show explained- ‘If you break open the shell, instead of letting the baby chick do it alone, the little legs will not be strong- the baby chick’s whole body is being strengthened by the struggle to get out of that shell.’

‘The Problem of the Eggshell’ is a lesson, it’s the ‘Power to Become’- the struggle strengthens us. Without it, we will not be strong… ‘ This is an excerpt from my Book: Four Days the Lazarus Principle.

Here’s the Thing- I know it might seem obvious- Life is messy. We won’t understand all of anything when we are living in the midst of our life. So? What to do?

For me, it’s getting quiet. It’s listening to my Instinct…that Godgiven gift. It might say- Do this, or Wait. Don’t go there. or even this: Take the Next Best Step

.Instinct is what makes the baby chick keep kicking. That’s really all its little life knows to do. The shell might not crack according to plan. It’s definitely messy. It might not even make sense. The chick could get it into its head that Things aren’t Going Right.

As good as Goals are.. and they are. The Next best step might be to just keep on going… or kicking as the baby chick! So how do we know if we’ve reached our goal? For the chick? It is when it’s released from the confining eggshell! With a mess all around it- the baby chick stretches its little wings, walks on wobbly feet and a new goal is set!

Again, when you’re in the middle of something or some sort of work or business you may not think you’re making a difference. Or maybe you don’t think you’re making progress. Here’s the thing.. No matter where you are, in the long run if what you do- helps someone else, improves the lives of others, enriches the life of yourself, your family and friends.. well, it’s worth the Struggle.

And remember this, As good as it is to plan, sometimes something comes along you didn’t expect. Good or Bad. It interrupts the plan. So? Instead of giving up. Go back to your Instinct. Listen quietly. Allow your Intuition to inform you of what your Best Next Step should be… and remember, the Struggle is making you stronger, if you’ll allow it.

And that’s the point of it… Struggle often makes us stronger. Pressure when we use it for good- is like coal becoming diamonds or combined with heat? This southern girl knows heat and pressure make Biscuits Rise! oh yes it does.

The Problem with Overwhelm is that we aren’t really taking care to take care of ourselves. We need breaks, we need to decide the importance of what needs to be done- as we take frequent breaks and it’s then we need to let our minds go blank. Break the cycle of overwhelm. Take deep breaths, get out in nature. This will help us regain our strength and creativity. Realize that we’re sometimes our own worst enemy. We need to ask…

What’s holding you back? Is your mind asking- ‘What if I’m not good enough?’ Yet- ‘What if you are?

Don’t be afraid to try, to struggle or even fail. Let the ‘Problem of the Eggshell’ help you grow stronger…

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My struggle in the last few weeks has been Creating Content! It wasn’t that I didn’t have Ideas! Too many and my Mind is boggled and I’m trying to Stay on Track! I’ve struggled with it.  Is it the content perfect? No it isn’t. Here’s what my goals were when I wrote the course in the first place-

I was going to keep the cost as low as I could. The price of the platform had to be factored in and a few other expenses, yet, I wasn’t going to buy fancy equipment. I wasn’t going to have it professionally recorded. I wasn’t going to add all the bells and whistles. I was going to create a valuable product, with valuable information at a Reasonable Price! Courses with 30+ videos, a 50+ page downloadable Workbook and Lifetime access – including All updates are usually quite an expensive investment- I didn’t want it to be out of reach for the average person to pay for.

Here’s the thing about online courses-

I’ve have developed friendships with those who’ve tested my course, and who’ve purchased and taken my course. These friendships are sooo valuable to me! And currently a special group of folks I’ve coached or who’ve taken my course are participating in a Private Group Chat right inside Instagram! Sometimes I pop in and give a quick tutorial or share insights or even a few new things to be aware of on Instagram (I don’t teach it, but we All need to Know stuff like that! And We’re having fun too!

That’s the thing about online courses that isn’t talked about enough! I took lots of masterclasses, bought small courses and one large one that was reasonably priced. I do believe in investing in lifetime learning!

I met so many wonderful people in that online course! We are cheerleaders for each other! Some I have made purchases from, some I have coached along, some are friends and mentors too! That’s another benefit of taking an online course that isn’t talked about enough! And there’s this: Taking an online course gave me the confidence that I had something to share, to teach… there’s no dollar value on that! However… if you don’t truly take the lessons in courses, interact with others in the courses, you miss out on a wonderful bonus! Here’s the downside of online courses…

Some online courses cost well over $1000 or more! I’ve been tempted by them. I couldn’t justify the expense. Here’s the thing: Folks often can’t afford to make a $1000 investment in themselves. They know they need the knowledge, they’re just not ready for a large cash outlay. So when I wrote and produced mine, that was a goal to make it affordable.

My course is actually 5 mini courses in one! The breakdown is less than $20 per mini course. I’ve checked with the platform that hosts my course- they’ve told me that my price is too low. Well, not for me it isn’t! Why? Because most affordable online courses don’t have this much information and I want folks to be able to afford to invest in themselves! I want to serve others and that includes making sure they get value and it’s at a reasonable price.

I want to show up to give- give you something that will help you and your business. I Love to See Your Progress, Help you when you’re Struggling, Watch you Succeed! And one more thing- whether you sign up or not? I plan to keep showing up for you, showing up to give you value. I hope it’s worthwhile for you to stop by. I thank you for it. It is one of the things I don’t ever struggle with… Thank you for being here! You are the Best Folks anywhere!

Love y’all. Brenda

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If you think Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing would be for you, Here’s the Link to information about my course: Be Unforgettable- Guide to Visual Marketing