I hope you know it's ok to say NO because you are stressed out,
Because you are tired.

I hope you know that it's ok to say NO because your family needs you,
Because it's been a really tough year.

I hope you know it's ok to say NO because you don't think it's a good idea,
Because the dog ate your homework.

YOU NEED TO KNOW
That it's ok to say NO and have no reason at all.

Out and about and parked on the road? Pop some fliers on your front windscreen.

Why do politicians all put their signs up in the same place? Because it increases the visibility of their message. 

A home based business on a busy street, this is on their garage.

This arrived in my mailbox, hand written, fab card. Yes! It got my attention and made it into the house rather than straight to the recycling bin. 

I'm on social media enough to know what happy looks like.

'this made me cry' happy
'the coolest thing you will ever see' happy
'wait til the end it will blow your mind' happy
'I have never seen anything like this' happy
'my kid/wife/dog is the greatest in the world' happy
'you are beautiful' happy

But don't forget the ordinary kind of happy, the kind that exists without the permission, gratitude or acceptance of others. 
The kind that only those in that particular happy moment get to be part of.

You know, the boring kind of happy.

It's likely they meant something else.
In fact, more often than not they won't say anything at all. 
So next time a potential client asks how much does it cost, answer the question, but also answer some of the questions they aren't asking:

I am embarrassed, can you make me feel better?
I dont know the rules, will you tell me them?
What do you do?
What does a typical session look like?
What do the other people who come here look like?
Are there people like me?
What should I wear?
Will it hurt?
Will I feel really bad while I do it?
Will it be hard?
Will the other people here be judging me?
Will you talk about me when I'm gone?
Am I the most unco person you have ever seen?
Do you like me?
Am I good?
Can I do this?
Can I come back?
Can you fix me?
Will it work?
How long will it take?
Will you remind me to come?
Will you be my friend?
What happens if I do it wrong?

I like hearing about inspiring people. 
I like reading about them and finding out the great things they do.
I also like hearing about uninspiring people.
It reminds me that while being inspiring is good, you don't need to be inspiring to achieve great things.

I agree with the sentiment behind loving and honouring every moment as in a second it can all change.

And yet I know that mostly the things that make it all change in a moment don't just change in that moment, there are many moments before that and that moment is just the last one, not the only one.

I'm talking about the fear we have that 'it' can all be taken away from us with the mark of a pen, the actions of a single person.

Most of the things that contribute to a loss or a lack of growth are the culmination of many small things.

Yes- do big things and be big size grateful that you still have those things.

And yet spend time on the small things, for it is those things added together that have the most impact on what gets taken away ... or those things we get to keep.

Sometimes it's good to be happy just to be alive.

Sometimes it's ok to not be happy at all.

And sometimes it's good to be happy because you have achieved something so awesome that people would, quite frankly, not even cope with your awesomeness if you told them.

And often it's wise to be happy even if you haven't achieved anything at all.

Bottom line: It's always ok to just be who you are.

We fail all the time, regularly, sometimes with great fanfare but mostly quietly, in your own space with none watching.

We all do.

We need to fail more, failure brings growth, compassion and understanding that no matter what you do and how much effort you put in sometimes that shit don't fly.

Not only do we need to fail, we need to share when we do.

Success does not happen overnight
Not everyone is earning enough to have what they want (or even need)
Not everyone wakes up in the morning with a smile on their face and a song in their heart

When we share our failures we realise that everyone is in the same boat and that when we see others doing great things we appreciate that they have had challenges on the way to their success and instead of feeling jealous or inadequate we cheer.

And that makes failure an important part of the road to success (or a sign to choose a new road) rather than a private shame we keep to ourselves.

You do right?
You care about your clients right?
You care about their health both physical and emotional? 
You enjoy their company? 
You value that the money they pay you supports your life?

Do they know this?

Write a list now of 5 ways they know, you may send them email updates, a birthday card, you may say thank you, return calls.

Now make a second list with all the things from your first list that the other organisations/ people in their life that they pay money to (politicians, power company, insurance, the shop they get the 'deals update' from) send them as well.

How many do you have left?

That second list is how much they THINK you care.

They KNOW their local politician doesn't care about them personally, neither does their power company or the chain store so if you are saying 'thank you' the same way then they can't help but think you don't care either.

Work on that second list.

People don't listen just because you have something worth hearing.

They listen because they trust you
They listen because someone they trust recommended you
They listen because their past experience of you makes listening worth the risk

There is so much noise going on that it is impossible to hear everything, or even everything worth listening to so the average person applies a filter.

So before you start getting annoyed that people aren't responding to what you are saying make sure they are listening.

Before you start getting annoyed that they are not listening make sure they are paying attention.

Before you start getting annoyed that they aren't paying attentions check to see if they trust you, have been recommended to you by someone they trust.