I bought the url, beyond the but, about 2 years ago with the intention of having a new website called www.beyondthebut.com.

I even have an endgame vision board with www.beyondthebut.com on it. There it is in the picture below, smack dab in the middle, sandwiched between strength to get things done, I’ve created inspiration best life, believing is seeing, and finding my funny bone.

When I started thinking about the website, what I would put on it, what the logo might be, I solicited opinions from my brilliant and talented friends and family. I ADORE my brilliant and talented family and friends but guess what? They all, every one of them, had their own opinion about my website. Fancy that.

And guess what else? Not all of the opinions were the same as mine. Eee gads. What was an entrepreneur with confirmation issues to do?

Fret. That’s what I did.

What if all those people I loved and adored, the ones who didn’t really like this new project, were right? What if the colors I picked sucked? What if the word ‘but’ was too, oh, unconventional and would turn off those with delicate sensitivities?

Some I queried liked the logo. Some hated it. Some LOVED the new website name, others thought I was spelling doom for my business.  I listened to all the opinions and let myself get talked out of my brilliant idea and consequently Beyond the But has been sitting alone in my web account like thermal underwear in Tahiti.

Then I turned 40.

My mother always said once I got to 40, I would care less about what people thought and more about what I wanted. I’m happily discovering this to be true. I changed my question from ‘what if I’m wrong and no one likes the new website’ to ‘what if I’m right and this turns out to be as big a success as I think it will be?!?!’

Funny how this all works.  I’m doing what I ask my clients to do – to believe in themselves and what they have to offer the world, to step up, to own their power.  To say ‘so what’ to the people around them who aren’t convinced of their success. To take imperfect action.

Things change. New ideas happen. Things change again.

Beyond the But I still on the radar but now as a product. The focus of my business has changed. I decided I wanted to support women entrepreneurs who recognize they are on a spiritual path and have a fantastic job to do in this world. I decided I wanted to help them start a ripple of good. So that’s what I’m doing, starting my own ripple of good to help others start theirs. How fun is that?!!!

Once I made the decision to set my feet on this path, I got almost instantaneous confirmation. Within thirty minutes of my decision, I got an email from a nurse who is ready to step up her business and quit playing small. A day later, confirmation came from a gifted and hilarious group of 70 Professional Counselors who gave up Friday happy hour so they could learn about setting big hairy audacious goals and creating prosperous practices.  Fun. Fun. Fun.

My 2010 plans are coming to fruition. How are yours coming along?

Oh my GOD Square 3 makes a girl want to cuss.

Martha Beck defines square 3 as particular times in your life when you are trying to make something happen and you fail. Over and over and over. You have the vision for your dream but the plan isn’t exactly working out like you want it to.

What to do? Eat three bags of Sonic Cheddar Peppers with ranch dressing? Buy yourself flowers? Give up? Nope.

This is the time when you go and read about Abraham Lincoln and see how many times (30 something) he failed to be a political superstar. This is the time when you remember Henry Ford went broke 5 times before he founded the Ford Motor Company. This is the time you think about rapper JZ and how he was selling crack when he was 13, and a drug free, help kids, make a difference millionaire by 30.

This is the time when you go back and look at the times you’ve succeeded. What have you done well? Where have you made an impact big or small? Where have you stuck with something and holy cow, made it work?! When? Say it aloud. Write it down. Get the positive mojo flowin’ again.

I’d been adding to and changing my website since last November and guess what? I didn’t have the right stuff to get noticed on any of the search engines. WELL DUH. It’s only taken me 10 months to figure that out.

Then I discovered my answering machine isn’t working. Now how in the world is anyone going to leave me a message? .

Here are the 2 things I want you to think about worth 13 1/2 cents or millions depending on how it resonates with you.

1. You don’t know what you don’t know so don’t beat yourself up. The trick is to take the WELL DUH and turn it into something super cool. The phone has now been thrown out the window and I have real honest to goodness voicemail. The website is got a makeover and then a whole new website came out of the ether, one with spectacular search engine optimization. I couldn’t have even told you what search engine optimization was 10 months ago.

2. If something isn’t cruising along like you want it to, find some smart person and tell them what’s happening. If that smart person doesn’t know, than find another smart person. And if that smart person doesn’t know….get the picture? Someone, somewhere can help you get things moving again. So…….

BE INSPIRED.

REMEMBER YOU CAN”T KNOW EVERTHING.

REMEMBER YOU ALREADY KNOW A LOT.

Look at your successes. Don’t give up. You can fly if you’ll keep on keepin’ on.

So do, please. The world needs to hear what you have to say.