The Cream always rises to the top

Recently I have been telling you about a new book called Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to reclaiming your brilliance by my friend and colleague Patrick Ryan. Well the book had its official Amazon launch this week, and within a few hours the book became a best seller in Canada and the US.

Most impressively, Awakened Wisdom took the number 1 slot in Canadian spirituality sales (click to see a screen shot) and the #3 slot in self-help, sharing the very same page on Amazon with top-selling spirituality titles such as Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements, Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. At one point, Patrick and Eckhart were dancing back and forth in the top five slots on the Canadian list, which is interesting because so many people have compared these two writers even before the book was released. In the US, it soared to the top of the Kindle spiritual self-help titles, reaching as high as number 2. We are waiting to see the paperback join it in these ranks.

Pretty impressive for a first day don't you think?

The Awakened Wisdom launch continues until close of play today and, in celebration of its official release, Patrick Ryan and a group of his colleagues, including authors, coaches, entrepreneurs, spiritual teachers, are giving away over 40 exceptional personal development and spiritual growth gifts when you buy a copy of the book during the launch.

One of these gifts is an unprecedented two session "Awakened Wisdom Virtual Experience" in which author Patrick Ryan will take participants on a journey through the "8 states of Awakened Life" via webcast in early May. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a world-reknown spiritual teacher and now best selling spiritual author. I, too, will be taking the opportunity to listen in.

I, myself, will be offering a 10 step guide to authentic leadership. In essence it shows you to be a leader and create real meaning in your life.

To pick up your copy of Awakened Wisdom, get all these free gifts and sign up for this truly amazing event, which is only open to those who purchase the book by close of play today, go to:

http://www.awakenedwisdom.com/Public/Amazon/BookLaunch/index.cfm

Thanks for your support in helping this rising new star in the spiritual author universe shine so brightly. I wish ALL of you reading this a future where YOU are shining more brightly

The Myth of being self-employed

Patrick Ryan of Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to Reclaiming your Brilliance is sharing his insights with us today! This is the sixth stop on Patrick's 14 day blog tour to promote the launch of his new book. After reading today's article be sure to sign up for the book launch reminder here: http://ow.ly/1kB3m and then follow Patrick to his next stop at Charly Leetham's blog at: http://askcharlyleetham.com/blog/

Yes just imagine the freedom, the independence of being your own boss, get the credit, the reward and the fun of it all as well. I call all of that the myth of being self-employed. I have been self-employed practically my entire working life. I have created a variety of small businesses some of which went on to do very well, others not so.

I love being self-employed and I love myths. Myths are created from a mixture of dreams, reality, illusion and hope. Sometimes they teach us lessons and sometimes they inspire us. I hope that the myth of being self-employed inspires you and at the same time myths are created around the same version of the ordinary human facing great odds, passing through a series of tests, and in some myths coming out the other side of it with a great treasure of some kind.

The challenges that we self-employed meet present opportunities to develop our Selves, to meet our Selves. We do not really meet our Selves in the easy times. Don't misunderstand me, I like easy times. It is just that it has been in the challenges that I have had to really show up and discover what I have got. It is through the challenges that we become wise and strong and develop more of the amazing resourcefulness that we are. In Awakened wisdom I describe the Eight states of an Awakened Life. One of them is a good state of Being.

One of the big lessons I have learnt over the years is that it is wise for us to look into the nature of our relationships. When you are self-employed, your business becomes an externalisation of your state of Being.

In a good state of Being, we are asked to examine the nature and the quality of all our relationships in life. That starts with the relationship to our Self, our partners, our business and also our relationship with prosperity. Self-employed people have created a very direct opportunity to affect their prosperity.

As a coach, I have worked with many women who are self-employed. I must say that I hate to make generalised statements based on gender and yet at the same time there is some wisdom available to us if we are willing to look into it and of course we have to take it all with a pinch of salt. There are always exceptions. Here is one thing that I have noticed about many women who are self-employed.

Women by your very nature are givers and tend to give to relationships. Often giving more than receiving and often giving too much or not valuing what you are giving in a fair way.

Many women I have coached over the years really struggle with putting a fair value on their services. I would like to propose that if you are a woman who is self-employed that you revisit what you are charging for what you provide. Are you really satisfied with the rates that you are getting? Do they reflect your true value? Are you honouring yourself through them?

As self-employed people, it is important that we work towards yes' on all those questions. Of course you have to consider the market and what your clients can afford and at the same time remember to consider your Self.

I have known many women that have created amazing businesses and lives for themselves and their families. The myth of being self-employed is worth going for and I wrote Awakened Wisdom as a Guide that I know will support you on your journey of turning that myth into your reality.

Journey happily,

Patrick Ryan

www.AwakenedWisdom.com

How can you create a life well lived? Get Patrick's new book on 20 April and find out. To receive updates in regard to the official Amazon book launch, please visit http://ow.ly/1kB3m

Follow Patrick to his next stop at Charly Leetham's blog:

http://askcharlyleetham.com/blog/