As you read this issue, think about these insightful words from Erica Jong:

And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.

A lifelong Oakland Raiders fan, Wolfrom dreamed of being a cheerleader for her favorite team. When she was 30, she showed up for tryouts for the Raiderettes, but when she noticed the younger women who were her competition she went back to her car and cried. Then she drove home. Her story was filled with such disappointments. As she told Gordon, "I wanted to do things, but I never followed through."

This tale of a lifetime of frustration took a turn for the better when Wolfrom committed to entering the pageant. After practicing her speech and talent competition, picking out the perfect outfit and gathering her courage, Wolfrom was dismayed to discover she was the first contestant in each part of the competition. Nevertheless, following through paid off. Taking a deep breath before delivering her speech, Wolfrom felt an inner shift. "The part of me that kept me back was put aside," she says.

Wolfrom didn't win the Ms. Senior America pageant. She didn't even place, but believes participating changed her life permanently and for the better. Happily, you don't have to wait until you're 60 to have a similar revelation. You do, however, need to confront what's holding you back and, like Wolfrom, set it aside once and for all. Here are some simple ways to do just that.

* Know what inspires you--and partake frequently. No, it's not just for artists. The power of inspiration is often treated as something frivolous or scarce. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Inspiration is, however, a highly personal thing and it's up to each of us to discover that phenomenon that lifts us up, empowers us, and ignites creative thought-- and keep it well fed.

* Understand inspiration's evil twin. If you've read Steven Pressfield's brilliant The War of Art, you know how to recognize and deal with resistance. If you haven't read the book, what are you waiting for?

* Connect and participate. Nobody has pointed out the rewards of doing so more eloquently than C.S. Lewis: "Good things as well as bad are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire; if you want to get wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, peace eternal life, you must get close to, or even into the thing that has them.They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you ; if you are not, you will remain dry."

* Live in a laboratory. Information is important, but most valuable when followed by implementation. The most successful entrepreneurs are big experimenters. They try things. Then they evaluate. They adjust and retry. Evaluate again. Replace the need for certainty with a spirit of adventure and not only will you accomplish much more, you'll evict your fear of failure. Nice prize.

And, of course, you can add even more momentum by joining Alice Barry and me at the final Follow Through Camp of the year.

Follow Through Camp

On Thursday, October 14, The Thrifty Entrepreneur: Doing More While Spending Less. Thrift is good. Cheapskate, not so much. We'll explore the difference and look at ways to get maximum results with minimal spending. You'll leave with lots of ideas for using your imagination more and your pocketbook less.

Outsmarting Resistance comes back on Monday, October 19. Once you learn to spot resistance, it doesn't stand a chance. If you're tired of excuses and waiting for things to change by themselves, this insightful teleclass will give you the tools and techniques for taking back control---without feeling guilty.

October teleclasses wrap up with A Beginner's Guide to the Seminar Business. If you've got experience and expertise to share, but don't know how to get started, this teleclass is for you. You'll get an overview of the vast possibilities for adding seminars to your portfolio of profit centers. Join me on Thursday, October 22 for this popular teleclass.

So grab a cup of hot cider, curl up in a comfy chair with your notebook and spend time gathering some business-building ideas and information. If you register for 2 or more teleclasses at the same time, you can take a discount. Can't attend in person? Audio downloads will be available for all three events.

Joyfully Jobless Teleclasses

With that in mind, October's Buon Viaggio blog is going to get back to basics with reminders of success tools and techniques that are fundamental to success. I'm even going to challenge a very popular statistic about business failure.

Steven Pressfield's Writing Wednesday post last week was called Just Show Up. (That also happens to be the theme of the Sept/Oct issue of Winning Ways newsletter.) If you missed Pressfield's terrific article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Steven Pressfield on Showing Up

Another terrific offer also comes with a deadline attached. Making Dreams Happen was an extraordinary event with Barbara Sher, Valerie Young and me. If you act quickly, you can get the audio version at a huge discount. But you need to order before 6PM Eastern on October 3.

Barbara