An interview with Lilou Mace, Laura Duksta and Sandy Grayson by Jennifer Sandomir
Sandy Grayson, Laura Duksta and Lilou Mace
Being Magazine: Tell us about your new project, Co-Creating Our Reality: The 100-Day Reality Challenge.
Lilou: It’s based on the idea that we are creating our lives, consciously or not through our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, emotions, interpretations and intentions. Sandy and Laura approached me and told me about this idea of creating a project where we would practice for 100 days universal laws through tools and practices we had learned like journaling, meditating, exercising, visioning, creating mission statements, making declarations, etc. and that we would video tape ourselves throughout the process. I loved the idea and I suggested we broadcast those videos on the internet. They can be viewed at www.mpoweru.com. We chose to call the project "Co-Creating Our Reality" and "The 100-Day Reality Challenge" Season One began.
Laura: What’s important to me is to introduce people to the power of Co-Creating, in two ways, one with the tools and practices we have acquired over the years and even more importantly that we are always co-creating with Spirit, Universe, God, Energy, how ever you refer to the creative force. I believe if we can generate an even greater awareness that we are not in this alone, that we can find partners in practices, friends, family, coaches and the knowing that we are always co-creating with Spirit; when people have the experience of this their dreams will manifest.
Being Magazine: I understand you're inviting people to take this challenge themselves. What kinds of results could they expect from doing that?
Laura: If people commit to the practices and fulfill on their promises they can expect miraculous results!
Lilou: People taking on “The 100 Day Reality Challenge” can expect any result they create as a possibility.
Being Magazine: What is it that each of you do professionally that allows for such a commitment to your creative expression?
Sandy: I’m a writer, speaker and the founder of JOURNALUTION. My first book was just published this year - JOURNALUTION: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams (www.SandyGrason.com). I'm also a full-time mom, two girls - ages nine and seven.
Laura: I have created my life, or shall I say, co-created my life from nothing. I went from being a bartender to a best-selling author with my first book I Love You More (over 170,000 copies sold). My company I Shine, Inc. is a multimedia company whose mission is to generate the conversation of love around the world through books, speaking, music, TV and film. (www.HippieandTheBaldChick.com)
Lilou: My mission is to empower millions of people. I am fulfilling on this through my two companies. At www.EmotionalBrands.com, we design logos and web sites as well as market our clients on the Internet. I also have a website called www.MPowerU.com. And I am declaring a morning TV show that will empower millions of people by setting the tone of their day.
Being Magazine: How do you find the discipline it takes to stay focused and produce results with no one holding you to account? Has the internet broadcast been a tool to assist you in staying on track and keeping your word to yourself?
Sandy: With my book project it was something that called to me. There were plenty of times when I was frustrated and doubted that I would ever be a published author, but there was a place inside of me that kept going. I'm convinced that this is the only difference between the people that achieve success and those who don't: successful people are the ones that keep going and going.
Now, with Co-Creating Our Reality, I've had plenty of challenges. Including hurricanes, no power, water and internet! So it hasn't been a perfect experiment, like we set out to do - but I think that's part of our story, too. You will always have challenges and when they come up - who are you going to BE in the face of those challenges? Are you going to get completely frustrated and give up? Or can you take a breath, re-gain your center and re-commit to your vision?
Laura: One big “Ah-Ha” opened up for me doing this. In the beginning of this project there were practices I wanted to be doing daily and I made myself wrong if I wasn’t doing them every day. Well, you can imagine how far I got with that. I finally gave myself a little room and said, "Ok, what are the things I would love to be doing everyday? And which of these practices am I willing to take on daily, twice or four times weekly?" Rather than setting myself up to fail by saying I needed to do it all I set smaller goals. Some weeks I failed, some weeks I achieved and other weeks I surpassed my goals... and when that starts happening it’s just time congratulate yourself and raise the bar!
Lilou: For me, having a weekly mastermind meeting and by using the internet videos I was able to focus. Not only was I accountable to my group but by posting the videos online I became accountable to the internet community. Some people were watching our videos daily and following our lives -breakdowns and breakthroughs. By declaring our intentions and goals on camera, we hear ourselves say them, they are no longer inside of us, they are spoken out...so now we really have to make them happen...[laughs] even if just to look good!
Being Magazine: What practices that you've implemented during this project have most powerfully impacted your daily life?
Lilou: For me it was speaking into a camera daily, speaking my objectives and what I am committed to creating. When breakdowns occurred, I was also recording myself, and making new promises. By recording myself I was continually inspiring myself and others; there was a sense that it was becoming real in my head and in my heart. ..and it began manifesting!
Sandy: Journaling has probably impacted me more than any other practice in my whole life, but when I came to this project I already had a published book about journaling, so I decided to implement practices such as meditation, exercise, financial goals, working with vision statements and masterminding. These are all things that I've used throughout my life, but what intrigued me was the idea of "What would happen if you actually did these practices (that we've all heard are amazing), regularly for 100 days?"
Here's a very specific example about working with vision statements. Right after my book was released I wrote in my journal that I wanted to reach one million people with the message of Journalution. It was an outrageous goal. I wrote a vision statement that reads “I am so grateful the Journalution has inspired more than one million people this year,” and I read it everyday. And in the middle of our 100 Day Reality Challenge I get an email from The Omega Institute, completely out of the blue. It says “Omega Institute loves Journalution and we've heard amazing things about your teachings...” I have no idea how it happened. I was asked to come teach a week-long Journalution Workshop at the Omega Institute's New York campus in May as a member of their faculty. Amazing! But here's the 'kicker', they had me write a description of what the course would be for their catalog, which goes out to over 1.5 million homes! So there it is, sometimes you can't plan for the really great things, you have to just keep working toward your greatest vision for your life and know that the Universe's plan will be something even greater.
Laura: Something opened up for me by reading my mission statement on a daily basis. “I am committed to people awakening to their magnificence and genius through the application and experience of Universal Laws and Principals. And, to creating a brighter world through the power of love.” During this project I began reading just that rather than the whole to-do list of how I was going to make that happen and the experience of fulfilling on my mission began showing up throughout my whole life, rather than just when I was focused on my business or book.
Being Magazine: First impressions are crucial, in business or when meeting new people. What sparks you to have a conversation with a new person?
Laura: I often say that I have had some of my best conversations with ‘strangers.’ I have had some of the most magical conversations and made incredible contacts by asking one more question about who they are and what they are up to. I believe that we all have something to offer one another so when I can move past the fear or awkwardness I make an effort to meet as many new people as possible.
Sandy: Energy, eye contact. I love talking about manifesting and figuring out what your passion and purpose is. In fact, now when I meet people, instead of asking what they do, I often ask "What's your passion?" this always sparks a great conversation.
Lilou: My love for people allows me to connect easily with others. I don’t see barriers between myself and others. Whether they’re magnetic or are giving of a need for comfort, I am drawn to everyone because of my desire to empower others. That is the reason for and the commitment behind MPowerU.com.
Being Magazine: If you could recommend only one thing to the average person seeking to broaden their spiritual horizon what would it be?
Laura: Love and gratitude. Learn to see the blessing in everyone and the benefit in every situation-it will transform your world!
Sandy: JOURNALUTION! Take the time to create a vision for your life. Sit down and write your biggest dreams and goals, the ones that scare you. Ignore the critical voices in your head and just write from your heart. You may hear "You'll never do that, who do you think you are?" I heard them all when I wrote down "I want to write a book one day," but keep writing. I believe those whispers are the seeds of your greatest life and it's all possible. Once you have a vision, condense it into one succinct, passionate sentence and read this sentence as often as you can. Print it out and put in on your bathroom mirror, in your car, on your computer, everywhere! And every time you read it, take a deep breath and SEE it. Say 'Yes!' to the universe. I can go back through my journals and read the vision statements I've created and see my life expanding each year - it works! Believe in your dreams!
Lilou: For me doing the Landmark Forum in 2001 transformed my life. I opened up to possibilities, started a business, got my dad and mom back in my life, and started to make a difference.
And of course… take on The 100 Day Reality Challenge! During the 100 days you can commit to using tools and practices that resonate with you to discover and fulfill on your personal mission and vision.
Being Magazine: And finally, let's co-create the outcome of this interview. How many readers will you inspire to take the 100-day challenge resulting from this interview?
Sandy: I expect to get at least 100 emails with your reader's dreams and visions! And thousands of readers will go to the web site and take The 100 Day Reality Challenge for themselves - how exciting - South Florida will feel the wave of love and possibility. Here's my contact info: Sandy Grason, www.SandyGrason.com.
Lilou: I believe over 150 people will take on the challenge in Season Two beginning February 19th 2006. For more information contact us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. There is the opportunity to participate as well as a workbook and seminar that will be available for Season Two!
Laura: I am co-creating with spirit and my partners in this project, Lilou, Sandy, and Being Magazine that over one million people will be inspired to take the 100 Day Reality Challenge and transform their lives and the lives of the people in the world around us! Thank you for this opportunity to share.
Keep shining Being Magazine… you make the world a brighter place!!!
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Hope many of you will join the 100 day challenge. it is taking off worldwide and a true inspiration. get your webcam ready..and let's video journal together. Check out the community at 
