Well, with a deep sigh and a prayer, I mailed off my Mac iBook this week to be repaired without having been able to backup the last 3-4 weeks of data which included dozens of hours of work on two different books, and no telling how many emails that can't be replaced.

But despite a week of effort trying to find someone who could access the hard drive without voiding the service agreement, I declared, "All is in Divine Order, so I'll flow with what's flowing," and mailed it off.

My lesson is in trusting in the perfect order of this Universe we live in while 'tying my camel' as much as possible by writing explicit instructions to the repair company to not mess with the hard drive unless absolutely necessary and by calling them to verbally deliver the same message.

In the meantime, I'm continuing to do my gratitude work, being thankful for:

+ That the Ibook was still under the repair contract (by 2 weeks), + That I do have a backup G3 Macintosh which has allowed me to stay in the game and on purpose, + That I've had an explosion in creativity this past 2 weeks, creating 2 new fr.ee teleclasses complete with participant notes, and follow up 'purposeful presents, + And that, God wiling, my iBook will be back from the repair shop within the next week with all the data intact.

I'm also thankful for the flurry of new speaking opportunities, new participants in the upcoming Living the Fulfilled Life Foundational Programs, and new clients that have stretched and challenged me as a coach, as I trust I've also stretched and challenged them.

And on this bright and beautiful Saturday morning I'm particularly grateful for the return of warm, sunny weather after a week of cool, wet weather.

And, my next thing to be grateful for is that I find the perfect birthday present for Ann before her birthday on Monday. And that's my next mission right after sending out this ezine.

2005 Brad Swift of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.

Brad Swift

As a writer, I've written well over 300 magazine articles for a diverse assortment of magazines including Omni, Entrepreneur, New Age Journal, Yoga Journal, Utne Reader, Unity Magazine, Better Homes and Garden, Modern Maturity, and many others. I'm also a regular contributor to Veterinary Economics. (Yes, I still have a special place in my heart for animals.) My books include, WINNING THROUGH COACHING: Building Your Business Through Building Your Team and TRAVELING THE PURPOSEFUL PATH ? 6 Passages to an Inspired Life on Purpose.

As a public speaker, I lead programs on life purpose that are customized to fit such diverse groups as churches, spiritual centers, civic and professional organizations. The principles of these programs are also available in the 12-week teleclass, Living the Fulfilled Life. From these programs participants bring more focus to their life, experience a renewed sense of fulfillment, and lighten up and have more fun. Out of this focus, fulfillment, and fun emerges an ability to maintain balance in their life and a deeper appreciation for living.

One of my all time favorite ways of expressing my purpose is as a life purpose coach. I find the intimacy and creativity of one-on-one coaching to be a breathtaking experience. The select group of people who are my clients are very special to me, and with them I am constantly creating new facets of life purpose coaching that are then incorpoated into the other programs.

In short, the focus of my life is life purpose. From living on purpose, I've been blessed with an extraordinary life in which I am satisfied and fulfilled. My wife, Ann, and I share our redwood chalet home in the "Paradise Found" of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with our daughter, Amber, and a menagerie of purposeful and playful pets.