HOLD THAT THOUGHT

Posted on 30. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

When you feel the urge to judge,
think instead of what you admire,
then hold that thought.

When the day ahead seems glum,
remember what you appreciate,
then hold that thought.

When someone snaps at you,
wish for them a better day,
then hold that thought.

When you look in the mirror and criticize,
think of what makes you special,
then hold that thought.

When you feel inclined to grumble,
bring to mind what makes you happy,
then hold that thought.

For your thoughts are what create your world
consciously or not,
decide in every moment
what it is you truly want.

The world will bring you, at your will,
a little or a lot,
you have but only one small job,
think well, then hold that thought.

~Elisabeth Fayt

DO YOU THINK LIKE A BUSINESS OWNER?

Posted on 29. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

One of the top seven millionaire entrepreneur rules I learned from Adam Urbanski at his Attract Clients Like Crazy boot camp: “You must stop thinking like a freelancer and start thinking like a business owner.”  So, what’s the difference?

A freelancer trades time for money.  A business owner looks for ways to solve other peoples’ problems systematically, consistently, profitably and ideally without the business owners’ involvement of time and effort.”

In her book, Makeover Your Business in 6 Weeks or Less, Michele Scism, discusses the business owners’ mindset and the importance of the way you think about yourself and your business.  It comes down to time – each of us only has 24 hours in a day.  As a freelancer you are willing to trade a certain number of those hours for money.  If you are a writer and you write an article, then you are paid for it.  Perhaps you own a retail store and you spend 8 hours working in the store – again, trading your 8 hours for whatever you can sell that day.

Successful business owners still only have 24 hours in a day, but they figure out ways to make that 24 hours pay like 100 hours or 1000 hours.  They learn to leverage other peoples time as well as create profit centers that can be leveraged.

Have you been thinking like a freelancer or a business owner?  Have you been trading time for money?

WHAT IF….

Posted on 28. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

What if you stay in work that is empty and without meaning or brings no joy or happiness?  What if the work does not align with your abilities and interests or with what is most important to you? What if you would like to start your own business?  These were the questions I asked myself.

It was not that I minimized my work, home and family success, but I just felt that there had to be more to life.  I felt empty doing work that didn’t give me joy or happiness. I felt unfulfilled.

Imagine your life coming to an end and how you will feel.  Will you feel unfulfilled?  It scared me to death thinking of my life ending unfulfilled!  That was when I made a decision.  I was no longer going to make excuses.   Even though I had a full-time career and a busy household, raising a family, it was time to do what I wanted to do.  It was time to start making a change.

Many people continue in a job or stay in work that is empty and without meaning out of fear.  Do you fear what might happen if you take a chance?  What will happen if you don’t make a change?”  What is a stake?  Will it be your health?  Will it be your relationship or marriage?

Are you passionate about how you are living your life?

 

DOES FEAR RULE YOUR LIFE?

Posted on 27. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

Fear holds most people back from committing to their goals and dreams.  Are you happy with where you are in your business and in your life?  If not, could fear be holding you back from making changes?  What is your fear?  Are you afraid of making a mistake or are you afraid of failing?

David Neagle says, “Fear is an emotion, just like happiness, sadness, joy, or anger.  Because fear is an emotion, you can choose whether or not you’re going to allow yourself to be overcome by it.”  He then explains that when you are faced with your own growth or when you know you must change, you feel fear. You feel this fear because your ego is programmed to view these opportunities for growth or change as a threat, and therefore you feel fear to keep you from growing and being “at risk.” Most of the time, the fear we feel is not real.  The fear of what others will think, the fear of making a mistake or the fear of failing: this kind of fear is a lie.

For many years, I was always run by fear, so it wasn’t surprising that I hung onto many things in my life that clearly were not working for me.

That little voice inside my head told me, “you better not quit that job, it pays well” “you better not start that business, because what if it doesn’t work” and “you better not take a chance, because what if you make a mistake” or “you better not change your situation, because what will others think?” And it didn’t help the cause having people in my life chime in supporting my self-doubts.  For years I was stuck…stuck in my head and in my life.

However, one day, I reached a turning point. I decided I was not going to let fear rule my life.  And I took steps to overcome my fear.  Are you stuck?  What lies are you telling yourself?

REACH FOR SOMETHING BIGGER

Posted on 26. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

The intention for today’s yoga class was ‘reach for something bigger.’ I couldn’t help but think how easy it is to become complacent in life, doing the same thing the same way day in and day out.

I recognize some people are very happy living their life that way.  But for me, I thrive on change and I love a challenge.  I am always reaching for something bigger, so big that it requires a miracle!  Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.” Having big dreams doesn’t mean that there won’t be challenges.  However, when you reach for something bigger, it will ignite the fire inside you and you will get excited about your life.

For many years, I had much success in my jobs; yet, I felt it lacked significance. And I often thought there had to be more to life than doing something that wasn’t fulfilling or rewarding. I could hear that small voice say, “There is more, and you can do more and be more.”

Over time, I decided to listen to that small voice, and I began to reach for something bigger:  I started my business.  Even though there are challenges in having a business, the rewards far outweigh them.

You have the capacity to create a better vision of life, for yourself and the world around you, if only you make the effort to reach for something bigger.  What are you reaching for?

3 WAYS TO CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT

Posted on 25. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

So many people want success, but rather than make decisions, they find excuses.  What is worse is some of these people allow others to make their decisions for them, and those people are not even qualified!  Often, the people they checked with have no dreams or goals.  Do you let the opinions of others be the basis of making a decision? If you do, you are letting someone else manage your life. Of course, if it doesn’t work out, you have someone to blame.  While you may think that is a good thing, by allowing others to make your decisions, you are also giving up your power.  You are not in charge or taking charge of your life.   However, know you can take charge of your life.  You can  confidently make decisions.   Here are three ways to create the life you want.

  1. Desire.  You must have an intense burning desire for change.  What will happen if I don’t take action on my dreams and goals? Will I be happy? These are great questions to ask to help you through the process.
  2. Decide.  Decide you want change.  Feel the pain of disappointment and failure if you don’t make the change.  Decide what habits, relationships, and time wasters are preventing you from getting what you want, and then make a list of the positive habits, relationships and time management systems needed to create the success.
  3. Determination. You must not let anything stop you from achieving your goals and dreams. Even though there may be obstacles, you must not let them deter you. You need to be able to repeat the habits which are necessary to get there. You will not fail if your determination to succeed is strong enough.

It’s your life and you get to decide what you’re going to do with it.  Only you are responsible for your life.  Make a decision to go for your goals and dreams.  Expect success!

 

JUST DO IT!

Posted on 24. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

“The greatest thief this world ever produced is procrastination and he is still at large.” Henry Wheeler Shaw

How often have you made yourself ‘busy’ just because you’re putting off doing something you don’t want to do?  Have you noticed that when you put off a task it starts to weigh on your mind, and the longer you leave it, the harder it becomes to do the task?

What is the pay-off from putting off things?  Years ago, I found that cramming for an exam was not the most strategic approach, especially when all of a sudden my son was sick the day prior.  Procrastination does have consequences for your business, health or emotional well-being.

If you leave it too long, the task gets to the point where it can no longer be ignored and demands your attention. Now you have to get it done – which somehow, you now find the time or inclination to do, so what was stopping you in the first place?

When the pain of not doing something becomes greater than the pain of doing it, resistance will magically disappear, and more often than not, you will find that it wasn’t as bad as you thought after all.

One of the best ways to prevent procrastination is just do it! (Warning:  This video may cause laughter and motivate you to get things done.)  Are you a procrastinator?

 

PRICE YOU PAY FOR KEEPING YOUR PAIN

Posted on 23. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to class. For every person we’d refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.  The hassle of lugging this around with us made it clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually, and how we had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget, and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty slime.

This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity!  Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and while that’s true, it clearly is also a gift for ourselves!

(Bag of Potatoes, Author Unknown)

HURRY HURRY HURRY

Posted on 22. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

Imagine what it would be like, if all those feelings of panic, procrastination, and being in a hurry were not in your life?  The reason you have these feelings is because your life is on autopilot.  This means you are allowing other people and events to control your life.  All these things are stealing your time.

If you want to learn to lead and manage your life, set goals and a plan to complete them.  Whenever you find yourself distracted by the phone ringing or turning on the T.V, ask yourself, “Will this move me closer to my goal or move me further from my goal?  For instance, you are invited to go shopping with your friend and you are tempted to go.  Would you drop everything you are working on and go?  Or do you stay focused on your goal?

Know what your goals are and set boundaries around your time.  By working with a schedule you can accomplish your goals and still spend time doing the things you enjoy.  It’s important to your well being to have a balance of work and play.  Do you schedule time away from your work?

HE COULD HAVE GIVEN UP

Posted on 21. Apr, 2011 by in Blog

People who are living their dreams inspire me!  Yesterday I met Ian and Linda, who are doing just that. While my husband and were sitting at Starbucks in downtown Palm Springs, Ian captured my attention.  It wasn’t because he was on a bike.  It was because he had a camera on his helmet.  I didn’t know it was a camera until I asked him.  He promptly went on to tell me they were cycling across the United States.

Both teachers in Australia, Ian had a dream to cycle across the United States.  Of course, I was curious about when they set out on their journey and what was their daily cycling goals and how they plan their accommodations, meals, etc.  And then I wanted to know.  I asked, “What was the response from other people, when you told them you were planning to cycle across the United States?”  Linda and Ian just grinned and looked at each other.  They said people warned them of the danger and told them to be careful and plan for their safety.  Instantly, Ian said, “No one showed their enthusiasm for them.”

How interesting I thought.  The lack of support didn’t damper Ian’s spirit.  Easily, he could have given up on his dream, if he would have worried about the warnings and all the unknowns of their trip.  I could relate.  Often times, people say to me, “Well, good luck with your book and hope your business works out.”  I have to admit, there was a time when I would think, “Maybe I shouldn’t pursue my goals.  What if it doesn’t work out?”

Now, though, when people feel obliged to comment,  I remind myself.  Those people are responding based on their own limiting beliefs about what is possible for them.  They have been conditioned to play safe.  They are not pursing their goals and dreams.  It reminds me of a quote by Jean Giraudoux, “Only the mediocre are at their best.” What is holding you back from going for your goals and dreams?

 

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