On Tuesday we discussed the reasons why solitude is beneficial.

Here’s a list of things you can do while taking advantage of solitude:

-Write in your journal.

-Promote healing with classical, meditative, or some other music to calm the senses and reduce stress.

- Sleep

- Meditate

- Do Yoga

- Cultivate a Hobby

- Gardening

- Read a Good Book

- Exercise

- Break from the daily grind and focus on something you LOVE to do & FUN

What else comes to mind?

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: It is easy in the world, to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after one’s own; but the great man is he who in the midst of a crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Think about the following:

- Have I spent some time completely by myself today without being glue to my phone, computer, or television? What did I choose to do?

- Have I considered transforming myself by getting rid of my bad habits and negative ways of thinking? What would I like to change?

- Have I looked within today and tried to nurture my spiritual self? How can I make time for prayer or meditation every day?

- Have I used my solitude to do something fulfilling such as: listening to classical music, gardening, or reading a good book?

- Have I written in my journal? Have I spent time engaging in my hobby? Why or why not?

What has been revealed today?

Next week March Madness begins.

For all my non-sports types out there, it’s the time when college men basketball players across the country compete for the national championship. It is very intense, but also exciting! I wonder which two teams my husband will place his bets to win all.

However, March doesn’t have to be a month of “madness” for us, it can be a time of solitude instead.

Chances are you are doing what you typically do – be all things to all people, at all times, at your own expense. You haven’t taken time out for number one in a while, and your energy levels and momentum in your business has shifted because of it.

I am officially declaring March as “Solitude Month!”

What exactly is solitude?

Simply put, it’s enjoyable time spent in your own company! It’s about quality “ME” time. However, this does not include staying glued to your cell phone, or browsing your Facebook or Twitter account. So put aside all your gadgets and other distractions, and just focus on you.

Instead solitude is an opportunity to understand, reflect, and manifest in the following ways:

Put Your Life in Perspective – spending time each day looking back at the previous day and analyzing how you lived it, will open up insights personally, and in your business.

Get the Creative Juices Flowing Again – creating private space free from distractions, friends and loved ones, will help you get unclogged, increase the flow of new ideas, and illuminate what’s possible.

Enrich Relationships (both business & personal) – maintaining healthy relationships is key. When you’re in quiet reflection, you can decide which ones are worth keeping and nurturing, and which should be placed on the back burner. Remember, life’s a theatre…not everyone can be on the front row.

Contemplate & Grow Spiritually – being alone shows you any “clouds of doubt” and negativity that obscure your TRUE self, patiently waiting to manifest itself. You will discover the way to dissolve these clouds, and then your bright core will shine through.

Transform Yourself - being alone helps you see clearly bad habits and negative emotions. When this is revealed, acknowledge it, forgive yourself, and move forward to usher in change. Ladies it’s empowering to be able to figure things out for yourself. You’ll also feel more confident in your own competence and resourcefulness.

I think you would agree with me these things are CRITICAL to your success as an entrepreneur. The pace of life is rapid and non stop. Making a conscious effort to spend time in solitude will prove to be most beneficial in your life and business.

Tune in Thursday for some quick tips on what specific activities you can do in solitude that will bring about a shift in the areas noted above.

Disappointment. Hinderances. Set backs. Overwhelm. Confusion. Lost of investment. I know you’ve experienced these in some shape form or fashion in your personal life and in your business.

These “thorny” places can be debilitating at times. Psychologically, it makes you feel weak and that which gets in your way of “being” and “becoming,” as an entrepreneur – so you think….

However, what if you reframed for a moment and looked at these places as opportunities to learn more and become a better person, mom, wife, business owner?

I once heard someone say, “You’ve got to go through to get to.” What I like about that statement is that it forces each of us to tap into a place of complete faith, belief and knowing that these places of discomfort are all for our greater good.

In the end, these “thorny places” will be your ultimate source of strength, and mold and shape you into your extraordinary purpose: an entrepreneur.

I know this way of thinking is easier said than done, especially when you’re feeling worn down by the demands of life and your business.

Here a few quick strategies that will assist you in maintaining a more victorious mindset:

1. Rely on a Higher Power – that is, complete dependence on the grace that is given to you by the Divine to pull you through. Trust that this source of power is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all, if you tap into it. Choose to rest in this assurance and persevere.

2. Focus on What’s Working – what you focus on expands. As you focus on making what’s good, even better, the areas that aren’t as strong have less power. This can be done by think about the things that will create greater increase in already existing strength areas. As a result, your energy levels will be better maintained, and your thoughts will be that of possibilities more readily, instead of defeat.

3. Seek Support from Others- it’s about maximizing efforts and return on your investment of your time, energy and money. As a solopreneur you must remember it’s not about working on your business singlehandedly. You must trust others to do what you despise. This way you will see better, quicker returns on your investment.

4. Learn from Others – you must be willing to learn from others who have already been where you are and know where you trying to go. This makes the journey much more sustainable over time.

AFFIRMATIONS:
Today, I choose to have faith and trust that there is a plan for my life bigger than what my eyes can see.

By moving forward instead of giving up, I give myself the gift of a new opportunity to fulfill my purpose.

SELF REFLECTION: Ask yourself: What lessons have I learned from a recent failure? How has disappointment helped me redirect my dreams and focus?

Are you ready to reinvent yourself and simply BE?

I am excited to step into my purpose as a business owner.

Here are my revelations for the reason why you can thrive when you choose to express your purpose through business ownership:

-You can HELP MORE, SERVE MORE on your own terms
-You can TRULY be AUTHENTIC with no barholds or limitations
-You can live a life of FREEDOM
-You can RECEIVE unlimited ABUNDANCE
-You can LIVE more FULLY
-You can GROW SPIRITUALLY
-You can FEEL more FULFILLED
-You can LIVE your PASSION & MISSION in life
-You can BE more SELF EXPRESSIVE
-You can FEEL more WHOLE & COMPLETE
-You can EXPERIENCE more JOY & INNER HAPPINESS

What are some of your thoughts for the reason why?

Would love to hear your thoughts

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: When was the last time you took time to reflect on the reason why? What is the reason you are pursuing business ownership at this particular time in your life? What was it originally? Is the motivation the same now? How have you evolved in your journey?

What has been revealed today?

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

This weekend I enjoyed a nice ski get-a-way with my husband and two boys. It was a welcome activity after a week of cabin fever due to record breaking snow fall in our area.

This ski experience was different because my boys wanted to learn how to snowboard instead of ski as usual. They started off with an “advanced lesson,” since they felt they already knew how from watching You Tube videos.

After one hour of instruction, they were ready to tackle a blue trail (just one level down from black diamond!!). When I looked at the steepness of the hill, I thought outloud, “Guys I don’t know about this…”

Once the boys got on the hill they fell ALOT and at times grew frustrated. They realized immediately it wasn’t as easy as the videos they watched. They simply didn’t want to settle for less (the beginner and advanced beginner trails just didn’t suffice for them). So they stuck with it, and in the end they were able to snowboard with greater precision, speed, and less falls. And no broken bones too

I am sharing this with you because this experience reminds me alot about what business development is all about. We begin our journey because we are passionate and committed to helping others, transforming lives, and making a difference. However, to be a successful coach, you’ve got to see your practice as a business. Getting trained as a coach is the easy part; thereafter the work really begins.

Some of us learn by watching others closely to get a sense of what business success looks and feels like. This vantage point can be enlightening, to say the least. However, watching success and BEing success are two different things. Once you try business ownership on for size, it is will be filled with unexpectedness, challenges, and frustration.

However, victory always patiently waits right around the corner, if you hang in there and commit yourself to learning in action!

And not just learning while playing it safe…we’re talking about learning while playing BIG. This is what I learned most from watching my boys.

It was their commitment to jump from “never done it”, to “I want to be among the best and most experienced,” that made them victorious by the end of the day.

This combination – learning in action and playing big IS the best way you accelerate your business skill development, and achieve expected results more quickly.

Thanks boys for this powerful lesson!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: How are you learning BIG in your business development? What holds you back from learning the business skills you need to be successful?

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

I am excited and enthusiastic. My goals are in place. I have my to-do list and finetuning my plan for execution.

But this nagging reality keeps getting in my way – my health.

I have been struggling with a few health issues for quite some time, mostly the past year. Through it all, I’ve justified how I was feeling and adopted coping mechanisms to get by.

But is that enough? Being and feeling less than 100%? Is it okay to just merely function and not be well?

I want to encourage you today ladies to take care of you.

You and your health DO matter. In order to step into the fullness of you and what you have to offer the world, you have to be complete. How can you BE and function at your best, when you are operating from less than? When you deny care of self, you deny quality of life.

You and I are in business because we want to change our lifestyle, enjoy new freedoms and experience new joys, while making a difference in the lives of others. Good health is liberating, and so is business success.

However, one cannot exist without the other.

Last week was proof positive of this very premise. Instead of being highly productive and making forward progress in many initiatives, I was robbed of energy, momentum, clarity, and focus. As a result, little was accomplished.

Thankfully, I am happy to report last week was a momentary set-back. This just goes to show trouble doesn’t last always. Hallelujah!

I wish to learn from this experience and guard against neglect of self in the future.

I am wondering to what degree are you in tune with how you are doing and how you are feeling?

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Take out a piece of paper and write down all the aspects of you (e.g. physical, mental, spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual). Rate your level of satisfaction in each area. As you rate yourself, be honest. What have you been tolerating, or merely coping with, at the expense of achieving business success? What change(s) are needed at this time to receive more of what you want and an improved quality of life? Formulate three action steps to make this change happen. Keep a journal of your decision today and revisit this entry a month from now to see where you are.

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

Last month, I participated in a virtual abundance expo. I learned so much from some of the top thought leaders in the world. One of the highlights was the preview call with guest, Jack Cantfield. He talked about the importance of creating an abundant vision which he defined as one that is plentiful and rich, more than enough, and infinite in resources. The opposite would be a scarcity vision, which limits possibilities, and blocks you from manifesting what it is you want for you life and your business.

I was so inspired, I got busy creating (and still finetuning) my abundant vision for the year and want to encourage you to do the same.

Here are some quick start strategies for creating your abundance for 2010:

Get Clear in Your Mind About What You Want – what is it EXACTLY that you are seeking? Think about “the what” in both tangible and intangible terms. Begin by asking what is it that will give you the greatest fulfillment, satisfaction, and prosperity in your life and business.

Move with Urgent Action – most deliberate actions occur within 24-48 hours of when you say you will do it, or chances are it won’t get done. NOW is the time to get your goals out of your head and written down on paper. Formulate your goals in chucks of time : 1 yr, 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 15 yrs. Be sure to also create success benchmarks for each goal as well as time limits for when each goal will be completed.

Make it Visual – that is make a display of what you want, commonly referred to as a vision board. It should be filled with pictures, images, words and phrases that signifies or illustrates what you want in your life and business. Hang it somewhere visible so that you can be reminded on a daily basis of your vision.

Simply Believe – if you do not believe that you are enough – smart enough, good enough, deserving enough to serve in a bigger, greater way, you will block your vision from manifesting. You must tap into faith and ask the Divine to order your steps to stay the course.

The law of the universe requires that we must ask, believe, and receive. What abundance are you seeking for 2010?

Your Assignment: If you have not done so by now, create an abundant vision for your business. Start by writing down exactly what you want and then create your goals. Now double what you already wrote and rewrite it…now you have abundant goals! It is important to trust the Divine and worry less about how – that part is not your concern. Top it all off by creating your vision board within the next 24-48 hours.

There is another similar event going on right now – check it out:

http://livingonpurposetelesummit.com

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

It is unbelievable that January is on the brink of close; it seems like yesterday we were toasting in the new year. Now pretty soon we’ll hope Mr. Groundhog predicts the near end of winter

I know you are aspiring to make 2010 your best year yet. Everyone is blogging and writing articles about goal setting, and taking action.

So by now I’m sure you have established new benchmarks and your plan of action for getting there.

However, have you taken time to plan how you will celebrate your wins, triumphs, and successes?

Goal setting and planning is CRITICAL to the success of any entrepreneur. However, the down side is it can put you in a state of “gotta get, 24-7/365!” When you are constantly thinking about what you can “get” you are less committed to receiving, giving, and expressing gratitude. In order for abundance and prosperity to flow easily you must have greater balance between getting and receiving.

I like to look at rewarding self as a way of receiving and celebrating the champion within.

Here’s a quick how-to list:

What else comes to mind?

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: This will only take a moment. Revisit your written goals for the year and benchmarks. Besides each benchmark, write in what you will do to celebrate, and how you will express gratitude to all and anyone who helped you achieve. Close your eyes and create the mental image of what that celebration will look like. Now feel the feeling of that celebration.

I bet you can hardly wait!

Welcome to week 2 of 2010! I don’t know about you but, I am still appreciative of this new year and feeling of renewal.

This is by far the most popular time of the year when everyone makes promises about what they will do MORE to realize success. And appropriately so – I think we would all agree.

However, the problem with new year’s resolutions is they often become fair weather promises, and a thought of the past after a few months or so. What is lacking is a real sense of COMMITMENT to your goals and ambitions, and pursuit of what you MOST want in your life & your business.

Here are some quick tips to move from short term promise to long term I WILL:

BE Convicted: Maintain wholehearted BELIEF that you are enough and CAN be successful. Have FAITH in knowing that your talents and gifts are just what is needed to BE the change you wish to see in the hearts, minds, and lives of those you serve.

Maintain Passion & Purpose: Reconnect with the reason you are pursuing this journey at this particular time. Remember long term success is motivated by something that goes way beyond personal gain; it’s got to be something that are bigger than yourself. I encourage you to align what you MOST want for your business with what you MOST want in your life. And then explore whether you are truly pursuing your Divine purpose? When all of these areas are in sync, a natural flow of success will come forth much more easily.

Stay In It to Win – You MUST adopt a “No Matter What” mindset and attitude to win! What are willing to do “so help you God” to be successful? Yes, it will mean making some sacrifices that perhaps you wouldn’t make otherwise without this deep rooted DESIRE. However, if you are serious about your commitment, know that this short term discomfort is for long term benefit.

Affirm Self – Self motivation is KEY at all times. The power to BE just who you are Divinely appointed to BE is already within. You simply have to tap into it, seek it, and pursue it on a regular consistent basis. I am wondering when the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and stated aloud “ YES I can do this! I deserve to be successful because (and stated three reasons aloud)?” If you haven’t, make this a daily ritual.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: What new commitments and goals have you made for 2010? Are they personal, business specific or both? Write them down. Choose the tip that you will COMMIT to using readily to help you manifest greater success in 2010 and beyond. Journal and track your results.

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

I am wondering if the work of your business and your personal life has gotten a bit too serious lately. Sometimes you’ve gotta just let your hair down and have a little fun.

What if you could have fun, and make money, all at the same time?

I recently heard of a company named Blastoff and just had to share…

What is Blastoff?

It’s a company that has found a way to bring entertainment, the latest news, music, TV shows and movies, all your favorite social media connections, and shopping from 400 vendors – ALL IN ONE PLACE!!

Here are the Top 6 Reasons Why You Will Have a Blast with Blastoff:

It saves you time and energy – you can navigate to some of your favorite, most visited websites, from one central place.

It saves you money – there are over 400 vendors participating (to include a mall of stores you already shop anyway, home, wireless, travel and legal services). All offer regular special offers and incentives that leaves more money in your pocket.

It rewards you for shopping – not only do you get to shop from the comfort of your own home, you also get cash back on your purchases.

It’s fun and convenient – you can listen to music, watch tv shows, videos, play video games, read the news and play on your favorite social media network all in one central place.

It’s viral – with Blastoff you get your own website, which you can customize and program as your home page. From there similar to Facebook, Twitter and all the other social media networks, you invite people to join your network for FREE. They in turn get to customize their own page, invite others to join in the fun, save money on purchases, and earn money back.

You can make even MORE money – not only do you get cash back from purchases you’ve made but also from from the purchases made from everyone in your network.

All in all, it’s fun, easy, and FREE. What better, easier way can you monetize your social network?

Click here to get started: http://www.getexcitedwithblastoff.com

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Have FUN & a BLAST!

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