Posts Tagged ‘wisdom’
I am Powerful Article
Here is an article I published in one of my newsletters a while back that I got so much positive feedback on, I wanted to share it again.
I am Powerful Article
There is nothing as incredible as feeling powerful and in control of your own life! However, you are not alone if you have ever felt like you give your power away to others and you don’t know what to do about it.
Here are some signs you may be giving away your power to others:
• You doubt yourself.
• You try to make everyone else happy.
• You go along with others to avoid making waves.
• You look for approval from others instead of from within.
• You buy into other people’s drama.
• You allow yourself to be intimidated.
• You have poor boundaries.
Any of this sound familiar to you? It does to me. I doubt myself. I look for approval from others. So why do I do this? There are many reasons we give our power away. It might be a habit. It might be the way we were raised. We might be afraid of confrontation. Maybe it feels good in the moment to take care of someone. What happens when we focus only on that one little moment in time instead of considering the long term impact?
Each time we give our power away, we sell a little bit of our soul. Over time this adds up. Even if it feels good in that moment, the price is quite high. The good news is we can learn to be powerful, to be in control of our life. Here are some suggestions:
• Remember to breathe.
• Practice staying in your own energy, space, etc.
• Learn to say “no” and mean it.
• See yourself as a whole being, with all the right answers.
• Use your anger wisely and stand up for yourself. Anger isn’t always bad – just use it wisely.
• Ask for what you want and need.
• Realize that other people have their own path and you are not responsible for them.
• Remember that someone else’s behavior almost never has anything to do with you. Practice just observing it without any attachments.
When we choose to live our life from a place of strength and trust, when we are living authentically it means we have the courage to show up as our true self. It doesn’t mean being rude or inconsiderate. It does mean speaking our truth and believing in who we are at our very core.
Today I choose to be my authentic self. Today I will not apologize for that. Today I choose to be powerful and it feels really great!
Today I hope you’ll choose to be your authentic self. Today I hope you will not apologize for it. Today I hope you will choose to be powerful and it will feel really great!
Four Boyfriends
Another good one that I’ve probably posted in the past but good to get the reminder.
Once upon a time there was this girl who had four boyfriends.
She loved the 4th boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and Treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.
She also loved the 3rd boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.
She also loved her 2nd boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.
The girls 1st boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend. Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him.
One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, I now have four boyfriends with me, But when I die, I’ll be all alone.’
Thus, she asked the 4th boyfriend, I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’
No way!’, replied the 4th boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.
His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.
The sad girl then asked the 3rd boyfriend, ‘I loved you all my life. Now That I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’
‘No!’, replied the 3rd boyfriend. ‘Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to marry someone else!’ Her heart sank and turned cold.
She then asked the 2nd boyfriend, ‘I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me.
When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?’ I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!’, replied the 2nd boyfriend. ‘At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.’ His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.
Then a voice called out: ‘I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.’ The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.
Greatly grieved, the girl said, ‘I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!’
In truth, you have 4 boyfriends in your lives:
Your 4th boyfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die..
Your 3rd boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth. When you die, it will all go to others.
Your 2nd boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.
And your 1st boyfriend is your Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.
However, your Soul is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now.
The 11th Hour
I think I’ve posted this in the past but it’s been a while and always a good one to reflect on:
You have been telling the people that this is the 11th hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.
And there are things to be considered…
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
Where are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside of yourself for the leader.
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said,
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold onto the shore.
They will feel that they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river
Keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.
And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do must now be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
It’s Sunday!
Isn’t Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? LOL I guess when I am my own boss, I can’t complain about doing a little work today. After all, it is my choice and I do love what I do. I noticed the sun is shining brightly and hope to go into town a little later to get my car washed. It is in dire need!
I shared a little bit on Facebook last night about how I got lost in the middle of nowhere heading home after a class in WI. It was late, it was dark and I was tired. It was all I could do to stay focused on the prize of getting home instead of losing it. Before I went to the class, I had a nudge to print the directions on Mapquest in reverse…a nudge I obviously ignored. I thought I’ll be fine, I’m used to following directions, I can figure it out to get back home.
Well, most of the time that’s true. I’m pretty well versed on the art of following directions but every once in a while, I need that extra help and guidance and this was definitely one of those times. You’ll be happy to know that I did make it home, in one piece and not too crabby. I found a nice man at a gas station who gave me directions to get back to the highway (side note: how come gas station attendants never seem to know where they are??). Lastly, don’t give up. I was so frustrated and was on the verge of losing it when that man appeared and gave me exactly what I needed. Most businesses give up, right before the turning point would have happened where they can experience the success they desire.
Don’t give up on your dream!
Who Are You, Really?
How do you show up every day – as the real you or someone else? Take the quiz below and see how happy you are with your “real self”. Just check the statements that apply to you and then total them up when you’re done!
_____ I am happy with who I am, I don’t concern myself with what others think.
_____ I accept my flaws, with gratitude.
_____ I use my strengths and surround myself with others who are great at things I’m not.
_____ I feel like my life is easy, fun, and a genuine expression of who I really am.
_____ I don’t have to impress anyone but me.
_____ I take care of my body, and I’m generally happy with the way I look.
_____ I am able to see the greatness that I already have, but I’m not trying to impress everyone with it.
_____ I use simple English instead of trying to impress people with my vocabulary.
_____ I see things as they are, not through someone else’s opinion.
_____ I have let go of wanting myself to be a certain way. I like who I am.
_____ I am beautiful/handsome.
_____ I always tell the truth.
_____ I have let go of wanting other people to be or act a certain way.
_____ I am living my life, not the life that someone else designed for me or expected of me.
_____ I don’t have any habits that I try to hide from other people.
_____ I am not perfect, and that’s ok.
_____ I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not, just to suit other people.
_____ There is nothing about my life that I am ashamed of.
_____ I respect other’s rules and beliefs, even if they seem unusual or confusing to me.
_____ My actions match my words, For example, I don’t condemn a musician for his lyrics, then go buy his CDs.
_____ I am my own best friend.
_____ I am able to laugh at life.
_____ I cooperate with life; I don’t fight what’s been given to me.
_____ I am fully responsible for how my weaknesses may affect me, my life, and those around me.
_____ I have fully accepted both my talents and my faults.
Results
0-5: You only get one chance at life. Make the most of it. How can you be more true to yourself?
5-10: What if “being authentic” was more a part of your life? How would your life be different?
11-15: Not too shabby! This is a great start and what you can you shift in your life to be more accepting of who you really are?
16-20: Great! You’re doing a wonderful job of being yourself. Sometimes this may be less comfortable for you. Overall, though, you’re doing well.
21-25: Fabulous! You are definitely comfortable with yourself and you know how important this is for others around you. Congratulations!
Are you ready to be your authentic self? Are you ready to show the world who you really are? Life will be so much easier, more fun because it becomes an expression of who you are. So what’s holding you back? If you are ready, try setting goals for yourself to allow your real feelings and desires to emerge. You can do it!
Source Unknown
Mashable Rocks!
Recently Mashable shared these great videos for small businesses owners and I couldn’t resist sharing them with you. Great lessons!
Are You a Probability? By Asara Lovejoy
Asara shared this in her latest newsletter and I though you might enjoy it. For more information, visit asara.com and commandingwealth.com.
Have you ever considered the notion that you are a probability waiting to happen? “This just in,” is one of my favorite sayings to explain new thoughts and ideas as they arrive in my consciousness and, “this just in” on the notion that you are more fluid and open to being more “probable” moments of yourself – than you realize.
The One Command keeps taking me out of myself from my small sphere of influence and small thinking, into greater and greater, increasing realms of possibilities, including the notion that in reality all we are is a probability of what is.
When I had this notion that we are a probability of self, expressed in any infinite possibilities, in any direction, moment by moment, I literally saw the universe shift and the people I was looking at, at that moment become fluid light. This was a little disconcerting to say the least, because at that moment I was sitting in a restaurant in Billings Montana. I stayed with the new thought that turned into a brilliant experience right there in the restaurant because it truly was a powerful idea that we are a probability expressed in any direction at any moment.
During The One Command Practitioner Level II Certification we really went for it with this idea of being a probability, and invited the notion that every thought you think – you think – everywhere – including within every other person in existence all at the same moment simultaneously. Now that is an awesome and maybe frightening thought – every thought you think – you think everywhere simultaneously – including within everything – including everyone.
Embracing this idea makes you conceptualize reality from a completely different positioning in the universe. Let’s see how connected we are, rather than how separate, and let’s see how powerful we are in creating our lives – rather than how limited.
Think on this. The smallest wavelength of space that can be measured with modern science right now is 10 to -33 (negative 33 zeros) centimeters. Pretty small. It is mathematically proven that in the smallest wavelength of measurable space there exists more energy than the entire known physical universe. Just for comparisons sake think about it as a tiny pinhead having more energy than all the entire known physical universe.
A tiny pinhead has more energy than all the entire known universe can mean that at the level of your thoughts you have more energy than all the known universe – and if that is the case then your thoughts would be inherent within everything in the known and unknown universe and you would be connected to everything – a part of everything – you would be everything. Even more dramatically you would be the creator of everything as well as the observer and experiencer.
Now that we have gone super quantum with these notions of reality, would you like to play here? Truly you are anyway so why not do it consciously. Just think on this thought for a while. I am a probability waiting to happen in any direction – a fluidity of potentiality. Stay open and see what arrives!
We have a wonderful full selection of innovative new programs for you to enjoy in this newsletter. May your probable self find something that suites you.
Love,
Asara Lovejoy
For more information, join us at our next Commanding Wealth Circle at The Center for Harmonious Living in Minnetonka on Tuesday, November 10th. To register, visit www.lodestonedynamics.com/eventreg.html.
Defining Wealth
Encarta defines wealth as “an abundance or great quantity of something”.
Many of us automatically jump to the thought of money when we hear the word wealth. I know I do. Or at least I did. When my friend, Cathy, and I decided to co-facilitate a Commanding Wealth Circle I struggled with the name because I didn’t want people to think it was all about money. Yes, money is a part of it. We need it to live and enjoy some of life’s pleasures (although many pleasures are free). I actually pulled out the dictionary as I was creating flyers for the group. That’s when I saw how expansive the word “wealth” can be. It’s just how we choose to define it for ourselves.
I am reminded of a story I heard once about a “wealthy” man and his son. The man wanted to teach his son how lucky he was and thought he could do this by showing the son how poor people live. They went to the country and spent some time on a farm with a family that would be considered quite poor.
At the end of the trip, the father asked his son what he thought. The son had a great time and told his father that what he learned was this:
- They have one dog and the family had four.
- They have a pool and the family has a creek that goes on forever.
- They have lanterns in their garden and the family has stars in the sky.
- They have a piece of land and the family has fields that go farther than the eye can see.
- They buy their food and the family grows their own.
- They have walls to protect them and the family has friends.
The son then said to his father, “Thank you for showing me how poor we are.”
It’s all perspective. Everything in life is that way. We get to choose how we want to define everything in our world. It’s both a blessing and curse – depending on your perspective. Which will you choose?
For more information on the Commanding Wealth Circles, visit our website.
The 80/20 Rule
“Let the 80/20 Principle Pay Off for You”
by Ali Brown
It pays to play to your strengths. But how do you pinpoint the areas that will increase revenue and earn you more money? Simple: by following the Pareto Principle. Developed by Italian economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto, this short, simple rule states that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity.
You may have heard that we wear 20% off of our clothes 80% of the time, and the same 80/20 rule applies to business. For instance, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. Conversely, 80% of your complaints come from 20% of your customers and 80% of the profits made in your industry come from 20% of the companies. The exact percentages may vary, perhaps 75% and 25% instead of 80% and 20%, but the concept remains the same.
By identifying customers and areas that are most valuable to you and your business, you can boost your bottom line without working longer or harder. In fact, you’ll be working smarter. At the same time as you’re finding your most profitable areas, you also need to think about those customers or products that are not performing well and may actually be dragging down you and your business.
For instance, if you own a secondhand music store, you probably have some inventory that is flying off the shelves and other products that just aren’t selling, no matter how low you price them. By dividing your products in categories (perhaps by music genre), you could see which items your customers are buying and which ones you should stop carrying. By matching your products to customer demand, you’ll be able to turn over inventory more quickly and make more money, all without adding more square footage or spending more money on advertising.
Here are some areas to consider in your own business:
*Employees – Who is your rock star salesperson and what you can you do to help them achieve even better results? Also, who is underperforming and might they be better suited to other tasks? Both are important considerations.
*Customers Calculate how much revenue you’re getting from each customer and subtract the cost of administrative time or other costs to maintain that relationship. Once you’ve figured out which customers are in your top 20%, you can make some strategic decisions about how to better meet their needs.
*Markets – If you sell products to different markets, evaluate these markets with the same principle you used for evaluating your customers. The markets that are earning you the most money should become obvious, so you can start examining the direction in which the company is headed.
Once you’ve identified areas that aren’t paying off, you have to be ruthless and kick them to the curb. Your business cannot flourish if you’re spending valuable time and resources on customers or products that are unprofitable. Once you make the strategic decision to cull wasted space and focus on areas that earn more money, you’ll have a much better chance of surviving, and even flourishing, in a competitive business environment.
© 2009 Ali International, LLC
Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com
Message from the Universe
It’s always better to give too much, pay too much, and love too much, than not enough.
But then, Michele, since everything comes back to you anyway, can there ever be too much?
I love you too much anyway,
The Universe
Want your own messages from the Universe? Visit tut.com.