How to Be More Prosperous

December 1, 2015

The how to of being more prosperous is not hidden in hieroglyphic messaging nor is rocket science. What it boils down to is the matter of our heart and mindset. What you’re reading now you can begin applying today.

Entrepreneurs and business people may equate prosperity with profit and happy customers. Nothing wrong with that.

The health conscious may equate feeling more energy and feeling fit to being prosperous. You can create both.

Consider the Law of Reciprocity

You’ve heard it said, “Givers get.” And they do. It may not be instantly, but they will. It’s just a matter of time.

In a nutshell, the law of reciprocity explains that whatever you put out into the world (if done so properly) will return, multiplied. Did you notice what was inside of the parenthesis? It seems ridiculous and impractical to give if you’re financially strained. Right? Or perhaps you decide to sow time because you feel you have more time to give than money. Maybe you decide to donate some old shoes. Now you’ve sown old shoes, not money. While sowing your time or giving away shoes isn’t a bad idea, it’s not sowing where you hope to receive.

Want a banana tree? Plant a banana tree.

The point is if you want to be more prosperous in the money department– not in the shoe department; give money. Please, give it to a worthy cause, a cause that’s fertile with minimizing suffering and maximizing hope.

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over…

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A Prosperous Mindset

A prosperous life is one in which we realize our blessings. By simply reading this blog, know you are abundant. You have a device that ensures that you are on the Internet. Having a mindset or realization of your current prosperity cultivates the opportunity for increase.

When I was in $55,000 of debt, I stressed and obsessed; tossed and turned. I owned very little and yet I had so much. One day I chose to give up what little “saving for a disaster” money I did have. In a leap of faith I invested in stock (I’m not suggesting you actually do this). Meanwhile I kept giving consistently to operate from abundance rather than a scarcity mindset. I cannot say I was always a “cheerful giver.” In fact there were times I was a “tearful giver.” I continued to give because I understood the universal law of sowing and reaping. Clearly, it would have better served me psychologically and financially had I chosen to be more cheerful during those times– but alas, my humanity.

If need be, use this Jedi mind trick!

I began to envision the people who would be on the receiving end of my giving. I imagined full bellies, happy hearts and smiling faces. I imagined water gushing from wells and entire villages dancing as they had clean water to drink. I could see spirits being lifted as hope shed light in dark places.

I even researched where I was giving and how far my dollar could stretch. My lack mentality and actual lack/debt grew less as I yielded less to fear and more to a generous heart. By the way, I’m still not there. I can’t lead you to believe I’m walking around like some super Saint or humanitarian. Those trying times is where I learned that I could flip a switch on my thinking.

Knowing that giving small amounts created a big difference fueled my work and excitement. Giving helped me to feel more abundant, even when the bills continued to roll in– causing a glorious shift to happen. Or as Yoda might say, the Force was with me.

Be shifty!

Just as much as money or health is prosperity, it is also a deeply integrated part of HOW we see ourselves. Want to be more prosperous? See yourself prosperous– whatever that looks like for you.

Prosperity takes on many forms. Prosperity can be a full garden of veggies. It can be a fulfilling relationship with the love of your life, your children, your friends. It can be time to dive into a good read. It can be the health to enjoy exploring.

The how to of being more prosperous includes sowing the seeds that reap a harvest. It’s allowing yourself to visualize that prosperity. So go ahead, be shifty! Build a blueprint of what that looks like. Decide where and how you want to give in order to reach the level of prosperity you know is possible.

Giving already?

I have a sneaking suspicion that you already give. Thank you! When we give, we spread kindness.

If you’ve been giving for a while and wonder about your returns, here’s a few reasons you may not be advancing as you’ve hoped. Do you hold a positive energy around giving? Remember, I was the tearful giver. Choosing to be a cheerful giver created a wonderful shift. Maybe you are giving to a charitable organization that’s no longer doing good work. Consider the soil. Consider the fact that you may be stingy in your giving and could be more generous. Or, is it possible you’re giving so much while expecting an avalanche– yesterday? Just food for thought and knowing that making small adjustments can help you become more prosperous.

This article highlights what most people consider prosperity via financial gain. Just know the same principles hold true for creating prosperity in other areas of your life. Want a happier, healthier relationship? Create the mindset and take actions to cultivate it. Want better health? See yourself healthy, perhaps doing certain activities you enjoy doing and eating foods that support this. Sow the seeds, pull the weeds, reap a prosperous harvest.

Chime In, please!

Share with us! What does prosperity look like to you? Do you have a favorite charity you give to? If so, which one/s?

Forget secrets! Let’s spread these entrepreneurial insights

May 20, 2015

I am one of those people who can hold a secret. Seriously. I’ve had friends begin sharing private information assuming I had shared their secret with my entrepreneurial husband only to watch his jaw drop or face turn beet red.

Why am I telling you this? Well, every year I choose to attend a conference that addresses the needs and lives of entrepreneurs. I purposefully look for communities that are moving forward together. I go to glean powerful information for myself and those I love serving.

You’ve heard the phrase “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” However, this conference wasn’t in Vegas. It was in Texas. The Big D, actually. I’m sure you’re familiar with “everything is bigger in Texas.” With that being said, I’m not holding any secrets, in fact, I want to give you some timely and timeless deets I learned this past weekend.

Allow me to shake down and shimmy up some of the best nuggets gleaned from Nathalie Lussier’s Off the Charts Live conference. This powerful group of 200 practicing entrepreneurs from around the world shared invaluable insight.

As I listened to practical how-to advice and stories of building business sustainably and sanely, my thoughts were saturated with happy dancing. Yes, I’m nerdy like that– so nerdy that my published doctoral research addresses entrepreneurs and their educational experiences. And wouldn’t you know three major themes surfaced during this conference. I want to share them with you.

Take note all who are entrepreneurs or not– this will serve your life in some capacity.

Create the kind of success you desire.
Be fully alive through reflection and connection.
Traction comes by overcoming challenges and building resiliency.

Regarding success; define what it means to you. Dive deep. What does success feel like to you? Who are the people sharing it with you? When you aren’t working what great things are you doing that bring satisfaction, joy, or meaning?

Please, do your thing. Others often suggest what they think we should do understanding little of what we desire to do. So listen and act on what you know you need to do. Yes, take advice from those whose life and business line up with the kind of success you want, but most importantly, listen and lead yourself. Take the collective advice of many:

Tune in to what it is you want to create from this one precious life.

As strong collective themes emerged from story-telling entrepreneurs I felt as happy as a pig in mud. Why? Because these entrepreneurs carried the presence of being fully alive.

They shared how previous adventures brought further clarity and how everything serves a purpose by leading us to where we are now. The more personal growth and development we go through as entrepreneurs the more confident we become. More confidence leads to more skillful action. Not at all shocking, just reassuring. And the lessons continue…

Embrace struggle and failure as great teachers in order to be more alive. Acknowledge time as an incubator for pruning skill sets and clarifying purpose.

By the way, the most prevalent theme about being alive was having connection. Many entrepreneurs expressed that their fellow peers played a significant role in business and life breakthroughs.

These peers have served as a support system. They exchanged ideas, benefited from one another’s expertise, rallied in the midst of trials or celebrated breakthroughs. Summary advice:

Team up to optimize dreams and talents in yourself and others.

The predominant theme of creating traction emerged as the speakers shared stories about overcoming challenges and building resiliency. The honesty of sharing how one arrives from Point A to Point B was refreshing. Often we’ll hear how one became an overnight success when it takes about 2-9 years to gain a six and seven-figure success– and it’s also okay not to run a business that yields such high returns, after all each of us define success differently.

So here’s the scoop according to several of these entrepreneurs. Want traction? Cool. We all do. Be willing to choke. Make mistakes. Prune services or products that lack passion or efficiency. Do the work that takes you and your customers to that happy place. 🙂

Taking off is part of flying the proverbial entrepreneurial plane.

Give yourself permission to ascend into new realms where great value is given and profits are enjoyed. Yes, permission to soar. Hold a space for lifelong learning. No need to cool the jets, it’s time to fly.

Oh and here’s a reminder. At times, the plane is still being built while we’re learning to fly. The common consensus was this: Business takes courage. Don’t hold back. Act before you’re ready. Step out in faith. Oh! And, don’t forget to team up and tune in to what your success looks and really feels like.

No secrets here. Just good solid advice shared from a powerful group of entrepreneurs who are seeing results and sharing their stories.

BIG THANKS to everyone that reads my blog. I hope this post helps you reflect and smile on your own adventure. In the comment section below, tell me how do you want to ramp up your entrepreneurial game? Are you looking to tune in more, team up or take off to the next level?

Let’s do this!

Lessons from the Puerto Rican Santa

December 17, 2014

True Story. My husband and I are currently hanging out in Puerto Rico. We’ve just come off the small, yet peaceful island of Vieques. We chose to stay one night in San Juan to pick up a rental car.

We waltz out of the elevator to ask Jesus at the front desk to recommend some tasty vittles closeby. Los Pinos (The Pines) is the winner where we stumble upon Puerto Rican Santa. No, really. He was sitting next to us. He was wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, drinking java.

Now before you begin doubting the validity of my story, I have photos because I know you are thinking he’s not the type to hang out in Puerto Rico wearing flip flops.

Behold!

And guess what? We invite Santa to join us for breakfast. He agrees and soon “Mrs. Claus” joins us from a short outside shopping detour. But it doesn’t stop there. We ask the waitress to allow us to pick up the tab. Seriously, how can one skip out on picking up the tab for such dignitaries.

Santa refused. He insisted on paying the bill. However, he invited us to join him for the day agreeing that we could actually buy lunch. Deal.

As an entrepreneur I’m always looking for ways to learn creatively.

The perfect opportunity presented itself. I was given the chance to see the world from Santa’s eyes and the eyes of children both big and small.

1) Santa’s 80/20 rule

Santa explained the rules of percentages. “Twenty percent have predetermined how they feel about me based on my appearance and how they feel about Santa.”

“Ten percent will completely dislike me. Ten percent will love me unconditionally. Eighty percent is where my opportunity lies to impact those who are undecided with a positive message. Focus on those who you can serve the most.”

Focus on those who you can serve the most

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2) Know your private mission behind the public mission

Me and Santa had some fairly deep philosophical discussions. He shared with me that Christmas wasn’t about him. “The purpose of Christmas is all about giving. It’s a celebration of the birth of Christ, Savior of the world, the greatest gift of all.” Santa gave me a sermon over lunch.

Santa’s clear that his public mission is to love on people, share happiness and promote the wonder and spirit of Christmas year round. Santa’s private mission is to empower both children and parents in creating healthier bonds by teaching good principles. Specifically, he wants to promote that there is goodness, hope and a bright future for all.

3) Set an example to follow

Puerto Rican Santa gets lots of business propositions. He’s invited to pose with the rich and famous, the poor and downtrodden, kids of all ages. He’s also invited to drink a rum and coke. To uphold his outstanding image, he bypasses things like alcohol and cigarettes– it’s a message that must be congruent for children. When given the opportunity, I’m going to challenge Santa on his sugar intake. 🙂

On side note, Santa’s not a Cookie Monster, he’s an aficionado of cream-filled donuts. I’d like to throw out a challenge. Let’s offer him more appropriate and healthy delicacies like apples, pomegranate, bananas, and pineapple, shall we?

4) Don’t let age become a cage

Throughout the day it was noticeable– some bypassed a smile or free photo op with Santa even when encouraged by the man himself. After a while some embraced their inner child again and took a Santa selfie. They walked away with a smile on their face. Those who skipped out walked away shaking their head. It seemed they were caged in with what is and isn’t okay.

You can tell we big kids stood next to Puerto Rican Santa for our golden opportunity.

The big take away around age is what our society or our personal thoughts deem “appropriate” and “inappropriate”. Forget you’re too old for sky diving. You are too young to be wise.

Maybe it’s time to let loose a little– maybe it’s time to let more smiles out. Perhaps it time to let our conditioning be reconditioned so joy is shared with other fellow humans.

5) Let your signature phrase light the way to your mission

Santa’s well known for his “Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!” It’s his happy go-lucky tag line. Bobby McFerrin’s tagline is “Don’t worry, be happy.”
Mother Teresa shared, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

So what’s our signature “Ho, Ho, Ho?” I’m currently running with… this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.

Do me a favor. In the comments below tell me what your signature phrase is or if you’ve had any great lessons you’ve learned this holiday season. We’d love to read about it.

In the meantime, have yourself a Merry little Christmas.

Tag Archives: Entrepreneur tips