Archive for Success tip
Can You Do It?
Of course you can!
Very recently, I discovered that the Hay House team will be coming ‘down under’ again to spread love and light.
They’ll be coming to Australia for the ‘I Can Do It’ conference, two days jam-packed with inspiration, education, enlightenment and fun.
I didn’t go to last year’s event because I had a prior commitment, so I would love to go this year, but I have already booked that weekend for time with friends – I’m waiting to hear back on whether our friends can reschedule, and if they can, I’ll be there!
After being inspired by Louise Hay over the years, including loving her book You Can Heal Your Life, I’d love to meet her in person:
Louise Hay
Co-presenting will be life coach extraordinaire Cheryl Richardson – I love her book The Art of Extreme Self-Care (see my review of it here), and I’d love to see her energy sparkle ‘live’!
Cheryl Richardson
An another of my favourite people will be presenting: financial expert Suze Orman. I own several of Suse’s books – she’s a straight-talking dynamo!
Suze Orman
There are actually seven presenters over a weekend, and the conference will be held in Sydney and Melbourne. If you live in Australia and would love a shot of inspiration, learning from women and men who are here to lead, educate and transform, then make your way to one of these conferences.
I’m sure it will be no problem for my friends to reschedule, but if they can’t, then I will make a note in my diary for NEXT year! Let me know if you’re going, OK?
When You WISH…
We women are a pretty powerful bunch, even if we sometimes don’t think so.
In celebration of International Women’s Day this month, Tera Warner has put together 40 phenomenal people to speak to women – for 40 days.
It’s a free celebration of women and our lives, with inspirational guest speakers such as Bruce Lipton, SARK, Nadine Artemis, Gary Zukav, Donna Gates, Shakaya Leone and many, many more. Topics run the gamut from relationships to health and money to spirituality.
This is the third year that Tera has run WISH, and this year’s line-up of content is just as fabulous as in recent years.
The calls have already started, but once you register, you can download any of the calls and listen to them whenever you like! (And remember, they’re free – it’s not often you can access high-quality content like this at no cost.)
I urge you to head over to WISH to register, and prepare to be illuminated and inspired by these amazing interviews.
The Search for Sanity in a Crazy World
This month’s article has been written by success strategist Dr Philip Humbert. I’ve been following Philip’s emailed TIPS newsletter for, like, FOREVER, and I love receiving his weekly dose of wisdom and wit. When I read this article in his newsletter a couple of weeks ago, I just knew that I wanted to share it with you (thanks for allowing me to do so, Philip!). To subscribe to the TIPS newsletter, head here.
“This week, I’ve worried about violence in Syria, inflation, deflation, unemployment, President Obama’s actions, my credit score, and an earthquake in some country I don’t recall. And that’s only a few of the worries that come to mind at the moment!
Perhaps I’ve been watching too much “news.”
But if I turn off the news, then I have to monitor my Smart Phone, run a half-dozen apps per day, listen to my iPod, take care of 150 emails and deal with an average of 17 phone calls. Not to mention pay bills, fix dinner, and run a few errands. It’s all too much!
Or, I could sit on my deck with a good book and a good cigar, listen to the birds and watch the clouds float past.
And to me, that sounds more like the “good life” than anxiously monitoring the stock market all day long.
How did life get this way? Wasn’t technology supposed to help us? Wasn’t a small world with instant communication going to make us more efficient, more productive and less stressed?
Or, maybe I’m confused about that.
When I look around, I see folks with wires hanging from their ears. I see folks staring at tiny computer screens in their hands. I see folks scurrying about, but I don’t see much eye contact. I don’t see too many smiles. I don’t even see many handshakes or hear much laughter!
My point is that maybe we are slowly going crazy.
Are we living as well as we could? Are we making the most of our lives? Are we doing smart things in intelligent ways? Do we maximize our joy, and our quality of life?
My fear is that many of us are doing what we “should do” and aren’t very happy about it. I suspect we’re “majoring in minor things.” We’re “caught in the thick of thin things.”
Some of us remind me of Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology who was condemned to push a rock up-hill, only to have it roll back down, over and over, forever. We’re always running, but never catching up.
The dilemma, of course, is that we dare not fall behind. We want to be in contact, to be involved, to be “connected.” We want to text our friends, monitor their Facebook pages, and make money. We want the benefits and rarely stop to count the cost.
We are the richest, most sophisticated and most productive people in history. This is good!
But I also remember that my Grandparents had time for dinner. They had a garden, they actually went to church to worship, talk with friends, and enjoy their community. They had the gift of time! (What a concept!)
I’m pleading for that elusive thing called “Balance.” Money is good! I want all I can get, but not at the cost of peace of mind, a loving family, and time to rest. I want new toys, new technology and a nice car, but not at the cost of frustration and high blood pressure. I want the benefits of modern life, but sometimes the cost is too high.
In the end, it’s about CHOICE. We are blessed in that we can have virtually any type of life we choose. We can live anywhere we choose. We can work as hard as we want. We can become famous or rich or powerful. We can have friends all over the world. And, we can play chess, read to our kids, or enjoy a long walk on a sunny winter day. But we cannot do all of it, at least not all at once.
We must choose. The Good Life and Success are about defining the life you want and consistently behaving in ways that are most likely to achieve it. I fear too many of us are neglecting the hard work of thinking about our priorities, then making the choices and enforcing the boundaries to achieve them.
In the end, we have a few years of 24-hour days and what we do with them is the most profound choice we will ever face.
To me, one of the great tragedies of modern life is to find, at the end of life, that we failed to live the life we intended. Don’t do that!
Think carefully about your values. Choose priorities that are consistent with your values. And live accordingly.”
Copyright (c) Dr Philip Humbert, 2012, all rights reserved.
U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1529-059X
Dr Philip Humbert is a success strategist, author and popular speaker, and he writes an awesome weekly newsletter called TIPS. I’d highly encourage you to check out Philip’s work, and his newsletter, at http://www.philiphumbert.com/ (or you can email him at Coach@philiphumbert.com). Many thanks again to Philip for sharing this article!
Doing Good, Feeling Great!
I received an amazing book for Christmas: Screw Business as Usual by Richard Branson.
Now, I’m not usually one for cussing, so the title turned me off a little.
I’m also not a huge fan of the use of women in marketing the Virgin airlines brand.
But I still like Richard Branson. He’s big on social responsibility, and on helping others to help themselves, and this book has revealed to me the full extent of his philanthropical work and his passion for helping others. Now I like him even more!
He believes that it’s up to entrepreneurs to ‘do good’. If we’re to get this planet back in shape, and to finally get on top of the dire poverty and hunger that’s rife around the world, businesses need to take action. Governments just aren’t up to the job.
‘Business as usual’ refers to the fact that, for many years, the only focus of many companies has been on the size of their bottom line. However, as we move into a new age, business is not all about profit, but it’s also not about making a token gesture and giving handouts. It truly is about empowerment. And when a business does good, Richard has discovered that the bottom line flourishes, too. Win-win.
So, if you’re a business owner, is this something you think about? Is the work that you do (the product or service that you provide) bettering the world as well as bringing you personal income?
Or if you’re an employee, do you feel that you work for an ethical company that’s attempting to make the world a better place? Does it treat its staff well? Does it look beyond profit?
In your personal purchases, do you support forward-thinking companies by purchasing their products or services? Be it soap powders, make-up, organic or locally produced food, or services offered by people such as stay-at-home mums who want to make extra income for their families from home?
It’s not easy for every business to ensure their whole production line is environmentally sustainable, but they can make big strides towards that goal, and part of their mission can also be to help people help themselves (wherever possible).
Richard believes that people are basically good, and that, given the chance, they really want to do good. And we all know that doing good also feels good. In my opinion, we’re all connected, so when we help others, we really do help ourselves!
Since reading Screw Business as Usual, I’ve reflected on my own path, and have realised that as my awareness has grown over the years, I’m now more conscious about ‘doing good’. I love personal development, and I love helping other people realise that they have control over their destiny. How wonderful that I can make such an impact on people’s lives, now that I’m a life coach!
In earlier years, I worked as an editor for Lonely Planet travel guides, a company dedicated to helping raise awareness of different cultures, giving to worthy grassroots organisations, and maintaining editorial independence. I LOVED the culture of that company. Since then I’ve written three recipe books for children, encouraging kids to choose organic produce and to practice skills that empower and equip them for life.
I know there’s so much more I can do, and I’m so glad that my radar is now tuned in to a very conscious way of living. I know that I’m in a privileged position of being born in a first-world country that has access to so many resources, and I know that I have a responsibility to ‘do good’. Not just because it’s the ‘right thing to do’, because I really do want to help.
As you set about planning a phenomenal 2012, I invite you to think about the type of world you want to live in. Consider making ‘doing good’ a tangible, meaningful goal that flows through any other goals you create… and be prepared to reap rich rewards!
PS Head here to discover more about Richard’s work, and the amazing work of other entrepreneurs from around the world. I may not agree with some of Richard’s marketing philosophies, but I do respect that he uses his name, influence and money to effect hugely positive change in the world.
PPS I love the work of microfinancing organisation Opportunity International. It gives loans to people in developing countries who want to create or grow their own businesses!
Joanne’s Little Helper
Do you get overwhelmed when you think of how much you want to do?
At this time of year, things can get a little crazy, and our to-do lists can run a mile long.
I have a little tip for you.
When I realise that I have an awful lot that I want to accomplish, I create a detailed schedule for my day.
I remember to include the important things such as exercise, good food, and relaxation, so that I have the energy to get everything else done.
I account for every important activity in one- or two-hour blocks, and ensure that I include a ‘buffer’ (that is, allow a little more time than is needed to complete the activities). This leaves me stress-free, and means that if other little five-minute jobs crop up, I have time to do those within one of the blocks I’ve allocated for other jobs. But, for the most part, I keep similar tasks within the one block of time, so that I’m ‘batching’ and can really get on a roll.
I don’t use this scheduling technique all the time, but it’s a lifesaver when the pressure is on, and when I have a lot to accomplish.
It really helps me avoid overwhelm!
Hope this tip helps you – do you have a technique for ‘getting it all done’? I’d love to hear what works for you. Leave a comment below!
The Best Thing That Ever Happened…
You know how sometimes you look back at something disappointing – or potentially devastating – that happened in your life, and you now think ‘that was the best thing that ever happened to me’? (Ya gotta love hindsight!)
Today I’d like to share the words of Dr Wayne Dyer with you, in this brief clip – Wayne reassures us that if something unexpected or unwanted happens, just know that it’s the Universe’s way of helping take you to a better place.
Has something like this happened to you? If you’d like to share a story about this with us, I’d love for you to leave a comment below.
Big hugs to you!
Your Personal Environment – It Matters!
If a seed is grown in optimal conditions, it will grow to its full potential, and flourish. A sight to behold!
Now, imagine that you are a seed. If you plant yourself in suboptimal conditions, you simply won’t reach the potential that is latent within you.
And that would be a shame.
We may not have been responsible for the conditions in which we were raised (when we were ‘seedlings’, so to speak!), but as adults we are now responsible for our personal environment and for our growth. Completely and utterly.
This is liberating and empowering, but it’s potentially scary, too.
So, what’s your environment like? Are you nurturing yourself and your dreams? Is your environment set up to support you?
Or do you feel overwhelmed and negative a lot of the time?
You don’t need me to tell you that in order for the law of attraction to bring wonderful stuff into your life, you need to be sending out a positive vibration. Honey, it’s universal law.
So, if your personal environment could do with a little love, here are five fabulous ways to create a nurturing environment that supports and inspires you.
Read
Become a sponge for personal development information. Have life-transforming books as your bedside reading. (Catch a glimpse of some of my recent bedtime reading here.)
Affirm
Listen to affirmations audios while you exercise or do jobs around the house (by the way, I’m in the process of creating a fabulous audio of rich, radiant, real affirmations – keep an eye on your inbox for details!). Also, write down your favourite affirmations and have them in easy view throughout your day. Let’s build fresh neural pathways that affirm beliefs we’d like to have!
Go Mobile
Create a mobile personal development library by playing positive audios and CDs in your car (why not load Rich Radiant Real teleseminars onto your MP3 player, and connect it to your car’s stereo?).
Get Coached
Even if you aren’t yet ready to invest in personal, one-on-one coaching, I’d advise being part of a group-coaching program. Get yourself coached in any way that you can, but remember that you’ll get the very best from coaching when you invest money in it – if you receive free coaching, you’re not as likely to give it all that you’ve got. Sometimes you’ve just got to invest, in order to reap the harvest.
Connect with Your Tribe
Your family and current friends don’t understand why you’re changing or why you’re trying to ‘think positive’ all the time? Then shore yourself up by connecting regularly with people who share your values and beliefs. You can do this in many ways, but a highly accessible way is to participate in online forums with positive people – for example, see my recent blog post about Jack Canfield’s Inner Circle membership club, where you can connect with like-minded people in the club’s forum.
So, there you have it. Five high-quality ways to support yourself in creating a life you love!
Remember, we all have the chance to ‘bloom where we’re planted’. As an adult, you get to choose your thoughts, your beliefs and the influences you allow into your life.
Are you going to allow yourself to bloom into your full magnificence? (I believe in you. I know you can do it, with the right environment!)
Keeping Yourself Inspired & Informed
The people we listen to, hang out with and learn from make a huge difference in our lives.
I mean, it makes sense, really.
If you hang out with whiners, complainers and do-nothing-muchers, it’s natural that you’ll take on some of their energy. But do you want that in your life? I don’t!
So, for many years now, I’ve made a point of gravitating towards positive people, and to learning from ‘the masters’ who have accomplished what I want to do. (And now I’m also being that ‘master’ for other people!)
One of the mentors I’ve followed for a number of years is Jack Canfield. Jack is a teacher in the best-selling DVD The Secret (Extended Edition)
He’s quite ‘linear’ in his approach (being a guy), but he just talks such practical common sense, and he lives his life with integrity, living by the principles he espouses.
For the past four years or so, he’s been holding monthly ‘Ask Jack’ calls, for free, whereby people can send him a question and he’ll answer it on the call. He dispenses heaps of sage advice, and stories from his own experience and that of people he knows, all to help you break through your blocks and get to ‘where you want to be’.
Anyone can listen to the live calls for free, but this year, Jack created the ‘Inner Circle’ club. As a member of the club, you get to download the MP3 audio recording of the call, so that you can listen to it anytime, anywhere. (I LOVE that!) You also get a monthly video workshop from Jack, and a recording of a private interview with featured guests (this month it will be Tim Ferris, of The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
I’m a long way along my own personal development path, but I make it a point to keep learning, and to keep being inspired. As an old colleague of mine used to say, ‘every day’s a day at school!’.
If you’d like to join me (and Jack), head here to have a look. At only US$19.95 per month, membership is a steal!
It’s SO important to keep soaking up positive information and inspiration. Many of us grew up in a culture (and perhaps a family) that had limited beliefs that just don’t serve us, so ‘reprogramming’ yourself with wisdom from people like Jack (and, ahem, moi) is crucial. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that – if you’re struggling to create a life you love – your happiness depends on it!
Pop over to the information page, and check it out. I think you’re going to love it.
Success Tip: ‘BP’
Now, I’ve got you intrigued with that title, haven’t I?
I don’t know about you, but one of my challenges in this life has been NOT letting my thoughts carry me off far into the future. I’m a plotter and planner by nature, and love to think about things, twirling ideas around in my head like a ribbon gymnast.
But that’s no way to live. At least, not all the time.
In my quest to live in the present more often, to really appreciate the present moment (especially when I’m with my children), I recently created the following memory-jogger: ‘BP’.
Quite simply, it means ‘Be Present’.
Whenever I catch myself drifting off in thought when I want to connect with people or situations, I think, ‘BP!’. And then I’m instantly back in the present, thankful that I stopped that inappropriately timed thought from taking hold and denying me the richness of savouring a beautiful present moment.
I find that I’m now starting to live in the present more often, without even needing to call the ’BP’ helper into being.
Try it?
Joanne's coaching was exactly what I needed to help me focus my precious time and money on finding work and making money! What I like most about Joanne’s coaching is that it's gentle, supportive and empathetic, rather than pushy and 'ra-ra-ra'”
...if there’s something that you’ve been putting off doing, because it’s so big and overwhelming, then by coaching with Joanne you'll definitely find a way to do it, to finally reach your goal.”
Radiant