Continue reading »]]> As a musician (I’m a singer and pianist) I was saddened to hear of Whitney Houston’s death.  Much has been written about her so I’ll keep this short.

I tuned in to part of her “going home” service and heard something that really resonated with me that I wanted to share with you. It came during Kevin Costner’s speech.  He stated at some length that Whitney Houston never thought she was good enough, beautiful enough, or talented enough. I was surprised to hear this, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been.

A feeling of “not being good enough” often reflects itself in our financial situation, and Ms. Houston reportedly was having financial difficulties prior to her death. (The truth around this has not yet all surfaced but early reports say she was being foreclosed on in two homes, despite having signed a $100 Million recording contract 10 years ago.)

We hear stories all the time of lottery winners ending up broke, famous athletes declaring bankruptcy, trust fund babies throwing money away like it is poison. Many of these individuals just don’t feel they deserve all that wealth.

And, at some level, many of us have the same thing going on. We put up with jobs that are not fulfilling, relationships that are less than ideal, or other external situations simply because somewhere, deep down inside, we don’t feel we deserve better.

Well, we do.

I’ve seen in my own life how improving how I feel on the inside improves my circumstances on the outside. By believing I am good enough, worthy, and deserving, and living from a place of love, and kindness, and compassion, I appreciate more of what I already have which tends to attract even more — more abundance, fulfillment, health, joy, great relationships, etc. etc.

Love yourself a little more today by doing something for someone else — anything — it doesn’t have to be big.  A kind word, or a big smile, or holding the door open for something, or just looking someone in the eye when you are talking to them makes them feel better about themselves.

It will make you feel better about yourself too — try it!

Continue reading »]]> I’m really excited to share with you today what I’ve been working on for the past few months, along with client work, year end reporting, and a myriad of other things.

For those of you that are entrepreneurs, you’re going to want to check this out.  I have started an entire new division of my firm to help entrepreneurs take back their power over money.

For too long, too many entrepreneurs have not achieved the level of financial success they deserve and I want to change that.

More than ever, the world needs the great work that entrepreneurs are doing.

So if you are an entrepreneur, or know someone who is, that would like to find more ease around money and obtain greater financial freedom, send them to this link:

http://www.powerovermoney.com

Sign up there today to receive 6 FREE reports on how to kick start your power!

Entrepreneurs can change the world!

Continue reading »]]> I’m doing something different this year.  Why?  Because, as the saying goes, “If you want to keep getting what you’re getting, then keep doing what you’re doing.”

Most people spend a lot of time and energy focused on what they don’t have and wishing things could be different, yet the thoughts they think and the actions they take remain the same.

Their story, if you will, is the same story, year after year.

Well, this year I wrote a new story for myself — one that contains all the things I want this year.  And it’s packed with words that evoke positive, happy emotions (because the trick to attracting what we want is to feel we already have it).

Here’s an example:  “I am thrilled when I see more and more money coming to me in an easy and consistent way. The rapid flow of large financial surprises is amazing and just tickles my heart, and I allow and accept this huge increase in my financial situation with tons and tons of gratitude!”

That’s just one paragraph.  The rest of my story includes my relationships, health, business, hobbies and my gratitude just to be living at this magnificent time.

I put this story on my vision board which is next to my computer where I can read it several times a day, along with looking at the picture of my new home with the built in pool, quotes I love, and words that inspire.

Rather than making a list of resolutions this year, why not rewrite your story — the story you will tell yourself from now on!  Make it your own, write it as if you already have it, and include words that make you smile.

2012 is going to be a fabulous year — tell yourself, tell your friends, and let’s share the joy!

Continue reading »]]> For Christmas in 2004, my sister gave me a beautiful leather-bound journal that was over an inch thick. I have been writing in it since then.

I was looking through it yesterday and one of my early entries was about my joy in leaving corporate America to start my own business.  I wrote “I quit my job on 6/17/05 — I have my life back.”

It was a great job with great pay and great benefits for someone who could fit into someone else’s plan, but I wanted to create a plan of my own.

I wanted freedom.

We live in the land of the free, yet most of us really don’t feel we have the freedom we crave. We think to ourselves, “if only I had more money, or more time, or more……I would……”

Some of us think “when I lose that 25 lbs I will…..” or “when the kids are grown I will……” or “when I retire I will…..” or, on January 1st, “this year I’m going to…..”

Sound familiar?

I think we all know that we really do have the freedom to create any kind of life we wish, and it’s not time or money holding us back.

It’s our fears and beliefs that are getting in our way.

It took years of work on myself to finally believe that I could leave corporate American and succeed in my own business. And now, looking back, FEAR really was False Evidence Appearing Real — I’ve always had inside me what I needed to be successful.

And so do you — you have everything inside you that you need to live any life you choose. You can live where you want, do work you love, have perfect relationships, if you will just allow yourself to do so.

It seems so simple, but I know it’s not always easy. We have to undo old belief systems (I’m not smart enough, don’t deserve it, will never find Mr. or Mrs. Right, could never leave all my friends, it’s a tough economy, etc., etc., etc.) and believe in ourselves.

You are smart enough, you deserve nothing but the best life has to offer, will find perfect relationships and friends, and the economy has nothing to do with it, IF you get clear on what you want, find and destroy those old beliefs that are blocking you, and allow the Universe to unfold and show you how amazing life can be.

Let me share a little story. Those of you that know me know that I have gained quite a bit of weight over the years. Recently I was getting a strong urge to finally do something about it so I investigated a fitness center near my office and, after listening to my own intuition, joined on the spot.

Lo and behold, they have this amazing salt water pool. I grew up with a pool in the backyard and love swimming but for years thought “when I lose some weight, I’m going to start swimming again.” Why did I even think that? Because I didn’t like the way I looked and certainly didn’t want other people to see me this way.

Well, this was an old belief; that people would only like me if I was thin. Well, I finally realized that not everyone liked me when I was thin, and not everything dislikes me because I’m heavier. So I said to myself, “I don’t even know these people….if I want to swim, I’m going to swim!” And it has been fantastic! I’d truly forgotten how great it felt just being in the water.

And I’ve found that a lot of heavy people swim. It was just my crazy little voice in my head (my ego) that kept saying I couldn’t possibly be seen in a swimsuit at the weight I’m at. Why do we tell ourselves this crap? (By the way, everyone I’ve run into at the fitness center has been friendly and helpful — only in my imagination did I think I wouldn’t be accepted — funny how that works.)

The bottom line — I denied myself something I love to do for the last 10 years for reasons that were all made up in my  head.

My gift to you this holiday season is PERMISSION TO BE WHO YOU ARE — in all your glory, for all the world to see. You are free to stop seeking the approval of others, to stop living lives that others wanted for you, to stop trying to live up to someone else’s definition of being a good mother or father, or a good employee, or some crazy, made up version of yourself that you have come up with — just be you!

You were born with the freedom to be who you are.  We all were, until we decided that we needed to be something different or people wouldn’t love us, or we wouldn’t be accepted, or we wouldn’t gain someone’s approval, or a bunch of other things.

Let’s vow together that this year we will resolve to remember who we really are and just be THAT. Because THAT is happy. THAT is special. THAT is unique and something to be celebrated.

You don’t want to be like everyone else — how boring! You want to be who YOU are, and express that uniqueness every day. That is FREEDOM!

And I’ll let you in on a little secret — the more you are YOU, the easier it is to attract all the things you want in life — more money, better relationships, the perfect job/career, EVERYTHING!

Join me in 2012 on this little treasure hunt to discover REAL freedom, the REAL YOU! Why? Because you are AMAZING!

Continue reading »]]> Today I read an article written by Jim Parker, the Vice-President of DFA-Austalia Ltd. (this is the Australian office of Dimensional Fund Advisors US which I invest in for all my client portfolios, including my own).

I wanted to share this with you as it takes a look globally at the past 100 years (it’s short and to the point) and why we have reason to be hopeful for the future and grateful, even in these recent times of turmoil.

I hope you enjoy it!

Good_Old_Days_US

Continue reading »]]> Imagine that every day you receive 100 units of new energy to use. How well do you manage that energy?

Do you “spend” half of it before you even get out the door in the morning, spending time in your past or worrying about your future?

Or do you live in the present moment where you are more at peace?

This holiday season, I encourage you to spend as much time in the present moment as possible. The hectic nature of the holidays, in and of itself, tends to wear on our energy.

This year, vow to be present, and enjoy each moment. You’ll fare much better with far less stress.

I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Continue reading »]]> From the beginning of time, people have loved stories.  Whether they were told around the campfire to pass on wisdom from the elders, or spent with our children telling them their favorite bed time stories, stories have been an integral part of our lives.

But what about the stories we tell ourselves?  Let me give you an example.  I spent 10 years working in two different CPA firms.  In both firms, when tax season rolled around, all I heard out of our accountants was how busy they were.  They even called it “busy season.”  So, what was the rest of the year?  Not-busy season? As an observer, it seemed to me that this story they were telling themselves, and others, created a lot of stress for everyone.

According to Norman Fischer, “Busy-ness is a state of mind, not a fact. No matter how much or how little we’re doing, we’re always just doing what we’re doing, simply living this one moment of our lives.”

What would our life look like if, during a time of extra work, we simply told ourselves, “I’m going to focus on completing one thing at a time, not making this out to be more than it is, and intending to complete everything with ease and grace.”

I knew which people in the accounting firm worked with “I’m so busy” running through their heads, or “One thing at a time” running through their heads. You could tell by their demeanor, the way they treated other people, even the way they walked.

Our ego thrives on chaos and stress, but our soul yearns for peace and calmness.  AND, you can control which world you’d like to be part of — the world of chaos or calm.

It may take a little practice, but NOTICE what you are thinking and if those thoughts are not keeping you in a place of calm, change them. You have the power inside you to DECIDE what you want to think.

Break those old, stressful habits, and think new thoughts.  After all, when you change your thoughts, you change your life!

Continue reading »]]> My six-week series on Prosperity From the Inside Out concluded recently so I thought I’d take a few minutes and give you what I think were the most important takeaways.

1.  Everything is energy

2.  Your thoughts have energy — are you putting positive or negative energy out into the world? (Change your thoughts, change your life.)

3.  Your are 100% responsible for your life. If you don’t like your life, you can change it.

4.  To create prosperity, you must FEEL prosperous.  Try putting $100 or $500 or $1000 in your wallet and carrying it around with you.  Rich people feel rich, and the feeling comes first.

5.  Forgiveness is a key component to leading a prosperous life.  “Forgiveness is not something we do for other people.  We do it for ourselves, to get well and move on.”  — Anonymous

6.  Gratitude is everything.  You can’t feel prosperous if you don’t already feel grateful for everything you have in your life (a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on your table, family and friends, etc. etc.)  Practice gratitude daily.  I spend the last few minutes of my day thinking about the five things I’m most grateful for that day.  An attitude of gratitude will turn your life around.

Continue reading »]]> Is it true — All You Need Is Love?

With the passing of Steve Jobs, much has been written about his life and his success. I recently stumbled across this excerpt from an LA Times article that paints a somewhat unique picture that may apply to all of us:

Those who knew Jobs often spoke of his passion for his creations.

“It sounds ridiculous to talk about love when you are making a gadget,” said Larry Brilliant, the former director of Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, and a longtime friend of Jobs.

“But Steve loved his work, he loved the products he produced, and it was palpable,” Brilliant said. “He communicated that love through bits of steel and plastic.”

So let me ask you — is LOVE an ingredient you add to all you create?

If you own or work in a business, imagine with me for a moment that you have an absolutely gorgeous office, with all the latest, greatest technology, that you have employees that are a joy to spend time with, that your clients are the best people in the world who appreciate everything you do for them, that you find yourself feeling it is a privilege to be in an industry where you can really make a difference in people’s lives. How would that feel? Would it feel like “love” to you?

When your home is filled with things you love, doesn’t it make a difference? And I don’t mean just stuff here, but with your favorite pictures of your family, colors you love, furniture that makes you feel good, even meals prepared with love taste better. I have proof of the meal thing because my step-children just love my cooking, and every time they say that I tell them it was because the meal was prepared with love, and it was!

In any work you do, or thing you create, do you put any love into your efforts? And if not, why not? Even if you hate your job, you can love a task you are performing. Find something to love about it and things will go better for you. In your work, if you don’t find joy in the people who work with you, take a second look and find something to appreciate about someone (and tell them what you appreciate when the opportunity presents itself.) If you don’t like your work environment, do you best to make changes so you will love it, and think about how your work impacts others and what a difference you are making in people’s lives. No matter how insignificant a thing you are doing seems to you, doing it with love can immensely improve the lives of others.

I can attest that when you come from a place of love, everyday, in everything you do, it does make a difference. I love the fact that you are reading this because you, too, could feel this way, if you don’t already. And if you already do, you know what I’m talking about.

If not, it’s not too late to make some changes. You can control your destiny by making the decision that if you don’t love your work, then you need to stop doing the things that you don’t enjoy, add a little love to your surroundings, and make the intention to put a little love into everything you do.

If you don’t love your home, then spend some time thinking of how you could make it more loveable. It doesn’t have to cost much — sometimes just rearranging the furniture allows you to love a room that you previously didn’t care much for.

I do believe that Steve Jobs put his HEART and soul into his company and his products. How do I know this? Because there isn’t one Apple product that I have (and I have most of them) that I do not LOVE!

So, spread the love — it may be the best advice you’ll ever get!