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Browse published articles attributed to Laurie Bornstein, with full-archive search.
Something I have all of my coaching clients do, no matter what coaching program we're working on, is to develop what Thomas Leonard called, "The Elevator Speech". What he meant by this statement was that you have 30 seconds to describe what you do in a way that is not only easy to understand but it is compelling and interesting to others. On the surface this sounds pretty easy.
Marketing. For some of us, it's a natural part of who we are but for many of us, marketing is something we don't understand, don't feel comfortable doing and avoid at all costs. As an entrepreneur, avoiding marketing or failing to understand its value can ensure a lack of success or at the very least inconsistent success. So, how can you change that? Learn more about the many ways to market. I guarantee that there is a way that works for you. It may not be what you're familiar with right now, but if you take the time to try several different methods you will find your perfect fit!
Feng Shui isn’t just about your stuff or how you place your stuff in your environment. Feng Shui begins with an awareness of what energizes and uplifts you and what depletes you. If it feels good, it’s good Feng Shui. If it feels bad, it’s bad Feng Shui. Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? It’s always better to be around or focus on what feels good or energizes you than it is to be around something that drains and depletes you. We are profoundly affected by the environments we inhabit.
Feng Shui is about understanding energy. When we understand energy we don't force it or fight it, we go with it. Whenever I follow the flow, something amazing seems to happen. Opportunities, synchronicity simply unfolds before me. To show you what I mean, I'd like to tell you about a day this July. It was a beautiful day! The sun was shining, there was a gentle breeze and the humidity was low. Fantastic for the East Coast in July.
Today started out a bit differently than most days for me. I went into the kitchen for breakfast, opened the refrigerator door and saw that the entire refrigerator was covered in red wine! Why you ask? Let me explain.
Do you ever feel... That marketing isn't something that's comfortable? That self promotion sounds pushy and fake? That marketing is something you can only do when you have extra cash or you have a big company? That marketing isn't really important, your products and services sell themselves? ...
In Feng Shui, we often use objects to support our intention for change in our life. These objects can be anything that we find either compelling, beautiful or inspiring. The object itself doesn't have to be any one specific thing, it only has to meet all or some of the criteria above. (Compelling, beautiful and/or inspiring). To create an environment that embraces you with comfort, beauty, style and inspiration, it is vital that you choose to surround yourself with items and objects that resonate with who you are and what you like.
This morning I woke up, checked Facebook and clicked a You Tube link about the oil spill in the Gulf. As I was watching I was inspired to write an article about how the principles of Feng Shui can help us at this time. I know that this probably sounds a bit far-reaching, but hear me out.
I know many of you have been either trying to sell your home or perhaps you’ve been giving it some thought. The tips I’m going to share will put you and your home at the front of the pack. Preparation and commitment are critical here – you have to do the work to get the maximum benefit. Step 1 – The basics (Feng Shui can be practical!) 1. Clear clutter. If there is ever a time to release your extra stuff, this is it. Go through every room, every closet, and every cupboard and release everything you no longer use, need or love.
Take a moment right now to picture yourself thriving in your career – imagine the complete experience - the power you feel as a success, your creative ability, how productive you are, and how much others appreciate you. Feels good, doesn’t it? When our living spaces support our desires, we can create change that not only lasts, but also helps us achieve a sense of balance and harmony in our lives. Think of the inside of your house as your spirit or personality and the outside as your bone structure. The shell of the house is the introduction to who we are.
The Law of Attraction and Feng Shui, you've heard of them both and you may or may not believe that either of them work. In fact, you may believe as Andy Wibbels does that the Law of Attraction is s@#t! Well maybe it is and maybe it isn't, but what is certain is that it won't work for you if you don't believe it will. That's the way these things go, it's not about believing it when you see it, it's about seeing it when you believe it. So, how does it work?
What is the essence of Feng Shui? Is it clearing clutter? Rearranging your furniture? Purchasing a special object or ‘cure’? Feng Shui is about all those things, but none of those things represent the essential quality of Feng Shui. You’ve probably heard me say, “Feng Shui isn’t about the stuff, it’s about the energy.” Did you wonder what I meant? Feng Shui is about Yin and Yang, the ebb and flow of energy around us, the give and take that occurs in all aspects of our lives. Moving energy is energy that circulates, and energy that circulates flows.
“More than anything else, a garden is a portal, a passage into another world, one of your own thoughts and your own making; it is whatever you want it to be and you are what you want to be.” - William Longgood Spirit gardens are places where our soul feels embraced. Creating a spirit garden is as simple as potted flowers by the front door, a lovely green plant in your home or a garden in your yard. What makes a garden into a garden for spirit is your connection to it. Spirit gardens soothe and calm you.
1.You only have one opportunity to make a first impression - and it’s outside. Create a dynamic sense of welcome by making sure your front door is energetic, attracts attention, and is uplifting. How can you do this? The easiest way is with color. Consider painting your front door a vibrant, exciting color that compliments the color of your home in shades of red, orange, purple, blue, green or gold. Each of these colors can be classic, contemporary, subdued or bold.
Career, just the word sends some of us into a tailspin of confusion, frustration and dismay. Is a career the same thing as a job? And is it something I even want? In Feng Shui, Career is tied to finding our true calling. Diving deep into the depths to connect to our inner knowing, that place where we know who we are and what we're supposed to be doing. Who you are isn't necessarily what you do. You are not your job. But if your job is in alignment with who you are, your job gives you the opportunity to embrace your talents, abilities and knowledge.
Fall is one of my favorite times of year. As the weather cools and the leaves change, I am faced with burgundy, red, yellow and orange where once there was only green. The kaleidoscope of color on the East coast is breathtaking – being a native Califo ia girl myself, I am always in awe of the majesty and beauty of nature this time of year. As a Feng Shui practitioner and teacher, I am reminded that Feng Shui is deeply connected to the patterns and cycles in nature. In spring, plants send out new shoots and seeds sprout new life.
Feng Shui seeks to create environments that are in balance with our individual sense of harmony and serenity. It is the practice of understanding how the energy, the feeling, in our living spaces impacts and affects the quality of our lives. Feng Shui allows us to harness and use this energy to our best advantage, improving not just the aesthetics of our spaces but also the feeling of our spaces. Feng Shui, literally translated as "wind and water", is an ancient Chinese form of environmental placement.
As we herald in the New Year many of us take this time to reflect on the year past and to set intentions for the year to come. The use of Feng Shui can provide us with a deeper understanding and appreciation of our lives and our intentions. For many of us this is a time for resolutions and resolutions are often focused on things we don’t like: our weight, our relationships, clutter in our home, our jobs or lack thereof, and our balance between work and life, to name a few. This year I’d like to suggest that we shift our focus from New Year resolutions to New Year realignments.
In this world of change, doing what we can to help the environment is not just a good idea, or as Martha Stewart would say, “a good thing”, it’s the only thing. We are all stewards of this wonderful world we live in; making choices that support sustainability, recyclability, and minimal use of our resources is a great thing! When I began my design practice over 15 years ago, there were very few options available. If you wanted low VOC paint, it had to be special ordered (and maybe even mixed by hand!), and it came with a hefty price tag.
In Feng Shui, your relationship to your home and the objects in your home is vital in creating a nurturing and supportive environment. And your relationship with your environment is determined, in a large part, by how and where you place the items you have. Positioning relates to how much time you spend in a given space, and how you feel about the space you are in.
Our homes have an enormous impact on our state of mind. They can be places that uplift us and bring us a sense of joy. And they can be places that drain our energy and create a sense of unease. We’ve all had the experience of walking into a room after an argument and the room felt uncomfortable. The energy in the room felt thick and heavy - the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Front doors, they are the entrance to your home and the first impression the world gets of you. They give you a hint of the home beyond. Whether you enhance your front door or not, it plays an important part in the perception of the character and personality of your home. The question is, is what it reflects what you want to see? I once read that if a home was a one-man show, the front door would play the lead. Why? In the home, the door does it all.
Is there a place in your life where you're feeling stuck, immersed in old energy or thought patterns? How are these past experiences and patterns serving you? Does remaining in old patterns and ways of thinking enable you to remain in a job you don't like? A relationship that doesn't nurture you?
The following 7 steps will help you move your business from surviving to thriving. (I believe in these strategies so much that I am in the process of reworking my website and my marketing materials!) Don't just survive, thrive! Step 1 – Believe in yourself “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right.”rn~Henry Ford The point is, you can only achieve what you believe you can achieve.
“In every moment the universe is whispering to you. There are messages for you carried on the winds. There is wisdom for you in the morning songs of the birds outside your window and in the soft murmurs of an ebbing sea. Even ordinary, everyday events in your life carry communications from the realm of spirit.” ~~ Denise Linn, The Secret Language of Signs
Creating your ideal environment means looking honestly at what's working and what isn't working in your living and working environments. When you go to work, are you greeted by a desk covered with projects and things to do? If so, how does that feel? Is this an environment that welcomes and energizes you or is this an environment that drains and depletes you? Go through your workspace, take note of how you feel when you enter it. - Does your environment welcome you? - Is it comfortable? Is it workable? - Is it organized and clutter-free?
I’ve been thinking a lot about nature and the healing community. What does one have to do with the other? Well, it’s not unusual to find references to nature in all walks of healing work. And usually the references imply that nature is something found in rural settings or somewhere other than an urban environment. I don’t agree. Nature is everywhere, Nature isn’t a place we go, it’s the place where we are – no matter where that happens to be. Connecting to nature is about connecting to energy, the vibration of life all around you.
Have you ever received an email message from someone you don't know? Have you ever received a message or chain letter that someone forwarded to you and deleted it without opening it? Have you ever received a message without a subject in the subject line? Have you ever received a message with LOTS of graphics that takes forever to download? If you've ever been frustrated by any of all of the above situations, you know how challenging email can be. And you know what you don't want others to feel or think about you- based on the email messages you send.
How many times have you heard someone say that they wish that they had learned to play the piano? Or they wish that they had learned to draw? Or they wish they had learned how to play tennis? Have you noticed that the thing people wish for always seems to be something creative? And the white elephant in the room, the unasked is question is… why haven’t you? And the answer: because they aren’t committed enough to take the time to practice and perfect it.
You're probably thinking, "I know who my clients are, why do I need to determine who my Ideal Client is and why should I care?" Many of us, as we develop our businesses, find ourselves accepting any and all work that comes our way. Some of it pleasant, rewarding and fulfilling. And some it not so pleasant, maybe even downright miserable.
You're probably thinking, "Of course I do, they hire me because______". And you probably filled the blank with a description of your service. For example, a graphic designer might answer that question as follows: My clients hire me because they need help designing their materials. And while that may be true, it isn't really why they choose to work with you.
Recently I found myself waiting for a delayed flight in Dallas and in the extra time I had, I went to the airport bookstore. While at the bookstore, I found a wonderful quote, it said, “ What we think, or what we know, or what we think we believe is in the end, of little consequence. The consequence is what we do.” The consequence is what we do....strong statement, but true. If we don't do anything, if we don't take action, everything else is just an idea. Working harder isn't the answer to success. The answer to success is working smarter!
Are you committed to your clients? Seems like an obvious question with a simple answer-yes! But are you really committed? Do you ever find yourself resenting your clients? Maybe they call too often. Maybe they call at inconvenient times. Maybe they seem to make too many demands. Or, maybe they complain that the service you’ve provided isn’t the service they expected, or perhaps they didn’t get the results they felt they should have. As entrepreneurs, we’ve all experienced some, if not all, of these situations at one time or another.
Welcome to the world of working at home. The very lack of structure and a defined place to go to work can undermine our best efforts and intentions. Don’t get me wrong, working at home is a wonderful thing, you're in control of your schedule, you can dress casually…and yet….you may still find yourself ending each day feeling like you haven't accomplished anything. Why? Because it's easy to find the line between work and home becoming blurred. We think that since we're here and we have a moment, we'll just toss in another load of laundry.
Feng Shui is based on change, the ebb and flow if life. An acceptance and understanding of this enables us to move through lifes' challenges with a greater sense of comfort and ease. Just as the river adjusts and shifts to the shape of the land. A sense of flexibility and the ability to ‘go with ...