Browse Empowerment

Smart small business owners on the road to profitability never set the expectation that it would be easy. But 60- hour work weeks without solid results are growing old and tiresome. It’s time for a change. Clearly, there has to be a better way. Let’s look at two of the common myths about running a business.

Attitude Problems That Kill Your Business And What You Can Do About It! Most of the time we don’t think about our own attitudes. We certainly don’t think they could kill off our business or our personal lives. But truly, everything we do comes from our attitudes. And our attitudes come from how we think about the world. Do any of the following statements sound familiar? -No matter how hard I work, it will never get done.rn-What’s wrong with these people, why don’t they take responsibility for themselves?rn-Life’s a beach, and then you die. (Well, you know what I mean)r

Your gift is what you do in your unique way. Ironically, you may do it so naturally, you don’t recognize it for what it is or realize what you might do with it. Whatever you do in life, you can have a more joyful, meaningful experience if you shine the light on and share what is unique about you. We sometimes assume the way we do something is how everyone does it. This isn’t necessarily, and usually isn’t, the case. This is why something you do that you don’t think is very special or unique might be seen as very special or unique by someone else.

You pick a goal and hit it. You’re supposed to feel good or great, even amazing—but, you don’t. Hmm . . . You followed the formula: picked a goal, made a plan, worked your plan. You succeeded, but you don’t feel the way you thought you would. What happened? You aimed at the wrong target. Here are three ways that can happen. 1. You set a goal based on a “should,” whether you “should” on yourself or someone else did. You did everything required, rang the bell and got the coconut—but you really desire an apple.

Jewel of the Month: Topaz Topaz comes in many colors, most familiar is the golden topaz. There is much mythology surrounding this stone. In old cultures of India and Europe, it was considered to be the stone of Jupiter, representing rule over one’s life. Imperial topaz was known as a stone of ...

Do you feel like your life is spinning off kilter? Are you left feeling as if something is missing? Here are 7 steps to help you to find your way. 1. Know What You Want. Many professionals choose their careers because someone told them they would be good in a particular field. Another is expected earnings in their field. If you are in happy with your choice of career, what else in life do you want to experience and discover? What else would make you happy and fulfilled

Faith and Abundance Is All There IsnBy Chuck Danes Do you often wonder why it is that the daily events, conditions, and circumstances which happen in life turn out as they do? Have you ever looked deeply into why those things that you perceive to be negative, those small annoyances as well as ...

"As a man thinks in his heart so is he" SO WHAT ARE YOU THINKING AND SAYING? All of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious. We are in control, whether we know it or not. We can be positive or negative, victorious or defeated, over comers or victims, achievers or losers, filled with faith or fearful. Our present attitudes are habits, built from the feedback of parents, friends, society and self, that form our self-image and our world-image.

For many, mainstream is like a tailored suit; for some, it’s like a straightjacket. Are you swimming in the wrong stream or against the current? Mainstream, in this writing, means demonstrating via your life, work, relationships, etc., an “acceptable” model or role model, as much as possible—a model that is allowed some leeway as long as it’s a composite of descriptions provided by the various prevalent social, religious, and educational systems and models, as well as family and cultural descriptions or models.

There are two common myths about running a small business that are simply not true. One is the myth of working harder and the other is the myth that changing everything is needed in order to increase your profits. Let’s take a closer look at these two myths and bust them one by one.

Do You Suffer From Intention Deficit Disorder? Do you have moments where you aren’t quite sure where you’re going or what you’re up to? Well, if you answered ‘yes’; don’t worry. We all have these moments at times.

In her new book, Own Your Life, 7 Essential Steps to Independence, author, speaker and lawyer Suzanne B. Quinn guides the reader through the seven essential steps to personal and financial security and independence. This article is an excerpt from her book, comprising one of the seven steps. Goal setting is important, but good financial health begins with a grip on reality. We have to know and acknowledge where we are, before we can establish where we are going. Start at the beginning – where you are nowr The first step is to evaluate your present situation.

According to Webster, "sin" is a transgression (or violation) of?the law of God. It is also described?as a vitated state of human nature?in which the self is estranged from?God. This can manifest in different?forms - lying, cheating, stealing,?hurting, etc. etc. Stepping back from sin's religious origin, what is it really, and what are its causes? In my walking meditation today, I received the following: Sin* is actually an acronym for Sinking Into Negativity.

Faith is power. Once you learn to believe in yourself, you are free from the thoughts of others and only true to yourself. You can do whatever you set your mind to and live however you desire. The power of faith lifts one's spirits and destroys all boundaries. If one's belief is strong enough, it can lead a whole army of citizens to believe. How do you build faith? First, you have to stop all negative talk. You might have lived life putting yourself down or blaming yourself for mistakes. Let the past go and think about what you want.

ALIGNMENT IN THE NEW CONSCIOUSNESS At times it seems as though our lives are a bit challenging,nperhaps frustrating, and, even in our darkest times, fearful. You may ask yourself, how do I live a more balanced life? When we have set our goals for truth, and living the life of ...

With all of the information out there, I’m pretty sure you have a decent idea about what needs to be done in order to lose weight. Bottom line? Eat healthy foods and exercise. This sounds simple enough, but for many people it’s a struggle. The struggle most people face isn’t in knowing what to do, it’s doing it. Passing up certain foods; having the will to say no; getting motivated enough to get dressed and actually go to the gym. This becomes particularly difficult when faced with self-sabotaging thoughts like “Go ahead and eat it.

Before I begin talking about affirmations and how to use them to assist you in your weight loss journey, I want to briefly discuss mindset. It is important that you think about this journey as a lifestyle change, not self deprivation. If you view the effort to lose weight as a “diet” or as temporary, you’re risking ending right back where you started. You won’t always need to lose weight obviously, however feeding your body healthy foods and exercising consistently is a lifestyle – something that you will want to continue for many years to come.

The reality is that most of us in small business today barely make it through the top 20% of our to-do lists. We get tangled up in issues, emails, phone calls, drop-ins…the list is endless. We severely strain our relationships, miss important life events, and generally take care of ourselves last. Stress builds and builds. Life starts to seem out of control, not even close to what we dreamed of when we started our small business. Surely, something has to give, but what? Where to start?

Starting to think life is a merry-go-round? Have you lost or quit a job every couple of years with the excuse that your boss is a jerk or you're bored out of your mind? Have you noticed a revolving door-like structure to your personal relationships? Do you move your residence from place to place never satisfied with where you are? Is life slipping by through a set pattern of behavior that just isn't working out for you, just keeping you stuck on a treadmill of repeated experiences that you'd rather not have - again?

Way back when you first conceived the vision for your small business, you definitely projected your future to be very profitable. If you haven’t reached that target yet, could it be partly because you’ve missed opportunities along the way? Thomas Edison said that "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." When buried in the minutia of the ever bulging to-do lists, opportunities are missed because they seem so similar to the endless tasks of your projects lists.

Let’s say Geena is your friend of many years. She is a smart, creative, go-getter and beautiful to top it off - a source of admiration for many. Yet still, she confides in you, whenever she lands a major success like getting published in a popular publication or being accepted into a competitive position, she has this creeping sense of being a fraud, as if she does not deserve it, brushing it all off with “oh, it’s really nothing.”

One of the everyday realities in small business is “Negotiating.” It’s a necessity for all small business owners who, whether you love it or hate it. Negotiating a new deal, the price of an item you need to purchase, payroll and contractor issues, deadlines, service arrangements, a joint decision with a client and a myriad other items bombard you all day long. Why not get out of in front of it? As a matter of fact, the sooner you master Negotiating, the more profitable you will be.

Whose motto was Be Prepared? Who knew that this motto would be effective for the rest of my life. As a young girl, I was a part of the Girls Scout and that was our motto. These two simple yet powerful words have made an impact in all areas of my life. Being prepared is something that is necessary to handle sudden changes, challenges and everyday issues. We recently began offering training workshops to various businesses. Our initial target audience was to health care facilities.

As I was driving along the Malibu coast Paul Simon's "Fakin' It" blared through the radio. I had the volume cranked because I had the top down and was singing loudly and badly along with the song. It's such fun to let go and sing, especially if the sound of your voice could turn wine into vinegar, but I digress. When I screeched the verse: "I've just been fakin' it, I'm not really makin' it. This feeling of fakin' it- I still haven't shaken it."

No, it isn’t too early to consider this; it is exactly the right time. The very things you do or don’t do about resolutions are what you do right now. And, you can do them differently starting today. First, it’s important to understand why resolutions you make any time fizzle out.

“I have learned the novice can often see things that the expert overlooks. All that is necessary is not to be afraid of making mistakes, or of appearing naive.” (Abraham Maslow) One of the most frequent reasons I hear from business owners to not get started on boosting profits is, “I hate numbers.”

Seven Key Things to Remember When Getting a Live Online Psychic Reading Getting a live online psychic reading can be a helpful experience or it can be a complete waste of time and money. To get the best from any phone psychic reading, there are some very important things to keep in mind. 1. Know in advance what you want the psychic to focus on. Knowing what you want to ask will save you time and money in the long run. Be advised that some psychics will ask for your name, date of birth and your question.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the gamer It's easy. There's nothing you can make that can't be made. No one you can save that can't be saved. Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in timer It's easy. All you need is lover There's nothing you can know that isn't known. Nothing you can see that isn't shown. Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy. All you need is love The Beatles (John Lennon/Paul McCartney), from All You Need is Love (edited)

One would think that such an enormous task like organizing a life would take days, weeks, even months. But 30 minutes! What’s the catch? So often we allow our minds to over-complicate things. It really is a very simple process to organize your days, in a few short steps. Once you’ve read and applied the steps below, you’ll be amazed at how much more you're able to accomplish and--you may want to sit down for this one--you’ll have more free time to spend doing the things you enjoy. Yes, it’s true.

Finding Your Soulmate As a wholeness coach, I so often hear the rather desperate sounding comments of clients who want to find their soulmate, even amongst those who are presently married. (obviously unhappily) Most individuals long for companionship, someone with whom to share their life, ...

Who are you? Some say that a person is a product of his or her choices. Much like the causality dilemma of "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" that evokes questions about life and how the Universe in general began, who you are can be rooted in a circular cause and consequence pattern of experience. Or is it? The answer is, it depends. It depends upon how you choose. Are you creating your choices or are your choices creating you?

People strive, throughout life, to build strong personal characters, traits that reflect their purpose, passions, and values. Yet, as people who would like to build a strong character, we find it difficult. The difficulty lies in our resistance to the very circumstances that would lead us to grow.nnThis article will provide insights into the following questions: How does character differ from conduct? How does personal character lead to the growth of spiritual character? Why

By Jo Anne White, PhD © 2009 It’s really not possible to be anyone else, but sometimes we try to mimic someone we believe has it better, is more successful, happy or prosperous. We can’t really know what anyone is experiencing. The truth is that our lives are more successful when we pay attention to what moves us, how we feel, think and behave and to what is unique about us. When that happens, our lives are more on track. Best of all, we feel more alive and powerful. There’s much joy when we have the courage to live life on our own terms.

I love Halloween. It is perhaps the most empowering holiday of the year. For fun, think of the person you admired most when you were a child. It could be Spiderman (or any other movie character - animated or not). It could be a favorite character in a book, a celebrity, a favorite Aunt or Teacher. Think back to when you were able to complete this sentence: "When I grow up I want to be _______." Create a costume for whatever answer popped into your mind. Wear the costume on Halloween and really get into the part. Act as if you were that person. Have fun in that role.

In a small business, there’s no denying that there are products that reach the end of their life cycle. There comes a point where sales and profits are no longer growing, but instead, they are declining. The good news is that orders are still arriving, so you have time to make a plan of action.

I was reading a blog today and came across an interesting entry about failure in business. As I read through the entry it made me think about the parallels between failure in business and the type of failure we experience when we don’t live up to our own expectations of self. According to Barry Moltz, author of Bounce, The True Path To Business Confidence, what's important (in business) is that you let go of the successes and failures, and just keep moving forward. It's not about bouncing back, because sometimes you don't come back to the same place.

You may have read books like the "The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success" by Deepak Chopra, or "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey, or "The 10 Keys to Personal Power" by Brian Tracy. Included here is The Checklist of 15 Questions To Answer YES to for Cultivating a Healthy and Fulfilling Relationship. You may notice that there are a few more to this list than those listed above.

Nothing happens by accident - I really don’t believe in coincidences - I believe that things are meant to be - or at least I thought I did - but I really didn’t ‘get-it’ until I read the poem ‘LETTING GO TAKES LOVE’. I guess it was just meant to be - my Divine needing me to ‘get-it’.

For small businesses, profits never take a back seat, and watching out for changes in your profit stream before they happen is the key to a long and vibrant life for your company. It can be easy to miss the signs though, in the day-to-day race to find and maintain customers and clients, fulfill on orders and tackle everything from marketing to employee turnover.

Another word for survival mode is stress. When stressed, we tend to become something we don’t really want to be: self-absorbed. There is a way out.

In today’s economy small business owners need solid information on productivity and time spent on revenue-producing tasks. More and more, employers are using tools to boost their profits and raise productivity. Time tracking software is a great asset to assist small business owners in tracking the true productivity of their team members (even virtual team members), both for their work hours in total and to measure time spent on each project.

One of my favorite quotes is this one from Tony Robbins: “The answer is always ‘no’ if you don’t ask.” Isn’t that the truth?! So often we know exactly what we want, but for a myriad of reasons we are unwilling to ask for it. Usually we’re scared we’ll get rejected or we’re worried about what ...

A new year, and in this case a new decade, often finds us looking back on our lives and thinking about what we’d like to be different in the future. I always get intensively reflective around this time, looking at past mistakes and bad habits, but quickly shifting my focus to the year ahead and setting new goals and commitments.

As a small business owner, profits mean having superb skills in your line of business. This is definitely a big asset, but sadly not enough to create success. The plethora of competition and the turbulent markets add tremendous obstacles to making it big.

Take a look around you. What do you see? Do you see a life filled with happiness, joy, abundance? Now take a look within. What do you see? Does it match the outside? I bet it does. Life is full of ups and downs, happy times and sad but what goes on in our head and heart is what is going on around you. The way you think about yourself and the world is what you will have in it. You and only you can bring changes and happiness into your life. You need to be the one to take contr

Are women really cut out for entrepreneurship? What advantages do women entrepreneurs have over men? rnWomen...I love them. I respect them. But I don’t understand them. Every internet marketing guru will tell you; you gain respect from the readers of your articles if you are perceived as an expert on the topic. Well... that blows me out of the water. In fairness, I understand women as well as any other man. Not a good start. But coming off a low base like that, what I do un

With protect profits always top of mind, small business owners are advised to be vigilant against possible threats and adversity. Adversity is a potential problem for a small business. You’re not sure where it came from, how much it will cost, and when it will end. Left unchecked it can undermine gross sales and eventually profits. But prepare yourself; because adversity or bad PR of any type is almost unavoidable somewhere along the line.

As a small business owner focused on profits, looking at your daily to-do list can find you loaded down with many issues to tackle during your day. This can take you far off your primary profit course if you let it. After all, you have to handle customer service issues, respond to potential business ventures, deal with your team – and you have to be on your best game and impress your customers or clients with the best possible product, delivered with impeccable service, in an overall friendly environment, every day.

The Art of Active ListeningnnThere is an old German proverb that says “No man has learned to speak well until he has first learned to hold his tongue.” But many of us are so used to speaking with others throughout the course of a day, and so eager to get our opinions heard, that we tend to forget that there is an art, and a vitally important one at that, in active and constructive listening. Active listening is a skill that, if we use it wisely, can give us a distinct adv