Different isn't good or bad...

Throughout our lives, we develop our own definition of normal. We grow to associate ourselves and our personal experiences with "normalcy" and "good" and anything else is "bad" or "weird".

While in Japan, I was thrown into a sea of things that were completely from everything I knew as "normal". I've always realized that good or bad is a meaning we assign and not one inherent to any situation or idea, but this concept was underscored while roaming through the streets of Tokyo, unable to read signs, watching people bow to one another, and seeing vending machines everywhere. The kneejerk reaction is "Whoa, this is weird." but the reality is that it's different.

Noting the difference between "weird" and "different" creates a paradigm shift that empowers us to take our tinted glasses off and see the world more objectively. Doing so prevents us from suffering needlessly in situations where we have the power to assign a meaning to a situation instead of feeling victimized by the circumstances in our lives.

Consider this next time you find yourself in the middle of a seemingly unpleasant situation. Rather than jump to the conclusion that the situation is "bad", take a second to evaluate the potential upsides and then test the assumption that the situation is negative. Ask yourself, "What if this is a good situation, working to my advantage?" and operate from a place of knowing that God has you in the palm of His hand and that everything is happening in divine order and divine timing.

Later.

Guess Who's Back?!

Please forgive my absence. Besides being incredibly productive, I took the trip of a lifetime to JAPAN!! It was an amazing journey, and I had a wonderful time.

I'm excited to share some observations & reflections from the trip. You'll get to see my video diary where I shared Inspiration Notes in real time, and I'll be blogging about the experience here as well.

Today, I want to share the importance of courtesy and being well-mannered. In Japan, there is tremendous emphasis placed on respect, honor, integrity, and courtesy. I was impressed and excited to observe how the Japanese relate to each other and even to foreigners.



I have returned to the States with a new understanding of what it means to respect another person. After all, bowing to everyone you meet puts things in a very different perspective! I've gained a deeper understanding of what it means to honor the divinity in another and today, I encourage you to look for opportunities to honor the people around you. Common courtesy goes a VERY long way, especially when you're in a new place. Simple things like a smile earned me the good graces of many people.

Decide today to be more patient, more giving, more loving, more respectful. Make a commitment to being your best, not just with those you know personally, but with everyone.

And to get you started, here are a few ideas:
1. SMILE! A smile is the shortest distance between you and another person. Warm your heart and others with a smile.

2. Consider others before you act or speak. In America, we're obsessed with ourselves - how we speak, act, dress, think, etc. Spend some time considering others and how you can improve their lives. By giving away love and goodwill, you create more of it for yourself.

3. Act intentionally. Haphazard busyness from day to day not only drains your energy, it also keeps you on a hamster wheel that doesn't get you anywhere. Slow down in the morning and spend time thinking about what you need to get done that will be truly productive, not just busy.

4. Disagree respectfully. Even when you have to deliver unpleasant news or make a request, you can do so in a respectful way that also honors the other person's needs.

Remember that the only love you keep is the love you give away!

Later.

Super Sunday Quote!

Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Super Saturday Quote!

Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there.

New Video - Empower Yourself in 2010!

Hey everybody!

I created a special video to share my empowerment formula for success in 2010. I've witnessed amazing results using this simple formula for myself and people I've coached. I very highly recommend using this formula in 2010 to take your life to the next level.


Watch the video here!

11 Tips For Achieving Prosperity in 2010

1. Decide to be prosperous.
We already know that in order to achieve anything, we must first make a decision to do it. We must then believe that that achievement is possible for us. This is also true of prosperity and abundance. We must DECIDE that we will indeed be successful and prosperous. In committing to being prosperous, we can move on to do the things that will enable us to be prosperous and then have prosperity.

2. Develop a positive mindset
When you think of money or your financial situation, what comes to mind? How do you feel? We all know that we attract what we think about and what we focus on. Therefore, our focus needs to be on the things we want to invite into our lives instead of things we are seeking to avoid. Practice thinking positive thoughts about your financial situation and your life. Doing so will enable you to see solutions and opportunities more clearly.

3. Start talking about money!

How many of us grew up avoiding the topic of money? Did our parents and other adults speak openly and honestly about money or was it hush hush? In order to get a fir grasp on where we are financially, we must be willing to be honest with ourselves and our financial managers by being willing to open up a bit about our financial situation.

You never know where your blessing may come from so even though it's not necessary to wear your salary on your sleeve, it is wise to discuss financial matters with a spouse, mentor, or financial advisor.

4. Use strong, affirming language when you talk about money.

Your tongue and your words are extremely powerful! Do not take this for granted by speaking negativity and lack into your life. If necessary, post affirmations around your home that keep you focused on being, doing, and having more and then read them aloud as necessary. Get in the habit of using positive language as it relates to your finance. Putting abundance out into the atmosphere will result in the manifestation of the same.

5. Be open to opportunities.

Turn your opportunity radar on and up! When you become conscious of your own abundance, you also increase your sensitivity to new opportunities to create abundance in your life. Prosperity often lies dormant around us, but we do not see the opportunity because our paradigms are not programmed to recognize them. To relate an example, what was once just baking soda in your cupboard may now be a teeth whitener, clarifying hair treatment, and facial scrub. If you were unaware of the many benefits of baking soda, you may have left it sitting there unused. However, once you are in tune with the possibilities, you can find new uses for an old product. This principle also applies to abundance and prosperity. Look around for new ways to create abundance from old opportunities!

6. Take action!

What are you waiting for? With the holidays upon us, many people will begin putting things off until the New Year. Resist this temptation. There is no time like the present to get started achieving your goals and creating prosperity. Begin today, even if you only make a list of the different things you would like to do going forward.

7. Know exactly what you spend each month.
Oftentimes, we spend the money until we run out without thinking about what we're spending it on or why we're spending it. A pack of gum here, a bottle of conditioner there can add up quickly. Tracking your spending for 30-60 days can really help you get a grip on what you're spending money on and what adjustments can be made.

8. Know exactly what you earn each month.
Many ladies on this board have side hustles and multiple streams of income. There are also artists and creative types. Generally, this kind of thing results in a fluctuating income. It is important to have an understanding of our "fixed" income and "variable" income in order to budget properly and assess areas that need special attention. We may discover that we are simply not earning enough to cover all of our expenses or we may see that while we are earning plenty of money, we are misusing it.

9. Calculate the difference.
Know whether there is a surplus or deficit in your income. Do you need more money to cover your essentials or do you need to cut back on frivolous spending? Knowing the difference between what you earn and what you spend can go a long way towards achieving prosperity.

10. Track your net worth.
Add up all of your assets then subtract from that number all of your liabilities (debt, loans, etc). This number is your net worth. It is completely irrelevant what this number is...the important thing is that you know what it is so you know how to go about increasing it. This number does not in any way define you...it's simply a tool, like a credit score, that can help you develop yourself financially.

11. Focus on being rich, not looking rich.
Ask yourself how much you are spending on things you don't really need. Think about the clothes you have and are not wearing. Consider the money you're spending on lattes, nail polish, and entertainment. Are there ways to cut back? This doesn't mean you can never live well and enjoy the things you have. It means that by avoiding being wasteful, you can increase your ability to establish and maintain wealth.

Don't Create Resolutions This Year!!

This piece came directly from my Inspired Living E-zine. If you're feeling excited about 2010 but want to focus your energy, give this a shot. I recently heard that in the absence of clarity, it's impossible to tell the difference between an opportunity and a distraction. Be specific about what you want to see happen this year and be sure you're willing to trade something you have now to get it! Happy New Year!

This week, I’m offering you 4 practical tips for making 2010 your best
year ever. Regardless of what you want to see happen this year, you can
position yourself for outrageous success.

1. Mine 2009 For Lessons. What did you learn this year? It’s easy to
run through a mental list of what went well and where you could improve,
but seeing things on paper is powerful. Take time today or tomorrow to make
a physical list of 4 things
-Your successes from 2009
-Your challenges from 2009
-The areas where you improved the most (from one point to the next)
-The important lessons you learned in 2009
2. Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions. Decide what you want December
2010 to look like. Use the 6 key areas of Inspired Living as outlined in
Divine Inspirations or the free e-book you got when you signed up for this
list. Resolutions are traps. They create a desire to achieve something
meaningful, but they don’t contain the means to achieve the desired
result. Instead of resolutions, use the VGPA system for making things
happen in 2010.
Vision – Create the vision for 2010. What will success look and feel
like for you this year? What are you willing to exchange to get what you
want? Be specific with the details of your goals.
Goals – Set goals from those visions. For instance, if your vision is a
toned, healthy body, set goals that will help you accomplish that. Perhaps
your goal would look like this:
Health goals – lose 20 lbs, exercise 3 times per week, drink 1L of
water daily
From there, you’re empowered to make things happen because your goals
are specific and measurable.
Plan – After the goals are in place, then create a plan to make the
goals happen. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Be sure that you
spend the necessary time thinking through how you will make your goals
happen. Simply visualizing and hoping won’t work! Create a plan and
then…
Make It Happen – No plan works unless you do! Get going! You’ve got
an amazing vision, great goals, and a well-laid plan. It’s time to pound
the pavement and to leverage your personal power for success. Don’t allow
half the year to blow by before you make moves on creating the next chapter
of your life.
3. Educate Yourself. Learn all you can about the subject matter of the
goals you set. Remember that readers are leaders, and that knowledge is
power. You can’t create an exceptional life if you don’t know what it
takes to get what you want. Invest in yourself and learn all you can to
become the best person you can in 2010.
4. Empower Yourself. Use all of the tools at your disposal to increase
your odds of success. Take the necessary steps to set yourself up to
succeed this year.
-Write your goals down. People who write their goals down achieve much
more than those who don’t. Take the time to list your goals and review
them daily.
-Visualize your goals. Spend time seeing yourself achieving your goals.
Take a few minutes each morning and each night to contemplate your goals
and see yourself inside of your future success.
-Create a vision board. Grab a piece of poster board and attach pictures
and words that reflect the goals you want to achieve in the 6 key areas of
Inspired Living. Use this vision board as a tangible reminder of everything
you’re working towards in 2010.
-Find a coach or mentor. Connect with someone who’s done the things you
want to do and create an alliance with that person. Remember that success
leaves clues and another person’s experiences can empower you to achieve
more, in less time.

Give yourself every chance for success this year. You deserve to “live
the life of your dreams”, and I’m committed to supporting you in 2010
as you reach for the starts.

Inspired Journaling Prompt: Write about your vision for 2010 and write
about why you want to see those things happen in your life.

Inspired Action: Use each of the 4 key success tips from this week to set
the pace for 2010. Make 2010 your best year ever and commit to your goals!

Until next time, be inspired!