Real Fun

Here's a challenge that I found on The Sue and Steve Show:

How to play the Prosperity game:

You simply pretend that everyday you’ll receive a new sum of money. On day 1 you’ll receive $1,000; day 2, $2000; day 3, $3,000, and so on. Your job is spend all of the money delightfully every day. No roll overs. No savings. Spend every dime/ penny that day. Try it out for yourself. It’s wonderful. I love trying to figure out how to spend amounts like this. GO BIG!


Who's going to play with me?

Tell Me About Your First Time

Firsts are always memorable, aren't they?  The newness, the fresh perspective of an experience, it's great.  One question that I always like to ask people I interview is:

Tell me about the first time you can remember earning money?

The reason I ask them that is to see how entrepreneurially wired they are.  A lot of people tell me they are entrepreneurs.  They want the perks of being your own boss but they really aren't ready to handle the responsibilities of it.  Usually when someone tells me they started earning money when they were kids by mowing lawns or babysitting or even better setting up that lemonade stand, that tells me they have the entrepreneurial gift.  They just have a burning yearning for freedom and they are the type of people who will work their hiney off to get it.

Does this mean there are no exceptions?  Absolutely not.  There are those folks who never had a job until after college and they turn out to be quite motivated also, but let the record show that is definitely an exception.  There's no right or wrong or good or bad, it just is.  We need both independently motivated business owners as well as employees, that's how the world turns. 

The first time I remember making my own money was when I was 7 years old.  I have always been a reader and had accumulated a lot of books.  I probably had about a hundred or so sitting in boxes in our basement.  My friends and I were hanging out down there to get out of the hot, sticky New Jersey summer weather and I spotted those books just sitting there collecting dust.  A light bulb went on and I grabbed my friends and put them to work.

I instructed them to load the books onto a cart with wheels and we carried that loaded cart out onto our street.  I lived on a dead end and I told these girls to knock on the door and ask the people if they wanted to buy a book.  I ended up with close to $20 from visiting the neighbors on my street.  I think I sold each of the books for one dollar a piece (and yes I knocked a door or two myself).  When we made our way back to the house we carried the cart with the remaining books inside and I handed each girl ONE dollar for their efforts. 

They were fired up and went on their way while I counted up my earnings.  Not only did I want to go make money, not only did I take on the inventory risk, I knew the power of leverage!  I knew that I could pay two people one dollar each and enjoy my time, rather than sweating a task I really didn't enjoy and only get paid that one dollar.

Is it fair?  Of course it's fair.  It's business.  If you're an employee you don't take any risks.  You show up, you do your work and you get paid.  That's how it works, that's what employees sign up for.  If you're the business owner you take on all the risk.  Inventory, overhead, insurances, etc.  You then train all the people to run a system you spent the time designing and rent their time.  All the profits from those efforts are yours.

So it's in you or it's not.  If it's not in you, remember that's okay, there's nothing wrong with that.  But if it is in you, make sure you're doing everything you can to let it come out.  Your greatest potential is yet to be unfolded.

Are You There Blogger? It's Me, THE Reader!!

My sporadic posting has resulted from working on another project that has taken up a lot of my time right now.  I will gladly unveil this project to you in about two or three weeks when it will be ready to be seen by the world! (Dant da daaa!)  But until then, I have been popping by your web pages to get inspired.  Blogging right takes a lot of time and I am so proud of the consistent examples some of you show!  Keep it up and stay tuned for the big news!!

What is Normal?

What is normal to you is enthusiasm. What is normal to you is laughing a lot. Many, many times a day. Feeling strong and secure. Feeling so much self-confidence, so sure about who you are, that when you look at others you're always in a position to uplift them.




What's normal for you is to have so much energy that at the end of the day you are still looking for things to do. Having such a passion for life that you're eager to get together with other people to hear about what they're doing, to see if it's anything you might want to turn a little of your attention to. To have so much energy at the end of the day, that you're already eagerly planning tomorrow. Feeling disappointed that the sun goes down and enthusiastic the sun comes up.



What is normal is a zest for life beyond anything that most of you, over eight years of age, have remembered or felt in a long, long time. That's what's normal.



It is our anticipation that 30 days of talking the resistance down, to feel a little better, and writing on the Universe's side of the Place Mat what you'd like the Universe to work on--will put most of you in a position 30 days from today of feeling an enthusiasm for life unlike anything that you've felt for a long time. Give that six months and people won't even recognize you as the same person, truly.



Abraham-Hicks G-7/6/95 Calendar pg. 765

Are You Stuck?

For today's post I couldn't resist sharing this article written by Darren Hardy on Success Magazine's Blog.  Enjoy!

Are You Stuck?


By:  Darren Hardy, potential


I saw something absurd the other day. A highly engineered and specially designed high-performance race car stuck on a 35-mile-an-hour downtown street.

That is not what that car was made for. That is not what its creator (Enzo Ferrari) envisioned for it.



This 6-speed, F140 Aluminum V12, 4700cc engine with 660hp was built to go 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and race at 217 miles an hour (2010 specs). But here it is… stuck.



I see this absurdity every day.



But not only in the streets—in office cubicles, conference rooms, huddled behind computer screens, and dragging luggage through airports.



People who were specially engineered and designed with special talents, skills and abilities who are traveling down the wrong road, with their potential stuck in first gear; trapped and unable to race.



That is not what their creator had envisioned for them either.



Are you…



1. Stuck. Traveling down the wrong road? Are you in a job, company or business that has you boxed in on the slow lane? Is it keeping you from being able to get out of first gear and challenge your greater abilities?



Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the road the car is on.



2. Traveling with Pintos? Are you going slow because you are keeping pace with ordinary cars, when you were designed for racing?



Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the cars it travels with.



3. Are you even aware that you are a race car? You were specially engineered and designed for speed… to race. You were built for greatness. I’m not kidding. You are a miracle of machinery. Yes, you… the one reading this. It’s likely you have never even experienced half of what your top speed is.



Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the one given the responsibility to drive it.



If you ever really gripped the wheel, braced your neck and punched the pedal with all your might… the awesomeness of your innate potential will shock and exhilarate you.



Punch it. NOW!



Who else do you know has greater innate potential than they might realize or be utilizing? Forward this post to them: http://darrenhardy.success.com/2010/07/are-you-stuck/



So, are you stuck? Are you on the wrong road, traveling with the wrong people, unaware of your true greatness? In the comments below share with everyone what you are going to do to “punch it” in your life, starting now.

The Places We'll Go & The Things We'll See

There was a game I remember from long ago when I was in middle school called, “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego.” I think the point of it was to answer trivia questions about different parts of the world and by the clues find out where this character was stationed. The thought of that game brought some memories and desires right up to the surface for me.

Traveling is something I love to do. It’s not just about the destination. The entire process that starts with booking your flight, packing, the airport, the hotels, etc. is thrilling. How fun is it to escape and put yourself into a different portal for a bit just for the purpose of exploring? There is so much out there for me to see and I look forward to going many places.

Here are the places I have been:

In the USA (Not counting cities I’ve just driven through:o):

New Jersey

New York

Florida

Maryland

Washington D.C.

Pennsylvania

Massachusetts

Georgia

Utah

Colorado

Nevada

Arizona

California

Outside of the USA:

Slovakia

Czech Republic

Guatemala

Germany

Austria

Switzerland

Spain

Oh how teeny tiny that list seems to me, especially considering how vast this universe is! Here are some places I am eagerly awaiting to travel to:

In the USA:

All the rest of the states

Outside of the USA:

England

Egypt

Brazil

Portugal

Cambodia

Thailand

Fiji

Bermuda

Mexico

Holland

Italy

India (I especially want to go here)

And the list will go on and on…

There is still so much to see and do. Where have you been? Where would you like to go?

Carbonation is an Abomination

Okay, maybe the title is a little harsh, but really something needs to be done about the amount of carbonated beverages consumed daily...by me.  Yes, my weak link in my otherwise amazing character!  I love soda.  I love it in all colors, sizes, flavors and brands.  It's delicious and deadly!

Take a look at what Global Healing Center says about the ingredients in the product:

INGREDIENTS IN SOFT DRINKS-A WITCH'S BREW

High Fructose Corn Syrup, now used in preference to sugar, is associated with poor development of collagen in growing animals, especially in the context of copper deficiency. All fructose must be metabolized by the liver. Animals on high-fructose diets develop liver problems similar to those of alcoholics.

Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a potent neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor.

Caffeine stimulates the adrenal gland without providing nourishment. In large amounts, caffeine can lead to adrenal exhaustion, especially in children.

Phosphoric acid, added to give soft drinks "bite," is associated with calcium loss.


Citric acid often contains traces of MSG, a neurotoxin.


Artificial Flavors may also contain traces of MSG.


Water may contain high amounts of fluoride and other contaminants.

Ugh!  Nothing too exciting, is it?  Let's not mention the fact that soda causes an exorbitant amount of weight gain!  Hello, is that not the cream of the crap right there?

Why so fired up about this poor product that seems to have been an innocent bystander until it fell under the house of this post?  Yesterday I was sitting on the porch sipping a grape soda.  Not my favorite in the world, but it does the job.  I was merrily whistling through my evening enjoying a nice Summer night when I flipped the soda can around to the ingredients.  Normally, I see the calorie amount anywhere between  120 and 140.  I was appalled when I saw the calorie amount on this grape soda was 220! 

My head whirled and began calculating.  If I have to shed 3500 calories to loose ONE pound and I'm consuming on average 2 cans of soda per day, what is the net result?  Well, let's just say that the average caloric intake from my soda consumption is at 300 per day.  That equals 2100 calories per week!  So think of the progress if I completely eliminated it from my diet!

Of course that can be easier said than done, just like when it comes to changing ANY kind of habit.  But COME ON!  I didn't even love the grape soda, I was just drinking it, well, just BECAUSE!  It grossed me out to think of the crap entering my precious only body and I really wanted to make a change.  Not only will it help me look better and feel better; this change can help me realize that I'm strong enough to do anything else I put my mind to.  So, little by little, here begins a new journey.  Ain't life grand?

Will Smith Actor, Singer, AND Philosopher?!?

I'm a big fan of positive thinking and such. I really believe we can change the course of our own lives and that the world is the way we perceive it to be. Half full or half empty? It's all up to each one of us. Some times you find quotes or books or people who inspire you in your pursuit of achievement.

The following is a video well worth the watch. Will Smith is an awesome actor, successful not only in career but family as well. I really like how in sync he and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith seem to be. Hey, no body's perfect, but we all have strengths. Some of us choose to work on those strengths, some of us don't. Here's how someone who chooses to work on their strength thinks...

Change

Change is a good thing.  Some times we have to convince ourselves of that, but most of the time looking back, we're all the better for it.  One client I had is a pastor of a church.  He is probably one of the most charismatic people you could ever meet and his family is incredibly genuine.  He explained to me about a custom they have in their services.

The band starts playing a familiar tune and then the pastor stands up and proclaims that it's time to walk on change!  What a great analogy, I thought.  Walk on it, like you can conquer it!  It was a great symbolic sentence.  However, they do it literally!  When he makes that statement, members of the congregation take out the change from their pockets and they begin to walk on it...literally!  He reassures those who do not have any spare change on them, by explaining that they can reach into a bin in the room full of change.  The coins they collect then become their own.  At that point they have the option to keep it, or throw it down with everyone else.  After the process is complete, he has volunteers going through the aisles scooping up the change.  That money of course is used as a charitable gift which sustains the church ministry.

Isn't that a powerful example of what it means to "own" change?  After all it is inevitable.  Things will move on and move forward.  We can fear it, or we can celebrate it.  We can try skirting the issue or we can WALK on it!  We can certainly be bigger than any obstacle in front of us.  If we don't feel like we have enough in us to change, we can borrow strength from someone else until we have our own. 

It's actually pretty exciting when you think about it!

NaNoWriMo

One thing that lays on every writer's heart is to eventually actually write a book.  Many a people call themselves writers, yet feel the task of book writing to be incredibly daunting.  Well, I'm here to tell you that writing a book is no big deal.  That's "write" (wink wink) it's easy!  I can confidently say that because I, my friends, have written my first novel.

Here's the catch.  Writing a novel is easy, revising and editing is the challenge.  How do you get through the initial task of putting your story down on paper?  The most important item you would need is accountability.  You read that right.  It's not a good plot, not a computer, not even research or ideas.  Although each of those are important and can make your process much smoother.  You need someone, something, some place that will keep you going even when you don't feel like it.  Once you get your story down on paper, the editing can begin. 

I wrote my first novel thanks mainly to accountability.  Who was I accountable to?  Well, not really a person, per se, but an event.  Every November it officially becomes NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  It's an even where you as a writer log in and create a novel, from scratch, between the days of November 1st through November 30th.  You can friend people, sort of like you can on facebook or twitter, and you can see their progress and compare it to where you're supposed to be.

This was an amazing tool in finishing my novel because I always wanted to keep pace with everyone.  Since I'm competitive it was nice to have a benchmark to work against.  I am the type of person who figures that if one person can do it, then so can I.  My dream of writing can only begin if I put pen to paper. 

So, even though we're a few months away from NaNoWriMo, start getting in gear for it.  The challenge is incredible and the rush is amazing.  Then, once you're done, once you have your entire story on paper without worrying about editing it until every word spits out of you, then you can begin to revise and start planning on what you'll wear to your first book signing.  Hmmm, what will I wear???

Creating a Mission Statement

Having a personal mission statement has been on my list of things to do since for-eva ago! I have always thought the concept of such a thing was valuable, since having direction and purpose always yields much more lasting and meaningful results. I have come up with several demos and have thought them to be pretty good, however, never truly felt connected to any of them.


I once heard the quote: "A leader makes decisions quickly but changes her mind slowly." This statement impacted me in regards to developing my mission statement. I figure it is better to begin somewhere with one and then as I progress through my life I can evaluate how it is performing for me.

What does a personal mission statement have to include in order to serve its purpose effectively? Well, the deepest requirment I feel is the ability to make you think about the moves you make in life. If you have a meaningful mission statement for your own life you will always be able to move from where you are to where you want to go because of the phrased you coined to lead your life.

Also, I think it is perfectly okay to borrow another mission statement. If you hear a statement that rings very true for you then go ahead and use it as your own. The purpose is that now you have a MISSION! That you are not just a casualty walking aimlessly through this precious gift of life, but you have direction and purpose.

Finally, a mission statement shouldn't be more than one or two sentences in length. If you walk into some businesses you would see some of them with opposite thinking.   You'll see some mission statements that are paragraph lengths long and very tediously padded with huge words. What happens after you read (if you are even motivated enough to read them) a lengthy statement promising profits to the company and satisfaction to blah blah blah?  You never remember them, and you need to make sure the same mistake doesn't happen with your statement.  Mission statements need to motivate you toward them, not bore you by sentence number forty four.

So what is my mission statement? Drum roll please....

"To inspire people to move in the direction of their dreams by constantly moving in the direction of my dreams."

Is it a perfect final draft? Most likely not. However, instead of just continuously aiming for who knows what, now I can begin in a solid direction. I want to inspire people to lead fulfilling lives and help them to feel free and to love life. The best way I know to do that is by being an example of doing just that for myself. Have you created a mission statement for your life? Put one together today and live by it, remember you can always reevaluate and change it later, the important thing is to take action now.

29 on the 29th

My birthday was on the 29th.  It was my golden birthday as I turned 29.  I remember that turning 25 had a weird impact on me.  I felt then as if I was really leaving the adolescent world and entering adulthood, regardless of the fact I had been out of college and married 5 years by then.  It was all about the number.  Well, I've just turned the age that I will say I am for the rest of my life, "29" :o).  This time, I feel great about it!

Getting older today means something different for me than it did a few years ago, and surely that emotion will continue to evolve.  I'm excited about my age, I'm looking forward to the next 10 years.  There is going to be some monumental shifts in my life over the next year that will set up my third decade on this earth.  Getting older really just means getting wiser.  All the experiences that have brought me to this point in my life (though some I would never ever want to ever experience again...did I say "ever"?) have made me into the person I am today.  How can any of that be bad?

It's a good day folks!  2010 is mid way through, which means we have half the year to go.  How are you doing on your goals?  Are you excited about what you can achieve between now and New Year's Eve?  Remember, the "how" isn't as important as the "what".  Know clearly what you're aiming for and along the way you'll find the strength and skills you need to make it happen!

Leaders are Readers

Last year I set a goal to read 50 books.  I fell short with 36, but I didn't feel like a failure.  Actually, I was proud of myself for keeping a steady pace of 3 books per month.  From those books I took away a lot of wisdom and implemented several processes which I think have made my life better.  So at the beginning of 2010 I threw out a goal to read 50 books...again.  It will be June in a couple of days and I've gotten through 4 books.

This may seem like my reading effort has drastically fallen off of the face of the planet, but it hasn't.  I read A LOT.  It wouldn't be too far of a stretch for me to say I invest about 3 hours per day (MINIMUM) reading.  What do I read?  Blogs, Websites, Magazines, Essays, Articles.  I read very frequently (thanks to having a smart phone with internet access readily available).  I subscribe to SUCCESS magazine, WOMEN'S HEALTH magazine, and the O magazine, and I read about 80% of the issues each month.  I search and find many helpful Self Improvement Blogs and Websites. 

So, if I were to compare my reading activity from last year to this year so far, I would easily have to say I read MUCH MORE now than I did before...even though it hasn't been in the form of books as much.  My quest in life is to continually pursue learning, one way or another.  My goal is still 50 books, though.  I do have a special place in my heart for pages I can flip compared to a mouse I click, so I have a deep desire to fly through some and devour the knowledge and creativity available for me.  It's just great that we GET to learn and have such easy access to it.

Atlantic City

Isn't it amazing that as soon as you put your mind to something it finds a way of crystalizing into your actual "reality"?  Well, not long ago I decided to focus on some of the goals I came up with to achieve within the awesome year of 2010.  One of my goals was to take 4 trips.  I had one down, and three to go.  One of the locations I wanted to go spend time in was Atlantic City, NJ.  Last weekend, I got to cross that one off the list.

Not only did we get to go, we got to go for FREE!  Your mind is an amazing thing!  We got a free room and free dinner and lunch, so off we went.  I dropped my babies, aka dogs, at my uncle's house and we hopped in the car for a two day adventure.  We landed at the Tropicana Hotel and checked in.  The room was gorgeous.  It was big and the bed was H-U-G-E!  Can't beat that.  We freshened up and went to play at the casino.  Oh, we're not gambling fools, but some Texas Hold'em and good ol' Black Jack is always fun.  We retired to our room at about 1:00 AM and rested up for the next day.

In the morning we packed up and loaded our stuff in the trunk of our car.  We actually had a business meeting in Atlantic City that day, and although that may seem like "work" to some people, it was actually the highlight of the trip.  We got to hear from motivated and successful leaders from the company and it totally jacked up our energy level for the rest of our stay.

We headed back to our hotel after the meeting for some late lunch/early dinner at the buffet and stayed to play a little longer.  In the interim we saw the boardwalk and enjoyed the sights of the beach and that neat town.  All I can say is that your intentions are powerful.  As soon as you can start to focus on goals, they will have to come to you because that's how life works.  It's inevitable!  So, instead of focusing on what we don't have, let's focus on what we want and enjoy an awesome life!

Travel the World

Oh, I almost didn't want to write another post just because my dream house post would then keep moving to the bottom of the pile.  I think I will randomly put pictures of the house throughout future posts, and unless you've read about it you might scratch your head and be all, "What's a picutre of a house doing in a post about a dog park?"  It can be our inside joke for future reading!;o) 

However, my fingers were itchingly longing to write about more!  So, I took a look over yonder on the 'Goals for 2010' link and realized it's about to be MAY and I only have one of those suckers crossed off.  Being Vegeterian now doesn't even seem fair to me to have considered a goal.  I thought it would be a difficult task and it would take a lot of work.  Nah, I'm actually very liberated by it, and don't miss the meat in my diet at all.  It kinda grosses me out, actually.  So now I am expecting that pursuing the rest of the goals on that list will be as delightsome.

I noticed that I so boldly decided to make it a goal to go on 4, yes FOUR trips this year.  Since I moved to NJ, I cannot really consider that a "trip", however I decided to consider my visit to NYC as a trip.  After all, I did the whole "trip-py" thing.  Went to a local restaurant, comedy show, took pictures and almost bought an I HEART NY T-Shirt.  So, by my standards, it qualifies.  However, I need to fill my slots with three more.  This year, they will all be in the US of A.  Here are some ideas:

San Diego, CA (then I can go drive by MY house & check it out also:o)

Las Vegas, NV

Oklahoma City, OK

Orlando, FL

Chicago, IL

Pittsburgh, PA

NYC, NY

Atlantic City, NJ

Los Angeles, CA

Moab, UT

These have to be TRIPS, though.  Not drive throughs or anything.  Spending at least a weekend doing the stuff people do on trips.  Sightseeing, eating at local joints, mingling with locals, etc.  San Diego is definitely a destination that will be happening, now the only thing to figure out is when and where the last two places will be?

MY Dream Home

Ladies & Gents, allow me to introduce you.   This ^ is my dream home.  As far as I'm concerned it is already mine.  I know where it is (about 30 miles from San Diego), address and all.  It was built brand new in 2008 and was on the market for just under $6 Million.  I am not going to build a house like it, or gather some ideas about what I like about this one and build it into another house, nor am I going to build an exact replica of this house somewhere else (i.e. cheaper).  This is my very house.

If it was purchased by someone else, they are just occupying it in the meantime.  In the next several years I will be the one to answer the door to this place when you ring the bell (after you get past the security guard, of course:o)

Originally, I had cut this picture out of a dream home magazine when I saw it, because I LOVED everything about this picture.  E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.  Even the lone palm tree standing watch right outside my front door.  It's beautiful.  I used to look at the picture often, and in the process of several moves I stashed it away in some binder.  Until...

A few nights ago I dreamed about this house.  I dreamed a dream where I was in it interacting with family.  When I awoke, I didn't have the sensation of "OH, I wish that hadn't been a dream, it was sooo nice," rather I had the sensation of, "Wow, I can't wait to move in there!"  And I tore apart my (already torn apart) closets to find where I had laid this photo.  BAM!  I found it.  Now it's on my desktop, my cell phone wall paper, and a binder.  This is my house, I'm looking forward to moving in.

Will Smith

Cannot get enough of this one.  I love, love, love his message here.

Will Smith;  The Alchemist

Goals for 2010

1.   Do a split

2.   Become Vegetarian

3.   Read 50 Books

4.   Get an article published in a Magazine

5.   Find a Literary Agent to represent my work

6.   Read 3 Jane Austen Novels - Completely!

7.   Increase my Net Worth by $40,000

8.   Go on 4 trips

9.   Give a random family $100 at a checkout

10. Get Lasik