In order to get what you want, you have to know what you want. That seems simple, doesn’t it? However, sometimes what we think we want isn’t really what we want.

A simple exercise that has helped me see what I want is to take a walk – by myself and without headphones. I take my dog. She is quiet, wags her tail when I talk to her, and seems to appreciate the flowers and trees we pass. If you don’t have a dog, take a walk anyway or find a quiet place where you can be alone and think for 15 minutes or so.

As I walk I think about my life as it is and how I want it to be. Since I’ve been doing this, my life has greatly improved. It is an attitude adjustment exercise. I think of all the great things I love, and the things that aren’t so great. I decide what I want my life to look like; then I can work on that. Read the rest of this entry »

Hidden Treasures: Heaven’s Astonishing Help with Your Money Matters
Hidden Treasures, by Leslie Householder, is a fantastic book when you are ready to live your life on your own terms. She expounds on the law of attraction discussed in The Secret. Many people start visualizing what they want, but they don’t understand the rest of the process. A friend of mine, Denise Webster, likens The Secret to an appetizer, while Hidden Treasures is the soup and salad. After I explore the “meat” of the process with Leslie Householder, I’m sure you’ll read about it in my blog.

Leslie’s book has really helped me get my business on track as I  have discovered how much my state of mind affects my actions.

Thanksgiving is a time when we all get together with family and friends and eat a big meal. At our home we have a tradition of writing things that we are thankful for on small pieces of paper and reading them. This got me thinking about many of the things as a small business owner that I am thankful for. Read on and add your own personal things to be thankful for:

*a country where I can start my own business

*my home-based business so I can be home when my children are ill

*freedom to worship God as I choose

*computers

*books

*my car

*great neighbors

*my copy machine

*my cell phone

*indoor heating

Some of these things may seem trite – however, in America we are truly blessed and have many things, large and small, to be thankful for.

Meditation is part of my daily routine. I call it my happy pill. It helps me feel happier and be more successful at the things I need to accomplish that day. It also helps me to be calmer when the unexpected occurs. It helps me feel less anxious and find solutions to problems easier. So what exactly is meditation?

Meditation has been practiced for hundreds of years as a form of religious practice.  It is believed to be rooted in Eastern religions such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, but has also been an element of Judaism and Christianity. Many practitioners claim it is a deliberate way to alter consciousness.

Many people are not aware of meditation’s religious roots; however they are aware of it as a way to relax and get in touch with their feelings. Being able to control your thoughts is also a goal of meditation. Transcendental meditation is probably the most well known form of meditation.  In this type of meditation a person sits in a comfortable position with their eyes closed and repeats a mantra such as “ummmmm.” This mantra can be spoken vocally or just thought in your mind. A true disciple of transcendental meditation will attend a formal training program and have a personalized Sanskrit word or phrase. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes when our expectations aren’t met, we might find that our attitude suffers. A good friend of mine feels that unmet expectations are the cause of most disagreements. I have thought about this a lot during the past week and have discovered its truth. I have also discovered a remedy – gratitude.

Do you ever feel picked on?  The other day my 10-yr old daughter was feeling especially picked on at school.  She and three of her friends had a tiff, some angry words were spoken, and two of the girls ran off. My daughter felt sad. After school she thought about it a bit. She realized how grateful she was for her friends. They were great friends, and she wanted to get along with them.

She decided to make up with her friends the next day. She would apologize for some things she said. She would tell the other girls that some of the argument was her fault. She looked at her own actions and analyzed them. (Needless to say, I was very proud of her!) She realized that part of the problem was she had expected her friends to behave differently. This caused her to have a bad attitude, which affected how she acted. She was able to see her own actions more clearly after she felt grateful for her friends. This feeling of gratitude changed her attitude. Read the rest of this entry »