Boo Activities

OK, A little away from business success here; Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so I won’t apologize for creating a post that has a little Halloween fun in it. Use your knowledge of leadership (keep an eye out for my next post series that discusses this very topic) to get this started in your neighborhood, workplace, etc.

If you want to get your neighbors or co-workers in the Halloween spirit, be sure to engage them in a little game known as "Boo!" It's a popular game in some parts of the country, while in others, nobody has heard of it.

You might live in a neighborhood where you think nobody will participate in a round robin type of event as this, but you might be surprised. Sometimes during the holidays people will step up and get involved where before they wouldn't. It's possible, anyway and with you being the successful leader that you are, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal for you to get this going.

The game goes something like this, and then I will be described in more detail later. You print up a few poems and instructions on colorful paper (likely, orange). You get a treat bucket, or bowl or something and fill it with candy. You can also "Boo" people with candles, Halloween socks, and really whatever your imagination comes up with. You "Boo" two people at a time, leaving the items anonymously on their doorstep, desk, etc. You leave it with the instructions and the poem and hope they "Boo" other neighbors, co-workers, etc. Once you are done, you tape up a large "Boo!" on your door or desk so they know not to hit you up again.

Specifically, here's how it's done. Start this game around the very end of September or very beginning of October. If you want until everyone is decorated for Halloween, you're probably too late. You want this to spread around the neighborhood and that takes time, so you want to start it right as the season starts (or a little before, perhaps) and just as people are starting to think about Halloween. If you start too early, however, you might be out of luck as far as being able to purchase items.

So, it's the right time of the year and you're ready to go. Find a "Boo" poem and photocopy it. There are many variations of the poem. Here is a sampling:

 

"Boo!

To our good friends on the street;

Our homes' locations made us meet;

You now have been Boo'd, but who would we be?

We'll never tell, it's a secret, you see.

We placed these goodies for you and yours;

Then we ran fast, after knocking the door!

Happy Halloween!"

Or it might be a bit longer, something like this:

 

"The air is cool, the season fall

Soon Halloween will come to all;

The neighbors are after things to do

In fact, a neighbor brought this to you;

"Boo" is a sign of friendship power

Just hang it up and watch it double by hour;

On your front door is where it works

It wards off solicitors and scary jerks;

The treat that came with friendly note

Are yours to keep; enjoy them both;

The power comes when friends like you

Copy this and make it two;

Then others here among our friends

Will give warm fuzzies that will not end;

We'll all have smiles upon our face

No one will know who "boo'ed" whose place;

Just one short day to share your Boo

You must be quick so they don't know who;

And don't forget a nifty treat

Like something cute or something sweet;

Please join the fun, let's really hear it

And spread some "Boos" and neighborhood spirit!

 

 

Be sure to include a cute graphic of a ghost or something else that looks like it might say "Boo!" You might want to include some details on the flyer about what should be done next, in case you think the poem itself won't be clear enough. Then attach the poem to the goodie bag, basket, whatever you have created, and run out one night dropping your goodies on peoples' doorsteps. If you are just getting this started in your neighborhood, be sure to do more than 2 houses. You might find that some people don't participate and in that case, you want to have "Boo"ed enough people that you will get adequate participation.

What you're striving for is a neighborhood or office full of "Boo" doors by Halloween.

 

You Can Market Your Online Business Yourself

 

Online business is indeed a lucrative means by which you can make a comfortable living. In fact, thousands have been able to live quite nicely off of internet marketing. Those who have decoded the nitty-gritty of the trade (social media, PPC, SEO, etc.) have either attained financial freedom or are on their way to reaching that threshold. It gives at the very least the opportunity to design your life the way you wish with hardly anyone looking over your shoulder to order you around.

 

One of the peculiar joys of Internet marketing is that it puts you in charge literally of your destiny. You get what you input into your business; the internet has virtually democratized the business environment to a significant extent allowing, what one of my clients deemed, “allowing little fish to swim with the big fish and not get eaten”. So while you may engage a professional marketing outfit to handle your marketing chores such as Imagery Magic Solutions (shameless plug, I know J), you have an option of doing your own thing yourself. And this may give you a better sense of personal fulfillment. Honestly, that is how I got started in this, by doing it myself and moving into helping other people.

 

Should you decide to personally market your online business, you would have to consider a number of factors. Would you have the knowledge, skill, time and commitment to see through your marketing campaigns? The key is to make it personal. Give your own stamp of approval (a touch of self) in order to resonate to your audience that you are not a bot or a big faceless chain is in charge of your marketing. Barb Wade said it best:

 

“Always be yourself and there is no competition.”

 

The trick is to start simple. There are a number of cost effective methods and practices through which you can go about marketing your business to steady success, like reading my blogs (another shameless plug; when will it end?). One simple way is to include email signature lines in all messages you send out to friends and associates. Email Signatures simply contain your website address which others may see, visit and become interested in. It would be more effective if you have a separate email address for your official business name, but a good gmail account works just as well. When used in personal correspondences, it works wonders and you can hardly be accused of spamming since it is only a signature line and not an overt advertisement.

 

That leads me into email marketing. This has been a veritable tool for effective marketing of products with very wonderful and rewarding results. I have already written a few posts on email marketing, if you haven’t already check them out. This simple method allows you to alert customers to the availability of new products, lucrative offers and changes to established businesses. In fact, I know a number of very successful Internet Marketers who use this method almost exclusively and they have several successful sites to show for it. However, knowing the SPAM laws is important.

 

Another method you can use to enhance the visibility of your site is the submission of your website to Search Engines and Directories.

 

Whatever methods you finally choose to personally promote your online business will depend on your personal preferences as well as on the results that you are able to get from any or some of them. However, there is this joy and personal fulfillment that you get from running your own business yourself from wherever you choose and at the times that you decide. I love being able to take off whenever my daughter’s school needs help or doing short-term missions with my church.

 

I’m dating myself here, but as the old commercial said, “Try it, you’ll like it.”

 

 

I Learned Everything I Needed To Know About Business From Childbirth

 

Are you a Mom in business? Then you already know the secret of success.

 

What is it?

 

I have found, from my daughter’s birth, that everything you need to know about succeeding in business you learned from giving birth. No, really! From my wife’s cravings on up to the big day, there are principles that you learn along the way that coincide with business.

 

Principle #1: It’s going to be more work than you think.

 

I know you read about people who have an idea that "accidentally" makes them a million, much like your neighbor's cousin twice removed who had a 2-hour painless labor.

 

Don't count on it!

 

Your business is probably going to be more work than you thought at first. For example, whatever business you are going in to, you are going in to marketing, and you'll have to discipline yourself to do those things even when you don't feel like it. And there's a reason they call it "labor" also.

 

Principle #2:  It’s going to take longer than you think.

 

Yes, that's right. It's unlikely you'll be an overnight success. It will likely take you a couple of years as well as reinvesting in your knowledge and in your business before you realize your income goals. But that's ok because...

 

Principle #3:  It’s a lot of work up front but the prize is at the end.

 

And the prize is so worth it, isn't it? In fact when you get there you may have so much fun that you immediately begin planning another! Well, I actually told people who asked that I was holding out for a puppy, but the birth of my daughter was one of the greatest things, to date, that I have ever experienced and wouldn’t change a thing…well, next time I may have someone else in there holding her hand during the contractions.

 

In business, there is a lot of work up front, but once that baby is going, if you have the right strategies in place, it starts taking care of itself more and more as it grows, leaving you to enjoy it even more. If you aren’t and still feel like you are in the rat race, then you may re-evaluate your strategies, but more on that in a later post.

 

Principle #4:  You're going to look dumb sometimes.

 

That's right. Ever looked at photos taken right after giving birth? I don’t know who looked worse for wear, my wife or me.  Oh, and then there was me taking my daughter out of the room so my wife could get some sleep, only to set off an alarm in the hospital for taking the baby out of the women’s ward and me hanging half way out of the car in the hospital parking lot trying to get that stupid car seat properly attached…the list goes on.

 

You're going to make mistakes in your business. Get over it! You have a job to do. You don't have to look and sound perfect all the time. This is also a good reason to keep a list of goals, because, trust me, they will change like dirty diapers in the beginning.

 

Principle #5:  Be sure to surround yourself with people who have done it before.

 

Even with the help of the hospital, I was a nervous wreck so I can honestly not see how anyone could do it unassisted and I don't believe in going it alone with your business either.

 

Find a mentor. Go upline, downline, online, but find someone who is doing what it is you want to do and get his or her assistance. Subscribe to their e-zine or newsletter, find out if they do mentoring, study their techniques, etc.

 

Principle #6:  Tell anyone who has something negative to say or a bad attitude to go away.

 

You don't need anyone with bad energy present at your birth. They'll slow you down and stop the communication you have with your own wisdom. In fact, this is why most hospitals don’t allow more than one other person in the room while the delivery is taking place. Similarly, don't listen to people who discourage you with your business goals!

 

Principle #7:  Just when you think you can't go on….the worst part is over.

 

Have you ever thought about giving up in your business? It just seems like too much work, you're tired and want to go home right now!? (My wife had been induced and decided that she changed her mind after about 45 minutes) You're in an important transition. Keep your eyes on the end prize.

 

If you hang in there a little longer, take it one contraction…er, day at a time, you'll get the prize, and it will be so much more than you ever dreamed. My daughter has been and so has my business.

Leadership Quotes

 

Quotes To Motivate You And To Maintain Your Focus As A Leader

 

Would it not be great to have some leadership quotes that you can use when speaking with others or just to cheer yourself onward and upward? Possibly, these great quotes on leadership may help you.

 

This post on leadership aims to provide you with all the necessary matter you will need to understand more about Leadership.

 

Many times the words of others actually have far more impact and insightfulness than when those words are read within the pages of a dictionary. Quotations are rooted in actual performance, of leaders who have been there done that. They can be easily incorporate into everyday speeches or part of a training session.

 

Delving into the interiors of successful leadership has led me here. Leaders do indeed have a lot to tell.

 

These quotations help to define leadership to me:

 

Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right. ~Warren G. Bennis

 

Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done. ~Vance Packard

 

Leadership is all about getting results. ~Peter Drucker

 

Leadership is getting someone to do what they don't want to do, to achieve what they want to achieve. ~Tom Landry

 

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. ~Warren G. Bennis

 

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. ~Colin Powell

 

Consensus is the absence of leadership. ~Margaret Thatcher

 

If you are seeking the purpose of leadership, you may feel comfortable using these quotations:

 

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet. ~Theodore Hesburgh

 

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. ~Ken Blanchard

The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. ~Harvey S. Firestone

 

Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become better. ~Bill Bradley

 

We know that leadership is very much related to change. As the pace of change accelerates, there is naturally a greater need for effective leadership. ~John Kotter

 

Leadership demands that we make tough choices. ~Alan Autry

 

A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done. ~Dwight David Eisenhower

 

These are only a few and I could go on for hours with famous quotes from my mentors, and great leaders, but I hope that, from my writings, you develop a better understanding of leadership.

 

Or possibly you are trying to explain how to develop leaders within your business, organization or community? These quotations may help you achieve that goal:

 

The only real training for leadership is leadership. ~Anthony Jay

 

Leadership is the ability to do, not the ability to state. ~Paul Von Ringelheim

 

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army or in an office. ~Dwight David Eisenhower

 

Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned. ~Harold S. Geneen

 

Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It's being able to take it as well as dish it out. That's the only way you're going to get respect from the players. ~Larry Bird

 

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there. ~John Buchan

 

The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. ~Tony Blair

 

Keeping in mind the important points about leadership and how it plays an important role in success and creating a legacy for yourself and future generations, I hope this post on leadership proves to be very informative for you. Use these points well.

Why Leadership Is So Important

 

Success in this business world today is competitive. To be successful in your own business it is crucial to have the necessary skills, including personal leadership, to distinguish you from every other business. It is possible in any economy to have customers and make money as long as you have leadership skills.

 

In our competitive world today, leadership skills are crucial to any successful business. What is leadership? Leadership is commonly used to refer to activities such as conducting, guiding, or directing people; initiating activity. However, leadership is also used to refer to someone who is a leader. How can leadership be applied in so many ways and what constitutes a leader in all of these situations? The answer is contained in the realization that perhaps the most fundamental characteristic of leadership, and therefore of leaders, is personal leadership.

 

Some individuals are born leaders while others have to procure the skill and talent to successfully make their mark as a leader. It is obvious that some individuals have the confidence and the charisma to make themselves role models for others to follow. These individuals do not require much guidance in nurturing their inherent talent.

 

But there are scores of others for whom developing leadership qualities is key to their success. Leadership skill training is of immense significance in the present day corporate world. Leadership skill training is imparted to concerned individuals to help them derive the maximum benefit as far as acquiring leadership skill is concerned.

 

At times it is not very easy for new leaders to change their role from a contributor to a leader. Leadership skill training empowers an individual to have faith in others and also assists him in utilizing his time fruitfully with others by grooming people with the aid of guidance, help, and training.

 

These skills may be tough to acquire, so the switchover to the status of leadership can be very demanding and at times unthinkable in the absence of effective guidance and help.

 

What is personal leadership? It is the ability to lead others and yourself in the direction you want your life to take. The ability to define what you want out of life and how you are going to get there is the first step in developing leadership. It is only the beginning because personal leadership means: leading, directing and taking action; it means living each day to the fullest. It also means developing goals that you want so badly that you live each day with enthusiastic vigor for reaching your goals, yourself, and all who are close to you. Knowing what you want out of life; knowing what success is to you; knowing what your goals are; knowing that you are going to achieve those goals regardless of what other people think, say, or do, is the essence of personal leadership.

 

Personal leadership also means: accountability. It means that you have decided to use the talents that are unique to you and will develop them further to reach your goals; it means that you realize that you have the potential to develop further. It means that you have determined the course of your destiny; you are the master of your life.

 

Leadership training also helps leaders who have the inherent talent in themselves to advance their ability and a sense of judgment to transform themselves into leaders of great repute.

Leadership Just by Being You

 

Leadership is all about being you and demonstrating personal authenticity rather than learning some formula from a textbook.  Aspiring leaders therefore need to be true to themselves; not slavishly following other’s ideas. Role models can be powerful and it doesn't hurt to model excellence when found; executive coaching is based on this premise.

 

Real leaders are prepared to reveal their weakness, because they know they are not super-human.  Obviously this doesn’t mean technical weaknesses or functional failings; this would fatally flaw their performance.  Instead, what is meant is that leaders should reveal their personality quirks – maybe they are bad tempered in the morning, are somewhat shy with new people or a little disorganized. Such admissions show they are human and this resonates with others confirming that the leader is a person – not merely a role-holder.

 

Revealing their true selves, leaders can allow others to know and help them and this makes for better teamwork; followers can also feel better if they’ve got something to complain about. Thus by sharing at least some of their weaknesses, leaders can prevent others from inventing damaging problems.

True leadership is therefore much more than a demonstration of strengths. Real leaders acknowledge their shortcomings and may even make them work for them.

 

Good leaders always rely on their ability to read situations. They develop a ‘feel’ for an environment, and interpret soft data without having to be told. They know when team morale is patchy or when complacency needs shaking up. There are three levels of situational sensitivity, each of which has its own specific skills.

 

Effective leaders are continually learning about the motives, attributes and skills of their important subordinates. They get to know their people through formal and, often better, informal contact such as when travelling together.

 

Effective leaders read their teams. They analyze the compound balance between team members, the tension between the tasks and processes, and how the team builds its competencies.

 

Finally, they are concerned with defining the cultural characteristics of their organizations and keep their finger on the pulse of the organization’s climate.

 

It sounds tongue-in-cheek to say that leaders care for their people. Ever noticed the cynicism in the workforce upon seeing a manager return from a people-skills training course with new concern for others. Effective leaders don’t need a training programme to convince their employees that they really care. They clearly empathize with their people and care intensely about their work.

 

Genuine concern is difficult because it always involves some personal risk – showing some part of yourself and your most strongly held values can seem quite scary. It may also take some detachment – the ability to stand back, see the whole picture and sometimes take tough decisions. Leadership never was a popularity contest

 

Effective leaders use their differences and move on to distinguish themselves through personal qualities such as sincerity, loyalty, creativity, or sheer expertise.

 

Using these differences is a critical leadership skill. But, as always, there is a danger - too much distance makes it impossible to sense situations properly or to communicate effectively.

What Color of Leader are You?

 

You are a leader if someone is following you. This could be as simple as one person watching you and following your example and encouragement, to being a leader in your home, your community, your workplace or even your nation. Leadership can take many forms, but typically it often involves managing people; one of the most difficult of all tasks. It means coordinating and motivating the actions of others to achieve a common goal. A leader has to establish that goal, and gain the willing agreement of others to be governed by and work together towards that goal.

The style of leadership taken by any leader is usually predetermined by the personality and motivational values of that person. They are who they are, as a personality, and that has a strong influence on the way they lead and communicate with others.

The study of personality traits has been ongoing for centuries, and there is a great deal of agreement and disagreement in the conclusions and findings of personality characteristics. In this post I am going to refer to the different types of personality in color form, adopted by by Linda Berens and Don Lowry.

Every personality type has particular talents and skills that lend themselves to good leadership. Any form of leadership however, is greatly enriched and enhanced if it is able to draw on the strengths and characteristics of the other styles.

A leader who has a strong Gold personality type is personally committed and dedicated to the goal. They work hard, and expect their team to do the same. They lead from a place of belief that the work is important, and has to be done right. Gold leaders value tradition- the ways of the past are proven ways, and so they don’t take well to new ideas unless they are well proven to have potential.

Leaders with a strong Blue personality are motivated by their commitment to the people involved, and a strong sense of community. They have a democratic style of management, valuing the input of employees and team workers. Blue leaders tend to see the big picture, and have the ability to inspire others with the vision.

The strong Green leadership style also sees the big picture as well as the complexity of detail. Green leaders excel in strategy. They bring intellect, ingenuity and design into the leadership role. They research and analyze facts and concepts, constantly looking for improvements for working smarter rather than harder. Facts and information are all important to the Green leader, and they pay little attention to the value of feelings and relationships.

Action is the focus of the Orange leader. Administration and organization exist to make action possible. They are great troubleshooters. The Orange leader leads by example, setting the standard to follow. Orange management style can be quite authoritarian and abrupt as they are impatient with opposition, and expect their directions to be followed. Above all Orange leaders welcome change believing that the old ways can always be improved on. A new project represents, adventure, a challenge and potential fun, all of which the Orange personality thrives on.

Every leader has a combination of all four personalities, but one will always be the stronger, more natural way to operate in. A leader’s style may also be a blend of their main strength, combined with their second strongest style.  A wise leader will understand the strengths and weaknesses of their personal leadership style and use those team members with different styles to bring balance and greater efficiency in meeting the shared goal.

Lead by the Right Example

 

We’ve all heard that leaders should lead by example; that people pay more attention to our deeds than our words.  This is completely true.  What is implied by this truth, but not always articulated, is that people will follow whatever example we set.

 

To be a remarkable leader then, we must make conscious choices to set the right examples – to lead in directions we want people to follow.

 

The Caterpillars

 

Processionary caterpillars are an unusual species. They travel one after the other, head to tail in their search for food. It is because of this behavior that Jean Henri Fabre, the French entomologist, conducted an experiment.

 

He placed processionary caterpillars around the rim of a teacup one after the other in a circle. In the tea cup he placed their favorite foods, inches from their current location.

 

Through instinct and the strength of habit, the ring of caterpillars circled the teacup for seven days, until they died from exhaustion and starvation. They died with the food they were searching for just inches away.  Because of their nature and this arrangement they all assumed someone else was leading.

 

While we as humans are more insightful, complex and intelligent, our behavior, sadly, often mimics that of the processionary caterpillar.

 

We follow our leaders and habits blindly, without questioning if our direction will get us where we want to go. If we are leading we often rely too much on instinct and habit.  Perhaps worse, if we aren’t the assigned leader don’t think at all, assuming those who are leading are doing it well.  Perhaps they are.  Or perhaps you are collectively lining your own teacup.

 

Following blindly is dangerous enough for us as individuals, but can be even more devastating for us as leaders.  As leaders we are asked to lead people to a desired future.  It is rightly expected of us to do that with good information and a reasoned approach.

 

The Quick Trip

 

I was told a story a while back that fits so well with what I am saying here, so I will retell the story for you.

 

Many years ago I worked in a business with very difficult economics.  There was an opportunity to make a significant sale to a new Customer who happened to be located in Hawaii.  As a part of the negotiation for this long-term supply of product, they wanted to meet with our General Manager. 

 

Our General Manager flew from San Francisco early one morning, and with the advantage of the time zones, was able to meet with the Customer all day.  He then went back to the airport and flew home on the red eye.

 

He saved some money, no hotel stay, etc. – an important consideration in our tough business climate.  But the more important reason for the quickness of his trip was that he wanted to lead by example.  He told me later, “It was important for people to know that I went for the business, and not a mini vacation.”

 

The example he set made a difference for those he led.  Through his simple act, people re-focused on ways to improve the business and save money.  This was a manager who clearly led by example.

 

I could give you many other examples – some big and historic and others seldom mentioned – to illustrate the power of a leader’s correct example.

 

Your task though is to take what you already know, that people follow the actions of leaders and not their words, and use it to your advantage.

 

Stop today to review the direction you are heading as a leader.  Review the choices before you and make the best one, based not on comfort or habit, like the caterpillars, but based on the future result you desire. 

 

Make your choice and step boldly forward in that direction.  The combination of bold decision and action aligned with your words will be powerful, and will allow you to move people, and therefore your organization, in the right direction.

 

9 Secrets For Stress-Free Living

 

Stress-free living is not totally unattainable. As discussed in a previous article, some stress is good. In this article I am speaking about the bad stressors and I’ll give you some tips on how you how you can emotionally de-clutter your life and magnetically pull the things you want closer. So lets get started.

 

1) Accept the problem

You have to accept the situation to fully acknowledge it, you have to accept yourself where you are, no matter what - you cannot solve any problem without first accepting it, and yourself. We spend so much of our time trying to deny what it is that is causing us the stress, pushing it away, which only leads to more of the problem appearing in our lives. Very often simply acknowledging the stressor and accepting that we had a part to play in that stressor coming into our life is enough to see it for what it is, a situation that can be solved.

 

2) Appreciate the Stressor

I know, it sounds weird, but after acknowledging the stressor and seeing it for what it truly is, you can learn to appreciate the situation. Life is about learning. When you see the stressor for what it is worth, you start working out a way to eliminate that stress from your life. One of the fastest ways to attract harmony into your life is by learning to appreciate the good in whatever situation it is that life is presenting you with. Appreciation is the antidote to some of the lowest forms of emotions we are capable of e.g. shame, resentment, etc. By offering thanks to God for the lessons learned, you immediately begin to attract more of it towards you. Also, by appreciating the stressors, you don’t allow negativity about the stressors to depress you.

 

3) Happiness in the Struggle

The experience of working through a stressful situation brings joy when you overcome the situation. Why not start feeling that before the stressful situation is taken care of. Take on the attitude that you know the situation is almost over. Take pride in the small victories that get you closer to eliminating the stressors in your life. Focus your life on having more now-moment pleasure experiences, rather than accumulating reasons or things to be happy about. Life on this planet is short enough without wasting time worrying about future outcomes when it is just as easy to appreciate where you are now. No matter how many stress factors are in your life, there are always more that you could be having, always someone worse off than you, and always a way out of the situation that you are in, so be happy in knowing you are in a place to accomplish much.

 

4) Stay connected to God

Find your own personal way to stay connected to Jesus.  For many, this is prayer, music, song, etc. Get back to nature, memorize a verse a day, whatever it takes to keep you connected to the source of your salvation. Burn out happens way too often, because we give and give and give, while not allowing ourselves the opportunity to just be fed. The Lord of Peace gives us what we need to work through any stress factors that we have. Through Him we have awareness that we are part of a much greater purpose, something else, something higher than ourselves that makes our current circumstances trivial by comparison. Notice that the concepts are so connected even on a linguistic level. People are attracted to God because we recognize that’s where we want to be, we want to have those feelings, we want to experience that energy, because the energy, just by being in His presence, makes us feel better about ourselves.

 

5) Live in the moment

We only have access to our full personal power in the present moment. The extent, to which you are connecting, on some unconscious level, either into the past or into the future, is the extent to which you rob yourself of your present power. You are not going to be experiencing what it is that God wants for you; therefore you are moving your emotional point of attraction, into negative territory. Being in the present moment is the only way you can make an emotional connection to what it is that will get you past your current stressor. This type of emotional alignment cannot be achieved when your thoughts are in the future or past. Living with your thoughts at a future or past moment in time (a.k.a worrying too much on the past or the future), is entirely redundant in the process of being free of stress.

 

6) You can never be enough

You can never be sorry enough to change the situation. You can never give enough to make up for the past; you can never sock away enough to really secure your future. It is only when you allow yourself to give it over to God that you can see the present for what it is, a gift. It is only when you are allowing the yourself to see current stressors for what they really are, that you have the ability to gift it to others. Help others see stress for what it is. When your cup is not already brimming over, it is the fastest route to the emotional poorhouse. Others easily see through empty gestures, compliments, or favors; and, such gestures only blind you from your own emotional misinterpretations of your own stress. They are not useful, and serve no purpose in enhancing your life or others’.

 

7) Be selfish enough to line up with your intentions

This is important because it is only in your thriving that you have anything to offer others. If your own energy tank is not full, you have no business looking after the tanks of others. It is important to limit your own responsibilities to prevent emotions draining of self-worth etc. Remain present and in attendance to your own needs first and you will always give others your best, automatically.

 

8) You are not your accomplishments

Understand that you are not your accomplishments, what you do, what you don’t do, your beliefs, your ideas, your stuff or possessions, those are nothing to do with who you really are, they are the baggage you have picked up along the way, so stop placing so much worry in these things. They are nothing to do with the spiritual you who wants to feel good; and stay connected to Peace. Lose your ego, and take this attitude of freedom with you in your everyday life.

 

9) The journey is the destination

Many times our internal dialogue says “If only I had x, then I would be happy, or, “I’ll be happy when I’ve got…” As you go into the world and experience the contrast of your likes vs. your dislikes, through your everyday experiences, so a new want is born. Being able to see stress in the here and now makes you realize that the journey is the destination. Each day is another opportunity to walk with God and let Him help handle your stress. So enjoy the journey and don’t stress on the destination because we already know where we are going.

 

Bringing it all together

So how do we overcome the various stress blocks to pull greater peace and abundance towards us? Live in the present and take stress one day at a time, never give them more power than they really have.

 

If you have gotten anything from this series on stress or have anything to add, I would love to hear from you.