Having fun has it’s benefits.

According to this simple experiment, individuals in Stockholm found that by making it fun to take the stairs, 66% more people choose to take the stairs versus the escalator.

See how they made it more fun in this video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

When new business owners are struggling to get new business or are not enjoying the financial abundance they desire, they often blame either their own lack of expertise or their lack of marketing savvy. They then seek out more training, believing that more education is going to solve their problems. But in most cases, the lack of business and financial abundance has very little to do with their competency as a coach, healer, trainer, sales professional, etc.

This was my experience. And I’ve seen this same trend in the clients I support.

From my own experience, I’ve noticed that my belief in myself -  belief in the value I contribute to others – has a lot to do with how much or how little business I enjoy.  When I was overly critical of myself… when I told myself I wasn’t ready…  when I was worried that my services and products were not good enough or I was afraid of how I would come across… I did not have many clients and consequently cash flow was slow. It did not matter how much I invested in marketing training or how much marketing I did.

When I did get opportunities to gain additional exposure (i.e. radio interviews, joint ventures), I wasted these opportunities and wasted time. I held myself back, telling myself that I didn’t have it all together yet.

Because I sabotaged my belief in myself, I sabotaged opportunities for growth and abundance. Basically I was telling the Universe that I wasn’t worth it… yet.  So the Universe put new opportunities on hold. It patiently waited until I was ready. I’m sure there were clients who wanted to work with me but received the energetic message that I wasn’t ready.

However, once I changed my belief of myself, once I chose to be confident in myself, once I believed in the value I offered others, clients miraculously started to flow in.

How about you?

Do you believe in yourself so much that you are willing to do anything to put yourself “out there”?

Or are you holding yourself back because of fear – fear that you’re not enough, fear of what people will think of you, fear of looking stupid or sounding stupid.

The truth is that you have so much to give. And when you give all that you think you have, you will tap into even more.

If you don’t step out and share YOU and your passions, you are doing a great disservice to the world.

You are uniquely you. You are a gift to this world. It is time that you share who you are. It is time that you put yourself in the spotlight. And when you do, the world will support you with an abundance of clients.

What one thing will you do today to share ‘the gift of you’ with the world?

What do you think of when you hear the word prosperity? Most people immediately think of money and finances. In reality prosperity is more than money. It’s about well-being in all areas of your life – health, wealth, business, and relationships.  We are in total control and creation of our lives, and I believe prosperity describes our true nature as limitless spiritual beings. Our beliefs create our reality.

Taking a close look at your beliefs about prosperity will allow you to prosper. The dictionary definition of prosperity is a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in finance. Imagine feeling successful and flourishing in all areas of your life. The suggestions below will get you in the habit of feeling prosperous no matter what’s going on around you.

Stop striving for perfection!
Perfection is just an illusion. Just when you think you’ve got the right formula for success, something changes.  Many people focus on getting things done perfectly — that alone can hold you back from taking action.  What is perfection and who decides what’s perfect and what isn’t? Prosperity aligns itself when you follow your heart, doing your best instead of holding back until its perfect.

No more multitasking
People have a tendency to do a million things at once rather than focusing on completing one task at a time. This cycle will make you feel like you’re spinning your wheels but not getting anywhere, without enough time to get everything done. Start completing one project at a time and you will see that you get more done, and faster.

It’s more than positive thinking
I’d love to say that positive thinking will make you feel more prosperous but if that were true, we’d all be winning the lottery because of our thoughts. Taking time to acknowledge how we really feel, and then choosing to see a more positive perspective, is much more beneficial than just forcing yourself to find the positive in every single experience.

Ditch the mind chatter
Do you say things like, I can’t afford it, money is tight, I have so many bills, with this economy…? Stop these vicious thoughts and validate them by taking the time to understand what you’re feeling and how you can change your current state.

Slow down and stop rushing through life!
When you take time to become aware of what’s going on around you, you will notice things that you never saw before. Being grateful for all that is already in your reality is a positive step to realize how prosperous you really are.

Look through the eyes of a child
Young children have the attitude that anything is possible. They don’t have the same limiting beliefs that tend to accumulate over the years. Hang out with a young child for an afternoon, and you’ll at least feel a little lighter, get a few chuckles and see another perspective.

Celebrate YOU
Everyday, you are a success. You’re building a business and creating a joyful life. Start celebrating all that you are and do each day. When you start recognizing how much you bring to this world, even more opportunities for prosperity will come your way. We get so much done in a day that we never take time to appreciate and value the many things we do accomplish.

Two nights ago, the Chicago Bulls played the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the first round of the 2009 playoffs.  I happened to turn on the TV and see the game with about 5 minutes left.

Because I grew up in Chicago, I was cheering for the Bulls (and it creates an interesting dynamic since I’ve lived in Boston for over 14 years and my wife was cheering for the Celtics.)

This 6th game was very exciting. The Bulls had built up their lead by 12 points with approximately 5 minutes left in the game. They seemed to have a good control of the game.

But then my heart sank when the Bulls were down by 8 with 3 minutes left.  The momentum was now on the Celtics side. And I was about to text my brother saying that I thought the game was over.

How little faith I had… because the Bulls came back. But then the Celtics came back. Then the Bulls… then the Celts. Back and forth it went. When it was all said and done, the Bulls won by 1 in 3OT.

So, why am I sharing this story with you?

I saw very clearly that this game was a reflection of how many of us could live our lives.

In our lives, we each have our ups and downs. For some reason, when things are down, we panic and worry that it will last forever. We give up. Lose hope. Beat ourselves up.

But for what? This type of reaction does not support us.

Had either team lost hope and gave up, we wouldn’t have had the exciting game that we had. This game showed me that even when a situation may not look good at the moment, it will change.

And often times when we are faced with a challenging situation, it forces us to dig deeper inside ourselves to connect to our inner strength and passion that keeps us going.

We just need to have faith in ourselves and not give up. So, if you’re faced with any situation you don’t like, have faith in yourself that you can lift yourself out of it. The situation is there so that you can learn to count on yourself and remember what you’re made of.

And who knows, perhaps on some higher spiritual level, the Bulls and the Celtics were not just competing against each other in this Playoff series. Perhaps, they were helping each other connect to their inner strength. They were helping each other see what they were made of.

One of the goals I declared in my 90-day challenge is to become more active.

So I made myself get up early this morning and go to yoga class. While I was doing the exercises I noticed that my mind was wandering and thinking. I kept on bringing my awareness back to my body and the present moment but it would continue to wander off.

But then about 20 minutes into the class, something clicked and I was completely present. My mind quieted down and I was feeling completely blissful.

At this moment, I had the ‘a-ha’ that if we get into the habit to establish a specific rhythm for ourselves, it is easier to fall back into that rhythm when we notice we’re out of it. (So if I had been consistent with keeping myself present, it may not have taken me 20 minutes to get my mind to quiet down.)

Eventually it becomes natural for ourselves to be in that rhythm. That is the dominant pattern/habit we set up for ourselves.

I left my yoga class feeling completely centered, grounded and at peace. And as I write this, I am still in this space. It is a wonderful space to be in.

This concept of establishing a rhythm affects every area of our lives. Everything is energy. Energy vibrates at different frequencies. We experience each frequency differently.

Think of your heart beating. It has a rhythm or frequency. Don’t you notice the difference with how you feel based on how slow or fast your heart is beating? There are palpable changes in your body.

If you are someone who is always on the go, racing from one place to another, never taking time for yourself, always worrying about what’s going to happen next, etc. etc, then you have established this pattern for yourself. This is your natural rhythm. You will easily fall into this routine. And as a result, you consistently feel stressed and overwhelmed. You may have a faster resting heart rate and higher blood pressure too!

Conversely, if you are someone who takes care of yourself, takes time to appreciate what you have, gets excited about good things in your life, values yourself and uses your time and money consciously, then this is the kind of life you experience because you’ve established this pattern or routine for yourself.

Like attracts like.

Therefore, to change any situation in your life, you need to break the current established pattern by replacing it with a new pattern that you desire.

If you want to experience more prosperity (whatever prosperity means to you), you need to consistently take steps which support your vision. Replace the habits that are influenced by ‘lack thinking’ with habits that promote abundance, value and possibilities.

The little baby action steps you take consistently over time will establish a new pattern for your life. You will be establishing and reinforcing a new vibe for yourself and as a result, you ‘attract’ more of the same. This becomes your natural consciousness.

Establishing a rhythm that you desire also creates another benefit. You don’t experience the roller coaster of emotions that one experiences as a result of ’stop and go’ action.

So…

What kind of life rhythm do you want?

And what action steps will you take today to either establish this new vibe or reinforce one that you already have?

We would love to read your thoughts. Please comment below.

Have you noticed all the complaining going on around you?

I’ve noticed it a lot on Facebook (which is why I was inspired to write this article.) One person updates their status by complaining about something. And then I see updates from other people joining in on the ‘fun.’

What is this joy of complaining?

Why do so many people like talking about their day to day life as if it is a burden? Why do people allow outside influences, such as the economy, market chaos, friends, family, etc, to make them feel bad? Why do people talk about what’s wrong all the time? What is the benefit to all this low vibrational verbiage?

For many, it’s a way to get attention, to not feel alone. It is the way that people are used to connecting to others.  And it works! When someone is complaining about anything, that person can almost always find another person who will share a similar view or share something worse!

Like attracts like. The more someone complains, the more that person finds something to complain about. And that person will attract others of similar energy. It’s like a super virus. The more you are exposed to it, the worse it gets. And even though you get attention through all this, it drains your energy. In the end you don’t feel that great.

Fortunately, you don’t need to bring your ‘vibe’ down to get the attention you want. There are other ways to feel supported and connect to others. And there are other ways to look at what is happening around you. Just because the circumstances are not exactly what you would like to see doesn’t mean you can’t still be happy.

If you choose to focus on the positives, like still attracts like. You will get more positives. You feel good. You will gain support and attention from those who love to feel good, lifting your vibes even higher.

So, how do you move beyond complaining to enjoying life? Below are 3 simple ways.

#1 Be Grateful
Focus on all you are thankful for. No matter what the experience, you can find the good. The more you do it, the easier it is to do. Gratitude heals.

#2 Breathe
Most of us walk around holding our breath, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead, remember to breathe. It brings you back to the present moment and away from the fear/worry of the past/future. To breath is to inspire. Inspire yourself today.

#3 Healthier Choices
Complaining is a choice. When you notice the complaining bug is back, stop and choose another view of the experience. Just like a coin has two sides, you can always find another side to what is happening. Hint: Choose a side that feels good

As always, if you found this article helpful, please comment below. We  always love to read your comments.

Listen to Julie share her story about being a ‘crazy busy’ mom and entrepreneur and learn a few tips on creating balance even when you feel you have too much to do.

(Length: 41 minutes)

In a previous post, I talked about the importance of having prosperity consciousness. Today, I am happy to have found this quote from the blog Adventures in Creating Nirvana that succinctly explains what prosperity consciousness is.

The strongest single factor in prosperity consciousness is self-esteem: believing that you can do it, believing that you deserve it, believing you will get it. – Henry Gillies

It’s unfortunate but many individuals go through life with low self-esteem; they believe that they are not worthy or that they are not good enough. They have lost faith in themselves. They believe that they have to struggle to get things they want. They don’t value themselves. Etc. Etc. Etc.

When people have these beliefs (or really any type of belief), they are in a sense sending out signals to the Universe that say, “Bring me more of this.” It’s the Law of Attraction in action. So what happens is that people create situations that support their belief systems.

So, let’s say Johnny doesn’t value himself, then he may create experiences where other people don’t value him; Johnny may work hard but get paid very little; He may feel like he is being taken for granted. Because Johnny holds the belief that he is not worthy, he will continue to create situations that support this belief.

It is then sooooo important to become aware of your belief systems. They play a big part in what you create on a daily basis.

Now back to prosperity consciousness.

If you can just believe that you can do anything, believe that you deserve everything and believe you will get whatever you want, then there is nothing that can get in the way of creating your dream life. This to me is true prosperity.

Someone who has these beliefs activated in him will attract situations that support his beliefs. Whatever he wants, he just ‘puts it out there’ and trusts that it will come to be. It’s like turning on the kitchen faucet and just expecting that the water will flow out. Everything he does will be enhanced by his prosperous belief systems.

How to Eliminate Poverty Consciousness and Manifest True Abundance
By Margot Zaher and Jafree Ozwald
www.EnlightenedBeings.com

Have you ever wondered how poverty consciousness is created and what you can do to step out of it?  Sometimes it happens that we become overly entangled in the material world and get wrapped up in feeling that we always need more money.  This idea of lacking money sends toxic stress chemicals to the brain causing the body to fight or flee for its life.  Anytime we repetitively feel that there is not enough of “this or that”, it forms a chemical rut of impoverished thinking in our body-mind which depletes our energy, manifesting vibration, and financial outlook on life.  Every time this lacking feeling is regurgitated it creates mini “poverty attacks” in the inner world, which eventually manifest into physically lacking finances on the outer world.  The good news is that this entrapped cyclical experience is only here to give you an experience of what you don’t want, so that you are inspired to one day become clearer on what you really DO want!  The enlightening secret is that this pattern is easily shifted by simply refocusing your awareness OFF of neediness and ON to feelings of gratitude and appreciation.

“We are what we think.  All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”  ~Buddha

When you put your attention on feelings of acceptance and gratitude for what you do have, you start sending positive expansive feeling based chemicals directly into your brain which are felt throughout your body.  The more frequent these “appreciation chemicals” are produced, the happier you become and the higher your manifesting vibration grows.  This vibrational inner shift causes you to physically attract that higher paying job, a huge contract, that wealthy client who loves you, or a sizeable check from that special person in the outer world.  Even though your financial situation may be struggling, impoverished, or absolutely bleak for years, it really does not matter.  You can instantly shift into the experience of feeling more abundant and start manifesting abundance!  Simply refocus your attention for 24 hours on deep feelings of appreciation and gratitude.  Choose to focus on ANYTHING that you can authentically feel deep gratitude for.  We live in an abundant conscious Universe.  With patience, you will soon begin to see these physical manifestations of abundance come your way.

“Look within, see The Divine Self.  Only then there will be an end of the world and its miseries.”  ~Ramana Maharshi

There is an ancient golden secret to breaking out of the prison of poverty consciousness forever that we’d like to share with you.  This secret is to ONLY measure your financial abundance based on the quality and quantity of ABUNDANT FEELINGS you are having.  Meaning that your outer wealth is never going to be 100% trustworthy measurement of how abundant you really are.  Anything and everything in the outer world will be taken away from you one day.  Abundance based on resources from the outer world is illusory, and is a form of impermanent abundance.  The true permanent state of richness only comes from being connected to the divinity within.  Appreciating what is here now or the goodies that are coming your way is the fastest path to getting there.  Yes, there are many multi-millionaires in this world who aren’t very appreciative, still don’t FEEL rich and are conti nuously striving to become wealthy.  Even though they have plenty of dough, they are still letting themselves remain entrapped in the realm of poverty consciousness.  Consistent gratitude is the easy track to ending poverty internally and externally.  When your abundance is measured by how deeply you FEEL abundant and how often you visit this feeling, then your experience of being rich is truly unstoppable.  This is the most direct path to financially magnetizing massive abundance to you in the outer world.

“You are not inferior Beings in need of enlightenment…you are not misguided children trying to find your way home. You are powerful Leading-Edge creators riding the most significant wave of expansion that has ever occurred.”  ~Abraham-Hicks

Now that you know this secret, be curious about the beliefs you are repetitively having about your current financial situation.  We all have hidden beliefs that are running the show behind the scenes.  If somehow you have a deeper belief that you must work harder in order to be truly successful, then that is exactly what you will create.  Go deeper inside.  Explore what is beneath those old paradigms that make you struggle more, work harder (and not smarter) to achieve unnecessary stress and make you feel less successful and abundant.  There is a much more expansive, empowering belief system available.  You can begin to form these new beliefs today by living as if you have already arrived at this abundant life that you love.  So start relaxing while you’re at work, appreciating that electric bill that gives you light.  Go and have that special experience that you’ve always wanted, and really enjoy this amazing body and creative mind that have been freely given to you!  As you consistently appreciate this divine manifesting vehicle that you are living in, you’ll notice how each day of your life unfolds itself in the most magical and abundant ways.

Have an Amazingly Appreciative Abundant Week!!
Jafree & Margot
www.EnlightenedBeings.com

“Your prosperity consciousness is not dependent on money; your flow of money is dependent on your prosperity consciousness. As you can conceive of more, more will come into your life. There is an ocean of abundance available! There is plenty for everyone. You cannot rob another and they cannot rob you, and in no way can you drain the ocean dry… there is always more.” ~ Louise Hay