I want to offer some of my personal insights on integrity.

You may think integrity is morals. Having good morals. Being a good person. This is maybe what the dictionary says, but this post ain’t on having good morals or being a good person.

This is about the integrity you have with keeping your word, and in my opinion, it’s even bigger than keeping your word with others.

It’s about keeping your word with yourself – which I believe is more important than keeping your word with others.

Sometimes I feel I’m on a slow struggling SH*T Train to Integrity!

Let me share.

I woke up yesterday hating myself. Like, literally, mad, angry, upset, frustrated with myself. Sitting in a bath of self-loathing. Feeling unworthy, feeling stressed, feeling like total sh*t. Have you ever had a day like that?

I honestly rarely wake up feeling like that, but yesterday was one of those days. I want to say I woke up on the wrong side of bed, but that’s just a cop-out.

The next day, I went for a run. Running is usually how I work through my problems, my form of meditation; so I started digging deep. Why was I hating myself so much this morning? What happened to bring this on from the moment I woke up?

And then a few steps later it came to me, as the answers usually do when you ask.

I was not keeping my word with myself. I had made a plan on Friday morning to complete a specific project for work. All my projects are self-imposed because I’m self-employed. For me, it would be easier to have a real boss some days because I’m the perfect “yes” man! That’s my people pleasing disease still coming back to haunt me. I guess I’m not quite out of rehab yet. I find it easier to do everything for everyone else than to put myself first sometimes.

So Friday came and went. Then Saturday, I wanted to complete my project again. Self-sabotage endured. It took form in finishing half a season of Nashville on Netflix. If I’m being totally truthful, that was my way of hitting bottom. Usually by the time Netflix comes out, I’m already so mad at myself, that I just want to hide and crawl in my cave and get lost in other people’s problems as a way of avoiding my own. Nashville is a great show full of other people’s problems!

I realized Sunday on my run, that it wasn’t just the project I had not done. I realized that I had not completed my whole list of things (including working out on Friday and Saturday) that I set out to do that day. This entire list maybe would have taken 5 hours of my day in total, and I still would have been able to spend the rest of the day with my family. So what happened?

I had not set boundaries with myself.

I had not kept my word with myself.

I let my feelings run wild to decide what I “felt” like doing, and trust me, when left to our feelings of what we want to do, your days will probably end up like sh*t too! I’m sure most of us “feel” like doing nothing most of the time, or at minimum taking the easy way out. We don’t want pain and we sure as heck don’t want to work.

Sunday was an awesome day. I got off the Sh*t Train! I woke up early, planned my day, went for a run and got started on my list. I got everything on my little list done and felt like a million bucks! I kept my word with myself AND I even had enough time to take a Sunday afternoon nap outside for a few minutes and it was freakin’ glorious!

Doing something you said you were going to do, keeping a promise to yourself feels so damn good! It puts you in a happy state, a higher vibrational state, a deeply joyful state. This isn’t just for your benefit, this benefits others around you.

This is what you were called to do: SHINE.  You shine by being proud of yourself!  Trust me, the moments I’m so damn proud of myself I know I’m inspiring others to do the same. So be proud of yourself, complete your to-do list or whatever words or goals you promised yourself.

This also goes for making money, growing your money and keeping your money. You need to keep your word with the financial goals you set for yourself.

Isn’t it funny how when you save money, regardless of the amount, you feel like a million bucks?!

Set boundaries with yourself and others so that you can complete what you set out for yourself. Say NO when you have to.

Light is contagious my friends! When you are a light you will shine and brighten others around you. This is what lights were called to do: Brighten.

BOTTOM LINE: Keep your word with yourself. Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you can nurture. Integrity with yourself will allow you to be proud of yourself and then you SHINE!

Decisions! Decisions! What to wear? What to study? What to read? What to eat? What heels to wear?

A serious love/hate relationship there.

I love that I’m free to make decisions. I hate that I actually have to make them.

Sound familiar?

This morning already: I’ve had to decide what to wear, how to do my hair (or not do my hair!), what coffee to drink, what to eat for breakfast, and then figure out what I’m going to write on this very blog, then master craft word by word to this page. No wonder by noon on most days my brain is fried from making millions of small, somewhat insignificant decisions. I feel like I suffer from decision-making-hangovers somedays. Are you feelin’ what I’m sayin’?

Why is decision-making so difficult most of the time?

I know this problem all too well. The problem for me is constantly seeking the approval of others and the fear of failing. Maybe you can relate, or maybe your decision-making problem stems from not knowing what you really want.

If you fall into the camp of constantly seeking the approval of others then you are in good company.

For us camped out at “approval camp”, we need approval for almost all big life decisions and we rarely trust our own intuition. If we ever do venture out and make a mistake and fail, or make a decision that no one “approved” of and fail, then we feel that failure is branded on us for the rest of our lives. Of course, it is not really like this.

Making decisions, including financial decisions, are a lot like this. We feel we need the approval of others. We feel we need to be doing what our neighbors are doing so that when we fail, we know they failed too. It’s kinda like failure hurts less when you know it’s happened to everyone involved. You are off the hook and don’t have to take emotional responsibility for your failed issues.

I think time has come for most of us at “approval camp” to check out of checking in with others on all our decisions.

You have your own guidance system that is perfectly tuned into your channel, your desires. It’s time to tune in and listen for that inner guidance that won’t lead you astray, and stop asking your aunt’s neighbor’s daughter’s therapist who keeps cow dung on her mantle because it “looked” like the Virgin Mary for advice.

Practice making decisions on your own. You don’t need the input of others for your life. It’s a skill and skills requires practice, such as playing the piano or learning German.

Here’s the deal with decision making: just make the freakin’ decision already!

Make the decision to succeed. Make the decision to financially succeed.

Trust me! You will feel instantly better you did!

The beautiful thing is this: you don’t need to know the how. I still don’t know the how for so many of my big decisions. None of us do, really.

We are like the golden brick road layers. We lay one brick at a time. Brick by brick, stone by stone, we take a step on the path in the general direction to what we seek, to our goal. Only after we have laid many bricks, and have taken many steps do we look back and see the long road we’ve traveled.

2 Simple Steps You Can Take After Decision Making

Simple Step #1 – Declare Your Decision!

The first step that you need to take after you have made a decision is to write down what you want. This is your way of declaring to the world this is what you want. This is crucial to your success. Having it written down, or typed into your phone or on your computer is so important. You need to be reminded of your decisions. They don’t stick automatically and will be something you need to be reminded of and work toward every day.

Simple Step #2 – Schedule The Crap Out Of It!

One of the skills that I’ve learned in regards to decision making is to schedule them in your calendar once you have made them. That’s the first part of this equation. Then the second part is honoring yourself, by honoring your calendar.

This is usually a big part of most self-development and business courses I’ve taken in the past. Scheduling. It seems so simple, but we rarely do it. Myself included. I’m going to begin (again, for the millionth time) to write down and schedule the most important commitments. This does include saving money. Write down the date on your calendar that you want to save money on and how much. Remember, what gets scheduled gets done!

BOTTOM LINE: Make your decisions, declare them and then schedule them in. This quote sums it up best!

“The more you love your decisions, the less you need others to love them!” – Marie Forleo

This is a story of my friend. She is like so many women I know.

She is a lovely, wonderful human being. Someone you’d want to drink wine with, travel with and laugh with. Someone that is pleasant, funny, caring, and deeply loving. Someone that you’d want to spend your time with. She is like so many women I know.

She puts others first. She is organized. She is intentional. She works hard. She is not entitled. She is like so many women I know.

She takes care of her family. She puts them first. She is love and light to so many people. She is like so many women I know.

She is in great health. She exercises and eats well. She is beautiful inside and out. She is like so many women I know.

She lives in a beautiful home, styled just to her liking. She has a reliable newer car that she loves. She has a designer handbag. She always looks well put together. She is like so many women I know.

She has a job. She has a great career. She makes good money when she wants to. She has a small pension somewhere. She has saved a little. She has benefits. She bought life insurance. She is like so many women I know. She carries with her something she never puts down. She sometimes wakes up with this and goes to bed with it. It is like a small purse. A small purse that is with her always and over time begin to feels heavy. She holds the purse in one arm, leaving the other arm to work with, and when one arm gets tired, she switches sides, however, one hand is always busy. It’s annoying.  She has a great life, and yet she can’t seem to put down this small purse.

She carries with her an invisible heaviness she never puts down. She sometimes wakes up with this and goes to bed with it. It is like a small purse filled with heavy weights. A small handbag that is with her always, and over time she dresses it up and makes it look beautiful. Sometimes she trades it in for a designer clutch only to mask the heaviness she carries. She holds the purse in one arm, leaving the other arm to work with, and when one arm gets tired, she switches sides, however, one hand is always busy holding her heavy clutch. It’s annoying. She has a great life, and yet she can’t seem to empty or put down this heavy bag.

In that small purse is…

Shame.

Shame in feeling that she is not good enough. Perhaps shame in many areas of her life, or perhaps just one. Shame surrounding her financial mess.  Shame around money.  Shame around making too much or too little. Shame around saving too little.  Shame in feeling like she is not where she is “suppose to be”. She is like so many women I know.

How do I help my friend put down her small purse, or your large suitcase of shame. There is no shame in asking for help. There is no shame in starting from scratch or starting from zero. Everything starts from nothing.

Is shame keeping you from your dreams?

For my friends, my ladies, my girls, my babes…..listen very carefully. There is no shame in starting to invest at age 30. There is no shame in starting to invest or save or plan at age 50. There is no shame in this. There is no shame in asking for help, guidance, or mentorship. I say this as a person who has been there before.

What makes me an expert on shame? I feel shame. I feel shame that my business is not where I want it to be at. I’m not making as much money yet as I plan. I’m not cash flowing my millions yet (I was “supposed” to at 30). I also know that it will take time. It takes planning. It takes help, guidance, mentors and surrounding myself with a great team of people. I’m working on it. I’ll admit it.

I know why most people go to a faceless bank or invest online or don’t seek the help they need and invite an actual human relationship to help them financially or otherwise. It is because you don’t really have to show anyone that you have no money (or the money that you think you should have); that you aren’t really where you want to be financially at your age. (This goes for anything in your life: fitness, spiritual, relationship, business, etc.)

I know right now that I’m writing this not just for one friend, but for so many women I know. You need to hear this message. This message is for you. Don’t worry about the Joneses, because the Joneses are worried about the other Joneses down the street. Just worry about you.

I want you to get all that you want from this life, and yes, that does mean money.

For you my friend, today, whether you are 23, 33, 43, 53, or 63, as long as you are breathing it is never too late to learn more about how YOUR money works, and to make sure YOU are on YOUR right path to what YOU want from life.

Don’t let shame keep you from reaching your dreams.

Get yourself a cheerleader who believes in you, who wants to see you succeed and exceed all your dreams. Find someone who sees you for how great you are, and not just where you are.  Take small steps and set up an appointment with whomever will help you get there.

BOTTOM LINE: Turn your cute designer handbag full SHAME and flip it over and empty it out – then fill that cute designer handbag full of dreams and money to fund them! Take the one simple action today toward getting your financial house in order. You’ve got this!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY ELLEMENTS GROUP!

I had a lightning bolt moment a few months back. Probably around month 8 in my first year of business. I realized I was not selling anything. Totally frustrated because I have not made any money online, then I realized (because I am the genius that I am)…… I have nothing to sell. No, seriously, I actually have been running this business now for a year, and I have really nothing to sell!

Last year when I was in New York launching this business, I made a bet to myself that in a couple years my business would be cash flowing over a mil a year.

Guess what!?!

When you don’t have any products to sell, it’s going to be KINDA hard to make a million.

Okay, so before you think I’m a total dipshit, I must clarify, I do have many “products/services” to sell, just haven’t totally finished them yet….

And, no, I’m not a procrastinator at all, I’m just your regular entrepreneur with a gazillion ideas, and go in a million different directions at once.

Now the real miracle here is how I stay in business after one year with ZERO profits. Well, that’s easy. My regular financial planning biz pays all the bills on this biz. However, technically Ellements Group would be at least $20,000 in the hole this year (versus being at a flat zero, like it is right now.) if it wasn’t for my other business that I’ve built up over the last 16 years.

I’m happy to admit this. I am in great company by the way. 15% of all start-ups fail in the first year, and 50% of businesses have hit the hay before year five in Canada anyways. YIKES!!

So, if you’ve been reading my blog this last year, don’t be surprised if this year I try to sell you something, which will most likely be my book that will be out in a few months, among other amazing financial stuff I’ve been busy creating.

To let you know how much work goes into a website like this, let me tell you. I have spent over 1000 hours (for free – love child) on this website, building my platform, images, logo, back office, my entire WordPress site from scratch and all the lovely plug-ins, material, e-books, advertising, online courses and the list goes go on and on because I have done this puppy myself. By the way, this is HUGELY satisfying and I’m extremely proud of myself.

Last year, I mastered this whole online thing. This year, I’ve thrown myself into the self-publishing world. I like to play with the big dogs (which is really more like throwing myself to the wolves!) Go BIG or go home, right?!

Again, I’m not a total idiot since I do have an effing brilliant business plan and platform I am creating. I do realize this stuff doesn’t happen overnight. Writing a book alone and self-publishing it has taken over 3 years and thousands of dollars.

In case you were wondering – Yes, it is hard to run Ellements Group in my spare time after I’m done dealing with the demands of clients, kids and life. Luckily, I have lots of amazing help with all of this.

There’s also something I will tell you and the biggest most important part of this story. I’m not giving up.

YOU CAN’T GIVE UP ON THE PASSION AND DESIRES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO YOU FOR A REASON.

Quitting would be like dying. Stopping would be like stopping to breath. It’s a part of me. Sure, it may change shape and form a million times over, but it’s always a part of me, the biggest part of me and why I’m here.

Furthermore, I’ve poured every extra dollar into this business or my book, it’s okay. I made it through. Honestly, there’s something to be said about making it through your first year of business virtually unscathed. I’ve failed at many ideas this year and they are just leading me to what will work.

So, with that said, I’m going to take my amazing assistant out for lunch today, and we are going to celebrate with cake – but I will tell you right now, Ellements Group petty cash won’t be buying! 🙂

BOTTOM LINE: You gotta sell something. You gotta sell something!

P.S. I’m just getting started….

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK

“How do you keep your feet on the ground when you were born to fly?” – Sara Evans

I’m learning this. I have had my wing-trainers on, figuratively speaking, and have been a FIT (Flyer-In-Training) since I was 20. I know it takes pilots like 1,500 hours or something to become a professional pilot, however, I’m in hour 12,387 and I still have yet to leave the classroom or take off.

It’s like I’m missing the secret or I was sick they day the handed out the magic wings at school and have been left in the pixie dust ever since.

I was asked to give an empowering talk tomorrow for some amazing ladies. After doing my research, I realized that I know how to fly, but I’ve kept myself grounded for all these years.

Me. Myself. All my fault. All my responsibility.

I thought the secret to flying was persistence. I thought it was repetition. After all, it took Edison over 10,000 times to create the lightbulb, right?!

I have that! I have persistence and I work very hard! However, Edison and all the people flying around my head had something I didn’t.

It’s actually way easier than how crazy hard I’ve been making it out to be all these years.

It’s about trust.

It’s about trusting your gut.

It’s about trusting your instinct.

It’s about trusting your intuition.

It’s about TRUSTING YOURSELF!

ALWAYS!  FULLY! 100% COMPLETELY!

This means: DON’T LET THE OUTSIDE WORLD TELL YOU ANY DIFFERENT!

This means: DON’T LET WELL MEANING PARENTS, SPO– USE, KIDS, SISTERS, BROTHERS, COACHES, COUNSELLORS, BOSSES, CO-WORKERS, and FRIENDS TELL YOU ANY DIFFERENT!

This means: YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO NEEDS TO APPROVE AND TRUST AND BE IN LOVE WITH YOUR IDEAS for your business, for your body, for your life, for your money, for your investments, for your relationships, for your education, for your travels, for your home.

And trust me when I say this is HARD because the world will still throw out their opinions on your life, even when you have not requested they do so.

Are you trusting yourself or relying on others for their opinions about your life or your choices?

When I started writing my book, I had to trust myself without doubt. I was told by a few people not to do it for various reasons. One well-meaning friend told me that she wouldn’t be able to watch me ridiculed or criticized by other people in our industry. I haven’t had to deal with the ridicule or criticism yet but welcome it when it comes my way. I’m also super good with my book, because I didn’t write it for other professional advisors – I wrote it for people who didn’t know the first thing about money or financial planning and want to get their financial life in order – and after you read my book, you will realize, it’s really not a money book at all (spoiler alert!). And even if the whole world hates it, ‘my book is better than the book you haven’t written.’ (I heard that line yesterday and totally loved it!)

So how do you fly? You have to trust yourself beyond question, beyond all doubt. You have to trust yourself day in and day out and never give up on yourself and the ideas, dreams, and plans you have made for yourself.

Don’t give your personal power to the opinions of others – no matter how well-meaning. 

BOTTOM LINE: If you look at your life and your dreams right now, do you think that the only thing holding you back from letting those dreams, ideas, goals, plans take flight is TRUST IN YOURSELF?

On Saturday, June 4, 2016, I ran a 10km race.

Poorly. Unrefined. Awkward. Flailing. You get the idea.

However, I walked away (okay, so it was more of a crawl) from that run with some great insights on life that hit me in the face, kinda like the pavement at the end of the race… so I share:

1. You Have to Keep A Leader to Follow

I can’t lie. I was in a bad mood before I started the race because they said the participants could not wear headphones. I freaked out. THAT IS MY SECRET SAUCE to running long distances: Music. Getting lost in slow country songs. No, Yeah, I’m weird. But I’ve learned high vibe songs wear me out super fast, and after all, I’m running longer distances, so I listen to slower paced, deep feeling and deep thinking songs, usually about lost love, lost dogs and lost trucks. It works for me, helps me keep the pace, and above all, helps me not hear myself breath. Yup, that’s the real secret. Music loud enough that I can’t hear myself be out of breath which tricks my brain into thinking that I’m not actually working hard or out of breath. Naturally, having to run without music was crappy; I had to improvise. So, I picked a lead. A leader to follow with my eye who was just about 5 feet ahead of me that I could keep up to and follow and if that leader dropped out or fell behind, I picked a new leader.

Life is similar that way. You have to have AMAZING leaders in your life every day. Someone to follow. And now, with books, audiobooks, podcasts, blogs, etc.  You really can have amazing, brilliant, successful leaders speak into your life all the time.

2. You Have to Train

Not only do you have to train, but you have to take responsibility for your training or lack of training! Let’s be real. Last year, I ran a half-marathon and this year, I can barely run 10 km. Yup, you got it. Lack of daily training. Somewhere after my half-marathon, I stopped training and running. Use it or lose it, right?! And so, you have to keep on keeping on, even when you forget one day, you gotta get back on the horse. I take full responsibility for my lack of training and probably came in close to last. So, next time, I need to up my game and keep training.

Life is similar that way. You have to keep doing the small little things every day to maintain continuity and grow. It’s the small little consistent actions that you need to take every day to achieve results with your business, your health, your relationships, everything – including your finances!

3. You Have to Keep Going

When all else fails, and you feel like giving up, you need to keep going.  Tell yourself whatever BULLSH*T you need to to keep going, but keep going. Don’t give up, don’t stop. When you are in the middle of the race it feels like you will never see the finish line, but then magically it appears. You will reach your goals. You will finish the race. You will be stronger for it. This week in business, and even during the race, I had moments where I felt like throwing in the towel. I think we all do, but obviously, the people that make it across the finish line (the WINNERS) kept going.

Life is similar that way. Keep going and finish the race strong. Reaffirm daily, hourly, moment-by-moment positive affirmations to make it through the inevitable SH*T SANDWICHES you will have to eat to get to where you want to go. (Read more about Sh*t Sandwiches in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic – best book for any creative soul!) P.S. The same goes for your finances, you have to keep going!

4. You Have to Show Up

Not everybody shows up to the race. As a runner in the race, you feel like it’s you and the whole world. Truth be told, just for showing up (even if you walk the WHOLE WAY 😉 ) you are a FREAKIN’ WINNER! Why? Becuase most people are too lazy to get out of bed on a Saturday morning to put in the effort to get their butts to the race and actually run the freakin’ race! (Clearly, you can see I’m passionate about this point, more so in real life than for actually running, however, I do know that if I can do this, so can you!)

I was running the race and even though I was not in first place – or even close – I didn’t care. I felt like a million dollars that day. My body loved me. I was running on a gorgeous sunny day, taking in my town, with a BIG SMILE on my face, and I was proud of myself. I could have stayed home on the couch. I could have slept in.

Life is similar that way. It’s true when they say 90% of success is just showing up. In my town of 26,000 people, 400 people showed up to run the race. That’s 1.5%. Okay, so I’m not really saying everyone is lazy, but I’m trying to prove this point: the ladder of success really isn’t crowded at the top! (Thanks Napolean for that quote!)

My point is this: even though it feels hard, and feels like “everybody” everything is competition, it really isn’t that way in reality. Just remember there is no real competition in the world. The sooner you embrace that, the sooner you know that everybody can win. The world can really be a win-win-win-win-win ad infinitum place to live and thrive and everybody can cross the finish line to the race they set out to win.

BOTTOM LINE: Find a great leader to follow, don’t forget to train, never give up and keep going, and don’t forget to SHOW UP!

On the weekend, we had 25 family and friends over for a beautiful Sunday afternoon BBQ. My oldest daughter decided she would take this opportunity to make a quick buck and became quite the entrepreneur (the whole apple/tree thing!) and was charging people to take a tour of her messy room! So after my initial horrified laughter (parents know it well), I was told that she was charging $1 for a single tour and if you paid her $2 you received a “Forever Pass” to tour my daughter’s bedroom for the rest of your days. Seems fair right?! Again, horrified laughter. Taking money from our guests kinda goes against everything I believe about hosting a party! #parentfail

Although, I really do have to say, I was impressed with the upsell – I can probably learn a thing or 2 from my daughter. A) Sell relentlessly! Kids really are great at this – they always seem to get what they want. B) Once you sell, then upsell.

I also have to admit, my daughter made more money than me this weekend, so that made me proud, to say the least. I totally encourage all forms of commerce, even if it is robbing our guests of ALL the change in their wallets. YIKES! I wonder if anyone will ever come over to our house again?!

BOTTOM LINE: Making money is easier than you think. Don’t get in the way of yourself. Don’t overcomplicate it. Keep asking for the sale!

THE SKY IS FALLING! That is what it feels like for most of us in Alberta right now. As a resource heavy province where a substantial amount of jobs are oil and gas related, hence why most of my conversations with clients, friends, family and random strangers seem to end up in doom and gloom talks about how bad this year is going to be for our economy. (Although, I have personally tried to do my part to boost the economy by buying more shoes, however, I feel my efforts are in vain. 🙂 )

Most of these feelings stem from a place of fear and worry, and not only are they doing emotional and financial damage to your life they are also robbing you of today’s possibilities, happiness and the enjoyment of being in the moment.

I think this is what happens. We get all concerned about ‘stuff’ that is out of our control, and we become notorious to try to make sense out of our crazy world.

GUESS WHAT! The world will NEVER REALLY MAKE SENSE!

So what do you do when the political party you didn’t vote for gets into power? You lost your job? Or the market drops 10% in one day? Or someone completely freaks out at you for no good reason? Or you think the world is coming to an end and your Shmita is over?

These have been my biggest struggles: WORRY! FEAR! FREAKIN’ CONTROL ISSUES! (Do I hear an AMEN?!)

I remember fear from the first time my cousin taught me about global warming in grade 4 and I remember having nightmares and thinking the world would end. I don’t think I slept for days because I was scared that the world would heat up like a big ball of fire the next day.

I also stored up a basement full of water and food for the end of the world in 2012 – We are still eating the rice and the occasional canned good!

Fast forward to now.

I still get freaked out about the things I can’t control, but now they aren’t consuming my time or pulling me away from my passion the way they used to because I’ve done this simple exercise that I’ve outlined below.

I believe we are all here for a reason, and we all have amazing gifts to share with the world. The problem is when we are letting fear and worry run rampant in our heads, like a kid-on-popping-candy-sugar-high, it will stop us dead in our tracks from accomplishing our purpose.

This is how you handle fear and worry:

You take a piece of paper. Draw a line down the middle.

On one side you write “All the Things in my Control” and on the other side you write “All the Things Not in my Control” and then you list them.

For myself, this is what was on my list of “What I Control”:

All the Things in my Control

• Run/Walk/Fresh Air for an hour a day
• Write for an hour a day
•  Call X number of clients a day
•  Send LOVE to my family and friends
•  LOVE like crazy on my 2 girls
•  Put myself out there with my message everyday
•  Watch what & how much goes into my mouth
•  Design my living space as a place I enjoy so I can love where I write, work & live
•  Vote
•  Be respectful of others
•  Learn – Gather Information to help others or to make an informed decision
•  Save Money
•  Create a Financial Plan, Business Plan, Launch Plan, Life Plan, Exercise Plan
•  Listen to others! (That one I’ve gotten way better at over the years – but still is a struggle – I like to talk!)

Your list will look different of course – but it will be similar in many ways.

All the Things Not in my Control:

• Politics
• Stock Market
•  Economy
•  Weather
•  How people respond to you
•  Outcomes
•  Medical Tests
•  How people treat you
•  Being put on this earth and getting booted off!

The sooner you stop focusing on the things you can’t control and begin to TAKE ACTION on the things you can control, you will immediately feel better – worry and fear will leave you and only come back if you invite them.

Take Action. Be in action on what you control.

What would our world look like if we stopped feeding the “NOISE” in our lives we can’t control and started listening, helping and encouraging others with that time?

Let GO of what you can’t control.

Someone very wise once said “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.”

As seen in Trifecta Magazine Spring 2016

Today, it’s time to get down and dirty (not too dirty) with me and we are going to do a shopping exercise – YAY!!!

Follow these simple steps:

1. Grab your fav journal.
2. Make a list called “Short Term Saving Ideas” and brainstorm 5-10 items you would love to splurge on but normally wouldn’t because you “feel” they are just slightly too rich for your blood.
3. Next, I want you to choose one item that really stands out that gives you happy tingles all over just thinking about it and you can visualize yourself wearing/using.
4. Turn the page and on the next page, write down your desired purchase at the top.
5. Underneath it, write the price.
6. Next, you are going to take the price and divide it by 10.  Then write that number down below the price and write ‘days’ beside it. This is how many days it will take you to accomplish this goal.
7. Then, I want you to set up a place to stash cash. This could be a piggy, envelope, old wallet, whatever suits your fancy.
8. Once a week, I want you to go to the ATM and pull out $70 ($10 per day – more if you like) and put it in your chosen cash stash.
9. Once you have saved up all the cash, it’s time to go SHOPPING!!!  WOO-HOO!
10. Notice how good it feels to pay cash and treat yourself to something awesome!

So what’s really the point of this exercise?

First, it’s to feel the cash in your hands because no one really uses cash anymore and when they do they are more aware of what they are spending and what items actually cost to buy, instead of mindless spending.

Secondly, it gets you to take one easy step into the world of abundance, and to put behind you the world of scarcity. You need to know whatever item you choose you deserve and the universe wants to give it to you and you are worthy of getting it. There is so much more out there than we will ever need, and this exercise is a way to expand your thinking into allowing you to experience something wonderful.

Wanna take abundance to a whole new level? Try this.

If you want to feel abundant and create that internal money shift, why not take $1000 cash out of your account and carry it in your wallet all the time. It will change your mindset. If you “feel” poor, you are most likely attracting scarcity to your life. If $1000 is too much, start with $100 and walk around with it all week. Then slowly increase this amount over time. Don’t spent this money. It’s there to create a shift for you.

BOTTOM LINE: Try cash if you want to get rid of mindless spending – you may just find you spend less. Try a short term savings goals to treat yourself to something that puts major pep in your step. Keep cash in your wallet to help shift to an abundant mindset. <3