Good communication is like tennis. The reason why communication has been likened to a game of tennis is because communication involves both sending and receiving information just like a tennis ball. Effective communication is an essential skill that is used daily and is related to success in all facets of life, not only business.

Communication is central to your business, yet because it is a complicated exchange of energy, there is sometimes a gap between the ideas communicated and the ideas perceived. At any time during the communication process, misunderstandings and conflicts can occur. The consequences of failure in communication can be detrimental to a personal or business relationship. Good communication will lead to good working relationships and support your business.

Communication Process

The communication process has the following seven elements:

• The sender who is disseminating the message.
• The message is the information which is in the mind of the sender, which they intend to disseminate.
• Encoding: the process of putting the message into a form (using words or symbols) that is understandable by the receiver.
• The channel-mode used to transmit message – written or verbal
• Decoding: the receiver translates the words or symbols into a message that they understand.
• The receiver who is the person processing and reacting to the message.
• Feedback – the receiver responds to the sender showing understanding

Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact message the sender intended to transmit. The ultimate goal of communication is to convey information and understanding of information from one sender or group to another receiver or group. Mis-communication can occur at any stage in the communication process.

Main Forms of Communication

There are three main forms of communication and they are:

• Oral Communication – this form of communication involves verbally disseminating information to the intended audience.
• Written Communication – this communication may be in the form of letters, memos and emails.
• Body Language – this form of communication involves the use of body postures, body gestures and eye contact.

When a sender conveys mixed messages, researchers observed that the receiver relies on the following cues to determine true meaning:

• 55% by body language
• 38% by voice communication
• 7% by the content or the words spoken

Closing the Gap on Mis-communication

In order to close the gap, it pays to consider all the verbal, facial and bodily expressions, indirect and direct elements of the communication process. Now we see why communication is considered complicated. There are so many elements that could be causing the misinterpretation of the communication.

Pointers for the Sender to Improve Communication

• Act like the receiver is the most interesting person in the whole world.
• Make eye contact.
• Be sensitive to the receiver’s wants, needs and issues.
• Communicate a clear message.
• Be aware that the receiver makes judgments based on what they feel, not on what they think.
• Be aware of your tone of voice and match it to your message.
• Don’t talk too much, make it a dialogue
• Be aware that the more you get the receiver to talk, the more successful the communication
• Be aware of your facial and body language and that it is congruent with your message.
• Listen to the receiver after giving your message.
• Ask questions in an easy, conversational style that lets the receiver know they’re being listened to.

Pointers for the Receiver to Improve Communication

• Communication involves respect for the sender and giving them the opportunity to say what they want even though this may be contrary to your beliefs and ideologies.
• Make eye contact.
• Be sensitive to the sender’s wants, needs and issues.
• Be attentive to what the sender is saying by really listening.
• Don’t interrupt or fidget.
• Be aware that your facial and body language is in a receptive state.
• Don’t prepare a response while the sender is talking.
• Rephrase or paraphrase what you just heard.
• Pay attention to non-verbal clues or hints.
• Ask questions in an easy, conversational style that lets the sender know they’re being listened to.

I’m sure there are many more pointers to ensure a great communication experience for both the sender and the receiver, but the above will be a great place to start.

I love getting feedback as well. Here on this blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene

In my blog post Why Are You Doing This Business? 12 Questions to Uncovering Your Dreams, Vision and Mission, point number seven asked you to notice your strengths. Noticing strengths is sometimes hard for folks as they feel they come across as egotistical if they talk about their strengths. On the contrary, knowing your strengths gives you a better sense of self and in terms of being an entrepreneur, gives you a better chance of success.  First you will be able to choose the kind of business best suited to your strengths and second you know where you need to get help with the areas you are not strong in. So this knowledge is extremely important for entrepreneurial success.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss 24 personal character strengths. Martin Seligman, past president of the American Psychological Association and founder of the modern positive psychology movement and Christopher Peterson, professor at the University of Michigan since 1986 and member of the Positive Psychology Steering Committee, spent three years researching strengths.

They came up with a list of personal character strengths. Here are the 24 strengths of character at present, grouped in 6 categories:

Strengths of Wisdom and Knowledge: Cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge.

1. Creativity [originality, ingenuity]: Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things.

2. Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]: Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; exploring and discovering.

3. Open-mindedness [judgment, critical thinking]: Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; weighing all evidence fairly.

4. Love of learning: Mastering new skills, topics and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally.

5. Perspective [wisdom]: Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself and to other people.

Strengths of Courage: Emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external and internal.

6. Bravery [valor]: Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; acting on convictions even if unpopular.

7. Persistence [perseverance, industriousness]: Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles.

8. Integrity [authenticity, honesty]: Presenting oneself in a genuine way; taking responsibility for one’s feeling and actions.

9. Vitality [zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy]: Approaching life with excitement and energy; feeling alive and activated.

Strengths of Humanity: interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others.

10. Love: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated.

11. Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, altruistic love, "niceness"]: Doing favors and good deeds for others.

12. Social intelligence [emotional intelligence, personal intelligence]: Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself.

Strengths of Justice: Civic strengths that underlie healthy community life.

13. Citizenship [social responsibility, loyalty, teamwork]: Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group.

14. Fairness: Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others.

15. Leadership: Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same maintain time good relations within the group.

Strengths of Temperance: strengths that protect against excess.

16. Forgiveness and mercy: Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful.

17. Humility / Modesty: Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not regarding oneself as more special than one is.

18. Prudence: Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted.

19. Self-regulation [self-control]: Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions.

Strengths of Transcendence: strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning.

20. Appreciation of beauty and excellence [awe, wonder, elevation]: Appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life.

21. Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful of the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.

22. Hope [optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation]: Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it.

23. Humor [playfulness]: Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side.

24. Spirituality [religiousness, faith, purpose]: Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose, the meaning of life, and the meaning of the universe.

If you would like to find out more about your strengths, check out the VIA Survey of Character Strengths at http://www.authentichappiness.com.

Here’s to your success!

I love getting feedback. Here you will find commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene

Click on image to enlarge

International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. International Women’s Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I in 1913 and 14.   Over the years, this day has recognized the role of women in peace efforts, social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, equality and development of strategies, standards, programs and goals to advance the status of women worldwide.

It is a day when ordinary women are recognized and celebrated for their achievements and acts of courage and determination without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilize for meaningful change.

Many thought leaders of the day say that it is women who are going to step into their power and make the necessary changes to avert the crisis we are currently facing.

Women Entrepreneurs

One of the ways women are stepping into their power is through entrepreneurship. In honour of International Women’s Day I want to focus on women today. I would like to focus on several women entrepreneurs I know who work on making the world a better place for our future generations.

One is a stay at home mom and also home schools her youngest son as well as looks after her other ‘boys’. She has a husband, older son and active dog. How does she make a difference?

First she makes a difference for her immediate family. Her youngest gets to learn much more than what the traditional school system can offer, so he will be well equipped to make a difference in the world when he is a little older. He also has access to his mother rather than having to wait to see her in the evenings after work. His older brother gets healthy meals prepared, gets to talk to his mother and get motherly advice when needed. Her husband gets healthy meals and time with her when he is not working. They also get to go away more often as she is an entrepreneur and controls her own time. Even the dog benefits from her working from home.

In terms of make a larger difference, she educates people on different health options that are not available through the allopathic model. She helps people who are searching for answers to their chronic or acute conditions. She has made a difference in many people’s lives in the last few years. They are all grateful that her services are available. She also works on environmental issues and has made an impact there as well.

Another stay at home mom, I would like to honour on this special day, has two daughters and a husband. She is able to make a difference in their lives in numerous ways. She takes her daughters to many extracurricular activities, makes sure they eat healthy meals, and is available if they are ever sick and have to stay home from school. She is able to provide her husband with healthy meals as well.

On the larger scale, she is helping people with weight loss and self esteem issues. She introduces people to a medically sound program that is proven to keep the muscle and only lose the fat. She also helps deal with environmental issues and educates moms on how to clean up their home environment so it safe for their kids. So she makes a difference individually as well as contributes to healing the planet.

Another woman entrepreneur is passionate about cleaning up Lake Ontario and mobilizes people to help her with this endeavor. She also takes care of a 93 year old who has had a stroke, runs a household, is active in her community and neighborhood with various projects that help to better the city.

All of these women offer the chance for other moms to stay at home with their kids while earning a living. When kids have moms at home as they are growing, they are getting their needs met and grow up more equipped to give back as well. These women also offer this opportunity to career women who are passionate about total wellness, want to lead teams, want more meaningful lives and want to make a career income while making a difference.

If you know of any women who are ready to step into their power, desiring to make a meaningful impact on a larger scale, looking for additional income, wanting to be there for their kids and celebrate being a woman, click on the word comment at the bottom of this post, or refer to the information on the contact me page and I will put them in touch with any of these ladies.

I love getting feedback as well. Here on this blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene

When I started working as an entrepreneur in 1976, I explored many different avenues in order to express my creativity and desire to be my own boss. I went through many frustrations and ups and downs over the years.  I had a strong belief that you can learn whatever it takes to succeed and I just kept on learning. I also felt compelled to do something important for the world and that strong feeling has kept me going. I also learned that in order to persevere, you must develop resilience.

The following checklist describes personal traits of people who have a better than average chance in establishing and succeeding at running a home based business as an entrepreneur. See how you match up.

Entrepreneurial Resiliency Traits Checklist

• You prefer to work without a written job description; you are more effective when free to do what is best in each situation. You have an independent spirit.
• When working on a project you get so involved you work late into the evening and much of the week-end.
• You will do any job related to making things work well. You will do whatever it takes to meet a commitment.
• You like to try new ways of doing things, be creative, or use practical common sense.
• You are intentional, regardless of circumstance, and work at creating your life.
• You feel you have the power to contribute to whatever outcome you desire but you are also aware that you will need the assistance of other people to get where you want to go.
• You do not ignore realities or pretend that things are fine, when they are not. You are on the lookout for what is right and guard against negative news or headlines. You distance yourself from doomsayers and complainers.
• You reframe every idea as positively as possible. You use positive affirmations as you are aware you are what you think.
• When something goes wrong, you look carefully at why, learn from the experience and from the experiences of others and do things differently the next time.
• You are self-reliant. You have learned you can count on yourself more than most others.
• You anticipate and avoid problems and transform challenges into positive gain and growth. When knocked off track, you ask yourself, “How can I turn this around? Why is it good that this happened? What is the gift?”
• When hit with a setback you see it as temporary, but surmountable.  You are optimistic and expect to have things turn out well. This optimism is what leads to resilience.
• You adapt quickly to new developments and changes in the world. You are very mentally and emotionally flexible. You are able to recover from losses and setbacks.
• You are responsible for yourself, accountable, want to do good for your world, and fulfill your agreements. You have integrity. People can count on you and trust you.
• You can express feelings honestly. You express feelings to others, let go of anger, overcome discouragement or loss, and ask for help.
• You have a complex, paradoxical inner nature. You are both creative and well organized, relaxed and intense, logical and intuitive, optimistic and pessimistic, calm and emotional, sensitive and tough, task oriented and people oriented, etc.
• You are curious and playful. You ask good questions. You want to know how things work. You experiment, make mistakes and laugh about discoveries.
• You need and expect things to work out well for yourself, your family, your customers and your community. You have a synergistic effect on your part of the world. You are committed to service.
• You have good empathy skills. You listen well and comprehend what others think and feel. You adapt to various personality styles. You have good friendships and loving relationships.
• You welcome feedback about your actions and your product.
• You are able to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty about situations.
• You are good at what you do. You conduct yourself professionally and ethically. You focus on getting results and can make difficult jobs look easy.
• You trust your intuition and creative hunches. You can think up creative solutions to challenges.
• You defend yourself well. You have strong self-esteem and self confidence.
• You have been made stronger and better by difficult experiences. You are becoming increasingly life competent, resilient, durable, playful, and free. You enjoy life more and more.

Some of these traits may come naturally to you and others will need to be developed. Once you nurture these habits, you are becoming a resilient person.

So even if you are not an entrepreneur, you may want to develop some of these traits as they will stand you in good stead no matter what your career choice is.

Here’s to your success!

How resilient are you? I love getting feedback on my blog.  Here you will find commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own blog when you leave a comment.

Charlene

What does getting what you want in life or your business have to do with values? Let’s look at how the two are connected.

You can’t get what you want in life or business until you know what it is you want.  In my blog post Why Are You Doing This Business? 12 Questions to Uncovering Your Dreams, Vision and Mission, question 12 asked what you value in life.

You’ll have a hard time knowing what you want, if you are not clear about what your values are.  You see, if I were to ask you what you really want, what I’m actually asking is, what do you value? Discovering your values will improve the results you get in those areas that are truly most important to you.

I cannot tell you how much this exercise helped me over the years. I’m going to suggest that you find out what you value in the categories such as: life, relationships, family, home, work or career, leisure, recreation, fitness, physical health, financial/money management, friendships, spiritual, mental/educational/personal & professional mastery, community service or whatever is important to you. When you elicit values in these areas, it will become clear to you what you are looking for in each category.

What are values?

Values are invisible guides for daily living that influence your thoughts, feelings, words and deeds.  They shape your personality and give direction to what would otherwise be an aimless, purposeless life.  Your values are reflected in your goals, hopes, dreams, attitudes, interests, opinions, convictions, and behavior as well as in your problems and worries.

Values represent who you really are.  They are the activities and behaviors that you are naturally drawn to. They are not morals or principles. Clarifying values helps you create a life map.  Every major decision you make is influenced by your values when you know what they are.

Values are choices you make from the available alternatives.  Values cause you to do something. Values are priorities that tell you how to spend your time. Time is a limited resource, so knowing what you value, can act as a compass to guide you to living the life you desire.  Because you can’t do everything at once, you have to prioritize what is most precious to you.

The main benefit of knowing your values is that you will gain tremendous clarity and focus. Most of us are easily distracted, so knowing our values, keeps us on track. If you know that what is truly most important to you in life, then it will be easier for you to say no to those things that take you away from what you value.

People who live according to their values live a fulfilling life.  This results in experiencing more joy, spending time with the people you love and getting the most out of your own natural gifts and talents.

Eliciting Your Values

What do you value in life?  Have you spent much time thinking about it?   If not, I strongly suggest that you take time to do so.  Sit down and make a list of all your values using the categories I suggested earlier.  The question to ask yourself is this: What is truly important to me in life (or whichever category you are using)? Create your own personal values hierarchy. Try to reduce your responses to a single word or two that encapsulates each answer.

Please contact me and I will send you an extensive list of values to make this task easier for you. Don’t worry about the order of your list yet or how long it is. Just get everything down in writing. There’s no hard rule for how long your list should be, but at least 10 values is a good start.

So, using the category ‘life values’, you might end up with a list that looks something like this:

• Health
• Love
• Nature
• Spirituality
• Learning
• Making a difference
• Mindfulness
• Transcendence
• Playfulness
• Fitness
• Success
• Wealth

The next step is to prioritize your list. This step is usually the most time consuming and requires some intense thinking. The process I use is from the Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood. Using the example above, I would ask, if you could have health or love but not both, which would you choose? Remember in making your choice, you are not really losing anything. It is only to determine which value is more deeply important to you. In real life you can have both. You are just making a hierarchy of values here.

Then move down the list to the next two values and ask the same question. Continue all the way down your list asking the same question. Once you have the values from each pair, and you compare those, you continue the process until you’ve sorted the whole list in priority order.

By prioritizing your values, you’ll be able to rely on them when you need to make important decisions in the future. Discovering your values will change your world. They certainly did for me.

As always, I love getting your feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s a plug-in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Here’s to your success.

Charlene

1. Know what you value, what is important to you, get clear on your direction.  How can you get ‘there’ if you don’t know where ‘there’ is? If your direction speaks to you, then through the law of attraction, good things will happen in the next year.

2. Start listening to your barometer (your feelings). You are responsible for your happiness first. Pay attention to your feelings as they will tell you whether what you are looking at is a yea or a nay. Learn to say NO.

3. Start a ‘self-acknowledgement journal’.   At the end of every day, simply write down 5 great things that you did, said or accomplished that day.  Focus on your strengths. If your last thought before you sleep is in a good place, you wake up in the same vibe.

4. Make a list of the things you’ve learned this year. Give yourself a couple of days to allow your mind to find these nuggets. Review the list you made and pull out the five that are most important to you. Think about why they are so valuable to you and how you can benefit from them.

5. Make a list of things you want to learn next year. Some things in life we learn serendipitously. But we can also determine what we want to learn and why.

6. Make a list of the most fun things you have done this year. You will have fun making this list.

7. Identify why they were the most fun so you can do more of it next year. Figure out how to get more of them into your life.

8. Make a list of things you accomplished this year. Career, financially, health and fitness, relationships, travel, community service are just some of the areas to look at. Be sure to add in your lists from the learning and fun categories.

9. Make a list of things you want to accomplish next year. What contribution would you like to make? Who do you choose to become? Who would you like to spend your time with? How much do you choose to earn, save and invest? What will you do to create optimum health? Do you want to travel?

10. Reconnect with yourself. Set up regular alone times for meditation, being mindful, prayer, yoga, etc. These are important as they will de-stress you and give you a better sense of time and priorities. Meditation in particular helps you understand and tame your mind as well. One of the best books to guide you with this is Full Catastrophe Living by Dr. Jon Kabet-Zinn. The book is a practical, step-by-step guide to mindfulness meditation, based on the eight-week program of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

While these items may feel more personal than professional they are actually both. Now if you know that these will be hard to do by yourself, get an accountability partner who also wants to go through this exercise of self awareness. Or better still get a group together. Then plan a time when you think you all will have your answers finished and celebrate together.

Acknowledging yourself for this year, helps to prepare for next year. Here’s to a new year of all your desires and dreams coming to fruition.

As always, I love getting feedback. Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv. That’s a plug-in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Happy Holidays!

Until next time,

Charlene

In previous posts, we have discussed various aspects of exploring your dreams, vision and mission. Now, let’s explore money and how it really relates to your life. What is money? There will be many answers to this question, but the bottom line is that money really is another form of energy. It’s a form of exchange. It simplifies the process of commerce.

Now when many people are asked what they want out of their business, they say an amount of money. Our whole society has catered to this concept, so we expect to hear this. But what is the money going to give you? Yes, money buys lots of products and services and products, but what do those products and services give you?

Let’s explore this further. There are emotions that are attached to these products and services. For example, if I pay for a telephone, that gives me connection to others and that gives me satisfaction on many levels. If I pay for a personal development program, I may be looking for friendship, more confidence, or achievement in whatever area the program is giving. So you see, under all the things we pay for, is an emotional need of some kind.

Since our whole society is based on this form of exchange, then it is important to get really clear on what you desire. Most people are taught to work with budgets. I’m going to suggest that you work with the list below in terms of your dreams and desires. Feel free to make your own list as these are just to give you ideas. If you get really clear on how much you need to attain to realize the life of your dreams, then it is easier for the laws of universe to support your dream.

• Financial freedom (this is an account you set up that you cannot touch until it is ready to go into an investment that will earn you even more money than the account it is in. With this account, you are only allowed to spend the interest, never the principle.)
• Long term saving/vacation (this account is for saving towards a vacation)
• Long term saving/spending (this account is for saving for your other heart’s desires)
• Contingency fund (this is the account for emergencies)
• Play fund (this is the account for fun and frivolity)
• Charity/environment (this is the account for giving back to what is important to you)
• Education /personal development (this is the account for saving for future education for you or for your family)
• Income tax (it is important to save a little bit each month so you don’t end up overwhelmed at tax season)
• Business office supplies/equipment (whatever your type of business requires)
• Advertising (another important part of running a business)
• Professional dues/licenses/insurance (each business will have different expenses)
• Telephone/fax line/cell phone/internet
• House/utilities (all the aspects of running a household)
• Home equipment/supplies
• Domestic help/home cleaning
• Child expenses
• Car lease/maintenance/gas/insurance
• Books/magazines/news
• Clothes
• Personal care/hair, etc
• Entertainment/hobbies
• Gifts
• Groceries/restaurant/tips
• Medical/chiropractor/vitamins/health care
• Any expenses relating to your particular lifestyle and business

Work out your monthly total and then your yearly total by adding all of these up. Once you see what you desire, then you can start affirming that amount. What is important here is to then take it back to the emotions. What is that lifestyle going to give you emotionally? Are you looking for inner peace, meaning, security, variety, significance, well being, personal growth, leaving a legacy, love and connection? Once you have that correlation, it will be very simple to make affirmations and you will begin to see how easily your desires come to you.

Here’s to your success!

As always, I love getting feedback on the blog. Here you will get commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene

There are many components to this success process. The following is an overview of the essential points. Each point could have a book written about it.

1. Find your passion. Follow your heart. Keep your focus on ‘your why‘, so you are motivated to hang in to the finish. A burning desire is the greatest motivator. Look for your own unique solution to the challenges you see around you. Love what you do.
2. Commit to the goal or dreams and dedicate yourself completely to the attainment of them. Write and clarify your purpose and vision. Once you commit, ‘then providence moves too’.  ’All sorts of things occur to assist one that never otherwise would have occurred’ (W.N. Murray, 1951). Keep the faith, even in the face of current reality. Consistently and constantly give attention to the things you are choosing to create.
3. Develop a plan for achieving your goal/dream and a timeline as to when it will be attained. Follow the SMART rule (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Target dated). Break it down into day by day planning. Stay balanced by setting goals in all areas of life, not just career.
4. Take action daily. Cultivate a dogged determination to follow through. Persevere. Ask for what you need. Develop a team. Step out of your comfort zone. Go the extra mile. Focus on the journey, not the destination.
5. Maintain a positive attitude every day by exposing yourself to positive ideas, thoughts and people. Learning is life long. Have an attitude of gratitude. Work on your positive self talk. Develop an ‘I can’  attitude.
6. See obstacles and challenges as possibilities and make the most of every opportunity. Give your attention to the solutions and opportunities the obstacles created. Gain knowledge from your mistakes and learn to do a self critique to improve. Solicit feedback and take corrective action. Become skilled at saying, “thank you for sharing” to your doubting voices and carry on toward the goal. Take into account that change is constant. Be flexible, optimistic and work diligently. Change past programming. Remember the ultimate goal is to bring the energy back to where you are headed. The most successful people have also experienced the most failures on their journey to their dreams.
7. Write down and concentrate on your strengths and values instead of your weaknesses. Use your unique abilities. Visualize and affirm your success daily. Remember what you focus on, expands.
8. Come from your heart to help others and make a contribution to the world. Give back using your talents and resources.
9. Have a mastermind team or a support group or a mentor to hold the space for your success. Utilize the universal laws and higher energies.
10. Acknowledge and celebrate your successes along the way. Reward yourself and thank others.

I hope that this success process will help you toward your personal goals or dreams. Once you master all of these components, you will develop the habit of success and anything is possible.

Here’s to your success!

As always, I love getting feedback on the blog. Here you will get commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene

Last week’s blog was about asking questions to uncover your dreams, vision and mission. This week, I thought it might be important to cover questions to ask when looking for a business of your own.

There is so much opportunity out there but as we read in the papers or hear on the news, there are often less than ideal opportunities out there.  Here are some questions that you can ask when evaluating a business.

1.        Is the business ethical, legitimate, trustworthy and actively working to protect the earth and make the world a better place?

2.       Has the overall infrastructure of the company been in place for over 25 years? What is its performance track record in economic down times?

3.       Does the income include both immediate and sustainable residual components? Does it include expense paid trips? Does it include a company car?

4.       Does the product line meet the following criteria?

• Consumable –  used on a daily basis
• Innovative and trend setting – unique
• Superior quality
• Strong focus on research & development
• Money back guarantee
• Have a unique distribution channel
• No stocking of inventory or deliveries
• Is there a strong market demand – filling a need?

5.      Is the company international?

• Is it experiencing explosive growth?
• Are there any territorial restrictions?
• Is the company in more than four of the fastest growing consumer markets?
• Is the company adequately capitalized for future growth?

6.      Is there free, in-depth, replicable training provided and adequate team support to enable you to reach your dreams, as well as help other team members reach their dreams?

7.      Is there time flexibility? Can you create your own hours either part-time or full time? Can you work at your own pace?

8.      Is the initial investment reasonable…under $500?

9.      Are there impressive tax advantages? No payroll?

10.    Is it open to all adults, male or female, with any educational and ethnic background?

11.     Can the business be passed onto your family? How many generations? Can it provide for your retirement? Can you sell the business?

12.     Does the business “fit” you and your goals for the future? This is probably the most important factor in deciding whether to start your own business. There will undoubtedly be tough times and if you were to own a business that does not give you any satisfaction, then you are probably not going to make it when things get tough.

If a potential business can answer many of these favorably, then you probably have a great opportunity to thrive. Number 12 is the most important condition to match with your dreams, vision and mission. So remember to pay attention to your “gut feeling”  around this decisive factor.

Here’s to your success!

As always, I love getting feedback on the blog. Here you will get commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene

Have you ever been in the situation where you hail a taxi and when the taxi driver asks you “where to”, you say, “I don’t know”?  You will sit there forever until you get clear on where you want to go. This would also be very confusing for the taxi driver.

This can be an analogy for life. Do you know where you want to go with your life or your business?  What do you want? What is your dream? What inspires you? Here’s the deal. If you get clear about these things, you create growth and can get past obstacles and criticism.

When you start any business, it is important to figure out your “WHY”. Why are you doing this business? Your “WHY” is not your goals. You need goals but that is not your “WHY”.  Why are YOU doing this business? There’s a big reason, something that will keep you going. Your real “WHY” is never money although it may encompass it. It’s always about who YOU really are.

If your “WHY” totals 70% and you come up against an obstacle that totals 72%, you’re gone! You’ll drop out, disappear. But when your “WHY” is so huge that it can’t be overshadowed, then you’re here to stay and be successful. Your “WHY” will always get you through any challenge.  If you don’t have a very strong, written “WHY”, you will have a very difficult time sticking around long enough to be successful in your business.

I encourage you to take a few minutes today to write down your “WHY” and complete the “WHY” worksheet below. Be honest with yourself and give it thought.

Discover Your “WHY” Questions

These questions will help you to uncover your dreams, vision and mission and your overall “WHY”. These questions are designed to stimulate your thinking about your big, bold dreams. If you want a rich and abundant life, it all begins with a dream!

Take your time. Be brutally honest with yourself. Enjoy the process. Add to these as you further discover what you are passionate about. This is an ongoing process.

1.  If you had an endless amount of money and time:

a) What are three things you would do?
b) Where would you go?
c) What two things would you purchase?

2.  What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?

3.  What three things are you really passionate about?

4. If you had $500,000 to donate, who or what organization would you give it to?

5. What would cause you to get up early, stay up late, and ignore fatigue?

6. Things you loved to make or do as a child.

7.  Strengths others notice in you.

8.  Activities that make you feel spiritually connected.

9.  What would you do if you only had six months to live?

10  What have you done in life that gives you a feeling of satisfaction and importance?

11.  One person who has made the greatest impact on your life. Qualities that you share with that person.

12.  What are the five things you value in life? Values and principles against which you base your personal/professional decisions.

When you’re happy with your “WHY”, feel free to email it to me. I’d love to discuss it with you.

I also love getting feedback here on the blog. I offer commentluv. That’s a plug in that allows you to leave a link back to your own site when you leave a comment.

Until next time,

Charlene