Money Matters. Dispelling the Hype.

Today my someone sent me a JPG:

"You are not a loan"

.

I laughed at first, as my mind raced with all the ways that that could have been interpreted, but then it hit me. Is that how I saw myself?

I don't know if you fell for the hype around education, but I

totally 'drank the Kool-Aid'.

• Education is important and any amount of debt is worth having it.

• When you graduate you will get a job in the $Xk bracket; the recession will be over by the time you graduate.

• You have to invest in yourself (even above your means) to get there.

[

Smile... Kool-Aid

.

I couldn't help it. Even the Kool-Aid realized something was amiss.]

As with every exaggeration,

there's just enough truth here to make us buy-in, but it's not entirely true. I'm writing this as it pertains to education, but this may apply to other high-priced dreams.

If things like autonomy and financial freedom

matter to you, if you envision a life where 100% of the money you earn is yours to spend, share or save as you choose, then blindly applying the above philosophies will not get you there. I'd just like to share a few insights below.

Loans. Only One Path to Education/Your Dream.

On the first matter of

"Education is important and any amount of debt is worth having it",

no one's mentioned "life after debt". Here are a few alternatives to a Bank Loan or any kind of Student Loan.

1. Sponsors. These are people who fund your venture, idea or education in exchange for a non-monetary benefit. If there's an organization you have a great idea to help, and that degree, certificate, will hep you better support them, the value of your certified expertise may be worth it for them. What organizations can you truly help? What is your passion?

2. Crowdfunding. This is a public campaign to get funding for almost any reasonable cause. If your goal is to become an entrepreneur, and your resulting service/product will help a lot of people, it would be beneficial for them to fund your education to make that happen. If someone can get over $50k for potato salad, you can get your education funded. Who will you help?

3. Education-Exchange. This one I admit I haven't seen happen, but if professors can further their education while teaching a course, can't you? If you're more mature or you're changing fields, chances are you're carrying a lot of expertise that you may be able to trade with the right higher learning institution to get part (or all) of your education subsidized while you teach.

I do realize that some, or all, of these options may seem "ballsy", if they've never crossed your mind. I'm guessing, however, that if one of these opportunities fell into your lap, you'd take it any day over a huge loan from the bank.

These just require a bit more work and faith in yourself.

The beauty:

• Your money's your own after your education (or the idea you're funding).

• You'll be doing exactly what you wanted to do after, with your education (or the idea funded).

• You're propelled by the need to actually live your dream, not paying off debt.

Doesn't this sound better than 15 years' repaying debt? Why not try it?

When You Graduate... When You're Older... Why Not Now?

"When you graduate you will get a job in the $Xk bracket; the recession will be over."

Why not start earning now? Learn about business or your career path from those who've done it before. Still, learn on your own as well. Trust me, nothing sticks like the lessons you learn yourself. Honour that too.

• Want to start a business? Start while you're at school. Do your trials there, so when you graduate, you have a sustainable business model. 

• Want to work for a specific company, or in a specific role? Create your own projects where you have to do exactly those tasks, excel at them and use those to build your portfolio. By the time you get to the interview, you'll know exactly what you're talking about.

• Want to travel and see the world now? What organizations let groups travel where you want to? What can you offer to make it worth their while to take you? Deliver that.

I'm learning (better late than never) that getting creative is not just for generating art and beauty, but that

it's likely creativity that makes ordinary folks into heroes.

Get creative in learning how to love within you budget, even as you expand your budget.

And Now You. What's Your Perspective?

Everything I've spoken about above is focused on going well beyond your won financial means without going beyond your budget. It looks at creative ways to give something very valuable for the very valuable things you would like to have. What it doesn't speak to is the money side of things.

"You have to invest in yourself (even above your means) to get there."

What do you think? I believe you have to invest in yourself, and increase the means by which to do so, but I believe what you bring in should always surpass what you put out. I believe there's always a way to do both - enter contests to

win prizes

you want,

volunteer

at events where your ideal clients are,

speak

where possible.

What do you believe? What do your values say? I'd love to hear.

Emotion & Urgency with Clients

Happy Spring!

Source: http://writerfox.hubpages.com/hub/Flower-Clip-Art

Logic & Emotion - The Paradox

If you've been following, you know I shifted gears in 2014.

I'm no longer the pure-logic, mission-driven lady I started this blog as.

Logic still has its place, but I've grown significantly since

I've welcomed my emotions back.

By distinguishing between fear and love as motivators,

 for example, I am making far more logical decisions. Ironic? Not really. Not if you understand and value the human being as a whole.

We need all the parts to be healthy if we're ever going to be truly whole.

If you missed these earlier posts, check out

"Your Thoughts, Your Future"

,

"The Audacity"

and my

"2014 Review"

.

Logic & Emotion - Decisions

Like it or not, 'ignoring' and belittling your emotions doesn't make them go away.

It isn't logic that drives your inner critic, but emotion.

In the past, your inner critic was your primal protector.

It told you when you were in danger.

Today, your inner critic is driven by your internal 'lessons' from experiences.

As much of our media and entertainment is

negative / fear-based,

the primal protector has become the inner critic. We'd like to think that logic makes us stop and assess risk, but it's the critic. You have to reprogram him / her.

S/he is the harsh version of you.

'Ignoring' emotion

leaves you extremely vulnerable

to those who manipulate your

'logical approach to emotion'.

 It's the very thing you don't want - to be tricked. With your emotions, as with your time, energy and intellect, 

if you're not managing them, someone else will

(or worse, someone else already is).

You see, back to the inner critic,

unless you learn to trust yourself, you will not trust your decisions.

Worse, you might remain indecisive. If you don't get to

know your emotions

and their triggers, you can't manage your inner critic. Self-control and self-trust will remain elusive.

Action point:

Decide today, right or wrong, to commit to one difficult decision, and see where it takes you.

Let no one sway you, even if you hear and learn from their advice.

Follow your decision to the end, and

see where it takes you.

Image Source: http://writerfox.hubpages.com/hub/Flower-Clip-Art

Urgency & Clients

What does this have to do with

clients?

Where does

urgency

fit into all of this? Knowing yourself means knowing your true values. Here's why that matters:

1. We, clients included, are largely overwhelmed today, so many find it increasingly difficult to make decisions - except in urgent situations.

2. We, clients included, have an ever-increasing "urgent to-do list" we're trying to check off so we can get to the "important". Sadly, the "urgent" list grows too fast.

3. Today, many business and marketing professionals use this urgency to get sales.

Am I raising any flags with that last point? You see,

each of us falls under point #3.

The question is how do you use it?

Urgency & Your Values

The difference between you and the people who came to your mind on point #3 is

your values.

 I see two options, depending on your perspective:

1. Urgency by Fear: you pick away at your clients' confidence in that area until they realize how 'urgently' they need you to help fix it. Here you take them to a desert, where you're the only source of water.

2. Urgency by Empowering: you listen to your clients' pain, uncovering solutions within their reach; solutions they're empowered to check off their "urgent" list, today. Here, you take them to a safe place and show them that they had access to water all along.

Still struggling

with which to choose? It helps to remember you're on both sides of this equation.

1. Do you want to work with the person you can't do without? It's great for their pocket, but not your confidence, or

2. Do you want to work with the person who shows you that you can, and go back to them as needed for each new level of success? 

Now that you know who you'd want to work with,

who do you want to be?

In closing

Logic and emotion.

Getting clear on who you are in both logic and emotion, your needs and intrinsic business goals (money is just one element) makes it easier to remember

why you wanted to serve this specific ideal client.

It wasn't because you can wind them up easily.

Was it? So, what was it?

Action point:

You Decide.

The Audacity

I invite you to ponder that word.

Audacity.

What kinds of thoughts come to mind? Does the word inspire

negative, positive

or

neutral

thoughts? Why do those words come to mind? Do you know why?

If the word

Audacity

inspired thoughts of words or phrases like

arrogance, inconsiderate, bossy

or

how could you,

then perhaps the word

Audacity

has been reserved for people who violate the boundaries of others. I invite you to consider, however, that it may also have been used to

limit those who dare to dream

or be different. Perhaps it's been an attempt to hold back those who dare to live life now rather than "when I grow up", "when I have more experience or education" or the unspoken "when everyone ahead of me (essentially) wouldn't feel threatened". Is that possible?

If I ask, now, what's holding you back? Is there another item on that list?

I invite you, now, to see

another side of

Audacity.

If you had to find positive thoughts to associate with the word, what would they be? Can you make that leap?

What if I said that, today, I associate the word Audacity with terms like

empowered, driven,

fearlessly pursuing ones dream,

courageous, bold,

focused on the goal,

no longer held back by ones fears

and choosing to live ones purpose regardless of setbacks, lack of approval and accepted norms? Is that a perspective you can share? 

Consider this. If you have one life to live, and you don't know if you'll die tomorrow, why don't you have

the audacity

to live the life you want now? Why should perfectionism, fear of disapproval, fear of rejection, fear of ... fill in the blanks... get to live life for you?

You put them in charge, and only you can change that, to free you.

It's time for

you

to be

audacious.

Not with the lives of others but with your life!

I should let you know that you'll probably never be perfectly ready, but it has to be worth it. Remember:

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the product of Love that's too large to be contained™".

The world needs you to be exactly who you are right now - to inspire greatness in someone else, to prevent someone from giving up on their 10,001th try - for any number of reasons. You, however, need you to be, embrace and thoroughly love, you first. It is only then that you can be anything to anyone else.

You have to first love you.

There is no motivation like it. Once you spark that fire,

you can't help but love others.

For me, it is the love of God in Christ that showed me this. For you it may be something else. Whatever it is, take the time to know and love you - your physique, your mind, your will, your emotions, your desires.

Do you know you?

What are your dreams?

I invite you to consider that those dreams are

not too big, too small or too ridiculous.

They simply are, and you may not yet be able to see how they fit into the grand scheme of things, but they do.

Go be Audacious!

Let me know how it goes!

Season's Greetings & 2014 Review

I have heard many say, this year, that

2014 was both terrible and awesome at once.

I can truly relate. That means, however, that we've all grown in some way. You may have learned that

you're more resilient than you thought,

or that there are more efficient ways to do something or quite simply that you'll do something very differently moving forward. Whatever you learned this year, I'm sure there is a positive perspective and takeaway, if not a few. Would you be willing to share what those were?

I believe none of our experiences are for naught. They're all necessary to help others advance too.

Source:

protectyourdreams.blogspot.com/2014/12/seasons-greetings-2014-review.html

My 2014 Eureka Moments

I don't know where to begin, but I'll aim for a list of 12 lessons I've learned this year, that I hope can help you find greater efficiency, balance and joy, in all areas of your lives.

1. If you enter every situation with Thanksgiving, you'll be surprised at how it will be turned around for good. Whether that's based on a change in perspective or a miracle, it's good.

2. Lesson #1 above has led to a series of serendipitous moments that I could not have dreamed up myself. From people to opportunities to new mindsets, our words do manifest our experiences.

3. In being true to myself, as I embrace the lessons above, I've also been a great source of inspiration without even realizing it! People have been moved to love and intrinsic purpose, after listening to me gush on about what I've been learning and how it's helped me.

4. Money is a friend, not a foe. This year, my mindsets around money have changed to understand that as a friend, financial wealth empowers me to be even more generous. When I am financially healthy, it is far easier for me to help others achieve the same.

5. My intuition is not just 'in my head', so to speak. It is a very real aspect of my being that has, to date, never (seriously) steered me wrong. I've attracted like-minded entrepreneurs, just by trusting my gut. It takes practice when you've ignored it for so long, but try it.

6. Love is the opposite of fear. We all believe it's Courage, but courage is merely a product of Love. This year, I've learned to focus on what I'm pursuing in Love, rather than dwelling on what could go wrong as I pursue it (fear). What would it look like for you to live this way?

7. Self-care is not selfish. Self care is the wise setting of boundaries to ensure that you remain whole as you pursue your dreams which, inevitably, will help others. We are of no use to anyone if we are burnt out or spread thin. We can't do anything well if we're doing everything.

8. When I am taking care of myself, even when it means saying "No" from a place of love to someone or something, I have created a safe space for them, too, to do the same. No one is forced to do what they don't want to, or really can't, do.

9. Lesson #8 also no longer comes with guilt or anxiety about letting others down or fear that something or someone might fail because I said "No". I completely understand (most days) that this "No" sets clear boundaries for me to be able to be at my best when I do say "Yes".

10. Lessons #8 and #9 became real to me when I viewed them through the lenses of my Time, my Goals, my Space, my Perspective, my Pace of life and decision-making, my Feelings, my Preferences, my Comfort Zone and Stretch Zone*, and other aspects of life. (*Your stretch zone refers to moments where you risk stepping out of your comfort zone to try something new. You shouldn't be coerced to enter this zone; it should be your decision. The Panic Zone is that zone beyond your stretch zone. If you're in the panic zone, you're not ready. It's fine to step back.)

11. I've always known this, but never put it into words. I make decisions from a place of conscious awareness of why I'm making those decisions. Decisions are no longer based on false time-pressure or peer-pressure or any kind. When I make conscious decisions, I know I am committed to those decisions, to seeing them to fruition.

12. I'm now more comfortable knowing that I am not to be all things, at all times, to all people. I know that my part is important, but I am free to stay balanced, true to myself, as I do my part.

Some of you may have heard me rave about some or all of these, already, but those are my 2014 - year of Eureka Moments - lessons. I know I'm not alone though.

Willing to share yours?

Wishing you, your loved ones and everyone you encounter, love, joy, healing and prosperity in every area of life.

See you in 2015!

Best, always!

Do You Really Want It

Today!

You psych yourself up to

pursue your dreams hard today.

You get started on an

immense high.

Suddenly, thoughts of competition, workload or obstacles bring you crashing down, so you step back and say

"tomorrow".

S

ound familiar? By now you know you're not alone. It's not a cliche,

it's the truth.

Do You Really Want It

You

absolutely must ask

yourself

"Do I really want it? How will "it" affect your life, today, tomorrow? What is the permanent opportunity cost?"

Do you still want it? The answer is:

"Yes"

,

"Yes, but not right now"

or

"No"

. Not maybe.

Decide. Do you want this?

Whether you

write

it,

envision

it or

talk to yourself

about it,

make the time to decide

 if you really want it and

make the decision permanent - commit.

Want It versus Feel Like It

Once you've decided that you really want

this - business | healthy eating habits | firm body | healthy marriage | family relationship

- you're not looking back.

You want this...but you're not going to feel that wayevery day.

Nothing I've mentioned above comes without hard work, and

you've never worked as hard as you're going to work for this.

Such is the true nature of dreams.

[

Cliche:

Nothing worth anything was ever easy.]

Summary: Do You Really Want It - Here's How To Go Get It

Importance of Motivation

I'm very visual and words are important to me so, for me,

Pinterest

is a God-send, when used wisely. I have created an

Inspiration Board

,

a 

Vision Board

 (hidden) 

and a

God Board

, that I look at whenever I start talking myself down or

procrastinating.

You have to find what works for you:

Develop a short speech you say every morning & when your resolve wanes | Listen to speeches | Take long walks | Write | Daydream about success | Run (Ha, ha. No, not 'run away' :p)

Do whatever it takes to motivate you - nothing is too weird.

[

Key: Commit a short time to doing that, then get back to the task at hand.

]

Importance of Support Systems

Support

is a funny word. Many will say the words, but many of those will keep bringing the "practical reality" your way, and it will always sound like

a list of "reasons you can't".

Run. I can't say it strongly or loudly enough.

RUN. They will keep you back.

Find people

that

you trust

,

that

believe in

what you're going for and will only provide

advice to propel you

forward. Spend most of your "people" time with them.

Find people

who've

succeeded at something crazy

or 'impossible', who are still optimistic about possibility, and have tea with them once a month.

That is reality.

Importance of Alone Time

Even if you hate being alone, you need this time to be productive. Having people around is great, but if this is your dream

you have to make time to do it.

You also have to commit to simply

making time to be with yourself;

to hear and face your own thoughts. [

Read:

Why Productive People Have Empty Schedules

. Not literally, perhaps, but good.]

Don't Look Back

None of this will "come naturally". You have to

form new habits

to commit to

alone time,

implement these

motivational changes

and develop those

support systems.

It's an uphill climb, but we've already decided that

it's worth it. Right?

[

Start today:

10 Reasons to Stop What You're Doing & Start Clearing Your Clutter

.]

More Support Online

If you'd like continuous

support for your dreams,

find more online:

Twitter

,

Pinterest

, Facebook Page

Entrepreneurs Courage

. 

I hate the new lack of privacy on social media, but I love encouraging others, so here's to my being a little open.