Simple Steps to Elevate Your Life

June 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes others can say things more eloquently than we can; why recreate the wheel if you don’t have to? On that note, I wanted to share this newsletter on elevating your life from Ali Brown. These tips seem so simple but can have a huge impact. If you’re like me and feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start, the ideas below are a great jumping off point. Enjoy!

“5 Simple Steps to Elevate Your Life” by Ali Brown

I know what it’s like to think that the lifestyle you want is out of reach. Just over 12 years ago, I would lie on my bed in my tiny 400-square-foot studio apartment and flip through magazines, wishing I could have the luxurious lifestyles I read about.

Despite that negative, nagging voice in my head that reminded me I could barely afford rent, I’m now living a beautiful life I created for myself from scratch. Instead of moping around an apartment I can barely afford, I now have the means to travel and to inspire others.

How’d I do it? By deciding not to settle for being average and thinking BIG.

Changing your mindset can be a challenge, but the rewards are well worth the cost. Here’s how you can get started…

    1. Eliminate negativity. This includes negative self-talk, too. Why would the universe bring you a better life if you don’t appreciate what you already have? Show gratitude for everything in your life now. Those seemingly bad days happen for a reason, so whenever you find yourself thinking, “I can’t do this” or “that’s impossible,” reframe it as the opposite. “I can do that, that is possible…” You owe it to yourself to give yourself the love and support you need to succeed.

    2. Document your dreams. I wanted to manifest a new house, so I listed all of the qualities in my dream home: a 3-car garage, workout room, walk-in closets… (Don’t censor yourself! Anything is possible, even if it seems silly now.) I also bought some real estate magazines, cut out pictures of homes I love, and created a collage. I’m constantly updating my “dream board,” which is now proudly displayed in my dream house.
    3. Surround yourself ONLY with supportive people. I only shared my house dream with friends and family I knew would support my decision. (NOT those prone to phrases like “Are you crazy? Who do you think you are? Ms. Trump?”) Your true friends and family will be happy to share in your dream. If you don’t have anyone else to support you, then it’s time to make new friends—join a local networking group or a mastermind.

    4. Decide, believe, and watch for clues. It’s not enough to make a decision to work towards your dreams. You must also truly believe in them! Don’t worry about HOW your dreams will manifest themselves. Watch for clues, and the HOW will find you, perhaps in the form of a new business partner or a new client. But remember that the dream comes before the HOW.

    5. ACT on opportunities when they appear. Action involves risk. You might have to hire more people to help with a new client. You’ll need time to research that prospective business partner. Or figure out how to hire that amazing new mentor. But it’s up to YOU to take action when the path is revealed. The universe is supporting you, and each step will bring you closer to your dreams.

Question: What mindset strategies have helped YOU Elevate your life? Please share your insights in the comment section below.

© 2013 Ali International, LLC
“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com

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My Way

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

One of the first posts I wrote for this blog was the need to surround yourself with experts. One of the first posts I ever re-did, was my adjustment of thoughts on this, on how it may be better to be your own guru.

This was a battle that I went back and forth with, not only on the blog, but in my head. I’ve finally gained some clarity around the issue.

I’ve followed every expert out there on how to lose weight, how to be spiritual, how to start a business, and how to do just about anything else that I had ambitions to do. They were simple concepts, but I only implemented a few, and none of those stuck. I was a smart girl, what was wrong with me?

I realized recently that I could tell whatever latest fad I had been following by simply entering my password to various systems. Each login was like a history book of my failed attempts at change. I had lost myself in the quest to follow everyone else.

There had to be a way. In AA or EDA, there’s a saying “take what you need and leave the rest”. This was the answer I was looking for. There were things I could learn from all of these experts, and things that didn’t necessarily match with my beliefs, and so I could leave those things behind. With this technique, I could create a personalized lifestyle that I could implement AND stick with.

As for the experts, they have their place. They have things to teach me. And I have a lot to learn, about myself. And how to do the right things my way.

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MLB’s Matt Kemp’s Random Act of Kindness…Pass It On

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I’ve written before about badly behaving athletes and the fact that they share the same human struggles as the rest of us, despite the pedestals we put them on. It’s not often we see a pro sports player doing something  genuine, without cameras, not for publicity or as some  court or league mandated punishment. I know that many players have charities or foundations and that is a wonderful thing, but we rarely see a personal glimpse into the small gestures that can mean the most.

So thank you, Matt Kemp, for sharing a different side of the sports world for us. Thank you, for showing that for every Michael Vick, there is a Matt Kemp. While I still believe that athletes should not be role models, we all need to see more things like this then all the negativity the media shows us.

Instagram Photo of Matt Kemp's Gift to Fan

For those of you not familiar with sports, Matt Kemp is a Major League Baseball player with the LA Dodgers. During last week’s game he learned of a terminally ill fan at the game with his father. Despite a tough road loss, despite the boos from the rival crowd during the game, despite a tough season, here was an athlete who knew there was more to life than sports – much more.

After the game ended, Kemp went to the stands were the young man was sitting and preceded to remove not only to sign the baseball a coach had given him, but to strip off his cap, his jersey and even shoes and hand them to the boy. There were no TV cameras, no interviews, no publicity; just an incredibly poignant moment between strangers. Knowing that nothing could erase the pain of this father and son, Kemp did what  he could to bring them a moment of joy, even just a brief one, before returning to the dugout barefoot.

Turned out there was one camera; a friend at the game with the family caught the touching exchange on video. Thank goodness he did, because now as that video goes viral the world gets to see something worth celebrating even more than a win, something that we rarely see – a random act of kindness.

For those of you who haven’t seen the video (or want to watch it again), I’ve included it below. May Matt Kemp inspire all of us to brighten someone’s day with even a small gesture. You never know just how much it might mean to someone.

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Ain’t Life Funny

May 1, 2013 By 1 Comment

Just a little over a month ago, I was fired up with goals from Get Radical, ready to change my life with B-School, and ready to hit the road running. Ironically, I hit the ground…from my chair.

I quickly saw the curse was really a blessing in disguise. It was the universe reinforcing the message it had been sending with my exhaustion and related crap that it was time to refocus my energies, to take the deepest breath of my life, and to dedicate my free time to self-improvement since I had no excuse not to.

I had all these goals, broken down in small bites, addressing every aspect of my life. I planned to spend time writing, meditating, resting, and taking better care of myself (or letting others – if I can’t get up to get a soda, I can’t drink it, right?). I talked about riding the wave of emotions surfacing from being laid up for weeks on end. Frustration, pain, anger, sadness, boredom, gratitude, love and everything in between. Allowing myself to let all of the emotions truly flow over and through me, not just some, or not just on a surface level, would be a change.

Here I sit, a month later, and I have accomplished NOTHING.

That’s not entirely true…

  • I’ve learned that it absolutely possible to storm out of a room on crutches
  • that I can be just as productive, if not more, with a good lap desk and a mobile office
  • that compromise is seeing two John Mayer shows instead of getting VIP meet and greet tickets for one, although I think I may have been heavily medicated for that one.
  • I’ve learned that three gallons of sugar will help you forget there is no medicine to go down because your doctor told you to tough it out
  • I’ve learned that I can watch the same 5 shows over and over again; in case you’re wondering, they’re Hart of Dixie, Better of Ted, Nashville, the Tudors and Giuliana & Bill.

But I didn’t accomplish any of my goals. Sure, I bought a goal planning workbook, a new planner (or two). I bought bright colored index cards and markers to make affirmation and goal cards (which I’ve just realized are essentially the flash cards I hated in school). I had the get up and go, and off I went…aimlessly, on crutches nonetheless!

Here’s the piece that ties all the jumbled thoughts above. Sadly, I just figured it out, as I get ready to go back to facing the demands of everyday life and the “real world”.  As usual, the universe stepped in with total synchronicity to make sure I got the message – blog posts, Facebook and Twitter all had something talking about joy, and how when our goals are not aligned with our happiness, when we dread instead of look forward to them or when they’re not aligned with our joy, we don’t make changes.

This is the missing key to making the lifestyle change that I’ve been trying to. There’s no joy in it. While I’ve learned to work through many other emotions, I’ve never focused on joy. So I guess my only goal for now is exploring joy and learning how to connect it to my goals. I know that I’m one step closer to the permanent changes I want to make, and that brings me joy for now.

 

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Finally Getting My Radical Goals On

April 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been waiting for weeks to finish sharing my Get Radical Conference stories with you, and I’m finally at a place where I can start. Before I break down what the speakers shared, I wanted to start out with the goals that the conference inspired me to set. I’m still fine tuning them and they need to be flushed out a bit, but I’m always inspired by others and I want to share my start with you for that same reason.

First, have any of you done the Wheel of Life Exercise? I’ve done it a few times, and if you’re not quite sure where you’re life may be a little off-track, it is a great place to start. If you’ve never taken it or haven’t taken it in awhile, try this site to complete it. I’ve done it several times before, but since Doreen handed it out as part of her worksheets at the conference, I decided to do a new one since it had been awhile for me.

Wheel of Life Exercise

I won’t bore you with my detailed results, but let’s just say that sadly, my wheel was more balanced than I anticipated – but in the wrong way. That lead me to quite a few areas of my life that had room for improvement.

Career and Business

  • Fully appreciating and giving my current position my best, while setting boundaries to reduce stress.
  • Discovering where my skills and passions meet the needs of others and using that sweet spot to find a fulfilling  path to follow.

Money

  • Continuing to have an attitude of abundance rather than lack.
  • Be present and make conscious decisions regarding my spending, and be happy and gracious with money coming both in and out.

Health & Fitness

  • Accepting my current health and weight, and accepting and managing my chronic illnesses.
  • Taking control and a more holistic approach to my health.
  • Losing the extra weight that will impact my type-2 diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure and other health conditions.

Relationships

  • Making more connections and friendships, while spending more time cultivating my existing ones.
  • Reconciling family relationships in whatever way feels right to me.
  • Commit to moving forward with my hubby to grow together and support each others individual dreams while creating ones
  • Spending more quality time with my spouse to form a deeper connection.

Personal Growth & Spirituality

  • Building and maintaining a daily spiritual practice.
  • Sharing my story with others who need to hear it authentically and without fear.

Leisure

  • Discovering what hobbies and interests I’m passionate about…where do I just lose myself and let time fly?
  • Allowing myself to be imperfect in my leisure time, and even to fail, and not judging hobbies on that basis anymore.
  • Scheduling quality time with myself on a regular basis, and keeping that date as I would any other appointment.

Physical Environment

  • Patiently putting together a home with quality pieces that reflect both Mike and I, and is comfortable and inviting and makes us happy to be there.
  • Decide what location is best for us; if not here, overcoming fear and laziness to find where it is.
  • Keeping a clean and organized home that will be less stressful to spend time in.

There you have it, the basic outline of goals that the speakers and topics inspired me to set. Do you think they’re radical enough?

I’m very excited to share some of the stories of the empowered women who spoke during the conference and inspired me to set these goals in my next few posts and hope you will share some of yours in the comments below!

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