Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Wanna know what I am most thankful for this year? That it’s almost over! This has been a very difficult year for me, but I am thankful for contrast. Without trials and tribulation, would we appreciate joy and success?

The highlight of my year was my nephew’s wedding.

Hawaii was nice, too.

To my cousins, and ALL of our soldiers in Irag: I love you and miss you and THANK YOU!

Count your blessings and, as always, LIVE JOYFULLY!

Posted under Education, Motivation

Recently a client was complaining that he had a difficult time getting his staff to follow check-off lists for important systems that need to be completed in a certain way at specific times throughout the day.

I must say that I am right there with him in his perplexity of what the issue is.  I love lists.  I have a list for just about everything.  I could retire if I had $1 for every time I’ve heard, “Now that’s a shopping list,” at the grocery store.

I have a packing list that I use and keep updated for items I need when traveling.  Everything is on that list.  Being able to follow that list and knowing that absolutely everything I need is on it keeps me calm while I’m packing and helps me get the job completed faster.

The real power of lists, however, comes from what happens in our subconscious minds when we create a list or follow one routinely.  Have you ever had the experience of forgetting your shopping list and yet you remembered everything on it?  Most people just think, “Wow.  I’m good.  See, I didn’t need that list after all.”  So you stop making the list.  Then what happens?  You don’t remember things as well.

Many people, including some psychologists, believe that when we write things down, we’re writing them on our subconscious minds.  Can you think of all the implications this could have?

I, for one, am a firm believer that “writing it down makes it happen.”  And there many other people out there who share my view.  See Write It Down Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser.

In some ways, lists are like pets:  Feed them and they will give you lots of adoration and unconditional love.  (But I can’t remember the last time my cat spouted back to me my top 20 career successes.)

In writing this article, I found 18 reasons to love keeping lists and was inspired to write a poem.  (Elizabeth Barrett Browning, please forgive me.)

Ode to My Lists

By Debra Moorhead

Oh, list. How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

I love how help me remember my important goals in life and yet, at the same time, how you’re not too full of yourself to remind me of the little things too.

I love how you always want to go everywhere with me and never complain about how much I put on you.

I love how you sit quietly and patiently until I am ready for you.

I love how you clear my head and organize my thoughts.

I love how you help me make my dreams come true.

I love how you can retrieve so much information at my every whim.

I love how you keep me calm by always making yourself available during trying times – like packing a suitcase – and through thick or thin.

I love how you know my hopes, desires, dreams, likes, dislikes, and accomplishments and yet you never judge me.

I love how your only concern is with me and my needs.

I love how you are always available to me, morning, noon, night, every day, week, month, season, year and beyond.

I love how the only time you fail me, is when I forget you.  But then you always forgive me, and are willing to stay by my side at all times.

I love how you keep track of all my ideas and never laugh at them.

I love your versatility; you can be personal and professional, static or dynamic.

I love how you can mingle my business and personal lives and yet, at the same time, keep them separate.

I love how you help me create systems that lead to my success.

I love how you always come through for me.

I love how you never get jealous of other lists.

I know there are many other ways that I am leaving out.  Ah, but alas, you will eventually remind me!

Okay, so my poetry writing needs a little work. Other than that, what do you think?  In what ways have lists helped you?  What kind of lists do you keep?  (I am always looking for new lists to try.)

Until next time,
I Invite you to Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Dental Practice Management, Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

As a woman business owner, the most important skill you can develop is leadership.  The most important quality of leadership is extraordinary performance, with the goal of achieving extraordinary results. These results then serve as an inspiration to others to perform at equally exceptional levels.

1. Why People Respect You We develop great perceptions of those men and women we can count on to help us achieve what is important to us.  The most common success in business concept is, “To get what you want, help others get what they want.”  It doesn’t matter what line of business you’re in, this rule nearly always applies.  Men and women who make great sales and provide excellent customer service, develop influence in the minds and hearts of their coworkers and customers. They are spoken about in the most positive way.
2. The Halo Effect Men and women who are responsible for companies or departments that achieve high levels of profitability also develop charisma. They develop what is called the “halo effect.” They are perceived by others to be extraordinary men and women who are capable of great things. Their shortcomings are often overlooked, while their strong points are overemphasized. They become charismatic.
3. The Source of Charisma Charisma actually comes from working on yourself.  It comes from liking and accepting yourself unconditionally as you do and say the specific things that develop within you a powerful, charismatic personality.  Staying focused on results and controlling your thoughts are crucial.
4. Be Determined and Purposeful When you set clear goals and become determined and purposeful, backing those goals with unshakable self-confidence, you develop charisma. When you are enthusiastic and excited about what you are doing, when you are totally committed to achieving something worthwhile, you radiate charisma. When you take the time to study and become an expert at what you do, and then prepare thoroughly for any opportunity to use your knowledge, skill or experience, the perception that others have of you goes straight up.
5. Accept Complete Responsibility When you take complete responsibility and accept ownership, without making excuses or blaming others, you experience a sense of control that leads to the personal power that is the foundation of charisma. When you look like a winner in every respect, when you have the kind of external image that others admire, you build your charisma. When you develop your character by setting high standards and then disciplining yourself to live consistent with the highest principles you know, you become the kind of person who is admired and respected everywhere. You become the kind of person who radiates charisma to others.  Why?  Because being consistent with who you want to be makes you feel powerful and in control.  (And, in fact, you are in control of yourself and your future.)
6. Focus on Results Finally, when you concentrate your energies on achieving the results that you set for yourself, you develop the reputation for performance and achievement that inevitably leads to the perception of charisma.

You can develop the kind of charisma that opens doors for you by going to work on yourself, consistently and persistently, and becoming the kind of person everyone can admire and look up to – the type of person that everyone wants to be around. That’s what charisma is all about.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

1. Ask yourself every day, “What is the one thing that I and only I can do, that if done well, will make a real difference to my company?” Whatever your answer is, go to work on that.
2. Decide upon the most important results you can get for your company and make sure that you and everyone else is working on those results every hour of every day.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Leadership, Motivation, Success

The easiest way to get sales in any business is to be seen as the leader in your industry.  To do that, you have to stand out from your competitors.  The best way that you can stand out from your competitors is to position yourself as a business partner, always looking for ways to improve your client’s business.  Never assume that they’ve already thought of or tried your idea, and always be on the cutting edge besides.

Help Your Customer’s Business
When you deal with a business person, you can be sure of one thing: that person thinks about her business day and night. It is very close to her. It is dear to her heart. And if you come in and talk to her and ask pertinent questions about the business, looking for ways to help her run her business better, the customer is going to warm up to you and want to be associated with you and your company.

Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors
As a partner, you should always be looking to help your customer to cut costs and improve results in his or her area of responsibility. You should look for ways to help your customer in non-business areas as well. You should position yourself as someone who cares more about the success of your customer than anything else, even more than you care about selling your product or service. This approach to partnering in profit with your customer is a key way to differentiate yourself and to keep your customer for the indefinite future.

Don’t Criticize
The biggest mistake people make when first applying this concept, is to find fault and express it in a horrible way.  Don’t do that!  Soften whatever you need to say with, “I see you’re very successful at . . . .  Have you ever thought about . . .?  I could help you by . . .”  Then use your standard closing of, “would you like to hear more about that?” or even “Is that of interest to you?”

Practice the Reciprocity Principle
There is a principle of reciprocity in business that is very powerful. It is simply this: If you do something nice for someone else, they will feel obligated to do something nice for you. You should be looking for opportunities to go the extra mile, to do more than you are paid for, to put in more than you take out. By extending yourself, you improve your positioning in the customer’s mind and increasingly differentiate yourself and your company from your competitors who are after the same business. If you do this long enough and strong enough, you will eventually develop the partnership to the point where your competitors don’t have a chance against you.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

1. Think about how you can help your customer’s customer with your product or service. Take time to understand how your customer uses your product to do her business better.  Create a list and add to it when you think of something new, then review the list before your next meeting.
2. Focus on increasing your customer’s profits and financial results.  Use your list and work with your client to reduce costs and increase sales volume.  Show your customer that doing business with you is both satisfying and profitable in the long run.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

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Get Inspired! What do you want to create? Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment has helped hundreds of women business owners create the life of their dreams. You can read their stories here. If you choose the downloadable version, it comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

Get Organized! Learn the secrets of getting and staying motivated and organized with the Eliminate Clutter and Organize Your Life E-book. This inspiring book gives you step-by-step instructions for getting control of every area of your life.  No woman should be without this powerful guide.  Click here for the table of contents and to purchase.

Be sure you’ve signed up, downloaded, are reading through and utilizing all of the freebies I’m giving out for the New Year. If you missed them, you can sign up now.

Posted under Education, Leadership, Success

“On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . .”

Okay, I might not be your true love, but I do have 8 gifts for you–

Happy New Year everyone!

In honor of the 8th day of Christmas, I have 8 freebies for you today.  If you’ve been a follower of this blog for a long time, you have likely downloaded these already.  However, in an attempt to get everyone on the same page for 2009, I’m offering all of my free downloads in one fell swoop today.  Who knows – maybe you missed one somewhere along the way!

Here’s the list, once you enter your email address below, you will receive the download links.  (Be sure to check your junk folder because I am sending 8 separate links in one email.)  You can download one or all, depending upon what you want.  Enjoy!

My Top 10 Success Secrets report is my latest offering and includes the beliefs I hold, along with the things I do, that have contributed the most to my success and happiness.  These are the things that motivate me and keep me on track with who I want to become.

My Special Report on “The Science of Getting Rich,” by Wallace Wattles is a summary of the book with my personal approach to Mr. Wattles’ work.  If you like summaries without having to wade through cumbersome material, you’ll like this report.

“The Science of Getting Rich,” download is next, made available by Rebecca Fine.  For those of you who prefer the full-blown version and the original language – here it is!

The 30-Day Food Diary was created by a reader after inspiration from, “How I Lost 25 Pounds in One Month.”  She was so excited about her weight-loss, she shared this with the rest of us!

My Caloric Worksheet is what I used when I was on my diet several years ago and highly recommend to those who are struggling with taking the time to create their own tracking system.  It’s simple, but effective.

My Housekeeping list keeps me sane and clutter-free with a home that sparkles.  I love keeping house and working full-time, but if I didn’t have my list things would get out of hand very quickly.

Speaking of lists, my regular readers know how much I love them – lists that is – oh – and my readers, too – HA!  So for my final two gifts today, I’ve included my Master Packing List, which helps keep me calm and organized even when packing for a big trip, and my Master Shopping List, which helps me have a joyful experience at the super market.

Simply enter your name and email address below and all of these will be in your inbox shortly.  I have many exciting motivational, educational, and inspirational ideas to share with you in the upcoming year, so stay tuned!

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Motivation, Success

Whether you’re starting a new business or taking the leap and getting an online degree, having confidence in yourself is vitally important. We all find our inspiration in different places, but here are five tips to help with almost any endeavor – and even just life in general:

1. Ignore Everyone. Whether you have a new idea or are simply starting a new phase of your life, the more original the thought, the less good advice you will be able to receive. You won’t know if your decision to go back to school is a wise one until you’ve attended classes, and you won’t know at the moment of creation if your business proposal or novel idea is any good, but neither will anyone else. Don’t ask friends for their advice, because they don’t know the inside of your brain the way you do. Don’t ask colleagues either, as they’re likely to see anything you do as competition. Listen to yourself, and make yourself your top priority.
2. Put In the Hours. Anything worthwhile takes what sometimes seems like forever, but 90% of what separates the successful people from the unsuccessful people is time and effort. If someone you work with is more successful than you are, they’re probably putting in a lot more time. If you have to balance an online course and work, or writing a novel and work, carve the time that you need out of the rest of your life, but don’t quit your day job. Just allot a couple of hours a night to writing or studying or creating art, and keep your appointment with yourself faithfully.
3. Everyone Has Their Own Mountain. Everyone has their own metaphoric mountain to climb. For the student, returning to classes after years away, it may be the concept of homework, or it may be simple fear of math. For the writer or artist, it’s the fear that whatever they create isn’t “good.”  It’s important to remember that every mountain has more than one route to the summit. You may never actually make it to the top, but that’s okay, as long as you try. Learning and creating share one truth: they are about the journey, not the destination. This does not mean you shouldn’t have a goal – it just means you have to find your own path toward it. Just by deciding to enroll in a class, start a new business, or paint a masterpiece, you’ve taken the first step.
4. Passion Can’t Be Bought. We all have a tiny piece of our psyches that make us restless and ambitious, no matter how successful we may appear to be. That spark is passion, and you can’t buy it. It doesn’t matter what your passion is for: education, language, art, business, saving the world, what does matter is that you feed your passion, challenge yourself, and keep striving for more. Never settle.
5. Do It For Yourself. The class you’re taking might lead to a better job. The art you create might lead to fame and fortune. Both are great, but anything you do should be for your own satisfaction and happiness first, and any benefit should just be a bonus. If you do anything with money, or other people, as the motivation, you may reach your goal, but you won’t be content.

Business, art, writing and education are all wonderful things, but success only comes from hard work, confidence and motivation. Put in the hours necessary, stay passionate, and never listen to naysayers, and you’ll achieve every task you set out to complete.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Motivation, Success

Fanatic.  Workaholic.  Over-the-top.  Insane.  Sick.
Electrifying.  Magnetic.  Charismatic.  Enthusiastic.  Intelligent.

All of these adjectives have been used to describe someone who is passionate.

An accountant who works until 11 PM – workaholic.
A motivational speaker who gets her audience on their feet – electrifying.
A dentist with 5 times the amount of annually required CE – over-the-top.
A salesperson with customers waiting in line – magnetic.

It seems that there are some industries where it’s okay to have passion for your work, yet others where everyone assumes that if you’re in that industry, you’re there because you have to be.

The truth is, anything you do can be electrifying and profitable when it is infused with the power of passion.

Why is passion so powerful?

First of all, it makes you more informed at what you do, which typically makes you better at it.  The better you are at something, the more confident you become.  The more confident you are, the more magnetic you are, and many times, the more money you make.  So passion can mean earning more money – especially in the long run.

Secondly, having passion for a subject is a lot more fun than just tolerating it.  Imagine the cleaning woman who is enthused about her work, merrily singing and enjoying the process, compared to the one who is simply going through the motions.

Don’t be one of those people who goes through life performing only what is necessary to get through it.  Follow these 7 steps to become more passionate about your life today.

1. Imagine yourself being passionate.  Whether it’s a particular subject you want to develop, or life itself, imagine your new, passionate self.  What’s different?  Do you smile more?  Go to the gym?  Greet others with more vigor?  How does the passionate you look and feel?
2. Start with something you are already passionate about and take the time to really feel what that feels like.   I live in Kentucky where many people are passionate about our two world-renowned college basketball teams: the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky.  If those people could take that passion they exhibit during a big game to work on Monday morning, oh – what a world that would be!  Anything that you have fun doing will bring you that feeling that I’m talking about.  Once you’re there, try applying that feeling to whatever subject you’re wanting to develop a passion for.  Transference – in a good way!
3. Read and research your topic.  I can always get myself excited for a subject just by reading about it.  Why do you think that is?  Most writers are passionate about their subject matter.  When they’re not, it shows.  (Read – bores you to death!)
4. Develop and enhance your skills in that area.  Gardening enthusiasts can relate to this, but it applies to everyone.  Beyond just reading about the subject, get hands-on with it.  Developing your skills in an area will help you develop your passion.  Doing more with your life will help you become more enthusiastic about your life.
5. Ask, “what if?”  Once you’ve become knowledgeable and have acquired a certain level of skill, challenge the currently accepted theories in the subject area.  New inventions are created this way.
6. Share your passion – teach others.  You don’t really know something until you have to teach it.  Teaching is also selling.  When you have to stand in front of people and sell them something, you’d darn well better be passionate about it.  Just talking about the subject can ignite that little spark you need to take your passion to the next level.
7. Feed your passion by surrounding yourself with others who already have and share your zeal.  Professional organizations quite often fill the bill nicely here.  Not only are the other participants “freaks” about the topic, but these associations offer education and a chance to develop skills as well.

The most important factor in developing passion is a true desire to do so.  So being passionate about being passionate would be the first place to start!

Until next time,
Live joyfully!

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success

I am proud to announce my new affiliation with TheSelfHelpSchool.com.  This project has been a work in progress for some time now and I’m happy to see it come to fruition.

As most of you know, I’ve been offering my Wake Up and Create the Life You Want seminar in several formats, including the classic printed book version.  I anticipate this new format via webinar will allow me to reach thousands of people all over the world.  It is my sincere desire to help people live more consciously and purposefully, creating the life of their dreams.

I have two upcoming courses:

1. Eliminate Clutter and Organize Your Life, based on my book with the same title, and
2. Wake Up and Create the Life You Want.

If you’d like to be more organized and get control of the clutter in all areas of your life, my Eliminate Clutter and Organize Your Life webinar will definitely inspire you to take action.

If you’d like some coaching on how to take control of the circumstances in your life and make life-transforming changes, sign up now for my Wake Up and Create the Life You Want virtual seminar.

Full course descriptions, times, and registration details can be found by clicking the links below.

Until next time,

Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success

Of the three final contestants in last season’s Food Network Star challenge, only the eventual winner, Aaron McCargo, Jr. , made the statement, “I am the next Food Network star,” in his application video. Now, I’ve written and talked about making statements of belief like this, and even at this level, but to see it in action – well – let’s just say, I got chills!

Anything you truly, deeply, with all your heart and soul believe you can have, you can have. It really is as simple as that. Wishing and hoping leave you wishing and hoping. Wanting something, but believing it’s impossible makes it impossible. Dreaming big, planning, taking action, developing self-discipline, all of that is for naught without belief.

How do you know if you really believe in something? You can feel it. Use an “I am” statement and pay close attention to how you feel. “I am the next Food Network star.” [Obviously, implant your own desired belief here.] Now, how do you feel when you say that? Skeptical? Are there any other thoughts that immediately follow it, like, “yeah, right,” implying sarcasm? If so, it’s not a belief yet.

If you’re having trouble getting to that feeling place, as in, you’re not quite sure if you really feel it, here is an exercise that will help.

Consider a subject that you know is absolutely true. For example, my hair is strawberry-blonde. I’m not a blonde, I’m not a redhead, I’m somewhere in-between and several hair dressers have labeled me as “strawberry-blonde,” it makes sense, so I believe it.

When I make the statement, “I am a strawberry-blonde,” it elicits a feeling of, what I call, “matter-of-factness.” This is a good place to start, but this statement/belief doesn’t bring forth a lot of emotion. I mean, being a strawberry-blonde isn’t exactly something I aspired to, it’s really just a trait I was born with. But it is true; at least, I believe it to be true.

So to take this process to the next level, I would think back to something in my past that I went after and achieved. “I won a Juilliard scholarship.” Now we’re getting closer because applying for that scholarship required a lot of work, I was really excited about it, there was fierce competition, and I won. (Even though I chose not to go – but that’s another post!)

You should continue to make statements of beliefs until you feel good enough to move on to your new desire. Make your “I am . . .” statement, and see how that feeling compares to the previous ones.

Do this exercise again and again, until your belief starts to take shape the way you want it. With time and enough self-discipline on your part to perform this exercise as often as necessary, you can change your beliefs, and your outward life experience will change with them.
Try it; you’ll be glad you did!

Until next time,

Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss

Many historians consider Napoleon Bonaparte to be the greatest military leader who ever lived. Napoleon’s courage was legendary, but it was not vain or impetuous. He didn’t just “luck into” or “stumble upon” greatness, he planned for it.  Let me explain.

Napoleon was famous for his meticulous attention to detail; for taking pains to study and thoroughly understand every military situation he ever faced. He led the French army in hundreds of minor and major engagements and lost only three, the last one being the Battle of Waterloo.

He carefully considered and followed through to its natural conclusion every setback or possibility of defeat he might encounter and then he prepared against it. To be caught unprepared for unexpected setbacks is a mark of weak leadership.  It is not the setback itself that illustrates your weakness to others, but your unpreparedness, or inability to deal with it that does.  Confidence comes from the constructive use of pessimism, thinking about what could go wrong long before it does, and developing a plan of action “just in case.”

The more you know about what you face, the greater your courage and confidence. The more time you take to think through a situation, the more capable you will be of dealing with it when it arises. Napoleon planned for every contingency.

The only real measure of business leadership is results. This requires the ability to act boldly with no guarantees of success. The greatest obstacle to overcome is fear of the unknown.

Most people allow their fears to sit around in their minds, fester, and grow mold.  Failure to deal with these fears in a constructive way causes the creation of the fear itself.

Developing a plan of action, however, whether it’s for a confrontation, or your life in general, will increase your confidence and make you feel better about whatever subject you’re dealing with.  I’ve found that the best antidote to fear is preparedness.

Continue learning and growing – no matter what your field or endeavor, there is always more you could know. The more you know, the more confidence you will have.  The more confidence you have, the better you feel.  The better you feel, the more successful you will be, and the greater you will become.

Spend as much time in the planning process as you need to feel good about the upcoming situation. The more prepared you are, the more confidence you will have.  Personal strategic planning is a great tool to use for your life in general, and project planning can be applied to many subjects, business and personal.  In my experience, there is nothing better than a good plan.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Leadership, Motivation, Success