The only reason a business fails is because the owner gives up.

In my interview series, The Money Impact: 11 Conscious Entrepreneurs Tell You the Truth about Money, Success and Making a Difference, a common theme through out all of the interviews is that each speaker never gave up. They created their vision and they stuck to it. They were committed to making their vision a reality. When unfortunate circumstances came up, they found a way to go over, around, through or under them. They used challenges as opportunities to change, adapt and grow. They are successful because they did not stop.

I believe that owning your own business and becoming an entrepreneur is the best self development course (right next to parenting) on the planet. All of our fears, insecurities and issues come right up in our face. Once we see them, we must make the choice to stop or to keep moving forward. Let’s look at 3 of the most common “reasons” why people stop in their journey.

Not enough money. The truth is that the money for what you want to do, be or have is already present. It is often in investments, retirement saving, possessions that can be sold, “rewards” we regularly give ourselves, a part time job that can be acquired as a business loan, talents or gifts you are not currently using, or in the bank account of relatives or friends who would be willing to support you in your dream.

The real issue is not the lack of money, the real issue is the fear and discomfort obtaining the money (pulling out of investments, selling possessions, changing our spending habits, asking people for help, getting another job, embracing our gifts, charging higher prices for our services) creates. It’s easier to stay stuck than to do what you need to do to get the money for what you want to do be or have.

My spouse or partner won’t let me. This one always surprises me. Being trained in family therapy, I know that healthy relationships require mutual respect and support. Partners who love and respect each other support the dreams and aspirations of the other person. They want the other to succeed, stand in their brilliance and be happy. That usually requires sacrifice, redistribution of tasks, on-going negotiations and a lot of good communication. If your partner or spouse won’t support you in living your purpose and being happy by agreeing to spend the money, watch the kids, be emotionally available or help with the household chores, then it is time to examine the health of your relationship and question why you are choosing to create a relationship with someone who isn’t invested in your happiness.

I don’t have enough time or I have too much going on right now. Time is a lot like money. There is plenty of time to do what we want to do. Unfortunately most healers are caretakers and spend a lot of their time taking care of others and doing things they “should” do. Finding the time usually means learning to say “no” and delegating tasks that others can do. The real issue is not time, it is the fear and discomfort of saying no, letting go of responsibility (and control) and risking disappointing others.

We all have stopping points. I know I do and while I can easily see them in others, I don’t always see them in myself. That’s why I surround myself with people who are more than willing to point out when I am stopping myself or limiting my growth. So what’s your stopping point?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article. Please share your comments.

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Melanie Yost has been called a “miracle worker”. She has the ability to take negative situations and create lasting positive results. A therapist for 20 years and now a business development coach, she has successfully worked with individuals to transform their lives, their situations, and most importantly, their outcomes. When people are looking for an opportunity to create a 180 degree turn in their finances, beliefs, business and lives, they seek Melanie’s acute wisdom and compassionate touch. To learn more about Melanie and the products and services she offers, go to www.awakenyourentrepreneur.com.

As for the cons, habits are incredibly hard to break. This is certainly true of spending. Anyone used to drinking their ritual morning cup of overpriced latte will have a difficult time breaking the coffee shop habit. A young couple that spends most nights going out to eat rather than cooking cheap meals at home will have a hard time adjusting their taste buds. No matter what your situation is, you have habits and habits are not easily broken.

The good news is that research has proven that any habit can be broken in 28 days. Skipping the coffeehouse for 28 mornings straight will leave you wondering why you ever made such a big deal of it to begin with.

Creating and maintaining a budget is the same way. It is difficult to make it past the 28-day goal and even harder making it through the first week, but keep your overall goal in mind. Consider it a form of rehab, an experience that will be one of the most challenging and most rewarding of your life.

Budgeting also means you won`t be able to buy what you want. That`s a major upset for many people. The pro here is that you will be able to focus more on what you need. If you`re used to eating fast food every day but your budget can`t fit that in anymore, you can now make room for healthier and cheaper food choices to prepare at home.

Of course, the major pro is that you will save money! You`ll also get debts paid off much quicker. Maybe you are budgeting to pay down student loans or save money for a mortgage down payment. Whatever the reason for budgeting, keep it in mind whenever you feel like you can`t stick to the plan anymore.

You will quickly learn where your strengths and weaknesses are and how you can improve them because you`ll know where every penny is being spent. A budget can even help you plan for retirement, future college funds, vacations and emergency funds. These things may seem like dreams right now, but those first baby steps are the most important.

Budgeting means that you will be able to predict your finances for next month, next year, or even five years from now. When you find yourself overspending on groceries by $10 a month, you can whittle down another area, such as a monthly entertainment budget, to make up the difference. You`ll learn to be more flexible and responsible.

Being mindful of saving money, of keeping track of every dime you earn, is enough reason to maintain a tight budget. You won`t wonder where that $100 went because there won`t be any more spontaneous dining out trips or movie theater trips. This doesn`t mean you can`t work these treats into your budget; it just means there will be less of them, that they will be planned and that these little splurges will become even more special.

Money – we all want more of it. We want more to come in and less to go out.

Money is a major concern for the majority of the business owners with whom I have been speaking recently. They are scared. They are worried about spending money. Their plan for surviving “this economy” is to hang on to it, choosing very carefully what to buy.

Poverty consciousness really seems to be heightened among people in general and business owners in particular.

Poverty consciousness says that there is not enough money.

There is only a limited supply of money and so we need to hang on to the money we have very tightly. So, then we think about not having enough, we talk about not having enough, we listen to stories about other people who don’t have enough.

What we don’t realize is that focusing our attention on not enough creates more of not enough. Energetically we are sending out the message of lack. So not surprisingly, that is what they get more of – lack.

When we are focused on lack, then we attract potential clients who are also focused on lack. Since they are focused on not having enough, they will choose not to spend money with us which heightens our thoughts and feeling of lack. Do you see how that works?

Spiritual Entrepreneurs are successful because they understand that there is no such thing as lack. The Universe is abundant and there is plenty for everyone. They understand that money is energy. Like all energy, money flows freely where there is not a block. Poverty consciousness creates fear and fear creates blocks.

Money can’t flow freely in where it is not freely flowing out.

I can hear you now. You are probably saying “That’s not true. I spend plenty of money paying my bills.” Well, you may be spending money by paying bills, reducing debt and buying necessities, but that does not mean that you are allowing money to freely flow out.

Take a minute to look at your thoughts and feelings when you are spending money.

What are you thinking when you write the checks for bills?

How are you feeling in your body?

Are you worried about having enough to get you through the rest of the week or to pay yourself a salary?

Is your body tense as you look at the bills coming in and the money going out? If the answer is “yes”, then you are not allowing money to freely flow out. You are begrudgingly sending it out into the world coated with the energy of fear.

Allowing money to freely flow out into the world means that you send it out in love, blessing it and intending it to multiply and do good as it touches the lives of many people.

Spiritual entrepreneurs not only welcome and embrace the money they receive from the Universe through others, they bless it and send it back out into the Universe to do good knowing that it will return to them tenfold.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article. Please share your comments below.

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Melanie Yost has been called a “miracle worker”. She has the ability to take negative situations and create lasting positive results. A therapist for 20 years and now a business development coach, she has successfully worked with individuals to transform their lives, their situations, and most importantly, their outcomes. When people are looking for an opportunity to create a 180 degree turn in their finances, beliefs, business and lives, they seek Melanie’s acute wisdom and compassionate touch. To learn more about Melanie and the products and services she offers, go to www.awakenyourentrepreneur.com.

It can feel overwhelming that you can’t get a break, the odds are against you, nothing works, and you don’t know where to turn to get out of the hole you’ve fallen into.

May I suggest you start with inside your head?

Everything begins with how you think about it. We may all agree and know this intellectually, but the problem isn’t in our thinking brain, it’s in our sub-conscious mind. As I mentor my clients, whether they make millions of dollars or are stay at home moms, the one thing I see in common is their internal belief system is holding them back from having the wealth they have asked the Universe for. It’s a matter of faith and trust that the Universe will give you what you ask for. Usually it’s trying to give it to you, but you don’t get the message.

Recently I’ve heard:

-The agent new to the real estate industry gets a $2 million sale because they believe they can make it happen (and the existing agents in the office wonder how it happened).

-An Ob-Gyn doctor who decorates her office like a french bordello and gives her patients luxurious robes to wear instead of paper gowns and has a booming practice.

-Online businesses breaking records for sales of information products, seminars and coaching, even into the millions of dollars.

It takes a little fresh thinking, but there are ways to be making money now. Even in my discussions with you about gold and silver, I was recently asked if I was still confident that they will continue to increase in value?

Here’s where the contrarian mindset of an investor comes in. Is silver a riskier buy after moving from $25 up to $50/oz, or after a pullback from $50 to $30/oz? There’s more fear after the pullback than there is at the new high, yet the feeling should be opposite! It should feel less risky to buy it at $30 than at $50. What happens is, while it’s running up in price, it “feels right” so people keep buying on the way up, thinking it will continue up and maybe even afraid they will miss it.

When it goes down, they think it will continue down and they fear not knowing the bottom before they buy. I think silver at $30/oz is a bargain. After all, it peaked around 1980 at $50 an ounce, and here we are 30 years later and it’s less per ounce than it was then! That sounds like a bargain to me! We could see a lower dip in prices, but I’ve been buying here and I think a year from now, I’ll be happy I did. You could also average down here and bring your average price down. Either way, I think this is an extraordinary buying opportunity for the long-term.

There’s no lack of opportunity to make money. The only lack is inside your mind, with those old tapes playing from our subconscious. Stay in gratitude and start seeing the possibilities around you with fresh eyes. The old ways are gone and there are lots of new ways to build wealth that are right in front of you. If you have faith and trust the Universe will bring them to you.

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America’s Wealth Mentor, Linda P. Jones, believes anyone can become wealthy with the right knowledge, beliefs, and habits. She teaches the formula to financial freedom she discovered and followed to become a millionaire at age 38. It’s the only wealth building solution that begins with your wealthy mindset and also gives practical steps to building wealth. If you’re ready to live wealthy and smart, sign up for your free “8 Steps to Wealth” video mini-course and “Will You Be Wealthy?” quiz now at: www.showmewealth.com.

Here are five important factors for getting yourself free from the money that you owe.

The most important part of getting yourself out of debt is to stop spending and accumulating more debt. While it may be a real shock to the system, you can`t keep going on the same way and expect things to change. You have to put an end to the debt accumulation and completely change your focus. Instead of spending, consider saving money by making larger payments to those debts.

Sacrifice is never fun to think about but in most cases it is the only way to get out of debt. You can`t have everything that you want. In order to decrease debt you have to not only stop spending, but also come up with extra cash to put towards the amount that you owe. There are different levels of sacrifice. You don`t want to completely give up on your grocery budget, but you can cut back on the amount of times that you eat out in a week. You can`t stop buying clothes completely but you can purchase less and re-use the items that you already have. Find a place where you can make a cut.

Start with one debt and work your way through it. It can be overwhelming to try to put extra money towards each of the different debts that you have. Instead, choose just one debt and put all of your extra money to that one payment. Eventually, it will be paid off and you can move on to something else. You will realize the difference that your efforts are making and you will be encouraged to continue the process.

Realize that every cent counts. Even if you aren`t putting hundreds of dollars each month towards a debt, it doesn`t mean that you aren`t making a difference. Look at each and every cent as a way for you to make a change in your life. For example, when you save a few cents at the grocery store, it may not seem like much. But you can now take that extra money and use it to work your way out of debt. Those cents eventually add up to your financial freedom. If you can only send an extra dollar or two towards the debt, go ahead and do it.

The final tip for getting out of debt is keeping your eye on the prize. There are so many temptations and setbacks that will make you question your decision. You may be wondering whether or not it is worth it to get out of debt.

Consistently remind yourself that the money you are paying to someone else now could be going into your savings account. You could be eating out more, shopping more and even enjoying life more without the hassle of debt and owing money to other people or companies. You may want to create an area in your home that will remind you of what you could be doing with the money that you are spending to repay your debt to Barclays credit card. It can keep you motivated and encouraged to stay on the right path.

We’ve all done it at some time or other. We put off our exercise routine until tomorrow; we continually delay finishing that project or starting that business.

Procrastination is the mother of all demons and can literally stop you in your tracks from achieving all that you desire.

Here are 5 effective processes you can use to slay this giant:

1. Do it now
Hold your breath and jump right in! Putting things off until the last minute is a bad habit and like all habits is ingrained in our subconscious mind and hard to break. It feels like the normal thing to do and we simply continue along our path. To complete a task immediately may even feel strange or like a forced action.

When your boss gives you a task or when your clients or customers request your expertise, do it right away!

You not only look well-organized to others, the feeling that the job is done, is complete before the deadline, will be one of relief and gratitude.

How would this efficiency look to your customers when you request a referral or to your boss when salary reviews are approaching? I would think, “Great”.

2. Take baby steps
Sometimes we procrastinate because the task may be intimidating to us. Perhaps we have no possible inkling on where to start.

In these cases, it is quite fine to take it one step at a time.

Say you are preparing a business plan and for the 5th time this week, you’ve turn on the PC and looked at the blank screen. Or you’ve just remembered you need to do some more research before you begin…you’re still not ready.

My friend you ARE ready.

You simply need to break down the project into smaller pieces and tackle each bit separately. Make each task an individual project and after completion of each one, celebrate and acknowledge your achievement.

Soon you’ll be finished and have no idea why you were putting it off in the first place!

3. Vision the perfect
Ah! I love this one. I use the Law of Attraction with my clients to have them easily and effortlessly achieve their dreams and desires and in effect, their vision.

Once you are aware that you are in fact procrastinating, creating a vision of you achieving the perfect plan is extremely helpful. When you create a vision you write in the present tense…as if you have already achieved your goal or if you are in the process of completing it.

For example, we go back to the business plan. Your vision may look something like this.

“I am so grateful that I have completed all the research I need for my business plan. I am finding the information easily using the internet. People that have written business plans are offering me advice that allows me to create an exciting plan that I resonate with. As I write, the words come to me effortlessly….”

In creating a vision and focusing on it daily, the universal laws state that things, people, processes will begin to occur in your life that will allow you to attract that vision.

4. Forget it
Why force the issue? If you have been ‘dragging your feet’ on something for a very long time, it may all be for the best.

Something, somewhere is trying to tell you something. That something is your intuition and it is usually right!

Think about something that you have been putting off again and again and again. What are the reasons that you need to complete this task in the first place? Does someone want you to do this? What is THEIR agenda? What are YOUR reasons for this lengthy delay?

I find it amazing that 99% of the time I put off doing something, I am thankful that I did! Disregarding a project after a long period of procrastination is however usually a last resort.

5. Support team
Do you put off tasks because you feel that there are too big and complex for you to handle alone? Or because you need assistance? Be honest with yourself. “No man is an island”.

Ask for help! There are many resources out there that can provide you with all you need to carry out your job.

If you’re a solo-professional and you put off answering emails, then don’t answer them yourself. Hire an assistant, find some college students that want experience, get a family member to help.

Procrastinating on life changing activities could be as a result of fear of the unknown. Get a mastermind group together, find a mentor or a coach, join a support group in your area or online.

You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Just ensure that to kick this habit; do what feels good to you in whatever method you choose. You’ll surely postpone procrastination for a very long time.

What have you been putting off? Which of these 5 methods will you use today? Share below!

This is a destructive cycle that not only hurts you, it also hurts your clients and has a negative impact on the treatment process.

Here’s how the cycle goes:

Reducing your rates decreases your income => which increases financial stress => which affects how you feel about yourself and the services your offer => which decreases the investment clients make in their own treatment => which creates feelings of frustration and resentment for you => which affects your energy and your thoughts about your clients => which negatively impact their treatment (the benefits and results) => which further affects how you feel about your value => which puts you out of resonance with the energy of money => which sets you up to continue attracting clients who can’t afford you => which means you reduce your rates . . . .and the cycle continues.

See how that works?

After talking with hundreds of helping professionals, I have come to understand the psychology of undercharging.

So, here are the 4 top reasons healers undercharge for their services:

1. You don’t understand how the energy of money works

Everything in the Universe is energy. That means that money is energy. All energy comes from the same divine source. Money is actually spiritual energy from a divine source that is attracted to fun, creativity, gratitude, service, truth and love energy. Worry, fear, desperation, shame, anger, resentment and guilt block the flow of energy and repel the energy of money. The more you stand in the power of who your really are, speak your truth, have fun, love yourself and others, express gratitude for the blessings in your life, honor your creativity and value yourself and others, the happier you will be and the more attractive you will be to the energy of money.

Most helping professionals know that their healing gifts come from a divine source. They just don’t really understand on a deep level that money also comes from that same divine source. It is easy to think that money comes from people. This belief is what gets us into trouble. When we believe that money comes from people, we focus on scarcity and lack especially when we hear reports about the bad economy, high unemployment rates and the news that people aren’t spending money. The truth is that money comes from the divine through other people to us. The Universe is the source of our financial abundance. Other people are just the conduit for the money to come to us – just like we are the conduit for the healing energy to flow to other people.

Here’s the kicker, though. Source can’t send you the money you desire through other people if you are not willing to receive it by telling other people about your services, offering them the opportunity to work with you and accepting your full rate as an exchange for the gift of healing.

2. You don’t own your true value

As entrepreneurs, we are the ones who set our rates and decide our value. This is really challenging because from an early age we are taught to seek our worth and value from sources outside of ourselves. Teachers evaluate our work and give us grades. Employers tell us what they are willing to pay us and provide us with yearly evaluations of our performance which determine whether or not they think we are worthy of receiving more money.

Many helping professionals suffer from feeling “not good enough” – that they don’t know enough or have enough experience – and that if they learn one more healing modality or get one more certification then they will be “worth” it. They rarely think about the time, energy and money they have invested into what they know. This doesn’t just mean training programs, this also means life experience. It is easy to assume that if you know it, then it must be common knowledge so it’s not so special and it certainly isn’t worth charging good money for. I know this was a big belief I had to overcome.

3. The savior syndrome

Helping professionals want to help people. This desire often crosses the line into thinking we know what is best for people and trying to rescue them whether they ask to be rescued or not. That’s why you don’t ask someone to work with you or you offer them a reduced rate without ever discussing your full rate because you “know” they can’t afford you and you want to protect them from feeling bad or make it easy for them to afford you. I talked in detail about how this behavior is actually hurtful to your clients in last week’s article. If you missed it you can go to my blog and read it www.awakenyourentrepreneur.com/blog.

Healers can see people’s true essence and the potential that comes when people step into who they really are. It is easy to become hypnotized by this and become more invested in someones healing process than they are. People have a right to choose to stay stuck in their pain, struggle and limiting beliefs. It serves a purpose for them and until they are ready to invest their time, energy and money into getting unstuck, we can’t help them.

It is easy to believe that if people are attracted to us or really want to work with us, then we have to work with them. WRONG! People are attracted to us for many reasons (sometimes it is because we would fulfill a role for a recurring destructive pattern that is active for them) and when it isn’t a good fit or they aren’t willing to make the emotional or financial investment in their own healing, then saying “no” to working can provide as much or more healing for them (and for you) than saying “yes”. I know this point of view will probably ruffle some feathers create some backlash but it is the truth. There are many talented helping professionals out there who can help them. It is not your job to save people who aren’t ready to be saved.

4. Treating your work as a ministry or hobby instead of a business

Over my 20 years in the healing world, I have come across many people who treat their business like a ministry, a spiritual practice or a hobby. That’s why it is easy to reduce rates. They haven’t looked at their work as a business that has expenses and overhead that must be considered in setting rates and bringing in income.

If you want your healing work to be a ministry or a hobby, that is fine. Just make it a conscious choice and know that you will need a primary source of income to support your living expenses as well as your healing work because ministries and hobbies are expensive to maintain. More money will flow out than will ever flow in.

If you want to support your lifestyle with your healing work, then you must learn how to run it like a business. Businesses have more money flowing in than flowing out. There are specific mindsets and skill sets you must master in order to make money as a helping professional. Set your fees based on what your business needs to make in order to cover expenses and pay you the income you want to receive.

You can get out of the trap of constantly reducing your rates if you are ready to invest the time, energy and money in learning the mindsets and the skill sets to do so.

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Melanie Yost has been called a “miracle worker”. She has the ability to take negative situations and create lasting positive results. A therapist for 20 years and now a business development coach, she has successfully worked with individuals to transform their lives, their situations, and most importantly, their outcomes. When people are looking for an opportunity to create a 180 degree turn in their finances, beliefs, business and lives, they seek Melanie’s acute wisdom and compassionate touch. To learn more about Melanie and the products and services she offers, go to www.awakenyourentrepreneur.com.

No joke.

Add to that I was the kind of procrastination, the prince
of perfectionism and as inconsistent as they come.

“Mike, share with me one really, really good idea that
helped you turn it all around.”

Amigo, will do.

First, let me say this.

My head was in the clouds.

Here’s what I mean.

I had big financial goals and if the results didn’t come fast enough, it was SOMEONE ELSE’S fault.

Not mine.

It was the opportunity. It was the product. It was something. Anything, but me.

It went on for 6 years of struggle. Living paycheck to paycheck and being mocked by people close to me.

I didn’t understand something that I’m going to share with you now.

Right now.

***Every level of income demands a different you.***

Let me say that again.

***Every level of income demands a different you.***

It took me 6 years, up till 2001, to ‘get a clue’.

Now over the last 10 years, this principle shines as clear as the morning sun.

You can’t earn $10,000 a month in a $2,000 mind.

You can’t earn $1,000,000 a year in a $25,000 a year mind.

When we push through our limited, lame, sometimes ‘generational’ thinking, our life can change.

Fast.

Everyone is looking external.

What changed my life is when I starting looking internal.

Analyzing my thought patterns.

Becoming aware of the areas in my life I really sucked at.

Realizing I needed to make $500 a month in my business before I make $5,000 a month.

Amigo, listen to this.

There’s so many levels you can get to in your life that will multiply your happiness, fulfillment, and income. There is.

Work on yourself.

Work on yourself.

Work on yourself.

Daily.

Hourly.

***Every level of income demands a different you.***

Who do you need to BE to double your happiness?

How do you need to think to double your income?

Who do you need to hang out with to stretch your vision of what’s possible for you?

Focus on pushing into and through to your next level. Not 10 levels above where you’re at now. Just the next level.

“I’m powerful.”

“I believe in myself.”

“I will succeed.”

You see, you just said those things about yourself.

Yes, you can do it amigo.

***Every level of income demands a different you.***

Your Coach,

Mike

P.S. I’ve read more success books from before 1930 then anyone you know. This one is a classic I found. No one
knows about it. Shhhh. It’s helped me become more powerful.

http://www.conqueryourselfmanual.com

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By Mike Litman

Prosperity Nugget #100

If things (outside forces) keep happening to derail you from your goals, look at the one thing that is always at the scene…YOURSELF!