Nov
3
Self-batticals and the Art of Self Care
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I consider self-batticals, no matter how short, a requirement in today’s hectic society. A self-battical is a sabattical for the self, for the soul and is a necessary ingredient to regroup, recharge, reconnect with our spirits, refresh, renew and regenerate who we are.
A self-battical can be a holiday or a holimoment - a bubble bath, Jacuzzi soak, pedicure, facial, walk on the beach, deep breathing, looking at photos, listening to music, port wine and dark chocolate, snuggling up with a book or playing with your dog to relieve some stress.
If you need more than a moment, consider a spa day, a girlfriend getaway, or a solo travel adventure over a weekend or a week of new discoveries. One neighbor says she’s decided to take every Friday off to do something for herself and do whatever she darn well pleases. Another friend does one thing per month for herself in the self-care department. A girlfriend and I recently took ourselves to a world-class spa for the day to relish the serenity of it all. Many will allow you to purchase day passes along with a purcahse of just one treatment.
After spending the day in pure luxury, we rented some chick flicks and watched movies all night eating premium ice cream with Grand Marnier fudge sauce. Indulgent, yep. Decadent, you betcha. Absolutely soul satisfying, you better believe it. We both knew it was something we both indisputably needed.
I’ve made a choice to do at least one big adventurous thing per year to stretch my limits (solo safaries with the Massai, Outward Bound 30-day survival course, sky diving over the Rockies, parasailing in Mexico, bungee jumping in France, rock climbing in Germany, hang gliding in Austria, camel riding in Kenya, Bamboo rafting in Thailand and trekking in Nepal to name a few.) I also choose to take at least Monday mornings and Friday afternoons off to treat myself to whatever I need in the moment (a nap, massage, catching up with girlfriends, sewing, creative play, biking, cooking, sailing or kayaking etc.) I’m practicing on extending the non-work time to the entire days of Mondays and Fridays to be a better balanced me.
I find we can be our best selves when our plates are not so full. We don’t need to fill every spare moment with work or productivity. I made a decision when I moved to California that my new motto would be “no rushing and less stress”. I’ve seen the softer side of me on the west coast. Maybe it comes with age - nothing to prove, a little more freedom of choice of how to live my life and in no big hurry - it’s an easier life. I fee freedom to be able to choose how I get to spend my day each morning.
For those who think self care is selfish . . . you can’t be of service to anybody else if you’re sick, weak, stressed-out or on your last nerve. It’s all about being the best self you can be for the world. Doesn’t the world deserve your best self - it’s selfish to not take care of you. Guard your energy fiercly, so you will have it to give to others and to your causes when they need you.
What kind of Self-battical or holimoment will you take this week, this day or this month to energize yourself? Now excuse me, it’s time for a doggie walk. . . .
Oct
20
Edit, Add, Appreciate, Energize
Filed Under Workplace, Energized Environment, Health, Whatever, Energized Entrepreneur, Well-Being | Leave a Comment
Sunday evenings seem to be a time to get revved up for the coming week. It’s at this time when I tend to think about these 3 simple things that will energize me for the coming week - moving me forward in creating the life I want to lead.
- Edit: What can I edit from my life this week? A material object, thoughts, habits, behaviors, people, work or activities that don’t serve me well any more. It could be an article of clothing, a negative perception, a food, an annoying or sniggly trait. Let it go and move on to greener pastures. What is holding you back or what is causing your stress that you need to edit? Where are your bottlenecks or frustrations? Do you have excesses in your life that you need to edit or dial down? How about unfettered consumerism, debt, or unbridled shopping or retail therapy that is out of control. Edit your perspective on your point of enoughness, your needs and wants.
- After all my moves, I’ve realized you can’t just edit once and be done with it for material things. Life changes and your needs, wants and priorities change. That’s why I keep going back to re-edit and simplify. Pare down to the essence of what it is that creates joy and happiness in your life and edit out the clutter - internal or external clutter.
- Add: What can I add to my life that will bring me more joy, happiness, energy, health, wealth or whatever. Reinvent one thing such as perceptions, creations, activities, objects, recipes, people, business contacts, a route to work or walk, a new friend, new music or a new book. How about adding new beliefs or trading some of the old beliefs that may not be true to you now for what works for you as an adult. Take inventory of what your parents taught you that worked when you were 8 or 18, but not when you’re 48. Times have changed and our thought processes and perhaps some beliefs should change as well. Our beliefs rule our behaviors and our results. What can you add or edit in that area? What might be missing in your life that you’d like to add for a fuller, richer experience on Earth?
- Appreciate: What or who needs more appreciating this week? More fully appreciate someone or something and say your gratitude out loud or to yourself for these things. Act on your promptings. Send a card right now to somebody who needs to hear from you: www.BizBuilderCards.com. The more you do it, the more it gets ingrained into your brain. Do this one on a daily basis for even more impact than weekly and this can become a new habit that you add which adds to other people’s lives. Appreciate your surroundings, show your acknowledgement to those who serve you, rejoice in your beautiful environment. If it’s not so beautiful - add to it or edit to make it so. Who needs to hear from you today or who needs appreciating?
Oct
9
4 Easy Steps to Energize Your Decision Making
Filed Under Health, Workplace, Whatever, Energized Entrepreneur, Wealth, Well-Being | Leave a Comment
Decision making can be daunting at times - weighing the oh so many options or feeling ambivalent and stuck in the middle. If you base your decision making on these following 4 questions in accordance with the spiritual laws of the Universe, then it will make all your decision making much, much easier. Things start to flow. There are spiritual laws that have no boundaries or borders and the outcome is more life, fuller expression and expansion.
Human laws have limits while spiritual laws have none. So which do you follow? Which do you want to follow? If you’re getting limited results, you are likely following human laws. However, if you really desire unlimited results, you must begin to follow spiritual principles.
Recently I received these 4 questions from one of my mentors that cut right through the clutter of the confused mind to allow a decision to come through strictly from spiritual principles. If you let ANYTHING other than spirit weigh in on your decision - if you do ANYTHING other than what pure spirit guides you to do, you are not following the laws of the Universe.
Read these questions and ponder the power of making a decision from this place:
1. Is this something I want to Be, Do or Have?
2. Is being, doing or having this going to help me fulfill my purpose - is it in alignment with my goals?
3. Is being, doing or having this in harmony with the laws of the Universe?
4. Is being, doing or having this going to violate the rights of others?
You are looking for 3 yes answers and 1 no answer. When you get them all, you have all you need to make the decision and then the way will be shown to you. Remember to listen to your heart’s desires. Your desires show you the way, the path that you are supposed to be following. It’s our compass. Test drive these 4 questions the next time you have a decision to make and see what happens and how it feels.
Sep
25
Decision Making: Fear-Based or Faith-Based
Filed Under Workplace, Whatever, Energized Entrepreneur, Well-Being | Leave a Comment
If you are faced with personal or professional decisions and feeling stuck, or if you feel that your decision may not have turned out how you would have liked; take a look at what may be keeping you stuck. Are you mired in ambivalence or scared to make a decision because you are fearful of the unknown? Is it sucking the energy out of you going over and over in your head about “what if” when faced with a big decision?
Don’t allow “what if” to stop you by thinking of things you fear happening. Let “what if” help you sprout wings to soar beyond your imagination can take you. Ask “what if” to bask in possibility thinking and dwell in the realm of creative, faith-based thought. Having faith that what you desire will be met with the resources to make it come true.
We waste loads of emotional energy on decision making, whether it be for work or for our well-being. We know emotion is actually energy in motion and emotional energy makes up about 70% of our total energy. That’s why you may still feel tired after getting much rest if your brain is working overtime dealing with emotional issues.
Are you making your decisions based on fear or faith? We usually get stuck because we are paralyzed by the fear of the unknown and the fear of letting go of what once was and moving on to what could be. We’ve got to reach a point where the fear of the unkown is much less than the current situation. Having faith that your decisions will met positively, faith in yourself for making good decisions based on your instincts and information gathering, and faith that the universe is abundant and will provide for you, if that’s what you desire.
Making decisions based on fear means not going down the path you really want, your outcomes fall short, you short-change yourself, you’re not really truly satisfied - you feel you’ve settled. You are left with a wanting something better. You’re playing not to lose instaed of playing to win. Decisions based on fear leaves you still wanting for more because it isn’t exactly right - there is lack.
Making decisions based on faith keeps you moving forward. Making decisions based on faith may seem awkward at first, but then becomes powerful beyond belief. Decisions based on faith feels like you arrived, it feels right and it feels good. It is empowering. Fear is only in our minds anyway - it’s only a perception, so let it go. Thank it for making you aware and then release that feeling and move forward in faith. It will energize you to no end.
So what is holding you back from a big decision? What decisions would you make if you could do no wrong? What would you do to move forward in your personal or professional life if you had the faith it would work out? I may have mentioned it before and it’s worth repeating: It all works out in the end. If it’s not working out, it’s not the end.
Sep
18
Free Energy - Light at the End of This Economic Tunnel
Filed Under Energized Environment, Workplace, Energized Entrepreneur, Wealth | Leave a Comment
It’s not everyday that somebody offers you free energy. It happened down in Texas during Hurricane Ike when I was attending the Ambit Energy convention. It was better than being in the Oprah audience - the screaming, the excitement, the jumping up and down. Not only did they give away a Lexus, and a trip to Puerta Vallarta for everybody in the audience; they are making history by giving away free energy.
That’s right - free energy - as in free electricity and free gas to heat your home in the deregulated energy states of NY, IL, OH and TX. Here’s the deal, if you are in an area in those states where you must choose your energy provider, and you choose Ambit, then refer 15 people to also use Ambit, at no cost to them, you get your energy for free month after month. How awesome is that???!!!
Here’s the best part - if you are a member of a church, synogogue, school or other non-profit organization; you can help them out by hooking them up to be an Ambit Affiliate for just $99 and when their congregation or members switch to using Ambit, the organization earns up to $9 per household every single month. Yep, a recurring income for the organization just for it’s members turning on their lights or heating their home.
Energy deregulation is sweeping across the country and currently Ambit is only in a handful of states with plans to expand nationally in the future. Customers earn travel rewards just for switching to Ambit at no cost to them. They also earn travel and coupons for gasoline for every kilowatt or therm they use each month and now they can get their energy for free just for telling others about switching to the program…. and who doesn’t want to save money on their energy or get free energy?
The cool thing is that consultants for Ambit also earn money every time their customers turn on the lights or heat their home. Learn more about how you can help families and have a recession-proof income, check out this 20-minute video at Ambit Energy. Giuve me a call after you watch it at 805-985-8730 (California), or drop me an email: Gail@YourEnergyExpert.com. You will be glad you got in front of this tidal wave of opportunity, as deregulation will only happen once…. are you going to catch it, or be washed ashore?
Sep
6
It’s Not What You Make, It’s What You Keep: Energize Your Earnings
Filed Under Workplace, Energized Entrepreneur, Wealth | Leave a Comment
It’s not necessarily what you make that counts (although making more seems to be preferable); it’s what you keep that counts even more. What if you could keep even more of what you make and learn strategies that legally help you live a better lifestyle and energize your earnings so what you keep goes even further?
For instance - did you know that your personal income is taxed at the highest rate? Corporate taxes are taxed at a lower rate. How are you earning your income? Does it come into your personal account or through one of your corporations? How many corporations do you have set up to protect your income?
Do you have companies set up that cover different aspects of your life? Do you have an accountant that knows how to play the game rather than just input numbers into a spreadsheet? Are you taking all the deductions for which you are qualified? Things such as music, pets, setting up a Roth IRA for your kids starting at birth, entertainment, mileage, gas, technology, jewelry, dry cleaning and laundry?
Once you have your own company or stable of companies, there are a gazillion things (well maybe hundreds, anyway) that you can legally write off as a business expense. If you don’t have your own business, it’s time to start one. One of the easiest, cost effective and fastest ways is to join a proven company as an individual distributor. You have the support of a team without having employees. It’s the fastest growing business model in the world because it works.
Check out these two amazing companies that will get you up and running with your own company in minutes with the potential for really energizing your earnings: Send Out Cards and Ambit Energy. These two companies have recession-proof products and services that allow you to make money when people send greeting cards or turn on their lights. It couldn’t be simpler.
To learn more about how to earn and protect your wealth, check out one of the programs by one of my colleagues, The Millionaire Maker, to build big wealth. There are even cash machine workshops to learn how to start your own business and start making money on the spot.
To keep you on track with a plan to build your wealth, visit my friend Irene at Business Road Maps. And to keep more of the wealth you build, visit my friend Sue at Abundance Accounting. She and her team know the ins and outs of keeping more of what you deserve. Particularly in these economic times, it pays to get good advice on building and protecting your wealth and ask the experts who can do just that for you.
If you want more details on any of the products or services mentioned above - drop me a line: Gail@GailHahn.com or give me a call in California at 805-985-8730. Here’s to your wealth!
Sep
5
“I’ve Had It” Moments
Filed Under Workplace, Whatever, Energized Entrepreneur, Well-Being | Leave a Comment
Have you ever had any “I’ve Had It” moments? Those moments that you know are the turning point of your not tolerating something one more time? It’s the time you make a decision that your life will change from that moment on. It all starts with awareness, then a decision, and finally action towards something else.
I’ve experienced several of those moments recently and looking back at turning points in my life, they stemmed from those moments that I decided in faith and not in fear that I would no longer tolerate the current status quo.
Here are some of my moments:
- Saying goodbye to the W2 life of a j-o-b and hello to the entrepreneurial lifestyle. You don’t get vacation days, you don’t get sick pay, you don’t get your medical insurance covered, but you get your life. I preferred not to be held hostage to other people’s policies for a dental plan to gain my freedom and create my own security.
- Ending toxic relationships - business partnerships, bosses from hell, jerks, personal connections, firing clients. If people are making your life harder rather than easier and they bring you more stress, hurt, hardship, and disrespect than peace, love, happiness and support; then I make some hard decisions and walk. If your sanity or self worth are short-changed in the presence of particular people, lace up your running shoes and exit stage right. Some people are meant to be in your life for a reason, a season, or forever. It’s our task to decide which one it is and gracefully let go if the answer is not forever.
- Not tolerating airport shuttle vans. After over 20 years of traveling 3-8 times per month, being herded like cattle, whiplash at every turn and being subjected to every hotel and terminal stop, I decided to ride in the backs of cars and hire a sedan service from now on. My nerves, my time, my comfort are all saved because of it. What is your time, comfort and sanity worth to you?I’m thinking I should have made this wise decision about taking care of myself in this matter years ago.
- Never again staying at hotels with slippery polyester bedspreads and deluxe velux blankets. Life is too short not to be ensconced in down with nice sheets and pillows. It’s worth it to me to feel supported and cared for when I travel. If we don’t take care of ourselves, who else will do it? I’ve decided I like how I’m treated at some properties over others and I just feel better when I’m in that type of environment. Being welcomed into clean, fresh, polite, friendly, lush environments is rejuvenating after a stressful day.
- I will only live in an inspirational environment that supports who I am becoming as well as who I am now. I won’t tolerate being trapped in my home because of the hot or cold climate. That means surrounding myself with beauty, peace, quiet, great climate,wonderful people, fabulous views and with a simplified palette of the things that bring me joy - namely photos of people and places from a life well lived. How does your environment support who you are now or who you are becoming? Or is it a mere reminder of who you used to be, old ways of thinking, old styles, past lives of who you used to be? I once craved a house full of European antiques. I collected them when I lived in Europe for 10 years and then had to build a house around all of them when I returned stateside. After living with my dream for 20 years, I recently decided they weren’t me any more and divvied them out to friends and dealers. Now I enjoy my fun, simple, minimized furnishings that speak to my style of Comfortable Vitality. It’s refreshing.
Making decisions based on the faith that your situation will be better for it, that you can manifest what you need that supports you better and believing you deserve it can take you to a new level of living. Making decisions based on fear that you can’t afford it, don’t deserve it, what will people think, who do you think you are, or fear that if you let go of one thing another something better won’t appear, doesn’t serve you well.
Become aware of your “I’ve Had It” Moments and recognize when your tolerance level has hit the high water mark. Then take action to change it so you can energize your life for the better. You can’t live to your greatest fulfillment if you keep tolerating things, people, places, situations that don’t support you in your true path. I believe these things are put in our lives to irritate us into making a decision to choose otherwise and to choose our right path that leads us to a better life.
What are you choosing to do? What are you choosing to walk away from or not tolerate any more? What are you choosing to walk toward after you’ve experienced one of those moments? What are you scared of if you are ambivelant about walking away? When you feel stuck, it’s usually because you won’t yet let go of the old before embracing the new. Recognize any patterns of your stress or physical, mental or emotional discomfort. If the patterns continue, those are clues leading up to an “I’ve Had It” moment…. you will know what to do. Then make a decision and take action.
Aug
30
2 Biggest Excuses Blocking Your Success & Draining Your Energy
Filed Under Health, Whatever, Energized Entrepreneur, Wealth, Well-Being | Leave a Comment
After taking some ground-breaking course-work with David Neagle and his associates on mindset and manifesting secrets of multi-millionaire entrepreneurs; among the many AHA moments was the realization of the two biggest excuses we use to block our own success and drain our energy:
- I don’t have enough time
- I don’t have enough money
There you have it - plain as day - those tapes that have been running through your head perhaps since you were a child. Once you become aware of what tapes your parents were playing for you over and over and then become aware of what is flying out of your mouth; you can change the tapes and upgrade to MP3 with your own empowering messages.
We can only change our energy and our results when we change our mind, our thoughts. Our thougths lead to feelings, which lead to action, which lead to results.
If you want different results, then you start by changing your mind, which runs your mouth. Monitor what you say out loud and how it affects your feelings or visceral body reactions as well as your choice of actions, then watch your results change.
Change “I don’t have time”, to “I’m making time” or “I’ve decided to use my time for something else” or “I’ve chosen to do X instead of Y with my time”. Replace “I can’t afford it” to “I’m choosing to spend my money on other things right now” or “I’ve decided I’d rather do X than Y”, or “Yes, I can do that” - then watch your behaviors change along with your change of mindset.
It starts with awareness of what you think and say and how often you do it. Then consciously change to something that is more empowering and figure out why you’re using those as excuses for doing or not doing X or Y, then make a decision based on your new reality. It may take some shuffeling, but you know if you really want to do it or have it or be it, then you will make the time and make the money available and manifest whatever you want. We are manifesting all day, every day anyway, it may as well be something you want. And it all starts with your thought and your intentions that come out as words, then feelings, followed by actions and results.
What do your results show you are thinking?
Aug
26
Energize Your Earnings, Save on Your Energy Bills
Filed Under Energized Entrepreneur, Wealth | Leave a Comment
What could be simpler? Saving money on your energy bills, earning trip rewards and cash just by choosing your utility company. Ambit Energy is an innovative energy company with the power behind it to change the way we think about our gas and electric bills and how utility companies are run. Ambit has a proprietary relationship with Royal Dutch Shell - one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world. Ambit purchases energy at a discount from Shell, passing along the savings to consumers. If you live in TX, NY, IL or some states on the East Coast, then you need to switch to Ambit for your utilities. If you don’t live in those states, then you need to become a consultant to catch the new energy wave - Ambit is changing the way utilities do business and you reap the rewards.
Electricity is the #1 retail item in the nation. It’s habitually used, unconsciously purchased and consumed by everybody. Nobody can be without electricity and gas in today’s society. With the deregulation of the energy industry, $500 Billion will change hands. In comparison, with the telephone deregulation, a mere $80 Billion changed hands. Ambit is making energy exciting by offering those in the states that are deregulating their utilities, free trips, rewards, and cash incentives just to choose Ambit over their encumbant energy provider. It costs nothing for consumers to switch. So far Ambit is in TX, NY and IL, with the Eastern seaboard and Ohio coming on board shortly. If you live in these states - check out how you can benefit and save up to 20% on your utility bill at Ambit Consumer site.
If you don’t live in these states, stay tuned, Ambit is moving into your state soon. You can still be a consultant and energize your income, even if you’re not a consumer. Check out this Ambit Consultant site for some videos on how you can earn income in your jammies and collect residual earnings from your team just by sharing the innovative ways Ambit is turning the power industry on its head.
You have the power to choose. The power to choose your energy company, the power to choose how you earn your income and the power to choose if some of that $500 Billion will go into your hands. Choose to give me a call at 805-985-8730 or email me at Gail@GailHahn.com if you want to learn more about saving on your utilities, earning passive income, and earning rewards just for flipping your light switch. What could be more energizing than that?
Jul
22
Your Thoughts Reside Outside Your Head: Complaining vs. Engaging
Filed Under Workplace, Health, Whatever, Energized Entrepreneur, Well-Being | Leave a Comment
Your thoughts are not only in your mind, they are in your body and in your environment as well. When you change your mind, you change your energy, and when you change your energy, you change your life. You also change the environment around you and influence how people treat you.
When you are caught in a downward energy spiral of complaining, you are focused inward and miss the outside world. You are essentially trapped in your negative energy and your perception is creating your environment to a degree. Dr. Masaru Emoto has scientifically proven that thoughts and feelings affect physical reality. In his book The Hidden Messages in Water, his subjects focused different intentions on frozen water molecules. His mesmerizing findings showed that the water labeled with kind, loving thoughts formed beautiful, symmetrical, snowflake-like, colorful crystals. While the frozen water exposed to negative thoughts and visions formed distorted, incomplete and dull crystals. Our thoughts do, indeed affect our environment and people around us.Our bodies are 75% water - imagine how our thoughts are affecting the water in our bodies.
Research has shown that 70% of our thoughts are negative. Imagine what may happen if you change those thoughts to a positive perspective. When you are lost in complaining or negative thoughts, you miss what’s going on around you. Complaining puts stress on your body, telling it that “what is” is not what you want it to be. Stress affects our bodies with an increase in cortisol - a stress hormone which increases abdominal fat. No wonder American’s are so obese - we’re stressed out!
Be aware of your present moment, your surroundings, your thoughts and be fully engaged in what’s going on now. Pay attention to who you’re with, what you’re doing, how you’re feeling, what you’re thinking and practice being alive and engaged in the present moment. Being fully engaged means bringing your total presence to what you’re doing: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual energy all working together in total participation. This does not bode well for multi-tasking. Practice staying out of your head and into your life. Practice focus, practice positive intention, practice being present and see what happens.