Yes to Me

(Photo by Mr. Greenjeans)

America celebrates Independence today

And what does independence mean to you? To many people, it seems to mean not getting help from others, to do things on their own, in their way. What an ironical view. Don’t you know America owed a lot to France and other countries in its fight for independence?

Seriously, political issues aside, I don’t think independence is about isolation or self-righteousness. I think real independence includes freedom to ask for help and unity to do things together because even when I am with someone, I am still independent. What do you think?

I am grateful for my host country America. It has, and continues to provide me with new opportunities.

Gratitude comes to me at time of loss. . .

I lost all my bookmarks of several years on Wednesday. It started with a strange loading problem at certain sites. I did some research and one said Firefox sometimes does this and the first step to resolution is to clear the cache. I had no idea what a cache was, but the process to clear it sounded simple enough, so I did. I didn’t know it meant clearing information on the browser including bookmarks. . .

AAAGHH!! All my favorite sites’ addresses are gone. Now if you think you were my favorite, you need to remind me where you are.

I am grateful for all the technological advances . . . my computer and software . . . even little conveniences like bookmarks. . . Now help me become smarter to be grateful for the things I take for granted before I lose them . . .

My gratitude across the blogosphere

Aaron over at Today is that Day tried my Akashic Record Reading and wrote about it here. It’s critical to own what we did and put closure to negative energetic workings. Especially if you want to utilize the Law of Attraction favorably in your business and life.

James of Men with Pens just wrote an inspiring post about losing what you have built and gained and starting over. Let me quote the same quote he used to open the article:

“If I inherit a lot of money, I may feel a fiduciary obligation to preserve the corpus. But a person who creates wealth, a risk-taker, says ‘If I lose it all, I can go out and create it again.’ “
- Patrick Rooney, director of research, Center on Philanthropy , Indiana University.

Now that is independence. James extended this theme beautifully in his post. I love finding such high spirit – and he doesn’t even seem to consider himself to be spiritual. . .

Spirituality is not necessarily about going to religious meetings. It’s not about moral. A guy on a motorcycle (or a horse ) quieting his mind in the wild nature is very spiritual. And us building businesses to serve others!

My Law of Attraction Dream Money Project, week 3, $400

$400 to spend on anything I like is a pretty big deal for me. Do I want to go Nordstrom to get some clothes? A new laptop costs more than $400, right? Hmm. . .

I was walking in my local grocery store and my inner child came out. She wanted a share of the pie.

My inner child: Hey, I want that big flat of strawberries!
My adult self: Amm . . . this dream money is for something nice, not about getting groceries.
My inner child: But I want to eat all those strawberries! Lots and lots of them. I don’t want dinner, I want to eat all the berries.
My adult self: Well . . .
My inner child: You only get me that small tub from time to time. I want lots of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries . . .
My adult self: You are right. . . well, maybe we can split the $400 and get some berries . . .
My inner self: Oh, and look at those flowers! Can we get a new house plant? We had to give away all our plants when we were moving to Oregon, remember?
My adult self: Yes. They are beautiful.

I guess my inner child is right. I always thought those berries were a bit expensive, but what was I thinking? A flat of locally grown fresh strawberries are $12, and that is a lot! Let’s get some blackberries (called marionberries and boysonberries around here), too. Heck, add some ripe heirloom tomatoes. A nice planter of peace lilies. And a bouquet of lilies, lavenders. . . I am paying $100 for all these goodies.

My adult self: Are you happy now?
My inner child: Ah? Ug. . .

Okay, she is busy eating, and her fingers are red with the fruit juice. I take that as yes and thank you.

And with the remaining $300, I am going to Nordstrom for a shopping spree. I will start at the lingerie area (they have seriously gorgeous stuffs!), get a cotton summer dress, a few cute tops. . . Call me vain, I’m happy.

If you are wondering what I’m talking about, please check this post to see how this Dream Money Project works. I am expanding my wealth consciousness to utilize the Law of Attraction.

Okay, I am well fed and rested, ready to get back to work as a new entrepreneur.

What are you grateful for? And enjoy your summer!

(Photo by Kaptain Krispy Kream)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. at Color Your Life Happy. Thank you, Flora!

Entrepreneurship is in my blood and yet I’m surprised at the many directions it has taken me during my life.

During my childhood, my mother owned a home-based beauty salon in an inner city neighborhood of St. Louis, MO. I grew up watching her manage her business, serve her clients and make enough money to support me and my two sisters even after she and my father separated.

Because I loved school so much I always wanted to be a teacher, but a part of me was always drawn to having my own business as well.
In my mother’s beauty salon, customers treated their appointments as visits, especially the widows or retirees. They would arrive hours early and spend time chatting with my mother and the other customers. Sometimes they would help my mother with chores by folding clean laundry or by preparing meals in our kitchen.

My early experience as an entrepreneur

My first business was running errands and selling things to these customers while they waited their turn in the beauty shop. Whatever I had learned to make in Girl Scouts or at the local YMCA craft classes would be my latest products: crocheted doilies, tea towels with embroidered edges, pot holders or slippers made from face towels.

From my early success at making money from selling handmade products to my mother’s customers, I learned several things that served me well.

• Be pleasant. People like to buy from people they like.
• Remember details about the customer. Their names, of course, but also what grades their children are in or what they bought last time.
• Even though customers may be personal friends, be professional when you’re transacting business.
• Keep your word. If you promise to do something, do it.
• Count money accurately. As a business woman it was very important to my mother that we count change back to customers correctly.

My entrepreneurial work in education

When I finished college I began my teaching career as planned. Even though I enjoyed teaching junior high English and reading, the entrepreneur spirit continued to burn inside me. As I worked with my students, I began to modify materials and techniques to suit my teaching style. The more I did this, the more the idea began to form to create a private instructional program. I didn’t want an entire school, but a specialized program that would focus on the skill that is the first big hurdle for students — reading.

By the time this idea of starting my own reading program was taking hold I had gotten married and begun my family. I felt that I wanted to learn more about the reading process before starting my own program so after 8 years of teaching I decided to leave my full-time teaching job and enter University of South California (in Los Angeles)’s doctoral program in education with a specialization in reading instruction.

My first two children were 5 and 2 at the time, but my husband supported my goal so I proceeded. Managing two small children is a full time job under any circumstances, but doing so while attending graduate school is especially challenging. To add more excitement to our schedule, I had entered my oldest daughter in the Suzuki violin program at USC when she was 3. When I started the doctoral program I had to schedule my classes and study time around her lessons, practice time and recitals.

Along with the challenge of managing all our activities, we had to manage on less money as well. Remember we went from two salaries to one. With the children (I decided to have my third child during my doctoral years) and school as my main focus, however, we learned to live on a lot less and enjoy the many free activities that were available.

During these years I learned more things that served me well.

• With proper time management you can get all the important things done.
• There are many things we can live without.
• Little by little is the best way to reach big goals.
• Children learn best by watching what their parents do.

My first major success as entrepreneur

After I received my doctorate, I accepted a university position in secondary education and started my private after school program. After 3 years of full-time teaching and one more child later, I left the university to run my tutoring program full time.

Morris-Brown Reading Academy became a popular tutoring program in Los Angeles during the late 80’s. We were soon offering not only reading instruction, but also math, test-preparation, adult literacy and graduate consultation.
The program outgrew our small beginnings so I bought a commercial building where we could have multiple classes and activities going at the same time. Parents could wait for their children if they wished in the comfortable waiting room.

During those years, I learned many more things that served me well.

• When you want something passionately and are willing to put your full energy into it, it will come into being.
• People love to help you achieve big goals. Good teachers and parents were attracted to my program.
• A press release with photo to the local newspaper is the least expensive and most effective way to promote local business. I would show up at local events and have my photo taken with visiting celebrities and politicians. They were always gracious enough to approve.
• Other businesses want to partner with you when you are successful.

My life changes and so does my entrepreneurial outlet

After 8 years, as my tutoring program had reached my goals and run its course, my husband passed. I decided to go back to work for a school district. Let someone else handle the overhead, management, staffing and payroll, I thought.

I accepted a position at Fullerton College and moved from Los Angeles to Orange County. You would think my entrepreneur spirit would have dimmed by now. But not so.
Shortly after relocating to a new job and new home, I began to seek another outlet for my entrepreneur spirit. This time I wanted a business that I could begin slowly and grow into a full time business that I would run when I retired.

After actively searching for a business that would be fun and profitable, while engaging my left and right brain, I discovered the gift basket business. I plunged in full speed ahead attending gift shows, subscribing to magazines, and networking with other gift basket designers. I finally had enough information to start my on business, Gift Baskets by Flora, in the early 90’s.

Helping other entrepreneurs and beyond

During my first few years in business I began to get requests for startup help from other business owners. As I helped other business owners, I began to be invited to speak at major gift tradeshows around the country. I eventually co-founded a network group of gift basket professionals and a number of websites and blog to encourage, motivate and inform gift retailers.

Just as I thought I had found the business endeavor I would continue throughout my retirement, another dream starting making its way to my consciousness. I wanted to help not just other business owners, but a wider group of people seeking happiness, fulfillment, successful careers and satisfying relationships. Could it be that I was reinventing myself again?

Once the idea of helping people see how their choices lead to their destiny took hold, a new endeavor was born. I began a blog, www.ColorYourLifeHappy.com , to show people how to create their destiny by making their own choices. As the blog grew and became popular, it lead to a book, Coloring Your Life Happy, scheduled for a Fall 2008 release accompanied by a speaking tour.

Figure out the WHAT and you will know the HOW

As a child I could not have imagined I would be in this exact place in my career at this point of my life. But being here is no accident.
There is a saying that if you figure out “what” you want, God will figure out the “how.”

So how did I get here?

• Listened to my inner spirit
• Had courage to follow my dreams even when they didn’t make sense to anyone else
• Accepted that I didn’t need to know every detail of my journey in advance
• Took the baby steps that would make my dreams a reality
• Attracted people to me who could help me reach my goals

Following the dreams you have for your business and personal life are challenging, that’s for sure. But the treasures of happiness and fulfillment you experience along the way are worth every minute.

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. is an author, coach, speaker, consultant and entrepreneur. She has spent her life teaching, motivating, and inspiring students, business owners, leaders and audiences. Her passion for helping people reach their full potential and live life more happily has lead to her newest book, Coloring Your Life Happy. Today she has become a leading authority on creating your destiny by making your own choices. From her blog, www.coloryourlifehappy.com she shares tips for living life more harmoniously and abundantly. She is mother of four and grandmother of three. When she’s not traveling she enjoys her home in Anaheim, CA.

(Photo by Mr. Greenjeans)

Asking for what I want – politely and clearly

I think there is a huge myth about asking. That asking is not appropriate, or even rude. I think that is a very self-righteous way of thinking. If you don’t want to help others, of course you’d feel bad when you have to ask for help, so you rationalize that asking for help is bad. The truth, however, is we are all connected and inter-dependent. I can’t be an isolated island, nor do I wish to be.

I like helping people, and I get a lot of help from people. The people who help me out are not necessarily the people I helped. Reciprocity is a fair idea, but there are more to life than strict reciprocity.

Really, this blog, Yes to Me, is based on this idea of helping one another. Why do you think busy business owners like Laura Bennett, Tony Lawrence, and Naomi Dunford spared time to do interview with me? (I just named the last three guests – to see the list of all interviews, please check here) Because I asked, and they felt for the idea of “Entrepreneurs helping aspiring entrepreneurs”

Everyone can benefit from the art of asking, but especially for entrepreneurs, this is a critical skill. Even if you are self-employed, your business relies on a lot of people – your business outsources, strategic partners, suppliers and venders. . . So learn how to ask – politely and clearly.

I asked Guy Kawasaki to add Yes to Me

Yes to Me has been on Alltop in Life section for a few months now. But this is a blog of “Life Purpose, Entrepreneurship, and Spiritual Growth” so I emailed him to please add Yes to Me in Entrepreneurship section as well. He responded immediately. Nice guy (He is cute, too, by the way. Check this out.) We even had a few additional email exchanges about how to improve Alltop.

Thank you, Guy. Thank you, all my readers and fellow bloggers.

And if you know successful entrepreneurs who want to be interviewed, please let me know. (Please check this post about my definition of “successful entrepreneur”) I also ask you to please support this blog and the Interview With Successful Entrepreneurs series by talking about it in your blog and in social media. Thank you!

Business ideas? What business ideas?

Some of you may be wondering why I don’t discuss business ideas. Isn’t this an entrepreneurship blog, and don’t all entrepreneurship blogs talk about business ideas?

Because ideas come from within. An excellent business idea for me may not work for you, and vice versa. So one of the best advice I can give you is to see what you call “problems” with entrepreneur’s eyes. You can build a business for the problem of “big vet bill”, for instance. Check the aforementioned interviews to see what specific problem each entrepreneur is solving.

The problem can be your own. Cath Lawson just wrote a great post about this. Maybe I can add yet another line of service – there must be plenty of things I suck at, both ones I know and I don’t – and now I’m encouraged to turn them into business. Thank you, Cath.

The Law of Attraction and my dream money project

This week, I wrote a post on how to utilize the Law of Attraction, especially to attract money. And now my own dream money project, week 2. (Please see my last week’s post about how this project works.)

Week 2, How I use my $200
I want an iPod nano. Green one. I like working on the elliptical machine in the fitness room, but I get bored as I work for 25 minutes on it. With iPod and a cute band clip or wrist band to wear it, I can listen to music while I exercise. I guess I can use the change to download music. I will try something new – any suggestions?

I like looking good and do my best to eat healthy and exercise. I think this iPod adds a bit of fun in my effort. Thank you.

And I’m grateful for the sunshine. Living in Oregon, it’s hard not to become a sun worshipper. I love the cool mild climate here.