Grow Your Confidence – Part 2

Last week, I talked about growing your self confidence and I received a lot of feedback.  I won’t say i am surprised because despite all of the overwhelmingly positive posts on Facebook and Instagram, there are people who struggle. They struggle with standing tall and proud letting their sparkle shine through.

So here are a few more things which might help you boost your confidence…

1. Take some time for personal care.   I will admit, I am the worst at this.  When I am feeling yuk, all I want to do is lay around in my sweats.  The truth is, we should really nudge ourselves to do something for us.  Now, I don’t mean spend a fortune. How about pulling out your favorite shaving cream and shaving those legs? The warmer weather is coming.  How about deep conditioning your hair? Or even soaking in a bubble bath?  Pamper yourself with something you enjoy doing for you. Give yourself permission to enjoy life. Giving yourself permission to relax and even PLAY, will pay you back ten fold.  You will gradually change your mindset so the fun times come more naturally.

2. Visualize and Reframe.  This is going to sound a little crazy since I always talk about how important positive thinking is BUT believe me it works.  Take a few minutes to reflect on the problems you are facing in your life. Feel the feelings associated with the problem.  Do you naturally assume the worst – let’s REFRAME the problem and the solution!  Nothing is hopeless but when you believe it is, all you will feel is unhappiness and that you are a failure.

So, I want you to pick one problem and look at it in a new light by recreating a positive outcome.  I know it can be tough but you can do it.  Imagine a positive solution and really feel the feeling of the new positive ending to your story. Now, make the new ending happen!

3. Make a List of Your Positive Attributes.  Yes you do have them.  We all do even if we don’t always see them.  For many years, I heard “you are your own worst enemy” and I know I am not alone.  It is time to make a list of your positive gifts (physical and mental). We need to find an inner love for ourselves, instead of looking to others for approval.  I struggled with this exercise for years and then with the help of a friend, I reached out to several close friends and asked for their help.  I asked them to describe me in just 3 words.  I was blown away by the response. Once I wrote them all together, I put them into positive mantras I could repeat until I really started to believe them…

4. Fake it till you make it.   I know this sounds easy and hard to believe it actually works, but trust me it is easy and it does work. Remember those negative thoughts like:”This day sucks”, “I feel ugly” or “I am not good enough” guess what? Those thoughts radiate and everyone knows how you are feeling.  You need to keep your thoughts in check, so when the negative self talk creeps back up- proclaim the opposite. This will help you to build your self worth cause the negative inner gremlins can get pretty sneaky.

5. Get enough sleep.   I know as busy women, who has time for a good’s night sleep, right?  What is the definition of a good night’s sleep?  Is it 5 hours or maybe less?  Maybe it means a night when the kids aren’t climbing in your bed.  When you are tired and your body is run down, it’s difficult to feel good about yourself. Your body is dragging, and the negative inner gremlins are ready to rear their ugly heads. As much as you may hate to hear it, your body needs a solid 6-8 hours of sleep – peaceful uninterrupted sleep. I used to live on about 5 hours then age creeped in and health struggles.  I am grateful my hubby got me into a routine of at least 7 hours of sleep.  There are days when I get less but I can tell because my sparkle dulls just a little.  I know it is not always easy but find a happy medium for you so you have the energy to fight off those nasty gremlins.

I would love to hear from you and know what you do to boost your confidence on those tough days.  

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Start Your Morning Right

Is this you first thing in the morning BEFORE your morning coffee?  I’ll admit, my hubby would probably say this is me despite my best efforts.

Enter my morning coffee and I am ready to start the day.  Whether I am working my business or just trying to get errands and household chores done, I set an intention for the day.

I get into the right frame of mind.  I know you are saying BUT the kids need to get ready for school, hubby is hurrying for work and maybe even you are trying to get out the door to your JOB.  How is that possible, right?

The first step is to get up earlier than the rest of the family.  I hear the LOUD groan BUT if you are getting up the same time as everyone else, you will be reacting to everyone and everything.  Do you really thing that is the way to reach your goals – whatever they are?

Even 30 minutes earlier will make a HUGE difference.  Start small if that seems scary – say 15 minutes.  The sooner you start to send positive vibrations out into the world, the better the chance for it to build and work miracles.

Visualizing

When you first open those eyes, are you already picturing a day of chaos and uncompleted tasks.  Why not try forming a mental picture about how you want your day to unravel. No matter what the task is, it is within your power to visualize everything happening successfully. When you imagine carrying out your tasks successfully, you will help to focus, and focusing on what you want leads to your positive results.

 Use Positive Words

When you talk to people first thing in the morning, do you use positive words or does Negative Nelly creep in?  If you ONLY allow yourself to use positive words, you will help in attracting positive results.  Instead of talking about how sick a child (or pet) is, why not say “I am taking them to the doctor so they can be healthy and happy”.  Choose to use your words to help you focus on a positive outcome instead of the potential pitfalls.

You always want to be open to receive greater abundance.

Mindful Dressing

This one, I never really thought about but it really does make a difference. The truth is that what you wear is important because the way you dress sends a message, not only to others, but also to the universe. Have you ever noticed that on the days that you feel great in your clothes, you feel positive so you focus on the positive and you receive abundance.  It all links to releasing your mind from clutter that so you can bask in the confidence that you exude because you feel good about your outfit.   Confidence raises your vibration and makes attraction effortless.

When you clearly focus on envisioning what you want in your mind, you will add success in life. Add dressing powerfully to clear away negativity and leave a clear path for your intentions to materialize. Using positive words when you speak will keep positive vibrations flowing and make attracting what you dream seamless.

Are you ready to attract the abundance that you so richly deserve?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Balance and Self-Care

 

It’s Friday! The FIRST official weekend of the summer, right?  The kids are out of school.  You have already heard “I’m bored” more times then you can count.  You are trying to figure out how to balance (or juggle) your business, personal commitments and enjoying life while the kids are home for the summer.

Who said that having your own business was less stress?  Did you think that once you made the decision to be a Work at Home Mom that the “work stress” would just magically disappear?  Are you wondering at times, why did I leave my JOB for this?

The problem is not your business – the problem is YOU!  You have let yourself fall into the trap of being indispensable. It is time for a CHANGE!  You need to decide that you will have a balanced life; not just wish or want it.  Take a moment and visualize what that would look like.

Imagine working your business for a few hours every day.  Imagine that once the work is done, you spend uninterrupted time with family.  Imagine that you are NOT constantly checking your email or Facebook accounts.  Imagine that you turn OFF your phone for just a few hours every day for uninterrupted family time or self-care.  How does that sound?  Like Heaven, right?

Isn’t it strange the double standards that we use when we talk about the digital world.  How many times have you yelled at the kids to put their cell phones away during dinner?  How many times do you go out to dinner and banish the digital world so you can talk to each other?  Where did our kids learn this?  Believe it or not, they are just following in your footsteps.  Think about how many times you answer the phone or check email/ Facebook when you are out with the kids.  The “this will only take a minute” turns into hours or you “hushing” them so you can talk.

I speak from experience.  I was a single mom with my own business – guilty on all counts.  At 27, my daughter will tell you “mom was always working”.   The first time she remembers me turning off my cell and NOT answering it was our first cruise.  I was at every team practice and every game/ competition.  I was the mom who shuttled kids around for busy “working moms”.  BUT I seldom turned off the digital devices and I was definitely a multi-tasking woman.  Proud of and willing to boast that I was a GREAT multi-tasker.  The truth was that I was a stressed momma who longed for balance.

Believe it or not, the BEST way to lead a balanced life is committing to SELF-CARE!  I know you are saying, when do I have time, right?

Ask yourself this, Are you taking care of yourself so that YOU will be a better employee for YOU?!  If you are like me, YOU are always on the bottom of the list.  The truth is the better I take care of myself, the more motivated I am and the more effective I am when working.  As a result, I can be present with my family.  Making sure that time for you is on the to-do list will definitely help with getting and keeping some balance in your life.

Women are the core of the family; we cannot fully give to our family and our business if we do not take proper care of ourselves.

You need an action plan. I am sure you have heard “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”  It is time to find some new skills to put into action and make a commitment to change so that you can reach your goal of having a balanced life.

I challenge you to do some self-care today and then CELEBRATE it!  What will you do?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

Is the Law of Attraction Working

Dreaming of success yet it doesn’t seem to come?  Want to see your bank account grow but all that seems to arrive is bills?  Do you wish for something so hard but that wish never comes true?

Have you heard about the “law of attraction” and thought it is CRAZY?  The truth is that you can reframe a situation and attract wonderful things into your life.  Has my unexpected income arrived? It is on its way because I BELIEVE and I am ready to receive it.  Here are some reasons why the law of attraction may not be working for you:

1. Your request wasn’t clear and specific.

Just like you would order a meal in a restaurant – exactly like you want it, you need to ASK specifically for what you want.  If it is a dollar amount, write a paper check and hang it on the wall.  Want a specific goal in your business, be specific and ask for it.

2. You didn’t visualize it.

Clearly ask then visualise it. Imagine yourself having it. Feel the feelings having it would give you.  Use your imagination and all of your senses – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. What will it feel like when you receive that unexpected income?  What will you do with it?  Feel the emotions that go with it – excitement, happiness contentment etc.

3. You didn’t believe it was really possible.

Be honest.  You asked for something that you didn’t believe was attainable?  Either you didn’t really believe in the law of attraction, or you didn’t believe that this specific thing you are asking for could  happen. Not believing blocks you from attracting whatever it is that you want. If you are struggling, start with something small that you can actually BELIEVE will happen. Once you get that, you can ask for more and get it. Work your way up as your faith builds.

4. You felt you were undeserving of it

This was a big one for me!  You are worthy! You are so deserving of everything you desire. The people that are successful, rich and happy – are not better than you. All of us are equally valuable, important and worthy. We all have our own unique gifts, talents, and necessary contribution to this world. It is why you were born.

5. You didn’t allow it, accept it or take action

Don’t try to force things to happen.  Don’t require it to happen the way you want it. Don’t keep checking on it. What you ask for could happen (and probably will happen) in a way that you never guessed it would. Trust that God (or the universe) knows more than you, knows everything actually, and has the power to make it happen.  Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.  Take action when you feel inspired. Do the things that make sense to get you closer to what you want.

6. You don’t believe you already have it

Believe it is yours.  Know that it is yours.   Imagine your name is written on it and it’s on its way to you. Own it. You are sure that when you order something it will be delivered, right? Even though you are not holding it in your hands, you know it exists, it’s yours and it will be here soon. This is the same thing.

7. It was something you didn’t really want, or part of you didn’t want it

Maybe you asked something that you really didn’t want but something that you thought you “should” want. Ask yourself what is the reason behind what you are asking for and what you really want.

So, who is ready for that promotion? Or new job? Or raise? Or whatever it is that you truly want?  Share it with us.  Speak it into the Universe so it will happen.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!