Let's go positive!

What’s the point in being positive with the world we live in?  That’s something I hear often.  My usual response to that is to ask what their view of the world is.  I then hear a litany of stories that can be found any given day in the news – terrorists, plane crashes, murders and so on.  The fact that all the news shows have to fill up huge blocks of time every day means that they have to seek out as much mayhem as possible.  Add that to the fact that we humans are wired to be curious especially about the odd and the awful leads many to believe we live in a predominantly negative world.

I don’t watch the news.  I don’t have much negativity in my Facebook feed.  I look for and pay attention to the miraculous (spring buds coming out from under piles of snow) and the things that bring a smile to my face.  I revel in the new inventions, the feel of my sheets when I slip into bed, the friends that make me think and make me feel loved. 

Just that simple shift from focusing on negativity in the news to noticing things that make me happy changes my world view dramatically.  Does that mean terrible things aren’t happening somewhere?  Absolutely not.  But there are so many more wondrous things.  I figure I’ll hear about the important ‘news’ stories eventually and then I can choose to find out more if I care to.  But other than that, I don’t even want to randomly let them drift into my sphere. 

As a soloentrepreneur woman working primarily at home it’s up to me to create the best mindset.  I work better when I’m in a good frame of mind rather than mired down with the woes and worries.  I begin my day with a positive ritual and off I go!

As we head into a holiday weekend for many religions, I think it’s a good time to make a decision to pay attention to what’s good around us – in our family members (yes, I know they can be challenging but they probably think the same thing about us), in our fellow citizens and yes, in our world.

Until next time, keep shining!

Today's post comes from a wonderful Facebook group I'm connected to.  Here it is as I received it.  It was just what I needed!  

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How I made $3k in the first week of my Business!

Alright, what came to your mind when you read the above statement? A spammer? Another one of them to lure me into buying her “Build your six-figure business in a short time” program, Right? You got all the rights to think so because that's what I do when I hear about ‪#‎instasuccess‬formulas.

Look, before I keep going here, I need to open up and share a bitter but stark reality with you. Yes -- if you look at me now, you’d consider me a success. And I do feel blessed with all I have.

But let me tell you something before I talk about steps I took to make $3k in one damn week of my first month in business.

I felt Broken. Empty. Alone. Tired.

Before finding out about this Online Business Wonderland, I worked for peanuts (140 Blog posts for $80), got dumped, worked 18 hours/day with no light, scorching heat and lots of hatred and taunts; A perfect pudding for quitting. But guess what!

I DID NOT QUIT. PERIOD.

Point being, it’s okay if you're at a breaking point. In fact, if you are on the verge of giving up, rise from the ashes like a Phoenix. You’re gonna get there! I know. Because I have and I’m no different than you.

So my success is the result of 3 things:

1. Know your value and translate it into the right kind of words. “I am a copywriter. I write Clear, Concise & Compelling copy with a bit of wit and whole lotta personality for entrepreneurs who wanna up their game.” These two sentences brought me $3k in ONE week. Conclusion? Write concisely and clearly.

2. Reach out. I swear!!! No amount of FB ads can bring you as much work as networking can. Tell people what you do; don’t miss a chance to let the world know how awesome you are. Be happy about it, they’ll love you AND your service/product.

3. Keep learning. You can’t say you’ve learned enough. No. You can never learn enough. Read blogs, group posts, Google stuff, make your notes. Research. Research. Research.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE PERFECT AT WHAT YOU DO. BE GOOD ENOUGH. PERFECTION COMES WITH PRACTICE.

Maria Rana

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I asked Maria how to credit her as I shared this article with you.  She gave me a link to a blog post someone had written about her. If you have an extra minute, you'll be truly amazed at her story.  http://electric-empire.com/letter-pakistan/

A complaint free workplace

It’s finally spring after a long tough winter.  It rained here in Rhode Island yesterday which was a nice change and welcome because it’s helping to eliminate those last snow piles.  Are you happy about the fact that the weather is improving or are you still complaining that it’s not as warm as you’d like it to be?

I’m fascinated by what we humans do and why we do it so I tend to observe our behavior a lot.  I’ve been listening to people complain the past few weeks about the fact that the weather has not been spring-like despite the date on the calendar.  It’s as if we humans are entitled to have the weather we want even though for the most part we’ve chosen to live where we do.

It seems to highlight two pervasive behaviors in our society that can be detrimental to our mindset as business owners – entitlement and complaining.  Let’s talk about complaining today and save entitlement for the next post.  Are you a big complainer?  If you are, you’re devoting a lot of your precious time to focusing on everything that’s wrong.  Many say that everything is energy. Constant complaining creates a negative environment which your co-workers and even your customers can feel.

Have you ever walked into a space and immediately felt the negative vibe?  I know I have.  It’s uncomfortable and off putting.  It’s not a space I want to spend time in.  Complaining all the time can make that kind of environment.  I love the quote from T Harv Eker, founder of Peak Potentials and the author of the NY Times bestseller ‘Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”.  He asks, “Are you complaining because your life is bad or is your life bad because you’re complaining all the time?”  Good question.

Could your environment use some sprucing up energy wise?  Then see if you can get a handle on your own complaining.  How?  Try the strategy used by those at A Complaint Free World.  They sell bracelets which I buy and give out at all my seminars on creating a positive life.  You place yours on one wrist.  Every time you complain, you switch wrists.  Goal?  Keep  it on one wrist for a month and watch the difference in your life and your business.  Isn't it time you got a handle on complaining?  

See you next time and remember to keep shining!

Marianne

Being a Solopreneur woman is all about learning

What do you need to learn to grow your business? Today's lesson will be presented at the East Bay Chamber of Commerce at 16 Cutler St. in Warren Rhode Island. It's all about how to add video to your blogs and websites mostly because people prefer to watch video rather than read. But also because video helps bring your site to a higher level in search engines. Stop by today if you're around. Session starts at noon and includes networking with other like-minded women. Cost is five dollars for chamber members and $10 for nonmembers bring your lunch and enjoy the camraderie and learning. See you there!