Monday, April 21, 2008

The Barefoot Executive

Carrie Wilkerson works from home in her bare feet - helping other women do the same thing. On her amazing web site, there is great free information as well as fee-based programs.

Because I am at home most of the time now, I decided to find out what I could possibly do working at home and using the Internet. The Barefoot Executive was one of the sites I happened across and then stuck with after getting a taste of it.

I started out reading all the free stuff and ended up paying to get access to the webinars and phone calls Carrie does with people throughout the globe who are running successful businesses from home. Most of the guests have a really strong web presence, so there is plenty of information about how to use the internet to build a business.

Most of all, there is just plain basic information about how one goes about going into business for yourself. Her focus is women, and most of her guests are women. Topics in the "Free Articles" section include: Is Earning a Living Stopping You?, Direct Sales Divas: Doing It Your Way!, Is Fear Stopping You From Pursuing Your Dream?, Ten Steps to a Financially Fabulous Future, and more from people like Vicky Collins, The Deduction Diva; Mark Semple, Support Coach; and Carrie herself.

Check it out and see if there are any tools on the site The Barefoot Executive that could help you pursue your "right fit" work and career - and grow happy as you do.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Chocolate

I love chocolate. Any kind. If possible, I want Belgian milk chocolate. Cote D'Or is my favorite, although Trader Joe's imports a 1+ lb. slab that is fantastic and much less expensive. In a pinch, however, I'll eat any chocolate, even that horrible CocoVia.

Chocolate does not like me, however. I gain a lot of weight fast when I eat chocolate, because I simply cannot stop eating it until it is completely gone. Now, I would like to lose weight. That means I can't eat chocolate. Simple, right?

Well, it actually is that simple. Simple does not mean easy, however. Because I love chocolate so much, I've tried many different ways to keep it in my life. I've tried eating only two or three or four pieces (see, already I can't limit myself!). If I start eating it, though, I have that taste in my mouth and I just want more of it. So despite my promises to myself, I will go and get the bag or bar and eat more.

I thought to myself, "OK, maybe it's just milk chocolate that does that to me. I know! I'll get dark chocolate. Then I won't be tempted to eat too much. And after all, dark chocolate is supposed to be good for us." Unfortunately, the last time I tried that, I found myself back to eating the entire lode in one sitting.

The wonderful thing about this time around is that I had just listened to a tape from Dr. Jonny Bowden on the Rich Life Club site. One question was from a person who had a healthy diet - lots of vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish - but when he ate a bag of M&Ms, he gained 5 pounds; why was this happening? I loved Dr. Bowden's response: why are you eating the M&Ms in the first place? If you know that you gain 5 pounds every time you eat them and don't want to gain the weight, just don't do it!

In a flash, it became so obvious that I, too, have more than enough information about my body, my reaction to chocolate, and my weight. It's my choice to apply it so I can get the results I want. If I'm unhappy with my weight, I can apply that information to lose weight - or at very least not put on more.

I know that I overeat chocolate - all chocolate - and by doing so, I gain or retain weight. If I don't want to gain weight, I can choose not to eat chocolate in any shape, size, type, form or variety. And if I do choose to eat chocolate, I can do it with my eyes wide open about the certain consequences. Denial is not an option anymore. It's completely my choice.

The bottom line for me: since I have the information, why not use it to get the results I want? And suddenly what's simple is a lot easier, too.

If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Jonny and the Rich Life Club, check out Rich Life Club. If you sign up through me, it will cost $19.95 a month rather than the normal $49.95 for direct signups.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Reading e-mails

With e-mail as a dominant form of communication, some of my business relationships are now almost completely virtual. This can pose difficulties simply because I don't see the person's face or hear their voice - important ways to read someone's mood and mind. It's just words on a screen, and those can be easy to misinterpret.

So I use these guidelines when I read e-mails:

1) I assume the other person has my best interests at heart. They want the relationship to continue and prosper, too. I assume that until they actually say otherwise. This is the ONLY assumption I allow myself.

2) If I realize I'm reacting negatively to something, there's a good chance it's triggering something in me that I need to look at. Maybe I didn't do something I was supposed to do, or perhaps I had higher expectations for the person, or just maybe they didn't do what I wanted them to do. So let me re-read the e-mail to pinpoint what it is I don't like, and then think about why that is so. My goal is to bring as little of my own baggage to the table when I respond. My goal is to RESPOND instead of react.

3) If I don't like something I've read, it's possible that I don't understand the other person's words, meaning and/or motivation, and I can ask about it. And I remember "restraint of tongue and pen" as very powerful tools for maintaining good relationships. Let me find out what is really going on by asking questions instead of making assumptions.

4) If I want to know more about anything, I can ask "tell me more about that." This includes picking up the telephone to have a conversation. Asking questions is much more powerful than making assumptions!

5) I remember the saying that I actively have to take offense. While someone may say something that is possibly offensive, I don't have to take the offense that may be offered. I don't have to rise to take the bait or engage in a possible fight. And most times, the person didn't know they were being offensive, so this saying has saved me many a time from my assumptions that someone means me harm. If I don't take offense, I am doing my part to preserve a relationship that may be important for a number of other reasons.

All these tips work in face-to-face life, also.