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Browse every published article connected to Barnsley Brown, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Barnsley Brown, or search within this exact expert archive.
You spend a third of your life sleeping—-unless you have young children like me—-and you spend a third of your life at work. That's a lot of time. But you know what? You really can create the livelihood you desire, make the money you desire, and serve the people you enjoy in the time that you spend kicking yourself for staying at your current job.
Happiness is a choice. This is what I challenged you to see in the companion article to this one, "Make Your Life Happy - How to Prosper and Choose Your Life Pursuit of Happiness." As John Lubbock asserts, "Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like a violin." And if you've ever played violin (Believe me, I did in middle and high school) you know just how hard it is to get a sound not reminiscent of a cat fight out of that instrument. Likewise, choosing happiness may not be an easy thing to do! Let me repeat that: Choosing happiness may not be--and is often not--an easy thing to do.
Do you sometimes feel like your life is filled with perspiration rather than inspiration? You're working, working, and working some more, but nothing seems to get done and you seem to be going nowhere. It's like you're stopped in traffic on the interstate of your life. If you're like me, you're pounding on the horn, riding the tail of the car in front of you, and using some unsavory or downright ugly language in your impatience to get a move on. There may be no evidence of exte al movement in your life but the engine in your car is still running and things are still in motion.
I remember recently hearing someone complain about how she lost her house because her 7-year Adjustable Rate Mortgage expired and the payment went up. The way this woman was talking, I figured the payment increased at least a thousand dollars. Curious, I asked, "Wow, how much did it go up?" and she replied, "One hundred dollars." She and her husband lost the house for one hundred dollars a month. Now there's just one word that comes to mind for this: Stupidity!
Loss is natural, even inevitable, as we discussed in Part 1 of this article. But why does loss have to be so hard? And what can we do to make it just a bit easier? How do we deal with grief? With loss? Even with grief about loss? Here are some suggestions: * Accept your feelings, particularly of grief, and know that they will pass eventually, even if you want to wallow in them. It is a natural progression, so let it take place. You will be okay... not right away, but eventually. You can't spend the rest of your life wandering around your house hugging yourself and crying.
Most people these days feel overloaded, overworked, overtired, over-everything! Not only are our plates full but our china is cracking under the weight of so much to do! May I suggest that boundaries are the key to regaining your energy, your peace of mind, and your productivity? Think about it. If you're going in a million directions trying to please everyone, will you ever reach even ONE destination?
As a fledgling mom, laundry is something I do a lot. Into my sixth load the other day, I adjusted that dial yet again and realized that this was a teaching moment. Yes, my washing machine knows a great deal about success—-and I would do well to pay attention. Sounds a little crazy, I know. But I really do think our everyday habitual routines are opportunities to learn something.
Most people these days feel overloaded, overworked, overtired, over-everything! Not only are our plates full but our china is cracking under the weight of so much to do! May I suggest that boundaries are the key to regaining your energy, your peace of mind, and your productivity? Think about it. If you're going in a million directions trying to please everyone, will you ever reach even ONE destination?
When was the last time you fell in love with what you do for a living? Could you ever say you've felt the ultimate work satisfaction? Maybe you're thinking, "Love work? Are you nuts? I've never fallen in love with my job!" Falling in love with your work can be as simple as recognizing who your real employer is. Let me give you a hint: It's not where you work, it's who you work for--namely YOURSELF! Even if you're not a business owner, you are still self-employed! Who filled out and submitted your application? Who did the preliminary research? Who went to the interview?
So you want an abundant life? In order to experience abundant living, you must get out of debt. You need to pay off your credit cards to do that. Feel like you don't know how? I'm here to help. As The Doors say, "The time to hesitate is through." Our goal here is to freeze your credit cards before the bank does. You've got to rid yourself of the debt that is sucking the life out of you, not to mention the money out of your banking account. You've got to learn to use credit wisely or so you can live a rich life you love.
So, you think you know all there is to know about abundant living and credit card use? Think again. You have a few more steps to go to get on that path to that prosperous life you want. The fourth article in this series gives you some last tips and tricks to help you use credit wisely. Yep, we're not done yet, baby!
Happiness is a choice. This is what I challenged you to see in the companion article to this one, "Make Your Life Happy - How to Prosper and Choose Your Life Pursuit of Happiness." As John Lubbock asserts, "Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like a violin." And if you've ever played violin (Believe me, I did in middle and high school) you know just how hard it is to get a sound not reminiscent of a cat fight out of that instrument.
Calling all enterprising women. This article is for you! No, it isn't about feminine products or brassieres. (Whew! Aren't you relieved?) This article shows you how to get SMART and become successful entrepreneurs. You know what "smart" means, doll, but you don't know what "SMART" means. So, girlfriend, grab a glass and toast to all your sister female entrepreneurs out there. And now, let's get SMART.
Want to hear something shocking? According to Indexcreditcards.com, the average American is carrying $4,013 in revolving (mostly credit card) debt and the average household is carrying $7,861 of such debt. Now keep in mind that about 25% of American households have no credit cards, which means the amount of average debt for credit card holding households is at least $10,000. This, my friend, is a fiasco! There is no way I can be delicate about this.
How Do I Change My Life? Are you happy? Please note that I'm not asking if you FEEL happy. I'm asking if you ARE happy. Happiness does not have to be a fleeting emotion that we feel when everything's coming up roses. Instead, it is something you can have, right now, no matter what's going on in your life. Happiness is a founding value of our culture. Remember that oft-quoted phrase in the Declaration of Independence?
Have you ever had your credit frozen? Ever get that panicky feeling in your chest when you whip out the plastic and say the "I hope this isn't denied" prayer? Ever tried to apply for a loan only to hear "I'm sorry, we can't help you!" (which is the polite form of "No way Jose!")? Would you like to stop worrying about these kinds of situations? Then grab a Perrier, hon, and let's have a little chat about how to use credit wisely.
Do you avoid making New Year's Resolutions? Do your shoulders tense up when you think about all you "should" have done so far this year? Do you feel like goal setting is such a huge task that will take you forever? If so, you're not alone. That's why I'd like to suggest that we all take a much gentler and more effective approach to goal-setting--A thirteen-minute process to change your life! First of all, grab a pen and paper. Don't hesitate--Do it now. Spend thirteen minutes with me right this moment and you will change your life, I guarantee it. Let's get started.
"I have no idea what happiness is," someone in a seminar of mine confessed recently. She was responding to a self-assessment measuring stress and burnout levels and realized that her life was so full of "to-do's" that there was no space for what we'll call "woo-hoo's." She felt buried and burdened under a mass of tasks and could never shout an enthusiastic "woo-hoo!" to celebrate the joys and opportunities in her life. This audience member made me ponder the true source of our happiness and prosperity.
Have you ever felt like people are getting on your last nerve? In one of his most famous poems, "Mending Wall," Robert Frost wrote, "Good fences make good neighbors." Frost's line suggests how essential it is for you to set firm boundaries with others, both personally and professionally, if you want to be successful. Boundaries are integral to your success because they demonstrate how much you value yourself and how much you value others.
Be honest. Have you been obsessing about all the reasons why you're not prosperous? Maybe you're thinking over how you just lost your job, your stock retirement savings plummeted, you contracted a life threatening illness, or your bipolar ex-spouse spent your last dime and left you in the street, crooning country songs off-key. Whatever you're replaying over and over in your mind, there is one thing that can never be taken away from you--unless you are abducted by aliens I suppose--and that is your MIND POWER!
I've recommended people track their expenses in hundreds of seminars and coaching sessions and I can tell you that I have NEVER met a person who overestimated what they were spending. But I have met plenty of people who overestimate or never really know what they are making, a dangerous oversight since this will give you the attitude, "Of course I can afford that" or "I want that so I should have it." You know, there are only three concrete ways I know of to have more money: 1) make more; 2) save more; and 3) spend less. Not very glamorous is it?
If you're like me, you were fascinated by Sasquatch as a child. The idea of some hairy, hulking Neanderthal creature prowling alone in the hills was one of life's great mysteries. Sightings of Big Foot were common and some folks even found footprints, but somehow, he always got away. The tracks disappeared--or the trackers were clueless--or both. The point is, without tracks, all we have is a puzzling mystery.
Are you victimizing yourself with the question, "Why me?" Is your pity pot overflowing these days? So often we focus on lamenting why "so and so" did "such and such" or why we're in such a quandery, and we forget that the only person we have control over is ourselves. I'm just as guilty of this as you. I remember spending countless hours going over and over a particularly difficult job search years ago and complaining, day in and day out, about how I just couldn't land the job I wanted. I had all the credentials but I was never first choice.
Is your credit card use out of control? Do you lack money saving habits? Are you one of the 75% of American households with credit cards and credit card debt? I have some tips for you on how to use credit wisely and pay credit cards off, so read on!
How Do I Change My Life? Are you happy? Please note that I'm not asking if you FEEL happy. I'm asking if you ARE happy. Happiness does not have to be a fleeting emotion that we feel when everything's coming up roses. Instead, it is something you can have, right now, no matter what's going on in your life.
Do you dream of starting your own business doing work you love? Have you been laid off or are you contemplating leaving a job? Have you always wanted to operate a portable dog washing service? Maybe you want to bake cookies that put Mrs. Fields to shame or you dream of owning your own 60's themed diner.
Have you ever been in a slump worse than a teenager's posture? Have you felt overwhelmed, resentful, bitter, and like nothing is going right? Have you felt sluggish in the face of everything, consumed by negative thinking, and even depressed? Have people been getting on your very last nerve--and then moving on to every other organ in your body like expert surgeons who know just how to slice you apart?
Life is full of so many losses--Major losses brought about by fighting, divorce or separation, getting laid off, becoming ill, or dying. Then there are the minor losses, such as loss of a budding friendship, loss of a material object, even loss of hair. (Some may think this is a major loss, I suppose, in the age of Rogaine....) It's easy to get caught up in our suffering and let ourselves succumb to negative victim thinking.