Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Single Most Important Tip to Build Your Successful Life NOW
This may be a new concept for some of you, so I will explain.
We all have listened to or read some sort of motivational presentation at one point or another in our lives. Whether we went to a church service and heard it from a preacher, or had to sit through one at a family member's graduation ceremony, or maybe even in a one on one session with one of our closest friends about a new age book we just read. No matter the setting, there has been a time when someone has provided us with advice on how we can improve our current situation. What exactly did you do with that advice?
There are two types of people in this world. Those who think and those who do. Succesful people are doers. Yes, they think things through, but the majority of their time is spent doing. When they hear something that sparks a fire within them, they do. When they come up with a new business idea, they do. The list goes on and on. They don't wait until two years or even two months down the road before they get started. They have discovered that there is something to be said about using speed of implementation to their benefit.
So what type of person will you be? There's an idea in your head that you've been sitting on for a while now. Or is it that you're ready to take that next step and enroll in school to continue your education. Whatever it is, what are you waiting for? Will you sit there and continue to think about it? Or will you do it? I challenge you to start doing what you have to do right NOW. Don't sit on your idea for another moment.
What steps will you take to make your dream a reality today? Share it with the YBR family in the comments section.
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Striking Out? Bat a Successful Homerun in Life
Striking out? Bat a successful homerun in life.
By: Joan Marie Whelan
If you’ve honestly tried to reach your goals in life and have failed, then you need to take a long look at the game plan you’ve been using. Sometimes you have to adjust your footing so you can gain better traction in where you are right now and where you want to lead your life.
Nobody wants to strike out when it’s their turn to bat. That’s why you must challenge yourself to strive to do better, achieve more, and transform your lifestyle. When you review your game plan, you should use your essential tools for living to get a firm grip on your metaphorical batting range. In addition, you have to take an extensive look at how far you are willing to run in order to achieve your heart’s desires.
There are a few key areas in your life on which you have to focus in order to prepare yourself to hit your homerun to success. Following is a powerful guideline to recreate your lifestyle and fulfill your life’s dreams:
Re-define Your Strengths
Many times, we beat ourselves up to the point that we forget the inner strength we possess, and what vital life tools we have at our disposal. You have to retreat within and redefine your frame of mind so you can really get to the root basis of what’s causing you to strike out when you’re on home plate.
You know that you can achieve your goals because you can savor the victory that awaits you. The drawback is that every time you’re up to bat, you get ousted by the umpire because you haven’t been quite able to hit the pitch out of the ballpark. But let’s level the playing field — you already possess the physical stamina to meet life demands; so you know that you are essentially equipped to get where you need to be going. What you must do now is realign your mind, body, and spirit so these vital senses can work together to create an extraordinary lifestyle for yourself.
Some of the inner strengths that individuals have include inner wisdom (or intuition), a blueprint for living, and the mental ability to transform life. The external forces that safeguard our lives are the Universal flow of energy and our God source. Talking in baseball terms in relation to life, the umpire calls the shots with regard to which plays are actually scored. Whether it’s a foul ball, an out, or a homerun, the umpire is the source that lets you know where you stand in the game of life. Let’s suppose that the umpire is the Universal flow of energy. When you’re at a point in your life where you’ve been jolted by your own blunders, it’s because the metaphorical umpire is calling you on them.
As mentioned earlier, when you balance your mind, body, and spirit, and begin working with the Universal flow of energy, you are steps closer to realizing your life dreams.
Go ahead and reward yourself by taking the initiative to get a unique perspective on how to reach your goals. Sometimes, we have to take a step back and view life through a fresh pair of eyes and at a new angle. Next, let’s review your blueprint for living. Within the soul being of each one of us, exists an in-depth map to fulfilling life purpose. When you look beyond your physical capabilities, trends, and hurdles; you need to ask your higher self what steps are necessary to achieve success. A growing number of people use meditation, which is a powerful mind tool toward channeling inner wisdom for greater purpose. Your God source is also a fundamental supply that can lend support to you in your efforts. That’s why a lot of individuals frequently turn to prayer for guidance, direction, and insight. By facilitating these intuitive mental tools, you are well on your way toward hitting a homerun and receiving life’s blessings.
Become the Leader of your Life
Okay, you’ve made it to home plate again and you’re ready to take charge of your life. Like every clever team player, you pay attention to the signals that the pitcher (or your God source) is sending. Also in consideration are the elements of your environment — the stadium, the crowd, the score, the turf, and who’s on base. Again, you have to level the playing field to your best advantage. You know the pros of the situation, and you’ve considered all your options. Do you walk the ball, take a pitch hit, or do you knock it out of the ball park? Remember, you are the leader of your life and the leader of your destiny — what you do with your tools for success is equally as essential as fulfilling your life destiny. At this point, you have to make a strategic plan to counterbalance any negative aspects. Think, plan, and keep your eye on the ball. Whatever you do, always focus on your goals. When you decide that you are in control of your life and you are ready to manifest success, not only will you score one for the team, but victory will follow you wherever you go.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Finding Your True Calling: Part IV (Final)
When you don't know which direction to head, just start walking and pay attention to what your heart tells you.
Follow your heart's direction and the path to fulfillment in life will naturally unfold before your eyes.
The Importance of Listening to Your Feelings.
In this final installment of Finding Your True Calling, I hope you have already identified exactly what it is that truly makes you happy and will leave you fulfilled. If you have not, that's ok too. Just be still and begin to focus on where you are now and where it is that you would like to be heading. Remember that your future is not something that you go out in search of, rather, it is something that you create yourself, whether by action or in-action.
My hope for you is that you will not stop searching within yourself until you figure out what steps you need to take to create the kind of future for yourself where you are doing something that truly makes you happy. Something that allows you to express who you are and what you stand for.
When you follow your heart, success will not be far behind.
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Finding Your True Calling: Part III
When you're living a life that is truly aligned with your passions, persistence gets a whole lot easier. You'll find that you don't want to stop, or that you can't stop, even if you think you want to. Your deepest passions will drive you onward.
The Importance of Staying on Course.
If you're like me, you want things fast. Not now, but RIGHT now. There's no time to waste--and since we're not getting any younger, we need to get what we can and move on to the next thing, right? WRONG. While instant gratification may be appropriate for some areas of your life, you definitely shouldn't be using this approach when trying to find your passion. Those of us who are lucky enough to be doing work that is in line with our life's purpose and at the same time fulfilling our financial needs know that this process consists of many ups and downs and that most times we will not see the fruits of our labor very quickly. Even though this may be true, however, we should not give up. If success was easy to obtain, then everyone would be successful. In order to live the life you want to live, you must be willing to remain committed even when you feel like jumping ship.
Oprah is a familiar example of someone who has obtained higher heights of success than most. If you have a conversation with her about the journey, I'm sure she will tell you that it did not happen overnight. Oprah's story begins over 30 years ago. She has gone through many setbacks during her career just as many of us do in our own lives. What has allowed Oprah to break through though, is her ability to push through no matter how uncomfortable the situation may be.
It is normal for you to get discouraged and for your motivation to waiver. But it is important that you do not dwell on the negative situations and instead focus on all of the possibility and promise that lie ahead. If you've already figured out what your purpose is, you should begin to visualize what it will be like once you get there. Whenever you feel down and want to give up, just remember the vision you've created for yourself. If you haven't identified your vision yet, don't fret- keep meditating and thinking until you figure it out. The beauty of this process is that no matter how long it takes for you to realize your passion, the feeling of finally finding it will put you at ease and provide motivation when you feel like you want to throw in the towel.
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Finding Your True Calling: Part II
The biggest challenge most of us face is to meet our responsibilities to others while pursuing our passions at the same time.
When you make commitments to others, make sure those commitments are aligned with YOUR passions. Then you can fulfill both your passions and commitments to others in one stroke.
And when you make a commitment to yourself, treat it with the same respect as a commitment to anyone else.
The Importance of Keeping Your Word.
As human beings, there are really only a few things we can say we truly have 100% control over, our word is one of them. In today's society, intergrity is often under estimated, however, it is probably one of the most important attributes one can have. As a Young, Black, Rich woman you should always aim to be a woman of integrity. If others feel they can trust you, they will begin to ask more of you and more and more opportunities will begin to be attracted into your life. This not only means that we should strive to be reliable to others, but we should also be able to rely on ourselves. If you make a promise to yourself you should fight to remain committed to that promise. Believing in yourself is the only way that others will begin to believe in you.
Think of the most successful person you know. Would they be half as successful if they were perceived to be unreliable or untrustworthy? Probably not. Once we can begin to be honest with ourselves and with others, we will find ourselves more in line with our natural flow. Once in this state, it will only be a matter of time before we will begin to find ways to develop our purpose and work with our passions to create our own successes.
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Finding Your True Calling: Part I
The importance of Keeping an Open Mind.
Stay Open - Your greatest good may not be what you think it is.
When you are open to whatever is appearing now, even if it's different than the way you think it should be, you release your individual will and open to God's will for you.
This is the path to living your highest purpose, and also the secret to overcoming any obstacle which may arise in your life.
As someone who gets caught up in lists, life plans, organizational charts, and time lines, I am finding it very challenging to relate to the idea of going with the flow. What exactly does this mean? Do you simply wait for life to throw situations at you? Do you go wherever the wind blows? It can be hard for some to wrap their minds around the concept, but it can actually do wonders for helping in the process of finding your purpose.
The success stories of many often start with the realization that the status quo simply was not working for them and it wasn't until they decided to be still and allow their hearts to lead that they were directed to their life's purpose. I recently had a conversation with a very successful wall street banker turned bed & breakfast owner, who came up with the idea for the latter while reading an ad in a magazine on a plane. Fast forward 17 years and she is living a fulfilling, peaceful, and successful life. I'm sure many scoffed when she announced she was leaving an executive position on Wall Street to move to the country to spend weekends drinking wine and entertaining visitors from all over the country, but her decision proved to be for the best and
my guess is she couldn't be happier.
The first step to finding your life's work is to listen to your heart. Don't think about money, resources, or eduction. Just focus on what career would ultimately make you happy and fulfilled. If you love what you do and are passionate while doing it, success will follow.
Monday, October 20, 2008
3 Secrets to Creating New Habits
There are three secrets to implementing a new habit:
Commitment - Clarity - Attention
1. Commitment - "Until you are committed, nothing will happen for you."
2. Clarity - "When you're clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent you are clear."
3. Attention - "What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life."
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Write it down and Make it PLAIN: Paste Your Vision on Paper
What is it about those people that seem to succeed at every goal they set for themselves? What makes them different from YOU? Is it their discipline? No. Is it their motivation? Maybe. Or could it be something that although it is much simpler than these things, is something that is so often overlooked? More often than not, the difference between those who succeed and those who don't - is that one group of people write their goals down while the other group doesn't.
Writing down your goals on paper may seem very simple. But in fact, it has been proven time and time again to be the most important first step of achieving any goal. Why? Because when we write our goals on paper, the act forces our brain to VISUALIZE what we want. In essence, it gives our mind a concrete state to work toward.
Here are the four rules to writing down your goals that I got from The Goal Setting Guide:
1. Write your goal in the positive.
Work for what you want, not for what you want to leave behind. Part of the reason why we write down and examine our goals is to create a set of instructions for our subconscious mind to carry out. Your subconscious mind is a very efficient tool, it can not determine right from wrong and it does not judge. It's only function is to carry out its instructions. The more positive instructions you give it, the more positive results you will get.
Thinking positively in everyday life will also help in your growth as a human being. Don't limit it to goal setting.
2. Write your goals out in complete detail.
Instead of writing "A new home," write "A 4,000 square foot contemporary with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and a view of the mountain on 20 acres of land". Once again we are giving the subconscious mind a detailed set of instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the more clear the final outcome becomes. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient the subconscious mind can become.
Can you close your eyes and visualize the home I described above? Walk around the house. Stand on the porch off the master bedroom and see the fog lifting off the mountain. Look down at the garden full of tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers. And off to the right is the other garden full of a mums, carnations and roses. Can you see it? So can your subconscious mind.
3. Write in present tense.
Write your goals down in the present tense. This is because the unconscious mind chooses a path of least resistance. If you write, "I will be slim" the unconscious mind does nothing thinking that the will be may be postponed until later.
A friend had a business, which was losing money. He set his goal to break even the next month. Every month the next month would come and be this month so his goal would be true to break even the next month, which would never come. Eventually he changed his goal to, "I am breaking even this month." That very month he broke even for the first time.
Write them in present tense, first person, as if they are currently true.
4. Re-write your goals.
When the words are written and then repeatedly re-written they have maximum impact. So don't be content with a first draft. Write down your goal. Then rephrase it, compact it, add motivating adjectives, make it pithy. A week later you may want to adjust it again. Keep on fine-tuning.
Writing your goals down is the first step to make the goals more real. Somehow having things in writing really makes them seem more important to most people. It will also make it easier to make the plans needed to reach your goals if you have something in writing.
What are some of your goals?
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Recession Proofing Your Finances: Top 3 tips to beat the economic meltdown
If I've learned anything over the past several months in America's rocky economy, I've learned the importance of setting up finances to withstand the uncertain times of recession and economic turmoil.
Whether it is the fact that the "bottom" finally fell out of the Real Estate boom or the reality that bankruptcy can even hit the most revered and seemingly financially sound banks in America, we've all witnessed first hand how important financial preparation is to maintaining success even in a downward spiralling economy.
While it is important to note that a lot of situations are beyond our control during these times ie- the price of gas, employer layoffs, interest rates, and the cost of a loaf of bread -- there are still many things that we can do within our own finances to lessen the blow of these hard times.
Tip 1:
Cut unnecessary spending. Now is the time to begin to train yourself to live without the unnecessary which not only drain our time, but can also drain our finances. Think about downgrading or eliminating your cable TV/Internet package or maybe even decreasing the number of times you dine out weekly from three to one. Whatever it is you choose to eliminate, now is the time to go over your monthly expenses in order to determine where you are spending unnecessary money.
Tip 2:
Recognize the importance of credit. The recent "credit crunch" has really opened up a new wave of oversight from credit companies. A few months ago, a credit score of 650 or above was considered good. However, in today's market, individuals and businesses with a score below 720 are finding it very difficult to secure a loan or obtain new credit. In addition to paying bills on time and keeping your debt to income ratio low, there are many tips available (check out this link for YBR's tips) today with ideas on how to raise your credit score. It is wise to take advantage of these suggestions, especially in today's economic climate.
Tip 3:
Plan for the long haul. Even though the norm in American society is to get things as fast as you can and instant gratification is oftentimes our goal, this current recession has proven how important it is to engage in long term planning. Strive to begin saving at least 10% of your monthly income for a financial cushion. Many individuals who have unfortunately lost their jobs recently are finding themselves grasping at straws as they try to make ends meet. It is wise to have at least 6 months worth of expenses in a fairly liquid account in case of emergency. As cliche as it sounds, a penny saved is truly a penny earned.
Check out these and more finance tips in my new e-book, 30 Days to Success, here!
Do you have any other tips or advice on how you are coping with today's economic times??
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Be your own Best Publicist with The Publicity Formula Toolkit
Hello. For all those who don’t know me, I’m Yoshi Simms, publicity coach and owner of The Publicity Formula in Atlanta, Georgia (google me).
As a publicity coach and publicist, I have crafted many publicity plans for our clients in the past, but what I’ve noticed is that so many dynamic potential clients, never became actual clients. Why?
Because they could not afford the fees.
Some business owners I’ve even helped for free because they had such an exciting business model, exciting personality, whatever (and I can be a real softee for an exciting business model and exciting personality).
But unfortunately, my business can not thrive off just sheer excitement. So we had to create something that was effective and affordable.
Oh did you hear the exciting news? One of our clients is doing a national tour for Hoodia. Congratulations Kent! Kent is co-founder of Celeb Fitness Trainers based out of Atlanta. He’s going to be traveling the US and doing appearances at the GNC stores nationwide, as well as radio and tv.
Hoodia is the #1 selling product in GNC. It’s great to see how our hard work paid off.
Check out www.celebfitnesstrainers.com.
Actually this is old news…Kent has recently inked a deal with Disney and is the works with a new kid fitness segment.
Besides just congratulating Kent, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to The Publicity Formula Toolkit.
This toolkit will show you exactly how to do your own publicity for your own business.When I started my first online business back in the spring of 2002, I was shocked by the $1,500-$3,000 a month fees that publicists were charging.
Now it is even more than that and the work is still the same. I knew that there had to be an alternative. I thought about all my experiences I had accumulated from some of the largest advertising and publicity companies in the world.
Why not put it to use?
So I decided to do my own publicity. I did so well, my company received a whopping 605, 000 hits in the first month!
This was due to my own formula for publicity success. I realized that traditional publicity would not give me optimum results.
I knew that my company and company goals were different from any other business, therefore my publicity plan must be different from any other business.
Actually, my publicity plan was tailor-made just for my business. My business concept and goals were in perfect alignment with my publicity strategy. And now I can show you how to do the same thing that I have done with so many of my clients.
The Publicity Formula Toolkit can work for any business and you actually become your own best publicist! Let’s face it, who knows more about your business than you do.
So whereas our publicity clients pay up to 3500.00 a month for pr services or $450.00 for publicity coaching, now you can get your own publicity toolkit for just a one-time fee of $52.00 (a $300.00 value…believe me, a lot of creative thought and work has gone into this toolkit).
Keep in mind, press releases alone cost $125.00, so this is a real deal.
This is a well-designed step-by-step strategy and tactic publicity plan for your business. Once executed properly, your business will do one thing…GROW.
Think about it, at The Publicity Formula we’re creating plans for various businesses and we’ve done great work. Now you on the other hand get to focus in on one business…YOURS!
This is what you’ll get:
How to write a press release for your business
How to write the perfect pitch for your business to the media
How to pitch your business to the media
Become a local hometown celebrity in your town 7 ways to increase your email list
Effective ways for your specific business to get noticed by the media
How to become known as an expert in your field
Creating an effective e-zine/e-newsletter for your business
Creating an effective website that attracts visitors to your website
Press release – We will give you subject line examples, title and some aspects you should include in your press release to make it effective. We will also tell you things to avoid getting your press release trashed.
Pitch – We will give you different things to say for the various media industries. Example: What you should say if you speak to the individual vs. getting their voicemail vs. getting their assistant. What to say to a tv producer vs. magazine editor vs. radio show producer…It makes a difference!
Hometown celebrity – We will tell you exactly who to call and what to write and what to say to get this hometown status.
Increase your email list – We will give you 7 surefire tested ways to increase your email list.
Noticed by the media – We will give you specific ways to get the media to notice your company. We’ll tell you the things they look for outside of just receiving your press release.
Become an expert – We will give you specifics on how everyone will know you as an expert in your field.
E-zine/E-newsletter – We will first show you exactly how and why to do one.
Then we will give you ideas on themes that can help you build your brand and make money.
Website – Make your website make sense. Right colors. Right information. When people visit your website, what will make them interested in reading, buying, etc. What are some other things you can do on your site that you might not have considered?
We’re not here to convince you of anything that is not solid facts. We’ve done publicity for startups as well as companies that have been in business for more than 20 years.
It’s all the same to us.
Once the formula is created, you will start to see your company grow. The toolkit gives you various ways to bring the right attention to your business, which turns into more money.
We’re very excited on this end to get you started so here’s what you do:
Step 1 – Send an email that says Order Publicity Toolkit along with your name, website and email address
Step 2 – I will send you a Paypal invoice in which you pay the $52.00.
Step 3 – Once you email that back to us, you will receive your Publicity Toolkit by email.
Step 4 – That’s it. You’re on your way to being your own publicist!
We look forward to serving you!
Yoshi Simms (google me)
Publicist and Publicity Coach
The Publicity Formula
Atlanta, GA
770-875-2572
www.thepublicityformula.com
info@thepublicityformula.com
www.publicitycoach.mentorsclub.com
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Have You Done Your Part? Learn what you can you do to help inspire others
The goal of YBR © is to uplift, inspire, and transform the lives of women by providing information on a number of topics related to living a successful lifestyle including health, relationships, finances, and education. The website (www.YoungBlackRich.net) includes- among other things- helpful tips, articles, and success stories on a variety of topics such as motivation, goal setting, entrepreneurship, money management, and success.
In addition to this wonderful website, there is also an interactive Social Network (www.YoungBlackRich.ning.com) that you just have to sign up for. The "Myspace" for the Grown Business Woman, this network allows you to network and socialize with other successful black women around the world!
Check out www.YoungBlackRich.net ,sign up for our newsletter, and join our social network today and find out what you've been missing!
To Your Success,
Alecia D.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Guerilla Internet Marketing Tips 101
Internet Guerilla Marketing 101
Guerilla marketing consists of a series of highly aggressive marketing practices using unconventional methods. It works wonders for those who have very little time and money to invest in their marketing agendas.
Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of guerrilla marketing, has authored several books on the subject - showing people how to survive the advertising jungle on a shoestring budget.
Recently, Levinson and online marketing masters Mitch Meyerson and Mary Eule Scarborough have released their newest book entitled Guerilla Marketing on the Internet that shows you how to successfully enhance your initiatives on the web.
The book reveals:
* The 10 most effective Guerrilla strategies
* Case studies of the five greatest online Guerrilla Marketing campaigns
* How to create a high-impact website on a budget
* Low-cost tactics for maximizing traffic
* The 12 biggest internet marketing mistakes and how to avoid them
* Creative tactics and cutting-edge tools that inspire customers to take action
* Essential information on cutting-edge technology
The Black Business Coach highly recommends getting this book and so do I!
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2008
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October
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- The Single Most Important Tip to Build Your Succes...
- Striking Out? Bat a Successful Homerun in Life
- Finding Your True Calling: Part IV (Final)
- Finding Your True Calling: Part III
- Finding Your True Calling: Part II
- Finding Your True Calling: Part I
- 3 Secrets to Creating New Habits
- Write it down and Make it PLAIN: Paste Your Vision...
- Recession Proofing Your Finances: Top 3 tips to be...
- Be your own Best Publicist with The Publicity Form...
- Have You Done Your Part? Learn what you can you do...
- Guerilla Internet Marketing Tips 101
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About Alecia D.
- Alecia D.
- Brooklyn, NY, United States
- I am a Successful Lifestyle Consultant studying such philosophies as The Law of Attraction, Zen habits, and the Principles of Meditation and have been featured on Blacknews.com, HBCUConnect.com, and Ezine Articles as an expert author. I am interested in success- being successful and helping others be successful!
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