Is It Time for Repotting
In Your Life?
by Angela Thompson

Any gardener or even houseplant enthusiast knows that eventually all plants need repotting. They become pot-bound and outgrow their current environment. Their roots starting poking out the bottom of the pot, their leaves start to wilt, lose their color and eventually fall off. They are starving for more oxygen, more room, and space to breathe and grow.

Do you know when you have become potbound and need to stretch your boundaries or move to a new environment for continued growth? Our lives, like a plant, can become stagnant if we stay "rooted" in the same place. We need change from time to time, and to enlarge our space so we have room to breathe, think and grow. Do you need to do some repotting in your life? Let’s examine a few areas to see if you have outgrown them and need to do some grooming of your own.

Personally – Maybe you have outgrown your current home, are no longer challenged in your job or are in a relationship that is not healthy or stale. You don’t have to leave your marriage, or quit your job. It may just mean you need to try something new in your life. Start with one area that feels most important to you and take a step towards changing it.

Have you always wanted to visit Italy? Learn to speak Italian. If you’ve always dreamed of being a photographer for a magazine, take a photography course. Maybe you regret never having gone to college. This may be the time to start. Whether it’s learning to dance, taking singing lessons, a painting class, or starting a new business; the point is to ask yourself if you are you ready to pull up some roots, move to a bigger environment, expand your surroundings and grow a little.

Physically – Do you need to lose weight, gain more energy, treat some health problems or just feel in need of an overall makeover? What are you waiting for? What are the consequences of doing nothing? You lose confidence, continue to have health challenges, feel tired and self-conscious.

What if you make a change? You could have that body you’ve always wanted. You’ll feel better, look better, have more energy and maybe even have the confidence to go after that guy you never felt worthy of. Would it be worth stretching and getting out of your comfort zone to achieve this?

Spiritually – Have you lost faith in life, the world and its injustices? Do you feel a need to make a connection with a higher power? Would you like to feel a sense of peace and comfort? First, define what spirituality means to you. Everyone’s definition is different. You may not have a particular affiliation or feel comfortable in church. That’s OK. You can feel spiritual in other ways and places. Maybe you get comfort by reading the Bible; or you pray or feel at peace being in nature, listening to a wonderful piece of music or looking at beautiful art. This is all God’s work. Whatever it is that gives you a sense of peace and comfort is what is right for you.

As a plant needs to get adjusted to its new pot, so you too must take time to adjust to the changes you’ve made in your life. Shake loose the old soil from your roots. Let the rain wash over you and cleanse the remains of your potbound life. Step into the sunshine, feel its warmth, and begin again to grow.

About the Author
Angela Thompson is the owner of a cleaning company, has a Realtor’s License and has been involved in several home-based businesses. She and her daughter are currently independent distributors for Mia Bella Gourmet Candles. Her desire is to help people realize their potential and fulfill their goals. Visit her at www.SmellingIsBelieving.com to learn more about her and her goals.

But I Hate To Sell!
by Donna Davis

Are you serious about wanting to earn extra money with network marketing, but you hate the thought of selling? You're not alone.

For many, the thought of selling brings images of talking nervously about your product, while secretly hoping and praying that someone will help you out by buying something…anything. So you get that first sale, but the next time isn't much easier. It still feels as if you're pressuring or begging.

Every business has products or services which someone needs or wants but most people don't like the process leading up to the sale. So what's the key to being successful?

LISTENING!

Instead of rattling off all the benefits of your products in the first 60 seconds, step back and focus on the other person. Start a conversation and listen for needs. Most people are unhappy with one of four things: their finances, the amount of free time they have, their jobs or their health. Listen for dissatisfaction and then you can offer to help.

For example, if someone complains about always being tired, and you're in the nutrition industry, first learn more about them. After genuinely listening and asking questions about them, you can ask a key question. "If I could show you how to increase your energy, would you like to learn more?" You're offering to help them and then asking if they want information.

Don't start telling them that you have the answer. Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Telling them your product is what they need feels like they're being "sold."

But when you listen and find a problem, then you can offer something that could help. You ask permission to see if they even want information (some people prefer to stay stuck). Then proceed.

Let's say that someone is frustrated with their job and you have a solid business where people can create a good income. Learn more about how long they've been doing that line of work, what they like about it, what they don't like about it. Listen for their "hot buttons." Then ask "If I could show you an alternative to your stressful job, would you be interested?"

Know your product or service. Know your company's compensation plan so you can show people the possibilities. Don't glamorize your product or business. Give facts based on what you know to be true. Share your story and why you believe in that product or that business.

Stop "selling." Start listening. If you can solve a need, you will feel completely different about what you do.

Most people enjoy helping others. Most hate to sell. Make the shift to genuinely helping others and you'll start enjoying what you do.

And that enjoyment can grow into a passion for your business because you know you are making a difference. When you are working from a caring, passionate perspective, you cannot help but attract customers and distributors to you.

About the Author
Donna Davis has successfully built several businesses from a local accounting service to a large online network marketing team. Request info on how to market successfully online at www.donnadavis.ws

Make Your Business Memorable
with Business Cards
© Terri Seymour

With new innovative marketing strategies, business cards are not like they used to be. Remember when a business card would have name, address, phone number and that's it? Well today's business cards have so much more!

Because of its cost, size and versatility, a business card can be a powerful marketing tool. Design this tool wisely. Your business card is a reflection of you and your business. Don't just have the standard name, phone and address.

- Add your company logo, use clear and easy to read text, a picture of yourself smiling, texture, etc.

- Have the card double as a coupon or gift certificate. Be sure and clearly explain what your company does.

- Have all your contact info including email and url if applicable.

Don't forget to utilize the space on the back of the card. Ideas for the back of the card:

Motivational quote
Special sale or discount
Business or other tip
Your newest products/services
Your business motto
Write a personal message
Client testimonials
Ask for referrals
An entertaining (clean) joke
Use your imagination!

Have your business cards with you always. Leave them at restaurants. Send them with your monthly bills. Post them on bulletin boards in laundromats, grocery stores, banks, etc. Hand them out to people you talk to. Give people more than one to pass on to a friend or co-worker.

Ask banks, stores, and other businesses if you can display them by the cash register or counter. Add them to all your mailings. Send them with orders. Try leaving them in library books for other people to find.

Be sure and put one in every mailing you send out. Get one of those card holders for your car and display them on your car for the taking. Leave a few in your motel and/or hotel room when you leave. Ask about leaving them in hair salons, nail salons, spas, gyms, etc.

Put a couple in your catalogs when handing them out. Leave them in rest rooms. Leave a couple at public rest areas. The possibilities are endless. Always be aware of an opportunity.

Make your card stand out from the rest. Make it unforgettable. Have some red on it. Cards with red on them stand out more. Add a picture of you or one of your products. Make the background a different color such as black. This will really stand out.

Make your card plastic or laminate it so it will last much longer. Make magnetic biz cards. People will stick you on the fridge for more exposure. Try different designs and code them so you can track the results. Offer an additional discount if they mention the code. Be sure and record all codes in a notebook. Staple a sample (if possible) to your card. Your business card can be one of your most valuable marketing tools if used as more than just an address card.

About the Author
Find lots more tips, articles, and resources and a chance to own your own profitable ebook store with unlimited support at SeymourProducts.com Seymour Products offers a huge selection of ebooks and software only $1.00 each with resell rights. Business Marketing Bulletin loaded with resources, tips, fun and more! subscribe@seymourproducts.com

Three Strategies to Create an Abundant Life
by Lisa Martin, The Working Mother’s Coach

Each of us has many things to be grateful for in our lives. But sometimes we take them for granted or, even worse, we forget them in the midst of our crowded daily schedules. Working moms tell me that when they are really busy they find themselves focusing on what they don't have instead of treasuring what they do.

Returning home from a particularly stressful day at work, you might find yourself complaining that your house isn't clean, big or modern enough. When you've woken late and are rushing yourself and two school-age children out the door, your offspring's behavior may lead you to think (or say out loud) that they are wild and uncooperative. And if you are experiencing mounting deadlines and unreasonable demands at the office, it may be difficult for you to muster a positive attitude about your career.

If you find yourself thinking more about what is lacking in your life than reveling in its abundance, you may be unintentionally fostering an attitude of scarcity (there's just not and never will be enough). Life is not always perfect (it's not supposed to be) nor does it always go our way. But when you acknowledge what is working, when you are grateful for the simple joys of life, like a hug from your child, you become more aware of the goodness and abundance that surrounds you each day. Use these three strategies to help you create a more abundant life.

1. Acknowledge the Positives
You are what you focus on. Pay attention to all the positives in your life each day. Instead of concentrating on your messy house, be grateful that you have a safe and comfortable home. Make an effort to be really aware during your precious moments with your children rather than obsessing about the times they are exuberant and wily.

2. Practice Daily Gratitude
Begin by practicing gratitude on a daily basis. List mentally (or in a journal) five things you are thankful for each day. On challenging days you may only be able to cite the basics, like "I'm still breathing." On other days you may be able to articulate some very joyful moments and gifts. Review this list before you fall asleep. This practice of daily gratitude slows life down and makes it much more joyful.

3. Draft Your Abundance Statement
If you are ready to take things a step further, write your own abundance statement of twenty words or less. What does abundance mean to you? One of my clients adopted a personal abundance statement that she could turn to when she was feeling overwhelmed. It read: "There is enough. There will be enough. I am enough." Simple. Powerful.

© Copyright 2006. Lisa Martin. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Lisa Martin is a certified coach who inspires working mothers to achieve success that’s balanced. Author of Briefcase Moms: 10 Proven Practices to Balance Working Mothers’ Lives, Lisa is a sought-after expert and speaker on work-life balance issues. Known for her very personal and practical approach, Lisa coaches working mothers to know what they want and get what they want. A mother herself, Lisa’s powerful presentations and programs have helped thousands of women define success and balance on their own terms. www.briefcasemoms.com

Have You Lost Your Focus?
by Michael Angier

It's easy to do, isn't it?

We get distracted. Something captures our interest and diverts our attention away from our chosen objective. We suffer setbacks. Things don't work out as planned. Someone lets us down. Circumstances change and good plans go bad.

We get interrupted. An important matter takes precedence--sometimes for long periods of time.

We, or members of our team, get sick or hurt. We don't have the energy we had before and often find it slow to get back in the game.

These things happen to everyone. And we have to be careful we don't think we're being singled out. The "Why is this happening to me?" question gets us nowhere.

We must first recognize that we've lost focus. And at the earliest opportuníty, we must recommit. We have to get back on the horse we fell off from and ride again.

And this is what separates the winners from the losers.

The loser says it's too hard. She says it's not worth the effort. She thinks it's just "not in the cards" and she quits.

But the winner doesn't take the setback personally. She dusts herself off and recommits to the plan. She sees the setback as just that--a setback--not a sign that it's not to be.

What do YOU need to refocus upon? Is it a positive habit? A goal? A toleration you said you'd eliminate?

Revisit your reasons why. Focus on the results you will produce and not on what's not worked well. Because what you focus on expands. Today's a new day. The past is just as historic as if it had happened a thousand years ago. You can't change what's happened or not happened. But you CAN recommit. You CAN refocus.

You can start anew.

So do it today. Remember the power of TNT--Today, Not Tomorrow.

About the Author
Copyright SuccessNet.org. Download your free report "10 Essential
Keys to Personal Effectiveness" at http://SuccessNet.org/subscribes.htm
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