My 3-year-old is trying to learn how to button his shirt.  When he’s having “one of those days,” he’ll whine “I can’t do it,” as he half-heartedly fumbles with the buttons.  To encourage him, the rest of us will start chanting “I think I can” a la The Little Engine That Could ~ one of our favorite books.

His success rate when we can get him to join in with “I think I can,” is – not surprisingly – much higher.

In my experience, this simple example with my son has a lot to do with success in your online business.

I know a lot of people disagree with this notion.  Certainly I’m not suggesting that sitting on your couch chanting “I think I can” will make your online business successful?

Well, no.  But I am saying that using positive affirmations throughout your day, and taking quiet moments to visualize your life as if it were exactly the way you want it to be, are crucial components to your success.

These “new age,” eyebrow-raising techniques got a bad name around the time the book/movie The Secret was such a popular phenomenon.  Many people thought The Secret suggested that you could get anything you wanted in life by laying on the couch and wishing that it would come to you.

Obviously, closing your eyes and seeing yourself as a millionaire while you repeat over and over “I own a successful online business,” is not going to do anything to grow your email list or your bank balance.

Or is it?

I just told you that affirmations and visualizations are a critical part of building a successful online business.  Here’s how.

It’s not that the affirmations and visualizations themselves change your life.  It’s the behaviors – the actions – that result from dumping all this good stuff into your brain that change your life.

If you keep telling yourself positive things, and seeing yourself living the success you strive for, it’s going to motivate you to act in accordance with your thoughts and your vision.

If you don’t believe me, try it.  You don’t have to admit to anyone that you’ve resorted to such silliness in your pursuit of success.  Until it works.

Jim Rohn espoused an accurate, although somewhat pessimistic, view on affirmations when he said –

“Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.”

While I agree 100% with my favorite mentor, I would say –

“Affirmation plus action equals accomplishment.”

I get Mr. Rohn’s point ~ if you sit around saying you’re great, yet you don’t have the discipline to do great things, you’re merely deluding yourself with your positive talk.

But my point is ~ if you fill your mind with positive affirmations and visualizations, this practice gives you the discipline you need to take the action that will turn what’s in your mind into your reality.

Affirmations and visualizations aren’t a replacement for action.  But they are a valuable back-drop that will motivate you to work on your online business when you really want to watch tv.  To write just one more article when you really want to go to bed.  And to step out of your comfort zone and put that “buy” button underneath your ebook when you hate the idea of  sounding “salesy.”

My favorite example of visualization at work comes from Denis Waitley’s stories about working with Olympic athletes.  When they asked the athletes to visualize running a race, Mr. Waitley reports they found the same muscles measured a reaction as when the athlete was actually running the race.  Pretty powerful.

I have my own personal stories about how my online business growth has benefited from these techniques that some find controversial or just plain weird.  I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.  Or maybe you’re in the camp that thinks this is a bunch of hogwash.  I’d love to hear your thoughts too!

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 5 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Jennifer credits the turn-around in her online business to Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan, the perfect tool for planning a successful life. Here’s your chance to be inspired and guided daily by the world’s greatest business philosopher. Create your future with Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan and start improving your life and your business today!

Many of us are beautifully optimistic in our New Year expressions.

I can’t count how many Facebook posts I “liked,” tweets I “re-tweeted,” and Google+ status’s I “1+’d” over the last week.  They all spoke, in various verse, of how many great changes the New Year was going to bring into each person’s life.

And while I want everyone whose path I cross to be wildly successful in 2012, we all know that the odds are against most.

Once you have signed off social media, and set down to make the real work happen, do doubts start to creep in?  Does “reality” hit when you look at what’s got to be done to meet your online business goals?  By the end of January, are you back in the frustration of not making it happen?

Obviously, there’s a huge difference in saying you’re going to make it happen in the New Year, and actually making it happen.

Unfortunately, I think the reason most people don’t find the success they are looking for is that they don’t take the time to really believe they can do it.

Today, I’m going to share with you 3 examples from my life that you can use to push yourself past your doubts and back into belief.

1.  You Decide What’s Possible

Most of your doubts are the result of what society ~ including your friends and family ~ defines as possible and proper.  But you do not have to believe in “impossible.”

When I decided to have children, my doctor told me there was only a 2% chance that I would ever get pregnant.

I played his game for several months.  Then I decided that if I was going to find success here, I would have to ignore his statistics, tests, and expertise.  They didn’t fit into my world.

I got a new doctor and conceived my first beautiful baby girl 2 months later.

Close your eyes to those who don’t believe in you.  Believe in yourself and your ability to make things happen.  Surround yourself with others who will support you 100% (even if they think you’re crazy, as I’m sure my doctor did!).

2.  Have Confidence in the Road Less Taken

As an entrepreneur, you are probably used to being a little different. 

You’ve probably heard, “why don’t you just get a job?” before.  And maybe even thought it yourself.

Several years ago, I was fired from a job that I never contemplated leaving.  Apparently, I wasn’t very manageable . . .

Everyone encouraged me to get a new job.  I even had a really good offer, working with good people for good money.  But, it wasn’t what I wanted to do.

So I moved 4 hours away and started my own business.  I won’t lie, there were times when I struggled to pay the $450 a month rent for my tiny apartment.

But, within a year, I had more than tripled the salary that my job had paid.

And, best of all, I was the boss.

Starting your own online business may not be popular with your friends and family.  It’s scary.  What if . . . (insert all bad things that could happen).  Yes, but, what if you are wildly successful and get to live the life of your dreams?!  Don’t let anyone convince you that the less-traveled road is the less-desirable road.

3.  Cash In on Your Strengths

We all have strengths and weaknesses.  For some reason, it’s human nature to focus on our weaknesses.  You’ve probably been told (or even thought to yourself) that you can’t build a successful business because you’re too old, too young, too inexperienced, too poor . . .

Don’t buy it.  I almost gave up when I first started.

I began my career as an entrepreneur in the network marketing industry.  I was trained in the “old style” way – sign up all of your friends and family, talk to every person you can when you wait in line at the grocery store, buy leads and spend hours a day calling strangers.

Super yuck.  I had no desire to do that.  But I really wanted my own business, so I tried.  And I was really bad at it.

So, I kept looking until I found a way to do business that concentrated on my strengths, which include developing relationships with people, not selling to strangers.

Don’t let anyone convince you that you lack what it takes to have a successful business.  If you believe in yourself, are willing to take the time to develop a plan for your business, and then take massive action to implement that plan ~ you can do it!

I look forward to hearing your stories.

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Jennifer credits the turn-around in her online business to Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan, the perfect tool for planning a successful life. Here’s your chance to be inspired and guided daily by the world’s greatest business philosopher. Create your future with Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan and start improving your life and your business today!

I’ve been studying financial success for over 14 years.  Yet I remain fascinated by who succeeds and who doesn’t.

Convention teaches us that those who have money have some common denominators.  Things like a good education, a good job, a prosperous upbringing.

But reality teaches us something far different.

Some of the wealthiest people I know grew up dirt poor, with little formal education, and with nothing more than a $10-an-hour fast food job on their resume.  It seems that people with such credentials can be either welfare recipients who barely scrape by, or wealthy entrepreneurs who absolutely prosper.

One of my missions in life is to help people prosper.  So I spend a lot of time figuring out the difference in the “haves” and the “have nots.”

And I have to say, there don’t appear to be any accurate predictors of whether someone will be financially successful, or will struggle paycheck-to-paycheck.

Simply put, financially secure people don’t appear to be any different from those who financially struggle.  I had a couple of experiences last week that reinforced this lack of predictability.

I was in the grocery store at the customer service counter.  One service the store provides is the ability to pay your utility bills there.  I watched as two people handed the clerk electricity bills that said “Final Notice Before Disconnection” across them.  The clerk placed the bills in what was certainly a 1 inch- high stack of other “Final Notice Before Disconnection” bills that were behind the counter.

The people that were paying these bills didn’t look like they were down to their last few dollars.  But I was amazed at the sheer number of such bills that were being paid by people right here in my community – so that they could do something so seemingly basic as keep their lights on.

Later in the week I was at the gas station.  I went inside to make a purchase.  The man in front of me was an average looking guy in his 50′s, I’d say.  He handed the clerk $3 to put in his gas tank.  Now I suppose, like me, he could have left his debit card at home and just been using the cash he had to get him home.

But, in light of my earlier experience at the grocery store, the man at the gas station got me thinking even more about what separates those who drive Mercedes, from those who can only afford to put $3 in their gas tank.

Could it be that some of us have the “entrepreneur gene” and are just destined to succeed?

Could success be as random as brown eyes?

Why does Mary lose her job and spiral into bankruptcy, while Susan loses her job and uses her entrepreneur spirit to triple her income and go on to build her dream home?

I know in my life, I have friends who I have advised to give up the job hunt and go the road of the entrepreneur.  And I have other friends who I would never suggest that to.  I realize, somehow, that they just don’t have that in them.

What I’m unable to completely put my finger on is why some people have it in them to be entrepreneurs, and some don’t.  Which is what led me to develop my only partially facetious “entrepreneur gene” theory.

Even if you are inclined to try entrepreneurship, roughly 97% of people who start their own business, fail at it.  Is the entrepreneur gene really that rare?  And are those who try and fail destined to do so?

Ultimately, I think not.  I think you have complete control over your destiny.  And over your personal and financial success.

I’ll share with you what I believe makes a successful entrepreneur next time.  In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you think about the entrepreneur gene theory!

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Jennifer credits the turn-around in her online business to Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan, the perfect tool for planning a successful life. Here’s your chance to be inspired and guided daily by the world’s greatest business philosopher. Create your future with Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan and start improving your life and your business today!

Making Money Online is Easy!

I used to go crazy when I heard such nonsense.  I have to admit, it still makes me scream “stop lying!” on the inside.

But, if making money online isn’t easy, it must be hard.  Right?

Well, in many respects, yes – it is hard.  But that doesn’t mean it has to be a struggle.

Unfortunately, for many people who dream of making money online, their online business is a struggle.

You’ve probably had people ask you what your biggest struggle is in your business.  Perhaps you’ve even thought of yourself as “struggling” to make money online.

And really, any way you look at it, “struggling” is not a good thing.  It has negative connotations all the way around.  It smacks of “failure,” and “worry,” and “unhappiness.”  Not pretty descriptors for your online business.

The good news is, you can stop struggling today.  Right now in fact.  By simply declaring that you are no longer struggling.  And of course, believing that the struggle is over, and in fact never even existed.

No, I’m not going to give you affirmations that haven’t worked for you in the past.  Or tell you that with “positive thinking” the struggle will end.

But, you will have to significantly shift your mindset.  Happily, I’m about to make that easy for you.

Think about a baby.  At 11 months old you see her starting to stand without holding on to anything, cautioning a step every now and then – only to immediately tumble to the ground.  You don’t tell people she’s “struggling” to become a walker.  She’s simply learning to successfully walk.

When you plant a lettuce seed in your garden, and you come back a week later to see a 2 inch plant, you don’t say that your lettuce is “struggling” to grow.  It’s doing exactly what it’s suppose to be doing to become an edible head of lettuce.

And when you check the pot of rice on your stove half way through its cooking time, you don’t say its “struggling” to get done.  The rice is simply taking the amount of time nature determined for it to become soft and edible.

The baby, the lettuce and the rice are all doing exactly what they should be doing.  Are they working?  Yes.  Is it hard?  Yes, in some ways.  It takes a lot of practice to walk.  The tiny lettuce plant has to survive the elements, and the rabbits.  The rice has to make it from the field, to your pantry, to being cooked just the right amount of time.

Your online business is exactly like the baby, the lettuce and the rice.

You are doing exactly what you need to be to doing to start consistently making money online.

You aren’t going to wake up with $10,000 in your bank account 30 days after your website is up, any more than a lettuce seed is going to wake up as a full head of lettuce the day after it’s planted.  It’s just not the way the world works.

If you are taking daily steps to develop and grow your online business, stop thinking of the process of business growth as a struggle.  And even more importantly, stop letting marketers that fill your inbox with “how to make money online” offers convince you that you are struggling and that they can magically stop the struggle.

Put your credit card away.  Because shifting your mindset is free.  And if you will shift your mindset from one of struggle, and see that you are simply walking a proven and necessary path to success, your online business journey will be easier, more fun, and less costly!

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 7.  She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Need some accountability in your online business journey?  Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan is your perfect companion.  This is your chance to be inspired and guided daily by the world’s greatest business philosopher.  Get Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan today and leave your struggle behind.

Earlier this week, my friend Norma Doiron shared this with me:

“Every one of us is either a plus or a minus in people’s lives,” says John C. Maxwell. The positive people usually know it — wake up each day and consider, “Who can I add value to today? It’s an intentional lifestyle…”

And it got me thinking about how easy it really is to make a difference in other people’s lives.

IF you live intentionally.

With most things in life, we get feedback.  And we’re usually motivated by some external outcome.

We publish a newsletter for our clients because they will read it, benefit from it, and do business with us.  We fix dinner because we’ll hear about (and potentially feel bad) if we don’t.  We excel at work so that we’ll get a promotion or a raise.   And so on.

To make a difference in someone’s life requires intentionality because it often comes without much, or any, feedback.

Let me share a story with you.

A couple of weeks ago I was at the baseball game with my kids, who are 3, 4, and 7 years old.  My boys (3 and 4) were anxious to see the fireworks, a St. Louis Cardinals’ tradition when a player hits a home run.  My 3-year-old, Justin, had asked the man sitting in front of us where the fireworks were before the game even began.

When the first home run came, of course the crowd came to its feet.  I lifted Justin up in the air so he could clearly see what he came for.

When the next home run came, we had just returned with food.  My hands were full of nachos and ice cream as everyone around us stood up.  The man in front of us, who was on a “guys’ night out” with three of his friends, had been tolerant and friendly to my overly social little ones.

Seeing my predicament, he lifted Justin up high so that he could again experience the colorful night sky.

The experience lasted less than 60 seconds.  But no less than a dozen times since then, Justin had told me about how “that man lifted me up in the sky.”  His memory of that small gesture is so vivid and important to him.

I have some regret that I’ll never be able to share with this stranger how he was able to make a difference to my 3-year-old that night.

And so too can YOU make a difference . . .

The sparkle in Justin’s eyes when he tells me about the man makes me think about times when a stranger smiled at me at just the right time, or a friend extended a helping hand just when I needed it most.  Even among friends and family, these small gestures go unnoticed or at least unrecognized.

There’s generally no external reward for small and often random acts of kindness.  Which is why it requires an intentional practice.

Always striving to be a “plus” to everyone you encounter can make someone’s day.  It can help someone change her life if done consistently.  It can establish you as someone people just feel good being around.

The benefits to the other person are clear.  And while such service to others is motivation enough to work to make a difference, you will find that the benefits to your personal life as well as your business make it worth the small effort.

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this blog post, but I’ve gotta tell you – this one is really for me. It probably belongs more appropriately in my private journal than in a public forum.

I have a terrible time with focus. In fact, I don’t even want to focus on one thing. I want to do as many things as humanly possible at once.

I hate to sleep, because it’s the one time when I haven’t figured a way to multitask. Yes, I read my email at the stop lights. Yes, I have a book in every bathroom in the house. Yes, I read Success magazine while I eat.

Now that I’ve gotten my confessions out of the way, I’ll tell you — you will find greater success if you focus on one thing at a time.  If you put your heart and soul and all into it until your one task is 100% complete.

The absolute best teacher on the issue of focus is Thich Nhat Hahn.  I recently finished his book, “The Miracle of Mindfulness.”  One of my greatest take-aways from the book was “when you are washing the dishes, wash the dishes.”

Thich Nhat Hahn beautifully illustrates the how and why of being present in everything you do. No matter how trivial it may seem.

But before I can get to the joy of being fully present when I wash the dishes, I must first learn the basics.

Like how to complete this blog post without getting up to grab a snack, clicking away to my email, trying to listen to a “can’t miss” webinar replay in the background . . .

But why?  Why does focus matter?  Aren’t those who are capable of constant multitasking the most productive, and therefore the ones that find the most success?

No.  In fact, there are (at least) three reasons that focus will bring you more success.  In life, and in business.

First, focus actually saves you time.

Common sense would perhaps dictate that if you can do two things at once you will save time.  What I have found, however, is that focusing on one thing allows you to complete that one project faster. 

It’s like the difference in walking from point A to point B in a straight line, rather than weaving back and forth to your destination.  Each time you turn your attention even for a moment, you have veered off the course and it will take you longer to get to the finish line.

In the worst of all circumstances, you don’t finish your task in one sitting. It’s impossible to then come back and pick it up right where you left off.  It will take you, at the very least, a few minutes to get back to where you left off.  And sometimes, you never really regain your momentum.  And it takes twice as long to finish your project.

So, yes, when you multitask you get two things done.  But chances are you could have accomplished each of them quicker and better if you had tackled them one at a time.

Second, focus makes you feel better.

When you focus on one thing you don’t have to worry so much.  If your only goal for this hour is to respond to all of your email, then you can just do it.  You aren’t worried about trying to answer all the emails, and get your newsletter finished, and update your Facebook page . . .

There’s peace of mind in having one task that can be completed in one block of time.

And, if you are focused, you are going to complete more.  You won’t have four unfinished projects you are juggling.  You’ll have one finished project and a clear picture of the next project that’s in line.

Checking that one thing off of your “to do” list has an unbelievable “feel good” factor.

Third, focus means you reach your goals faster.

Focus allows you to be more organized.  Each success goal you have can be broken down into a series of small steps.  If your goal is to get to the top of the building, focus allows you to walk decisively up one flight of steps.  Which brings you one floor closer to the top.

A lack of focus, on the other hand, is like being on one of those stair-steppers at the gym.  You keep walking up those revolving stairs, yet you get no higher – no closer to your success goal.

With these three benefits in mind, my focus this week is on focus.  I’ll let you know what amazing results I see.

I’d love to hear from you below.  Do you struggle with focus?  If not, I’d love to know how you do it!  If so, let me know how you plan to implement my suggestions so that you can save time, feel better, and find success faster!

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 7. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan helped me make great changes in my life. I’m doing it again to help regain my focus. Join me and we’ll get on the fast track to success together!

Not every day inspires us to be or feel our best.  To recognize and appreciate the many ways in which we are blessed.

Some days, we need a little help.

Recently, I was at the gas station when I noticed a beautiful little bug on the concrete island around the pumps. Maybe “beautiful” and “bug” don’t go together for you.  But this bug was a nice lime green color and in the shape of a small leaf.

She was flipped over on her back, all of her tiny legs flailing wildly in a futile effort to right herself.

I wondered how long she had endured this struggle as I took my thumb and gently flipped her over.

She resumed her journey, and I imagined a look of relief on her face and a thank you on her lips.

For some reason, I felt really good about my little act of kindness all day.

The next evening, I was at the skating rink for my daughter’s lesson.  My boys were being energetic, to put it nicely.

I was at my wit’s end with them.  On the brink of forgetting all those lessons I try to implement about good parenting.

A woman who I know casually from skating approached me.  “You are such a good mom.  You are so patient with them,” she said.  “I wish I could be more like that.”

I immediately thought – she just flipped me over.

Her comment of course made me feel good, and put things back in perspective for me.  Of course she had no idea what a difference she made in my day.  She inspired me to regain my patience.

Some days you will be the bug.  And some days you’ll do the flipping.

And keep in mind, that while there will be obvious opportunities to “flip” somebody, far more often you will do it unknowingly.

You never know when even the smallest comment might make the biggest difference in someone’s life.  So it’s important to never leave something positive unsaid.

“I like your haircut.”  “That color looks good on you.”  “Your kids are so nice.”  “I enjoyed your last blog post.”

I used to keep small compliments of this nature to myself.  But now I say them.  I go out of my way to recognize positive things and tell people about them.

Certainly, at least, you’ll make the other person feel good with a compliment, or any random act of kindness.  And who knows, you may flip her whole day around.

As a bonus, you’ll also make yourself feel better.  If you are thinking, saying and doing nice things, you’ve got to feel good.  And, you’ll find that others will think, say and do nice things for you in return.

Take a minute and think about what you can do today to inspire someone to have a better day, to get more out of their day, or to more fully recognize life’s blessings.  Then, go put it into action.  And share with me below who you flipped, and how it made you feel.

JENNIFER HERNDON works from home with her kids.  She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial rewards of working from home for over 11 years.  Jennifer’s passion is empowering you to achieve success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

You’ve dealt with people who “woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”  You’ve probably even been one of those people before.

And while it’s an easy explanation for having a bad day, it’s an excuse that needs to be eliminated from your life.

Because really, there is no “wrong side of the bed.”  I know that’s obvious, but once your day starts off wrong, most people are all too eager to write it off as a “bad day” well before it’s even half over.

Isn’t it curious that some days though, everything does go wrong?

You oversleep.  Your kids don’t like their breakfast, can’t find their shoes, dog ate their homework.  You’re late.  Great start.

And of course, today just happens to be the day that everyone on the road is driving especially slow.  You’re low on gas.  Forgot your debit card.  Your lunch date with a potential new client or business partner is cancelled .  Your website’s been hacked.

And on and on.

Of course, the more things go wrong, the easier it becomes to set you off.  Under normal circumstances, being put on hold when you call to ask a question about your cell phone service would be a minor annoyance.  Today, it’s causing you to declare that the entire company is full of incompetents and you’re changing providers immediately.

It doesn’t have to be this way.  And it shouldn’t.  Each day is way too special and full of potential to waste.  And that’s usually what we do — write it off as a bad day and hope for better tomorrow.

Fortunately, you are in control of how your day goes.  And that doesn’t just mean that you can choose to have a good attitude as your world goes to pieces around you.

It means that you can chose to do something good for yourself.  And this will be “day changing” for you.

This may seem obvious or simple, but it’s just not how you usually react to a day when things are going wrong.

Instead of falling into the pattern of a “bad day,” you must stop for a minute and make a conscious decision to have a good day.

Which doesn’t mean you have to win the lottery, take an impromptu vacation to Hawaii, or meet the person of your dreams.

Just like a series of bad little things can make a bad day, a series of good little things can make a good day.

Here are just a few suggestions that anyone can do to interrupt a bad day and turn it around:

* call a friend just to catch up for a minute  (resist the urge to tell her about your bad day!);

* keep a playlist on your MP3 of “happy” songs and take just a minute to listen to one;

* keep a photo album of friends and family that you can look through to regain perspective;

* do something physical – a short walk, a favorite yoga pose, any type of stretch/movement that engages your entire body;

* look – really look – at a piece of your child’s artwork, or a card given to you by someone special;

* spend just a minute with your dog or cat or favorite pet – get some unconditional love!

If you’re thinking these things are just too simple for your crazy life, just give them a try.  Believe me, I understand how “bad” a day can get.

And while I can’t claim to totally understand it, I’ve found that if I keep countering the bad stuff with good stuff, the bad stuff stops coming.  While many days still have a challenge, that’s what keeps us growing.

So go ahead, what do you have to lose?  A bad day!  Just try it.

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids, ages 3, 4 and 6. She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years. Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Need a clear plan for a good life? Check out Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan and plant the seeds for lasting success today.

The origins of Memorial Day call upon us to remember those military men and women who have lost their lives.  The tradition of the day has become for us to also remember friends and family members who have died.

I enjoy this holiday for at least three reasons.  First — at least the way we’ve come to do it — it’s a celebration.  I much prefer celebrating life rather than mourning the loss.

Second, it signals the “unofficial start of summer.”  And I love summer.  I love any time that signals rebirth, growth, and change.  Summer says all of those things.

Third, it gives us a chance to stop and think about what’s important.  To remember that people and relationships are temporary.  That the time to be present with each other and enjoy the people that are important in our life is NOW.

Since I began on this journey to transfer my offline business success to online business success, Memorial Day causes me to reflect on my business as I do my life.

I never get used to how everything in life seems to parallel business.  For us entrepreneurs anyway.

So here is how the joy of Memorial Day provides you with some positive business messages too.

First, on the choice to celebrate.  Swimming pools and bar-b-que are so ingrained in how we celebrate Memorial Day, that we do it without thinking.

You don’t have family meetings to discuss whether you should spend this Memorial Day crying over the loss of our loved ones, or having a fun-filled party.

You respond the way you’ve been taught.  The way you’ve always done.  And the way that feels good.

You should be so optimistic about your business.

Do you wake up in the morning feeling joyous for all you’ve accomplished in your business — even if it’s nothing more than finally choosing your niche?

Do you start the day excited about all the action you’re taking to make your business the smashing success you’ve long-envisioned?

Or is your typical day more about beating yourself up because you don’t have your autoresponder series loaded?  Or because you’re not even sure how to do this?  Do thoughts of “When and will I ever have a six figure business?” crowd your morning shower?

If so, you need to change this.  Make every day a celebration of your business.  Make your business something happy and positive in your life.

Force yourself to do this for a few weeks and you’ll discover that, just like Memorial Day, you’ll soon be waking up in an obviously celebratory state of mind.

Because that’s how you always wake up.

And that’s not to say you should ignore it when you aren’t taking the action you need to be taking.  But redirect yourself down the right path by rejoicing over the results taking action will give you.  Don’t beat yourself up for being a lazy slob.

You’ll find it much easier to get back on task with the right attitude!

My second thought here goes back to my disdain for New Year’s Resolutions.  But, like it or not, most of us are driven by a reason to start doing things differently.

It’s usually not enough to be inspired by the fact that “today’s a new day!”  (Although I encourage you to get to a place where that simple fact does sufficiently motivate you).

Use summer as a reason to re-inspire yourself.  What better time to start doing all of those things you were saving for “someday.”

The leaves are reappearing on the trees, flowers are blooming, kids are out of school, shorts are out of storage boxes. . .

Change is in the air.

What better excuse to change yourself is there?  Remember, nothing is going to change for you until you change.

Identify what’s holding you back from building the business you want and change it.

Third, it’s essential to balance business with your personal life.  As entrepreneurs we often forget this.

But it will improve your business.  I promise.

I know you probably have a day job.  So, if you’re going to make this “internet thing” a reality, how will you squeeze in much quality family time when building your business takes every spare moment you have?

Just do it.  Seriously.  Whether that means sleeping less, taking longer to build your business . . . whatever.

As you think about the importance of those people in your life today, and those people who have left your life, remember that each day is precious.  And time is something you can never get back.

Think of your family time as time spent working on your business.  The experiences you have, and lessons you learn, help you grow as a person.  That’s crucial to the growth of your business.

These experiences will also give you great content for your business.  Because truly, business always mirrors life.

Enjoy your day!

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids.  She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years.  Jennifer’s price levitra passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

Want to know what finally turned things around for me?  Daily action.  Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan is the perfect place to start.  Do it today!

I should be home right now.  Having snuggled my precious babies to sleep.  Doing laundry or some other ever-present household task.

But as 10:30 approaches, I sit in the airport, gazing  wishfully at the 5:30 departure time that still displays at my gate.

Ugh.

Being a strong believer in never wasting a moment, and in seeing the lesson in everything, I share with you the 5 things I’ve learned in the last 5 hours.

Besides, what else do I have to do right now. . .

First (in no particular order), it’s easier to just be nice.  Your attitude is one of the few things you have complete control over.  No matter what the circumstances, you can always choose to be nice.

Every order amoxil flight in this terminal is at least on a 3 hour delay.  Tensions are running high.  As I sat down to eat dinner in a packed restaurant at 8:30, I was greeted by a particularly friendly waitress.  We exchanged sentiments about the long day.

I noticed that some of the other tables, who were short or unfriendly, didn’t receive the same smiling attention I did.  I also noticed this as I observed people interacting with the gate agents.

Without a doubt, I was in a much happier place than those who chose the grumpy route.  And more importantly, I helped put others – who were just trying to do their jobs – in a better place.

Being nice has a positive ripple effect throughout the universe.

Second, it really is all about you.  Let go of the judgments people make about you.

I have a deep opposition to panty hose and high heels.  Yet circumstances required me to wear both today.

But after walking the airport in them for an hour (in search of a phone charged and computer cord), the heels had to go.

My initial, “you can’t walk around the airport with no shoes on,” quickly became “why not?”  Finding no good answer, I lost the shoes.

An older woman sharing a beer with her husband smiled buy amoxicillin at me knowingly.  Others, mainly men of course, looked at me like “you can’t walk around the airport with no shoes on.”  I gave them a “why not?” look back.

My whole body feels better because I chose not to care what judgment anyone else passed.

Third, adversity does bring us together.

As our much-anticipated pilot just arrived, everyone clapped for him.

I witnessed complete strangers who had found amazing levitra cost common ground and bonded over the last few hours.  There’s buy Amoxil online talk of family, vacations, and work.

People smiled, laughed, and wished each other well as we (hopefully) prepare to board the plane.

Fourth, someone always has it worse than you.

I slept for 2 hours last night.  I’ve been up for about 19 hours as I write.  I miss my babies.

Whoa is me.

Until, that is, I hear that amoxil online the ladies next to me each have a 2 hour drive after we deplane.  (My 20 minute drive suddenly doesn’t seem so long!)

And I hear that my flight attendants just arrived from Germany and Japan, yet they still serve us all with a smile.  (My 19 hours suddenly doesn’t seem so long.)

Fifth, pencil does still write on paper.

While my MacBook Pro does have an awesome battery life, not even it could survive this kind of day.

So  I’ve spent 5 hours with no internet connection, and 2 of those hours with no computer at all.

And they’ve been incredibly productive.

With no crucial tweets to post, no Facebook friend requests to attend to, no email to answer . . . I’ve gotten a lot of work done!

I’ve filled up 10 buy Ampicillin notebook pages with blog posts, content ideas, and a draft sales page.

Before the Mac died I read 30 pages in a quality Ebook that I’d been meaning to get to – forever.

Yes, it will take me time to type all this up, but I promise I’ve still been more productive than if I’d had an internet connection and a computer.

So, we’re on the plane  now.  Been sitting here for an hour. . .

Someone is engaging in conversation and laughing.  My seatmate just called him a “wacko” because he’s happy.

Since we’re into our sixth hour of delay, let me add a sixth thing I’ve learned – sometimes buy soma online it’s best to be a “wacko.”

JENNIFER HERNDON is a work at home mom with three fabulous kids.  She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working at home for over 13 years.  Jennifer’s passion is empowering others to personal and business success through a positive mindset and consistent action.

New Year’s resolutions a distant memory?  It’s never to late to realize your goals.  Kick start your daily action plan with Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan.  Start today!