Editor’s Note: This is a contribution by Rob Liano

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” ~Sydney J. Harris

I live on a beach, and I don’t mean in a box under the boardwalk. Rather, my home is just about 60 seconds away. People tell me I’m lucky when they find out that the beach is basically my backyard.

This implies that we all randomly end up living in places strictly by chance, and that my being here is purely accidental. I obviously chose to live here. But beyond that, the beach life can be a choice, even if you don’t live near one.

I was walking on the boardwalk the other day and realized that I felt as if I were on vacation. Not because I was at the beach, but because of the attitude behind my thoughts. Even though I have lived here for five years, there are always new people to meet and new things to do, so every day can be a vacation.

When was the last time you explored the town you live in or a neighboring town? That could be a fun journey and an escape from the everyday grind, couldn’t it?

“My life is like a stroll on the beach…as near to the edge as I can go.” ~Thoreau

Perspective Buster Why is it that we can wait in line at Disney World for an up to an hour for a ride that will last (maybe) three minutes without complaining, but we cannot endure waiting five minutes at the bank or post office? What’s the difference?

Is it our first time in one of these waiting stations? Did we really expect to go right in and out of the bank? Or the doctor?

That’s unrealistic isn’t it? So why the impatience? It’s our attitude that makes the difference.

Yes, there were times when we have quickly gone in and out of the post office or bank, but that is not the norm. Instead it’s a pleasant surprise.

My thinking is this: If you don’t have enough time allotted to go on your errands or you can’t stand to wait for a few minutes, then don’t go.

Save yourself (and others) the aggravation. Now, it’s likely that you will eventually have to go, and there will be times you will have to wait, so it may be best to change your attitude and your thoughts. Let your dreams take you away.

It’s okay to daydream, and it’s quite healthy, so you can have a vacation any time you choose to, while waiting on line, sitting at your desk, or while riding on the train. Basically anywhere.

Well, maybe not while driving down the highway, since hopefully you’re concentrating on the road. But all you need to do is think as if you’re on vacation.

“Laughter is an instant vacation.” ~Unknown

A Mental Trick The mind is capable of a very cool “trick” in that it cannot tell if an event is real or made up, meaning it can trigger the emotions either way.

To illustrate how powerful the mind is, think about this: Have you ever worried about someone or something, and created an entire (negative) scenario in your head and felt the emotions involved with it?

It could have been anxiety, fear, or worry, but you actually felt it as if it were real. Then, after you received a text message or a phone call letting you know that everything was okay, you instantly felt better.

How was it possible to create that chaos and actually feel those emotions if the event didn’t actually happen? It all started in your mind. So imagine what else could you create and how good you could feel if you chose the right scenarios.

A lot of people think of the beach when they think of a vacation spot, such as Florida, Cancun, or the Caribbean. You can picture the white sand and the clear blue ocean as an escape or a getaway.

If you can picture this in your mind then you’re creating a mini-vacation which you can visit as often as you like (in your mind) until you go on a real one.

Why not try it? Picture yourself on a beach, with your favorite drink in your hand, the sun on your face, the sound of the waves and a gentle breeze cooling you off. Close your eyes and picture it vividly.

Smell the sea breeze. Feel the gritty sand between your toes. Or if you can’t think of anywhere to go, choose somewhere you’ve already been that brought you the most joy.

Is it your honeymoon spot? The first family camping trip you ever took? A class trip? Go there in your thoughts right now.

Creating or enjoying these thoughts is no different than when you return from vacation and shared your experience with others. Haven’t you noticed that you relive the joy every time you talk about it? Even though you are not on vacation any longer, you still experience it again and again, in your mind and your memories.

“Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind.” ~Zen Proverb

Pack Your Bags! One of the best things about my community is that if there is even a hint of sunshine, people flood the boardwalk and the beach. Does everyone do this? No. So where are the rest of them?

Many times people don’t take advantage of the very things they enjoy. They make other things a priority, or they make excuses as to why they “can’t” get away.

Maybe you don’t live near the beach, but are you anywhere near a park, or a lake, or even a pool? If so, enjoy a beautiful day when you can, even if it’s only your lunch break. Just get out there and have a mini-vacation in real life.

Why stay stuck in an office? Why run the rat race? Why not run at the park instead?

If you don’t like the outdoors, what do you enjoy? Do that. Refresh and recharge.

For those times when you can’t break free, or when the weather is not cooperative, all you have to do is have that mini-vacation in your mind. It’s a free trip so you may as often as you like!

“Thought is free.” ~William Shakespeare

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Editor’s Note: This is a contribution by Conning Chu
“Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it’s dark.” ~Zen Proverb

I’m an emotional, sensitive person with a lot of empathy for others. I’ve found myself feeling torn apart by negativity and the world outside of me. I’m often bogged down by cyclical negativity, and I sometimes focus on others’ effects on me instead of my effect on myself.

In my depressive cycling, I was always the victim. The more I thought about how terrible someone was toward me, the deeper I spiraled into a negative space that couldn’t be replenished.

Deep in despair, I called upon a beloved friend for some spiritual guidance.

He said, “Stand in your space. If you want to have the truest, most positive interactions with others and, in turn, be your most beautiful, authentic self, the work has to start with you.”

It wasn’t enough to cut someone negative off and it was counterproductive to complain about how they weighed me down. Instead, I needed to build the space I wanted and then stand in it.

Space is a culmination of you, your aura, and your energy.

It’s beyond just who you are in a tangible sense; it’s everything you are: your intentions, your mental processes, your actions, and your presence. We attract positivity by creating positivity.

After spending years trying to heal broken hearts and souls, I had allowed myself to be drained of positive energy and, in turn, drained the energy of people who interacted with me.

So, was I doing more harm than good, despite my intentions?

In my efforts to heal a handful of people, I had internalized every piece of negativity and emoted my own. I had this mentality that you can let love flow freely from your heart and understand that it will always self-replenish. This is true. But, energy is different, and I kept treating love and positive energy the same.

Being low on positive energy doesn’t mean you are low on love. You can still have a lot of love, yet be feeling drained and not manifesting that love well.

For this reason, you need to protect your space, which encompasses your energy.

Energy is valuable, and it should flow freely toward places where it will do the most good.

These are often the same places where you’ll find it easy for your positive energy to be replenished. This can be in interacting with people who help you feel good about yourself, or delving into interests that ignite passion in you, or just laughing a lot.

The most effective healer is the one who heals others through example. So, it’s important for your energy and space to stay positive.

Choose to be positive, peaceful, and happy in your space by:

• Using positive language, speech patterns, and affirmations
• Taking time for yourself
• Focusing as much as possible on the present
• Being optimistic about the future and having faith in people and situations
• Most importantly, protecting and respecting your space by requiring others to do the same

It’s not necessary to cut someone who is negative completely off, or for you to pessimistically believe they’ll never change. The key is to take yourself and your space elsewhere when you feel it’s being threatened.  This doesn’t mean anyone who is negative threatens it. It’s generous and wonderful for people to pull others up by the simple act of interacting, comforting, advising, and listening. Sometimes people do need to just purge that negativity.

But, you have to take a barometer of your own space and see how their negativity is affecting you. If you are falling, you need to step back or bring yourself up.  I was so inspired by this lesson because I saw how it could be applicable not only to me but the many people who interact with me.

It helped me to understand how similar we all are. Formerly, in my victim state, I felt others were dragging me down. Then I began to see the domino effect—how I was doing the same to other people. 

When we know and set limits, we’re able to pull ourselves up. In the process, we may inspire others to pull themselves up, too.

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“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses…The gift is yours—it is an amazing journey—and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.” ~Bob Moawad

If we try, we can always find a reason not to do what we want to do—and it can seem perfectly valid. We can convince ourselves that we’re being smart, realistic, or safe, or that we don’t even really want it.

We’re great at justifying the status quo, because we know exactly what that’s like—even if it’s dissatisfying.

The unknown can feel terrifying. But somewhere in that same realm where anything could go wrong is everything that can go right.

So many times in my life, I’ve finally pushed myself to do something and then wondered, “Why did I wait so long?” If I had known the benefits would far outweigh my fear and discomfort, I would have pushed myself sooner.

But we can’t ever know that in advance. We can only know that our reasons to do something are greater than our excuses not to.

In my efforts to keep moving beyond my comfort zone, I’ve compiled the top 25 excuses not to go after a dream, along with a few reminders to help us overcome them.

Excuses About Time
1. I’m too busy to do what I love.
2. I don’t have time to discover what I’m passionate about.
3. I’ve already put a lot of time into a different path.
4. I’ll do it--someday.
5. It’s too late for me now.
We all have the same number of hours in each day, and we all have the potential to use them to do what we want to do.

That being said, we’re all starting with different schedules, responsibilities, and obstacles. A single, childless person who inherited a large sum of money may have more immediate time freedom than someone with a large family and mounting debt.

I share this not to be discouraging, but rather to acknowledge reality: We all have unique circumstances that could make it challenging to find or make time.

While it might be easier for some of us, it’s possible for all of us.

We can all create at least a small window of time to take one simple step. We can all decide our dreams are priorities, and that we owe it to ourselves to pursue them, regardless of what we’ve done before. We can all recognize it’s never too late for us unless we decide it is.

The important thing to realize is that the time is now, whether we have days, hours, or even just minutes to devote. We might not have the time to do everything, but we all have the time to do something.

Excuses About Money
6. I don’t have the money to get started.
7. I need to continue earning exactly what I earn now.
8. I can’t make any changes until I pay off my debt.
9. I need a bigger safety net before I take a risk.
10. What if I can’t make any money at it?
We all need money to live—there’s just no getting around it.

We may sometimes have to do things we don’t love to get by, and we may not all be able to completely change our lives overnight. We might not be able to up and travel the world, or make massive financial investments in our goals.

What we can do is decide that our dreams are important, and then leverage our most valuable resource—our passion—to honor them as best we can.

That might mean doing something on the side as a hobby, or bartering for free lessons, or volunteering our time to help someone who will serve as a mentor.

We don’t need a massive amount of money to start, or a guarantee that we’ll make a ton of money down the line.

We just need to know that our dreams are worth the effort, and that we’re willing to be creative with the resources we have.

Excuses About Knowledge
11. I don’t know where to start.
12. I don’t know enough to start.
13. I’m not smart enough to succeed.
14. I don’t know if I can make it.
15. I’m not an expert.
No one knows going in exactly what they need to do—or what they can do. No one has it all figured out, and no one starts off with expertise.

If we wait until we feel we know everything we need to know, we’ll likely never act.

When I wrote for a ‘tween publication, I interviewed a young girl named Leah Larson who started a magazine called Yaldah at 13 years old.

She wrote all the articles for the first issue herself, and then made countless calls to printers and potential advertisers, having no idea what she was doing. Perhaps because she was so young, she never worried about what she didn’t know. She just jumped in and started learning.

Ten years later, Yaldah has expanded to Yaldah Media Inc., which now offers books, retreats, and more. She’s grown with her company, as we all can with any dream.

We don’t need to know everything to start. We just need to know we want and need to do it.

Excuses About Other People 16. My friends and family don’t think I can do this. 17. My friends and family don’t think I should do this. 18. I need to focus on the people who need me. 19. I don’t have anyone to do this with. 20. It’s all about who you know—and I don’t know the right people. There will never be a day when everyone agrees with us, believes in us, and supports us. There may never be a time when other people stop needing us. And for many of us, there won’t be a likeminded partner waiting to hold our hand on a parallel journey.

If we believe in ourselves, none of these things have to deter us. As we do what we love and create new possibilities for ourselves, we will inevitably form mutually beneficial relationships.

In my early days on Twitter, I had a different account where I tweeted uplifting messages. It was my first attempt at making the difference I wanted to make.

Back then, I’d never have imagined I’d be connected to so many amazing people; and I wasn’t sure I could run a website since I knew nothing about the tech side of things.

One day, a web strategist and designer named Joshua Denney tweeted about me, complimenting my profile and tweets. Since we connected then, he’s been instrumental in shaping Tiny Buddha—and he’s become one of my closest confidantes, consultants, and friends.

There are countless people out there who could support and help us, but we can only meet them if we put ourselves out there too.

Excuses About Probability
21. Things likely wouldn’t pan out.
22. Many people have tried to do this and failed.
23. I’ll probably be scared and uncomfortable if I try.
24. I’m not sure if this is the “right” decision.
25. There aren’t any guarantees.
The reality is there aren’t any guarantees. That means even a sure thing could one day be not so sure. Certainty is an illusion that comes from comfort—but just because something’s comfortable, that doesn’t mean it’s permanent.

We can either cling to what feels safe, avoiding potential disappointment, or realize the worst disappointment is the type we feel in ourselves.

That’s what happens when we ignore our calling; we may feel more secure for not taking a risk, but we also feel unhappy with ourselves for not finding the courage to do it.

We can’t ever know what the results our efforts will be, but we can know we dramatically decrease our odds of feeling satisfied if we make it a priority to do what we love—no matter where it leads us.

That’s what it means to make the “right” decision—to do what feels right, right in this moment, the only one that’s guaranteed.
 –

And one more excuse I didn’t include: I’m not good enough. We’ve all thought this at one time or another. Especially in our socially connected world where we have constant reminders of everyone else’s achievements, it’s easy to feel we don’t stack up.

But maybe we don’t have to. Maybe we don’t need to be better than anyone else, or even better than we are now to make a difference.

Maybe the world needs us exactly as we are, with our unique blend of skills, talent, and potential. Maybe the difference we make isn’t just about where we end up, but also how we learn, grow, and share on the way there.

Sure, our gifts and accomplishments can make the world a better place, but what we really want and need is to be inspired—and what’s more inspiring than starting right where you are, believing in yourself, and taking a leap of faith?

When we’re feeling overwhelmed, it can seem like dreams are luxuries, but they’re not reserved for the chosen few. They’re reserved for people who choose to believe in them and act on it.

To do that, we need to stop telling ourselves the story of why we can’t, and start creating the story of how we can.

What’s your dream, and what can you do today to start living it?

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Editor’s Note: This is a contribution by Megan Gallagher

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” ~Marianne Williamson

We’ve all met that person at a party or a business function who seems to “light up a room.” People are drawn to them like moths to a flame.

Maybe it’s the way she carries herself, or the easy way he laughs, or her eyes that seem totally focused and engaged in the moment. I’ve always noticed that they have sort of a “knowing” smile—a secret that maybe, just maybe, they might tell you.

I have always wanted to know that secret.

A confession: Up until a couple of years ago, I was a total happiness-faker. Yep. Even had myself fooled there for a while.

It took a couple jobs lost, one relationship ended, and a few life crises thrown in for good measure before I woke up one morning and realized that I no longer saw “me” staring back. It was that moment of clarity where I finally saw things exactly as they were—and knew that they had to change.

I was never more afraid in my entire life. But then again, the best things that happen to us in life are usually the most terrifying, no?

As I’ve evolved in this journey, I’ve slowly inched closer towards the radiant person I want to be. For me, that means finding simplicity and a sense of flow in all aspects of my life—which has been surprisingly more difficult than I ever thought it would be.

Simplifying our lives can be hard because it forces us to own our values and shape our lives around them. To take responsibility for our lives and cut away what we’ve outgrown. To do something, anything, every day to move us one step closer. 

Most of the time, this process requires us to step outside of the norm—perhaps our “normal” persona; our “normal” relationship habits; our “normal” place in society. It’s challenging, uncomfortable (albeit extremely rewarding) work.

Navigating the process can be even harder. How can we know what’s right when we’re stepping away from what we’ve always been told is just that?

There are six actions I actively take in my life that have made all the difference. Each time I practice, I feel my inner glow burning just the tiniest bit brighter.

1. Discover your gifts. I’m not talking Photoshop skills or anything you learned in college. I’m talking real gifts. What makes you a treasure? What do you do that lights you up inside? Not sure? Ask your closest friends. Their insight could be illuminating.

2. Inject happiness. The biggest problem with happiness is that we often think we don’t deserve it. When we believe we don’t deserve it, we fail to see the great opportunities that are right in front of us. Sunsets. Playing tag with your kids. An ice cream cone shared with your significant other. Relaxing with a good book. You get the idea.

Need some real life inspiration? Look no further than children…and dogs. There’s no better example of pure happiness.

3. Do it your way. You don’t need anyone’s approval but your own. There’s no one formula that will tell you how to manage your time, run a successful business, lose weight, quit your day job, etc.

While it’s helpful to use great resources and admire those who’ve done what you want to do, your path is yours to walk. Comparing yourself to other people is a waste of energy—energy that you could be spending on step #1 or #2.

4. See failure as an opportunity. We all choose how to face adversity and challenges in life. We can either fold under the pressure or look for learning experiences. I choose the latter.

5. Step away from what doesn’t fit anymore.  Your new-found glow may too much for some people, or not enough. You may find that certain habits no longer align with your awakened lifestyle. Make changes. You’re worth it.

6. Allow yourself to be driven by something bigger than yourself. This can be anything from your personal “higher power” or simply gut-level intuition. Perhaps it’s a core value that shapes your actions, both professionally and personally. Dig deeper and look beyond the surface. Surrender—sometimes that’s the wisest action to take.

Once I started implementing these concepts, I started seeing subtle changes in my life and in myself. I stood up a little straighter, and felt more and more comfortable in my own skin. I stopped wasting time on things that didn’t serve me. I relaxed in situations that would’ve previously made me critical and judging.

The biggest changes happened with the people in my life. My relationships became more nurturing and fulfilling. I stopped trying to prove myself to everyone. My business evolved in a major way—once I started allowing myself to just “be me,” I started attracting clients who wanted the same level of authenticity in their evolution as creative entrepreneurs.

I realized that you really do need to love yourself first. Your radiance is directly proportionate to your level of self-love and self-expression.

So have you figured out the secret to lighting up a room? The secret is being ourselves.

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Not All Are Earning Six-Figure?
Hakki Ozmorali September 10, 2012

“I know my neighbour tried something like this. I have never seen that person earn more than 100 Dollars in a month. If this is so perfect, why can’t everybody make those fortunes?” This is a question that most of the direct sellers have heard many times. Question could come from people either who did not know much about this business or from those who were just prejudiced.

If we leave the prejudice aside, in fact this is a very valid question. It stems from a reality that we all know very well: Not all are making six-figure incomes. And as most are either part-timers or socialites, most of the direct sellers will never make this in the future, too. This does not point out to any weaknesses in the model, it only indicates the fairness and solidness inside.

Would it be better if a direct seller who works for four hours a week earns the same amount as the person who works for 44 hours? There are many people in this industry who remember to sell or recruit only after his/her sponsor makes that reminding call. Should s/he be able to earn that six-figure income? Wouldn’t it be a model then, to be questioned in-depth?

To me, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of network marketing: In this business, every individual has the opportunity to earn as s/he deserves. And at the end, this is achievable, too. In the corporate world, if there are three VP’s running for that vacant Presidential seat, only one will make it. Likewise, when there are three candidates for the most lucrative area’s franchise, again only one will win. In network marketing though, all of these can win as long as they put the same efforts.

So yes, not all are earning six-figure income in this industry now and this will not happen in the future either. But the beauty here is that, to make this happen for him/her is each individual’s choice, not anybody else’s.

Coming back to the person talking about “the neighbour”, would you ever consider telling your kid not to take SAT or TOEFL just because your neighbour’s kid has failed at?

This happened to me twice in the last 30 days so I figured it would be a good subject to talk about. …Know what your “Money Link” is!

I was in the chiropractor office recently and they had a pretty cool product that I wanted to try out. They had it on site so I simply just bought it retail, but then I asked the question, “Do you have a website I can look at it more or buy at wholesale?” He replied, “Yes, hold on let me find it.” He went online and kept getting website errors and couldn’t figure out what the link was. Then I said, “Well just give me your username and I’ll look it up when I get home.” He couldn’t even give me that! haha

…So basically even if I wanted to join his business or buy products from him on the monthly basis automatically I would have to go through a ton of hoops to do so!

This happened again while I was looking for a pre-workout supplement at the gym I attend. Again, he had product on site to sell retail, but his website wasn’t setup to sell products so I could get them at wholesale or even the business if I wanted to.

…In my opinion if you are going to be selling any kind of product you should know what your “Money Link” is.

This link is the one you need when someone is ready to pay or join you in business! The most important link you can know because that is what PAYS you! 

Here is the link I use in our business for example. 
Feel free to take action and work with us at any time!
http://suzannemiller.124online.com/

Do you shop? Would you like to save money?  Then you definitely deserve to check this out!
www.cashbackliving.com

Get in touch with me for further information.

Today's kick start tip is to kick that negativity in the face.

If you allow the views and comments of others, including your prospects, to kick you in the face, the resulting negative thinking and negative decision-making will destroy your network marketing business.

Make the decision to not be swayed by others' opinions.

Making a decision means "making up your mind."Make up your mind that network marketing is a great business and that you have the ability to succeed in it.It may even help to have an index card with this statement in front of you for your calls - "Network marketing is a great business and I have the ability to succeed in it."-Tim Sales