Category: Prosperity

Career Choices

A good friend of my husband’s came to visit with us recently.

He reminded us of the value of determining what is most important to yourself, and of keeping your word, especially with yourself.  You can read what I wrote while he was here by going to my Prosperity Challenge Blog.

My husband and I have been talking a lot about his visit in the past few weeks and the ideas it brought up for us.  We are scheduled to go to New Zealand for a month – both to visit family and take a vacation. 

That’s a long time.  I’ve NEVER taken a month off – especially for vacation!  And it’s been years since I was out of the country.  But it will be during February, our dreariest month – and we’ll be going to Summertime in NZ.

I told my dear hubby that I imagine it may be difficult for me to want to return to working in my office when we get back from vacation.  Not that I will ever stop “working”, I just prefer to work for myself since it’s the way I get to do what I want.

Since we are looking at all the options right now, I actually get to include “retirement” as one of them.  DH would be just as happy if I did retire now, even though he was the one who asked me to take a “steady” job working for someone else, which I have been doing for the past 3 years.

And if “retired”, I would probably just play for a year or so to get back into my own natural patterns and shake off the “corporate” structure that I’ve been working under.  For me that means spending a lot of time making glass beads and creating one-of-a-kind jewelry, with some time off to dye and paint fabrics!

Which brings me back to the subject here.  There’s nothing wrong with working for someone else.  There’s nothing wrong with working for security.  There is, however, definitely something wrong with working in a job that does not satisfy you – even if it used to. 

There is always a choice.  We live in a world that has mostly eliminated slavery.  If you don’t like a job, you can choose another.  If you don’t like the location, you can change it or choose another job in a better location.  If you don’t like the direction your work is taking you, you can quit, get another job, go back to school, start a business, “retire”, or even find a way to move your job back into the direction you started. 

The key is that you have a choice – and that’s where you become powerful – as long as you have a choice, you get to choose not only your ultimate outcomes, but also the steps along the way.  And you get to choose what you make of it all.  Your freedom and your choice are where your power lies. 

What are you choosing right now and how are you using that power?

Retirement Planning for the Small Business Owner

Why does the small business owner avoid thinking about retirement planning? Two vivid reasons come to mind: 1) lack of cash, and 2) they assume there is plenty of time, so it can be deferred until the proverbial "tomorrow." Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The following Table illustrates why "later" is such a drastic mistake.

Savings Goal Time Frame Necessary Investment
$250K 30 years $168/month
$250K 20 years $424/month
$250K 10 years $1,367/month
$250K 5 years $3402/month

Based upon an assumption of equal monthly installments earning 8% compounded monthly over the stated periods.

The two middle examples depict the different monthly investment between a 40-year-old and a 50-year-old to achieve the same amount by age 60. The latter requires over three times as much as the former.

This next example displays the value of time, and what a difference "time" can make in our investment strategies. An early saver deposits $1,000 a year ($83.33 per month) at 8% for just 10 years- nothing more is saved. A late starter does not save anything for ten years and then begins $1,000 a year savings program for forty years. Hence the late saver does not attain the same goal, as Table 2 exhibits.

Year $1K Deposit @ 8% Zero Deposit
1
5
10 		$1,083
$6,397
$15,939 		0
0
0
Year Build @ 8% $1K Deposit @ 8%
11
20
30
40
50 		$17,267
$35,471
$78,934,
$175,656
$390,895 		$1,083
$15,939
$51,939
$130,344
$306,000

Now to the topic of "not enough cash" or even worse "no cash". Turn the negative around to the following mantra: " A part of all I earn is mine to keep," and make it real.

The next step requires payment to yourself first. This is a toughie, and may need a concerted effort to "find" money for savings. Here are a few ideas:

  • When your prices are raised, save the difference. This is the self-employed equivalent to the employee's " when I get a raise, save it".
  • Examine current outgo for an area with excessive or unnecessary spending. For example: brown bag lunch one day a week versus buying lunch, or one less dining-out monthly expense, or buying clothing more selectively and fewer times during the year.
  • Place change in a jar daily; I do and save about $500 a year.
  • Save a tax refund.
  • Use grocery coupons and drop the coins in a savings jar.
  • Get a rebate on a purchase, and place this into the jar.
  • Take $5 from every ATM withdrawal and give it to the jar.


You see the idea, now look for other ways. The third step is: don't waste energy on worrying about not doing anything before; just resolve to do something now! (And then Do It.)

©1996 Fran Roth

Using Feng Shui to Create a Vibration of Abundance

Your prosperity is directly related to the flow of energy in your environment. Clutter creates stagnant energy flow and prevents abundance from flowing to you.

Clutter is anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated or disorganized. Clutter is emotional constipation!

Letting go of something that no longer makes your heart sing, can mean letting go of a person, or something no longer relevant in your life. It can be part of a process of grieving, enabling you to move into your present and future.

Everyone has their own patterns of attracting abundance and blocking it. Do you recognize any of these?

  1. Physical Clutter – Clutter is dead, stagnant energy and will block the flow of energy in your life. The energy that flows around your home and office is like a river, bringing abundance and fortunate blessings in all areas of your life. When it comes across a pile or something you are tolerating it will get bogged down.

    Ask yourself: Do I love it? Do I use it? Does it make my heart sing?

  2. Purchasing clutter – If you make purchases when feeling angry, sad, stressed, fearful etc. you’re spending money to suppress those feelings rather than feeling them and letting them go. This means emotional energy will attach itself to the item and you will experience its vibration, even on an unconscious level whenever you look at, wear or use the item.

    These items will not make your heart sing and will not support your prosperity.

    Are you ready to let them go?
    Are you ready to become a conscious shopper?

  3. Growth creates clutter – As you make changes within yourself, more of your belongings will fit the definition of clutter. Having the urge to discard things in your home or office is a sign of you stepping more fully into yourself and your abundance.

    If you don't address the clutter, it will hold you where you were. If you are growing and changing you are continually creating clutter!

  4. Unconscious clutter – Do you have beliefs that create conflict? Do you think you can't be wealthy AND care about people? Do you think you can't be successful working 4 days a week? These beliefs will be affecting your prosperity. Take time to re-examine them.

  5. Clutter Vibration – everything has a vibration. If you have a feeling of not enough time, money or love in your life, it sets up a vibration that will block abundance. And, focusing on the fear of not having enough time or money draws more of that to you. On the other hand, the vibration of gratitude is the same as the vibration of abundance.

    Create an attitude of gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal and each night before you go to sleep write down 5 things you are grateful for today. Focusing on gratitude rather than lack is one of the most powerful things you can do to attract the abundance vibration.

  6. Language Clutter – The word 'want' means to desire without having! When you say you want something you are resonating with the vibration of lack, rather than flowing with the vibration of abundance. You are also complaining, at a subtle level. The Universe responds to requests, not complaints. Try using the words 'choose' or 'desire' – they may sound strange at first, but it's worth it to create a flow of energy.

  7. Does your prosperity area feel abundant? Ask yourself, what do I currently own that represents abundance to me now? Once you have cleaned and cleared the clutter from your prosperity area, place this object there to create the vibration you choose to attract.

    To discover where the prosperity area of your home or a room is, See my website.

  8. Try this game. Place a bowl or container you love in the prosperity area of your home or a room. Each day, take a coin, give thanks for the abundance you already have, and the abundance coming to you and place the coin in the bowl. The increasing coins represent your increasing abundance.

    At some point when it feels right and the bowl is nearing full, make a decision about what to do with that money and start over. This will work best once you have cleared the clutter and cleaned the area. And remember, what you focus on expands.

    Clearing clutter is an important part of Feng Shui. Before you can create something new you need to make space for it. The changes you make in your environment are mirrored in your life and support you in making emotional shifts. Feng Shui can provide a welcome boost in living the life you want.

    © 2003, Vicky White. All rights reserved. May be duplicated with attribution and copyright notice intact. http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com

Strengthen Your Financial Independence

Financial independence for today's woman is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity! Single or married, working in the home or outside it, women need to know how to manage money in a way that can help them achieve financial goals that may include *living well in retirement years *paying for college educations for self or children *estate planning * buying a house or income property *starting a business.

Financial Power Among Women

With the combination of an increasing number of women in the work force, high divorce rates, and mortality figures that favor women, it's no surprise that women have been controlling large sums of money for some time.
Reviewed studies show:

  • In 1986, women comprised 41% of all individuals with assets of $500,000 or more.
  • More than 50% of women aged 16 or over work outside their homes.
  • Women make up 35% of the country's owners of common stock.
  • Women operated 305 of the nation's sole proprietorships in 1987, versus only 75 five ears earlier. However, despite their control of large amounts of money, more than 60% of women working today are without a pension plan, versus 53% of men. Moreover, 76% of retired women receive no pension benefits, versus 54% of men.

A Five-Step Money Management Plan

Clearly, women need to be concerned with their financial futures. Many women need to spend time enhancing their investment knowledge before they invest their money. A five-step plan can be very helpful to anyone who wants to start on the road to financial independence.

Step 1: Set some realistic and specific goals-both short term and long-term. Be disciplined in setting money aside for specific purposes.

Step 2: Organize your finances. List all your assets and liabilities and figure your net worth annually. Monitor the growth in your personal wealth.

Step 3: Allocate your resources. Once you know how much money you can invest, determine the best asset allocation for your situation. This depends on your objective, risk tolerance and cash needs.

Step 4: Select your investments. A portfolio structured with a combination of stocks, bonds and cash is most likely to achieve the maximum return with the least amount of risk.

Step 5: Monitor your results. Financial planning is an ongoing process. Your needs and objectives will change throughout your life, and your investment portfolio will need to be adjusted.

At least twice a year, monitor two aspects of your portfolio:

(1) Review your combination of stacks, bonds, and cash and be sure you are still comfortable with your asset mix.
(2) Monitor the performance of investments that fluctuate in value (such as stocks and mutual funds) and calculate the gain or loss in each investment.

Remember it is never too early (or too late) to begin your financial planning. Financial security tomorrow requires superior investment performance today.

© 1994, Myrna Spence Turner