3 Keys to Feeling More ALIVE...So You Stop Robbing Yourself of Joy

You know 'that' incredible feeling – you feel creative; ideas flow naturally; your body feels expansive and open; you have hope, faith, and courage and everything you do is a success; you feel love all around; you desire to dance or sing for no particular reason; your writing flows; you and your clients are in perfect harmony, coming up with solutions with ease; you feel...alive.

Pretty awesome feeling, right? Unfortunately, many women entrepreneurs unknowingly rob themselves of feeling alive because they allow other things to get in their way—like getting stuck in being overly ambitious or putting too much pressure on themselves to be multiple steps ahead of where they are currently. This makes sense considering women in business today are highly ambitious, visionary spirits dedicated and focused to making a difference through their work, while having their ultimate ideal life. (family, health, travel, financial security, etc.)

This is particularly true for you as a 'Creative'—coach, healer, strategist, designer, trainer, nutritionist, and so on. You want to know everything (because you know anything is possible); you have tons of ideas (what Creative doesn't); and you desire to be at a certain place in your life, in your business or with your finances...and now. And when these things don't happen fast enough or 'good enough,' you end up generating low level emotions that make you feel crummy and that rob you of truly enjoying what you know you're here to do—in your life and in your work.

Here's the problem when it comes to your business. When these low level emotions happen...

• you begin to attract clients who are less than ideal to work with
• you feel stuck (really stuck) on how to get to 'that next level' in your business
• clients don't sign up with you or purchase your products...and you don't know why
• you feel you SHOULD be successfully marketing like everyone else, but you just don't feel ready because they are others things you have to do first
• you undercharge for your services and over-deliver
• you stumble on your words when expressing what you do and how much you charge
• you find that the money that you do make...is quickly spent
• and you feel that things just aren't where they should be

Talk about sucking the joy and fun out of what you know you LOVE to do in your business. You know you've come to this life to make a huge positive difference through your work, but making things happen is getting tiring, frustrating, and sometimes down-right depressing.

So, here are 3 keys to shine a little light on how to start feeling more alive again.... so, you can put the flow back in your business (and life).

(Feel free to add your own keys in the comments section below.)

1. Be Open. Remember, you don't have to know everything or have accomplished everything that you set out to do, you just have to be open to letting in the idea of what's possible and then take ONE step at a time. Be open to getting help; be open to new ideas; be open to being in a place of discomfort momentarily as you move to the next level of your business.

2. Have Faith. Be willing to take the steps that feel scary and uncomfortable. You need to hold faith that each step that you take toward your goal of living life purposefully, doing the work that you want to do for others and having the life that you desire for yourself is possible and happening every moment of every day. You have to believe that each step is the right one.

3. Use Your Imagination to Begin Creating the Reality You Desire. Imagine for a moment that each moment and each experience is meant for you to advance to a higher version of yourself (where you are more joyful, creative, and inspired). Imagine how each experience and each person who comes into your life helps you learn more fully what you're here to learn and what you're here to do and to help you get closer to total alignment with all that you desire to create.

Imagine for a moment—where you are right now—sitting in your chair reading this, what that ultimate life and ultimate business looks like for you. What are you doing? Who are you working with? What does it feel like to have the freedom to be doing this work and seeing the results from your work?

What is it that truly makes you feel 'alive'?

Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a leading Personal Branding Strategist and Authentic Marketing Coach who specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs to find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving brand while still having the time and energy to enjoy their other priorities. Find Lisa's FREE gifts and more at: http://www.lisahromada.com/bizsuccess

The 3 Principles to Living With More Joy & Peace

The process of branding and marketing can seem a bit contradictory at times to the way that many of us desire to live our life as heart-based, purpose seekers.

From my experience and for thousands of women entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, there seem to be three primary principles to living a life filled with more joy and peace and away from the frustration of relentless striving and arriving at outcomes believed to make life better:

• The first principle is Self-Growth. This includes growth as a being and as a professional, doing what they are passionate about. Although many women traditionally still highly value and want to nurture others, they also have a deep yearning for discovery and growth of themselves as professionals and as a higher creative being. They desire more connection with their passions in life—painting, music, drawing, exercising, connecting with nature, and other ways of self-expression.

• The second principle is Generosity. Women naturally want to give. They are nurturers and traditionally the caregivers of the family and home. They also have a natural tendency toward sharing and collaboration. Women form deep friendships and interpersonal relationships and use this in business. We have a collaborative mentality. We are big thinkers and planners and we strive to make a difference through our work and we are not afraid to ask for help or partner with others to see that vision come to life, right? We give and we also receive openly – cycle of generosity.

• The third principle is Spirituality. Often what this brings is self-awareness, happiness, self-worth and truly being comfortable in one’s own skin. There is still a natural desire for their role in family, taking responsibility, and caring for others, but it is on a deeper level. No longer do these roles become their identity, but a part of what they do, not who they are.

These principles are in addition to and a harmonious integration with their external desires for accomplishment and to create more money through their work.


What are Your thoughts? Share your comments below.

About the Author: Lisa Hromada is Personal Branding Strategist who works with highly motivated women entrepreneurs and solo-preneurs who want to maximize what makes them exceptional and accelerate their business to gain more exposure, credibility, and visibility AND enjoy more free time. She uses both online and offline strategies to help you to take your resources, contacts and expertise farther. 

Start Blazing the Trail of Success TODAY by Marketing Your Brand Excellence! 

Get your *Free Entrepreneur’s Success Collection* online at: 

http://www.lisahromada.com/gifts.html

Create a Company Wealth Map - WomenEntrepreneur.com

Your business must do more than make money; it should increase in value and lead you to financial independence.

Many people start their business with a business plan, perhaps for the purpose of getting initial funding from financial institutions or investors. But those plans are designed for lenders, not for business owners. They don't tell business owners how to create value within their business for themselves.

I conducted a "why are you in business?" poll for my book, Show Me the Money. About two-thirds of respondents said they are in business because they want to make more money and become financially independent. But a business plan really doesn't address this. Many business owners do create a lifestyle for themselves from their business. But few double or even quintuple the value of their business. That's because most don't have that big picture or road map to guide them.

A "company wealth map" is a road map to guide you in terms of creating wealth or value for you from your business. In layman's terms, it's how you visualize your ultimate financial independence. Granted, every one of us has a different definition of financial independence. The company wealth map is the big picture showing you how your business can work for you.

"I am so good at seeing the big picture, visualizing the future--doing everything toward how the end product looks," says Kelly Gaines, the owner of Charlotte Aquatics. Unlike most business owners, Gaines intuitively knows what her big picture is, writes down all of her goals and monitors them on a regular basis. She has that mental picture of her company wealth map.

Many business owners wait until they hit a wall or get stuck before they do something. >> View Full Post at WomenEntrepreneur.com

Create a Company Wealth Map - WomenEntrepreneur.com