Making Money With Peace of Mind

By Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Priceline cashier (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the last several years, I have included on my email signature the following salutation “Peace and Abundance.” This is a daily reminder that my success begins with how I engage my beliefs. For I know that it is my beliefs that drive my behaviors.

During a conference, one of my mentors shared a very simple exercise that I now use with my clients to demonstrate the power of how our beliefs guide what we shall receive. He asked those in the audience to take a sheet of paper and on the left side write the letter B for Birth and on the right side write the letter D for Death. Upon completion of this task, he then asked, “What was in between?” Answers varied from life to troubles. In his coy and quiet southern accent, he acknowledged every answer as being good, but not quite the one he was seeking. Eventually, he stated that what existed in-between birth and death was “just a matter of inconvenience.”

How many times have you visited the local gas station in the morning, swiped your credit card and upon completion of filling your tank, you failed to receive the requested receipt? The electronic message is displayed, Please see cashier. Maybe, if you were like me, you stomped up to the cashier’s counter with not the most pleasant face and waited in line. As you waited, you looked to your watch and counted the minutes that this delay was costing you. Then, maybe, you gruffly said something like “The pump said I needed to see you for the receipt” or “My receipt didn’t print!” The harried cashier printed out the receipt, you grabbed it, quickly mumbled “thank you” and walked out in a huffy hurry. As you entered your car, you were still very upset and those thoughts stayed with you most of the day.

Now, by engaging a mentality of peace and abundance, where we accept that we will face daily inconveniences, life begins to change. Yes, machines still fail to print receipts. However, now when you enter the gas station, you receive a smile from the cashier because you engage the belief that this is ‘no big deal.” Your attitude of peace and abundance has infected the cashier and she offers you a free coffee as well as an apology for your inconvenience. You calmly walk back to you car, receipt in hand and accept this minor inconvenience for exactly what it is – a minor inconvenience. You choose not to engage in a mentality of conflict and scarcity. The day begins with peace and abundance. Just imagine how far everyday you can go by engaging beliefs of abundance instead of scarcity?

Personally, I can attest that since engaging these positive beliefs of peace and abundance, I have received not only the pleasure of a smile, but offers of free coffee and even money. However, what is really incredible is that I now begin the morning engaged with myself and in control of what I allow to affect me.

As always, the choice is yours to make and yours to live with.

Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, http://www.processspecialist.com

Free to reprint this article. Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. CEO of ADVANCED SYSTEMS, is the Learning & Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business & education experience, she helps her clients to double their performance through the implementation and realignment of processes. By uniting systems, strategies and people to create loyal internal customers, Leanne delivers ROI solutions in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation within a variety of industries. As co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capacities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for 2005 release, Leanne speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please contact Leanne at 219.759.5601, leanne@processspecialist.com or visit http://www.processspecialist.com if you are seeking unheard of results.

An odd but frequent barrier to prosperity is the belief that we’re the “wrong type” to live an abundant life. This comes down to a whole attitude about ourselves which places us as a “misfit”. This is quite usual among those who are on a Spiritual Path. I had this barrier at one time, and have discovered that it’s completely irrelevant.

Eccentric millionares are wonderful examples of personal uniqueness being no barrier to prosperity. There are stories of the “wildcat” oilmen earlier this century in Texas who were the ultimate nonconformists. They made a mint! Unfortunately, one can encounter on the way up those who would want you to feel minimized by your uniqueness. These are rarely the ones with any true power (although they would dearly love for you to believe that they did). Depending on my mood, I treat them with compassion for their envy or simply ignore them.

You are here to express your individuality. If you read the history of the truly wealthy, you will see that they had this in common; they believed in their vision whether others did or not. Rarely do you hear of the success story where the prosperous individual worked 9 to 5, obeyed all the rules, dressed in the “conformity uniform” and always followed the party line.

If you don’t want to be rich, but simply be “comfortable”, that can set you apart as well. Some of the non-conformists of my acquaintance are exceptionally talented in areas they have no real interest in. I’ve been told I’d be a wonderful and wealthy salesperson (yuck!). It’s vitally important that you understand yourself and your own needs, and then refuse to budge. Whatever you know that you truly want, that’s what you are supposed to have.

Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at [http://www.writeupondemand.com].

jilacqua@aol.com

To have a high probability of becoming prosperous, you have to start with one very important decision!

What are you offering to give, in return for achieving your goal?

One of your most important assets is your ability to creatively determine what you have to offer that other people will pay for.

This is the ultimate source of prosperity, unless you manage to win the lottery or inherit money, of course.

** Cultivate a “Beginner’s Mind”

Your mind is infinitely more subtle and creative than you realize!
And sometimes it pays to “sneak up on it” when trying to solve a problem.

What would this involve? Approaching a problem of question with a totally open and flexible “beginner’s mind.”

Suppose, for example, you are an expert in vertical take off and landing aircraft. And suppose you are looking for a new, creative approach to hovering.

Obviously you could drag out technical texts and the latest journals in your field and pour over them. That could be a good starting point. But suppose you instead chose to be a “beginner,” and make the assumption that anything is possible regarding hovering.

I wonder what insight might come to you if you asked yourself how a mosquito approaches hovering — or perhaps a speck of dust that seems to weightlessly float in the air current above your desk?

Is it lighter than the air? No? And yet it floats and hovers. Since you are a “beginner,” can you assume your aircraft could do the same thing? Could it defy gravity?

Or pick one common assumption in your field – one “everyone” subscribes to like “you must have an ezine and subscriber list to be successful on the web.”

What it they are all wrong? What if the truth is the exact opposite. Black is white, and white is black. What would this mean? How can you apply it? Do some “beginner’s mind” brainstorming, and don’t reject your “crazy” ideas. Reflect on them!

** Boost Your Mind Power

A great way to build mind power is to continually feed your mind new ideas and concepts. Get onto the cutting edge of your field of interest. In our rapidly exploding information age, knowledge is the key to success.

The interesting thing about building up your knowledge in your field is this: The more you know, the more competent you will become.

And the more competent you become, the greater your sense of self-esteem and confidence. This equals increased personal power — the sure mark of an achiever on the road to prosperity.

BUT… many very successful people insist it’s equally important to read and study totally outside your field. Read a comic book. Watch a garden program on TV. Go to a horse race. Challenge your mind to grow and expand. Bill Gates plays chess and bridge.

** Be Willing to Cut Your Losses

According to the American Management Association, at least 70% of the decisions we make regarding our lives and our businesses or professions will turn out to be wrong in the long run.

So how is it that some people still manage to end up so prosperous?
The answer is simple. Those who rise to the top in life are willing to cut their losses if a decision proves wrong. They are willing to admit they made a mistake, and move onto a new path.

To rise to the top in your own life, develop the skill of looking dispassionately at your decisions.

If new information or results light proves your decision isn’t working, be willing to abandon it and try something different.

There’s no sense kicking a dead horse, after all. The horse won’t get up and pull your cart, and you’ll just bruise your toes!

** Your Most Valuable Asset

The greatest source of wealth you have is right there in your skull. And remember that modern neuroscience has now proven that our brains never cease to grow and change — regardless of our age!

What you need to become truly prosperous is a flexible, active, creative brain — and the courage to commit to your ideas.

Since there is virtually no limit on the knowledge you can acquire, and the creativity you can develop, why not just “go for it?”

What you have between your ears is far more valuable than your bank account. Money is always out there looking for ideas.

Your personal ability to build your brainpower, and unlock your creativity, is the true key to prosperity. Period!

© 2004 All Rights Reserved

The author, Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler, is a doctor of psychology, pioneer brain/mind researcher, and former advisor to the Pentagon, a Presidential Commission, and numerous top executives and executive teams. The author of several books and hundreds of articles, she is also the co-founder of quantum-self.com, and the Creative Director of the Self Discovery Community. She can be reached at: drjill@quantum-self.com

Come visit the exciting Self Discovery Community. Discover the most interesting, unusual, stimulating and creative methods of self discovery on the web today! Free sizzling weekly ezine, and the web’s first Brain Gym ezone. http://www.quantum-self.com