Everything we do, we do in the belief that it will make us happier.

But how can we be and stay happy when we are not necessarily able to be proactive in any situation?

I recently read a very interesting article on www.mindpowernews.com by Bert Goldman which I would like to share. Its message is strong in its simplicity. He cites a philosophy with 5 rules to maintain happiness

Rule 1:

If you like a thing, enjoy it.

This seems rather obvious but in fact there are many people who don’t actually enjoy some things they like due to feelings of fear or guilt. If you like something but fear the consequences of what you are doing, this will detract from your enjoyment. In the same way, if you know you are going to feel guilty after doing something, how much can you really enjoy it?

Fear and guilt are two emotions that we should explore to see how we can eradicate them and start living!

Rule 2:

If you don’t like a thing, avoid it.

Again, this appears obvious, but how many people are putting up with things they don’t like because they think they “should” be in a place (working in a job they don’t like just to get security), or be with a person, for example a “friend” who they have known for years but drains their energy due to a habit of constant complaining.

Rule 3:

If you don’t like a thing and you can’t avoid it, change it.

This is more easier said than done for a lot of people as we come back to people rationalising their situations due to inertia and fear. How many times have you heard people saying they “can’t” as they don’t have enough time, money or skills?

Rule 4:

If you don’t like a thing and can’t or won’t avoid or change it, accept it.

This is a basic tenet of most spiritual teachings – acceptance. And why not? If we can’t avoid or change something that we don’t like and this is causing us to be unhappy, if we just accept the situation and stop resisting, the unhappiness goes away. It sounds very simple. But how can we accept something that we don’t like and makes us feel unhappy?

Rule 5:

Accept a thing by changing your attitude towards it.

This is the key. How you feel is governed by your thoughts, so change your thoughts about something you don’t like to positive thoughts and you will be on your way to feeling happier. You are the result of your viewpoints and attitude because everything is relative to the person experiencing it. Nothing is good, bad, upsetting or exciting in itself. It just is. It is what WE think and therefore feel about something which gives it a label, a label of relativity.

Most of us don’t realise that the main cause of what we have in our life is caused by BEING, not doing.

So if you want to feel happy, just BE happy. If you persist with this practice you will eventually see that all the experiences in your life are ones to be happy about!

]]> http://www.windsor-idiomas.com/business-by-janice/?feed=rss2&p=88 http://www.windsor-idiomas.com/business-by-janice/?p=87 http://www.windsor-idiomas.com/business-by-janice/?p=87#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:46:51 +0000 Janice http://www.windsor-idiomas.com/business-by-janice/?p=87

I have no doubt - it is a person.

In these times of change and upheaval and OPPORTUNITY, the people we come into contact with can shape our future more than ever before.

Networking is becoming more and more popular and understandably so as more  people realise that they are in charge of their own futures, they cannot depend on a stable job anymore and it is PEOPLE, together with action on our part who open doors.

However, it must be recognised that to be effective, one has to view networking as a long term investment. Networking is about creating relationships and the most valued relationships do not happen overnight.

I have just read about the results of a survey conducted with 12.000 people by the founder of the worldwide networking group BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner, in which it has been discovered that the most important factor in determining whether you would be recommended to a contact is YOUR CHARACTER.

The conclusion of the survey is that our credibility as a person is more important than whether someone has tried the product we sell.

And how do we improve our credibility?

By going back to basics of course, to those characteristics and values that somehow got lost in the materialistic fevour of the eighties and nineties but now are starting to be recognised again:

1. Integrity
2. Honesty
3. Responsibility

I have been networking intensely for the past 3 years and recoginise that all the changes that have happened in my professional life recently have ocurred via effective networking.  If I had to sum up “effective” networking in three short sentences or tips they would be:

• Listen with genuine interest to the person you have just met

• Ask questions

• Follow up with a personal meeting with  those people who you feel a connection with

Remember - your most important resource requires care and attention!

I’ve been moved to start writing again due to a series of “coincidences” this week which have impacted on me and which prove how The Law of Attraction never lets us down.

When I decided to move on from Windsor and sell my shares (in March), I told myself that all I really needed was to sell at a price that would allow me to have a year’s salary as a cushion and to invest in Shirlaws as a partner. After 8 months of ups and downs - finding interested buyers, getting them accepted by my actual business partners, due diligence proceedings, negotiating price- and with various obstacles popping up, guess what? I’ve finally sold my shares at EXACTLY the price that gives me that year’s salary and the amount needed to invest in my new project.

On Tuesday a friend invited me to a talk by a guy who earns his living giving LOA workshops throughout the world. After the event I introduced myself to him (Mikah de Waart) and we met for coffee the next day. He invited me to attend his day long workshop on Saturday (yesterday).  I’ve been studying and practising the LOA for the past 3 years but this workshop was something else - SO POWERFUL.  I’m still quite stunned by the whole experience!

Mikah’s workshop was infinitely practical and really worked on the subconscious blocks which largely inhibit us manifesting what we want into our reality. And I think, isn’t it just amazing that as I’m about to leap into an arena of “uncertainty” regarding my future, leaving a job with regular salary when I have 2 kids to support, along comes a series of events which leads me to a workshop where the skills I have learnt will aid me in assuring success.

Mikah is a living and breathing example of how the LOA works. On Thursday he had only one person confirmed for his workshop but he knew that between 15-20 people would attend. Guess how many people were there yesterday?  - 16.

The fact that I can see more and more people around me who are awakening to their power of creation is exhilarating and I feel so inspired to help people like Mikah to spread the word. It feels like my desire to contribute is coming together via Shirlaws on the professional front and individuals like Mikah on a more personal, individual level.

Mikah is back in Madrid on February and if you are remotely interested in creating the life you have always dreamed of, I  would heartily recommend you attend the workshop.

Check out his webpage on: http://www.mikah.es

Just off now to “do my homework” from yesterday - we have to photograph and plaster our collage/vision board EVERYWHERE to keep the energy flowing and to be able to manifest our goals more quickly!!

I read an article the other day which was extremely powerful;  an article which summed up in just 3 points the essence of everything I’ve been writing about in many posts.

The writer talked about “Spiritual Millionaires”, how he has studied their habits and has discovered that they achieve what they desire by using 3 powerful principles.

Firstly, they KNOW that they can create whatever they want through the  use of the Law of Attraction. They don’t just believe, they KNOW that by focusing 100% on their desire and imagining that they already have it (as it already exists at a different level of consciousness anyway), it is only a matter of time before it will manifest into physical reality.

Secondly, they take action, “inspired” action. They follow their intuition and take advantage of opportunities which leads them step by step to the manifestation of their goal. They don’t force action but at the same time they are not put off by being taken out of their comfort zone if that is what a next step demands.

Thirdly, they maintain an “attitude of gratitude”. This is essential in the whole process, as gratitude is an emotion which vibrates at an incredibly high frequency and thus draws more to you of which to be grateful for. Whenever you feel such gratitude that tears come to your eyes, immediately switch your thoughts to what you wish to manifest and this transformed energy will immediately start working and manifest what you want much more quickly.

So remember:

• Have total faith in the Law of Attraction
• Take inspired action
• Maintain an attitude of gratitude

This post was prompted by the article The Three Most Powerful Principles I Have Learned from Millionaires by Dr. Robert Anthony featured this week on the site Mind Power News.

By the way,  I have to recommend a book that I have recently purchased, well, I’ve purchased it in CD format so I can listen to it in the car, it’s amazing - so detailed yet so easy to understand (even the heavy quantum physics section). It’s called “A Happy Pocketful of Money” by David Cameron Gikandi

http://www.revolutionscape.com/

The excerpt is from “Creating Money: Attracting Abundance” by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer.

“Is a job, career or situation that used to work no longer working for you? Perhaps what you once loved to do has become  a “have to” or lost its sense of newness and aliveness. No matter what level of prosperity and abundance you have achieved, there may come a time when your picture of where you want to be, or think you ought to be, does not match where you are.

It is important to know when to change course. No job, business or activity will be perfect forever unless you are willing to constantly update it, for as you grow the things around you need to be revised. Sometimes a simple change will do. Other times the only way you will be able to go to the next level will be to let go of everything you have and  start over with something completely different.”

“Creating your life’s work doesn’t come from choosing safety and comfort over growth. It comes from choosing and taking the actions that help you get where you want to go. Learn to embrace your challenges with love rather than avoiding them. Start by doing something that is a slight reach for you; take on a slightly more challenging project than you normally tackle, or learn a new skill. When you do things that make you reach, the rewards are great. You will feel invigorated and energised afterward.”

“It is a challenge to love rather than dislike what you are leaving. If you focus on what you want, what you would love to have, and go toward it, you will have it. The more you dislike something, the more you may be stuck with it. One of the principles of the universe is that every situation in your life is teaching you how to love. You cannot leave something until you love it. You are tied to things you don’t like. If you hate something, you will be drawn to it again and again (even though the person or form may change) until you love it.  Once you love it, you are free from it.”

Food for thought!

The beginning of a new academic year is always unsettling for everyone, especially  for teacherswho anxiously wait for  timetables to get confirmed, but this year seems to be flowing really well. All our company clients are confiming to restart classes, we have new clients on board and the best bit of all is the quality of teacher profiles that we’re seeing. There seems to be a boyancy in the market that is reflected in all areas;my contacts in the sector are saying the same.

Teachers are applying who are properly qualified, with exceptional experience and it appears that the tightening up of “illegal” teachers, (those without working papers) has had an effect as we rarely receive CVs from teachers without papers now.

Are we at last seeing the start of a period where more participants in this market are taking it serously? I hope so. Even the clients are getting in on the act and CARING about the profile of teachers who  are assigned to their classes. This is great news.

Or perhaps our school is seeing the fruits of the long term investment in a humane and professional culture which ultimately attracts the type of client and teacher we  want to work with?

Although many of the teachers this post could be dedicated to won’t read this, I would like to say thank you for your professional applications and communication, and to your dedication to improving your skills which ultimately raises the reputation of our profession.

One tip I would like to give to teachers still looking for work - if your CV hasn’t had a response from a school you’re keen to work with, send it again - even though I myself organise the CVs I receive into appropriate electronic files, it’s often about timing. If I’m running out of available teachers so decide to do another round of interviews and several CVs land in my inbox that day, it’s often those teachers who will be contacted for interview.

And be assertive; follow up with a phone call. We receive so many CVs that some slip through the net. A quick chat on the phone may be just what is needed to make the difference between getting invited to interview or not. It doesn’t always work, but you have nothing to lose.

Here’s to a great year in English language training! I won’t be around much longer as I make my move  to Business Coaching but it would be very satisfying to leave with the feeling of “we did it”; we survived the recession, we came out the other side stronger, more positive than ever before and with an improved skill set all round.

For many, especially those in language training, September is the start of a new year and I think this September is going to reveal more than ever before - are we really seeing signs of economic recovery? And if we do see it this year, will it usher in more sincere ways of working and doing business? Thinking about what we’re going through econmically reminds me of a kid falling down incurring lots of cuts and bruises, he has to wait a while before he sees new, fresh skin form. We have to suffer pain before we can get better.

I’m rivetted by the book I’m currently reading, “The Tenth Insight, Holding the Vision - An Experiential Guide” by James Redfield and Carol Adrienne.  A chapter entitled “Transformation in Work and Business” struck a particular chord with me and examines how an individual’s attention to their own spirituality and life purpose, especially if they’re a business owner can really start to shift paradigms around business models.

In the States in particualar there is a definite trend toward spirit in business. One Californian entrepreneur is quoted in the book as saying, “I think metaphysical and spiritual ideas without doubt are changing the way we work and the way we think about our livelihood. But this is a new language for a lot of business people.” “When business is approached from a spiritual viewpoint, people begin to consider the long-range implications of their choices. They start with the commitment to do what matters to them, to stay in alignment with integrity and to try-as best as possible-to serve others as they would like to be served.”

This entrepreneur explains to us how he now operates in business, he says “When I check my inner alignment with my values, then I decide which client to work with, which product to develop, which course of action to take. That’s exactly opposite to the traditional business procedure of checking the market and the competition and trying to devise a strategy to find a weakness and exploit it”.

Interesting stuff. In these times of change I ask myself- how long can we go on as a cold, capitalistic society tolerating working situations and bosses that make us feel miserable, just to earn a living? The irony is that right now, for many people it DOESN’T allow them to earn a living because they’ve just been made redundan!

Now the time has arrived when people are starting to wake up and ask the questions that matter, like “Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? This is one of the reasons that people are now talking about coaching in the Western world. Coaching is set to explode as people become more aware because it is based around the fundmental question, “What do I really want in life that is aligned with my values?” and “What do I have to do to get what I want?” Coaching really is the layman’s spirituality and  will open the door to a new age in life and business.

When I think about it, although on the outside it appears that I’ve had a quiet summer, on the inside a lot has been happening. My thirst for spiritual knowlege and growth is becoming stronger by the day, yet I know that my feet are firmly on the ground when it comes to work, business and supporting my family as a single mother.

My regular readers will have seen my journey through this blog, as I’ve covered subjects of running a language school, personal development,  coaching, sharing my hopes and fears regarding a major career change and lately to spirituality. You know, I think I’ve discovered my vision and it feels wonderful - to combine business and spirituality.  It really is possible to be a modern, practical, ambitious  business woman who is at the same time spiritual and I hope that these blog posts inspire others on a similar journey to work “from the heart” and to influence the creation of more humanistic business models.

I had lunch with  a friend the other day who is feeling uncertain about her professional future and wanted to chew things over (as well as the lunch) with me. I gently slid into coach mode and she got clarity very quickly. It made me realise that when we speak to our friends and family they automatically start giving us advice and we often come away not feeling any clearer about our issue because WE  haven’t taken responsibility to decide our actions, we’ve just listened to what THEY would do.

Where there is confusion, clarity is waiting to be discovered. That is the purpose of the confusion.

Those of you who regularly read my blog will know that I ‘m in the middle of big change - selling my shares in my language school to join a business coaching/consultancy company. Feelings of doubt inevitably followed my initial feelings of excitement. How did I get through that confusion?  - By asking myself some very powerful questions.

Such as:

• Do I think I can do it?
• What evidence do I have to suggest I can do it?
• What is the worst that can happen if it doesn’t work out?
• What would my life look like if I stayed?
• What could my life look like if I moved?
• What do I really want?
• How does this project give me what I want?
• How does it support and enhance my values?

And most importantly -

• How do I feel when I ask and answer all these questions?

Effective questioning is like peeling away the layers of an onion. Each  honest answer to each powerful question brings a new awareness and moves us forward to the big answer. And if we are quiet enough to listen and  interpret our feelings, we will be guided towards our destiny. We cannot resist what the experiences our life are causing us to be. Many people try to resist because of fear of change and the pressure of family and peer opinion. It is resistence which causes stress and which ultimately causes dis-ease in our bodies.

So - what questions are waiting to be asked to take you from confusion to clarity?

Here are 5 more errors that new business owners often make:

• Rushing the process of setting up a business. Now, you may say that rushing the legal and administrative process here in Spain is impossible due to the  way our “functionarios” choose to work, and I totally agree! But that does give you time to consider carefully suc important factors such as your business partners,  your premises, your bank, your collaborators etc.  Take the time to  create and work on your business plan and ask yourself honestly, will I really be comfortable working with the people I have chosen?
• Selecting a business that is not aligned with your personality and values. Are you a person that despite having an entrepreneurial streak, actually seeks security? If this is the case, perhaps a franchised business might be a better option for you. Or are you a person who often experiences mood swings? In this case do you really want to open that restaurant where you’ll be dealing with the public for long hours? Besides considering the skills you have to bring to a business, make sure you consider what type of person you are and how this influences your decision on the type of business you might set up.
• Not knowing the exact costs of your business activity. The objective of a company is not simply to sell as much as possible. The overriding objective is to obtain profit - whether this is large or small is often the result of an overall specific strategy, but if we are not aware of how much it costs to produce our goods or services we can be heading for  financial problems further down the line.
• Neglecting to pay and neglecting to charge! An employee or supplier who is not paid properly and on time can cause a business a lot of bad publicity which over time can put the business in danger. On the other hand, if we don’t collect what’s owing to us, we are financing the operations of other companies and this can prove to be very expensive. Cash flow problems are the main reason why companies fail, not lack of profits. What good is having profit on paper if it is not in your bank account?
• Not looking after the details. Why is it that some shops selling the same products as others are full and others not? If your business deals directly with the public it’s extremely important to make sure that your premises are clean, furniture is not broken, the staff are well trained in customer service etc. The details DO matter. Customers see what we don’t often see, if they don’t like the atmosphere of a place they don’t come back but they don’t tell us why. Similarly, if your business doesn’t deal directly with the public, take a look at things like the quality of your stationnery, how you or your staff answer the telephone, even how quickly you respond to clients’ emails. Everything counts!

As your business grows it’s vital to keep coming back to your vision and values. Is the business evolving in the way you’r comfortable with? If not, analyse why not, if you don’t do this soon enough you’ll suddenly fing yourself highly stressed and unhappy.

It’s also necessary to be conscious of where the skills gaps are in your business. At the beginning we often have to do everything, and we can get away with doing those things that we don’t have previous experience of, in a rather of amateurish way. But as the business grows and you gain more prestigious clients, more professionalism is demanded in every area. For a long time in our business, we just let the sales grow by word of mouth as neither partner had specific commercial experience. I became aware of the immense danger of this after a business coaching weekend. If we hadn’t identified our skill gap and taken action to rectify it, we would have been in severe difficulites last year when the economic recession started to bite.

Once your business is set up, STAYING IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a business owner. You might not wish to grow, but it is essential for your business to do so.

If you are thinking of starting your own business or have just done so, I highly recommend the book “The E-myth revisited” by Micheal Gerber.

But what can go wrong? What are the main mistakes that inexperienced business owners make when embarking on their entrepreneurial dream?

A close friend of mine, consultant Roberto Menéndez, has kindly given me permission to use some of the material from an article he wrote on this topic. Below you will see details of 5 of the most common errors that are generally made:

1. Not having a business plan. A business plan is a fundamental tool to set you on your path. Financial and stategic objectives are set within a time frame to help you monitor your progess and to indicate when you are deviating from the plan in time to take corrective action.
2. Not  having enough money to survive the initial period. A very important question to ask yourself is “For how long can I cover my fixed costs with my current economic resources?” The initial period of a business before sales start to take off can be longer than expected. We need to be realistic about this and plan accordingly, being especially prudent with our day to day expenses.
3. Not wanting or knowing how to sell. Even though you have professional experience, it may not be in  a sales role. Sales are the life blood of a company. If you feel you don’t possess the skills to sell or are reticent about “doing sales”, get some training or coaching to overcome this obstacle, or employ someone to perform this task as soon as the budget permits.
4. Not consulting the professionals. You can’t know everything, especially when it comes to the norms and laws around taxes, employment, licenses and accountancy to name just a few of the areas where we have to be up to date as business owners. It’s fessential to contract the services of professionals in these areas, (unless that is your actual business). Stick to being the expert at what YOU know best, keep focused.
5. Confusing the till with your pocket. There is no doubt about it, the money in the till is exactly that, money in the till which belongs to the company and is there to meet its financial needs. Don’t ever be tempted into thinking it’s just money and as you are the sole owner, it is therefore your money. It isn’t. Make sure you account for every penny that comes in and goes out of the business via an accounting system however primitive in the first few months. This will avoid unpleasant surprises later.

Next week I’m going to write about 5 more common errors that many business owners make when starting out and share some personal experiences with you.  As I look back over the last 10 years of being with Windsor Idiomas, I can clearly identify where our weak areas were (and are), and where we made our mistakes.

As I’ve mentioned before on more than one occasion, running is a business is one of the greatest learning experiences you could ever have. We never stop growing and developing if we are to ensure the growth and develpopment of our baby, our business.