What’s Your True Value?

How do you value yourself? You may feel that you value yourself highly, and hopefully you do. But there are many things we do, say and think that tell a different story. These can be subtle clues that show how highly you really value yourself. See if you can identify with any of them:

Putting everyone else’s needs before your own – at first, this can seem like a very noble thing to do. But it really isn’t when you do it at your own expense. An example of this might be – when you’re invited out to lunch or dinner and asked where you’d like to go, you always find yourself saying “I don’t mind.” You think you don’t  mind, but when you end up at a Chinese restaurant and you find yourself wishing you were somewhere else instead – then you are really ignoring your needs and desires and you end up becoming resentful, or at the very least not enjoying yourself.

Holding yourself back – when you find yourself holding back, for example not saying or doing something or being your true self because somebody else won’t like it. When you find yourself giving in just to keep the peace or being afraid to express your true needs and desires then you are not valuing yourself very highly.

Not taking time for yourself – do you work very hard and find yourself thinking that if you had the time you’d do things you really loved, such as reading a book, exercising, gardening, cooking, meditating, etc? But you never have time to do any of those things because you’re working hard to make enough money so then you’ll have time to do those things. You have it the wrong way round. If you value yourself, then you’ll take time for yourself and make the time to take care of yourself NOW.

Living in an environment you don’t love – do you love your home? is it constantly cluttered? Does it need a lot of work that you never seem to have the time or money to do? Does it seem so overwhelming because there is no end in sight? If you truly value yourself you will make your environment a priority – because it is a reflection of you, and how you feel about yourself and what is going on in your life. Living surrounded by clutter is not valuing yourself. Holding on to things that you don’t need, use, want or love is not valuing yourself.

Using broken items or second best – do you have a favorite cup or mug for your tea or coffee? Are you eating off chipped or cracked plates? Do you have a beautiful dinner service that you use on the rare occasions that you have visitors, yet the plates and cups you use for yourself are very old and you don’t even like them? You deserve to use things that you love. Things that are beautiful are not just to be brought out for other people, you can (and should) use them too.

Frequently getting angry – anger comes when you are afraid. You are afraid of losing control, so you get angry. If you valued yourself you would not be afraid and you would not constantly get angry. Of course, we can all get angry occasionally, and when you do, ask yourself what you’re really afraid of. If you valued yourself and felt completely at peace with yourself you would not feel the need to be angry, because you would not feel afraid.

Criticizing yourself or others – if you find yourself being very critical, it’s a sign that you don’t value yourself very highly. This applies not only when you constantly criticize yourself, but when you frequently criticize others as well – because when you criticize another, you are really saying something about yourself.

Not setting boundaries – do other people take advantage of you? Do they abuse your time and good nature? Do you find yourself getting frustrated an/or resentful about the way others are treating you? The way others treat you is a reflection of the way you treat yourself. When you value and respect yourself, you’ll learn to set boundaries and others will respect you for it.

These are just some of the subtle things that can show you how much you really value yourself. Is it time to make some changes and learn to value yourself more? Changing these things is a very good way to start.

Tags: confidence, energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, self-esteem

Have you ever had someone in your life who drives you crazy every time you see or speak to them? Someone you would avoid if you could, but somehow they just keep being there? You might get upset with yourself because of the response they trigger in you, which could be something like anger, resentment, irritation, or frustration.

You probably also find that the more you wish that person wasn’t in your life, the more they are. Why are they in your life? It seems sometimes like their one and only purpose is just to annoy you!

I’ve had plenty of people like that in my life, and I never liked feeling the emotions they triggered in me. But I rarely have those experiences any more and when I do, I approach them in a completely different way.

What if that person was in your life to help you deal with beliefs and conditioning that were not supportive or healthy for you? Everything will change for you when you stop seeing them as the problem and start looking instead at yourself. Yes, I know this isn’t always easy, but I invite you to try the following approach.

Next time someone like that triggers you, just stop and ask yourself what you’re feeling. What emotion is that person triggering in you? Whatever it is that you come up with, the next step is to ask yourself where that applies to you. Where and how are you behaving in the same way as the other person?

Here’s an example – I used to know someone who was very aggressive and rude to other people. If we were in a restaurant, for example, she would be rude to the staff – nothing was ever right. She never told anyone they did a good job, she was always very critical. It made me cringe. She spoke to everyone in this way, including me sometimes. It was upsetting and it was hard to tolerate. I hated it because I would never treat anybody that way. I believe you should always treat people with respect, no matter what.

It took me such a long time to figure out why she was in my life. It seemed like the more I tried to distance myself from her, the more she was there. I couldn’t understand it – I knew I didn’t treat people that way, so how could she be reflecting back to me something I was doing?

Then I realized that she was in my life for two very good reasons. The first was that I needed to learn to stand up for myself. To not let her bully me. That was difficult for me at first, but once I started saying no to her and setting boundaries with her, it became much easier. And she accepted it. I think she respected anyone who stood up to her, because so few people did.

The other thing I realized is that she was reflecting back to me something I was doing. I may not have been rude, critical and judgmental to other people, but I was to myself. When I examined that, I realized I really didn’t have a kind word to say to myself – so in that way, I was just like her.

Of course, I didn’t like what I found out, because I really didn’t want to think I was anything like her. But once I understood it, then I was able to accept why she was in my life. Then I was actually able to appreciate her for the gift of this understanding. Without her I would not have had this awareness. I would not have learned to set boundaries with very assertive people and I would not have learned to treat myself the same way I treat others – with kindness and respect.

So if someone in your life is triggering you – what are the insecurities, beliefs and behaviors that they are here to help you uncover? Once you get that, then you’ll probably find that they move out of your life because you really don’t need them any more. That’s exactly what happened to me, and it’s what I see over and over again.

Instead of getting upset and allowing them to trigger you, just stop and ask yourself what that person is here to teach you. And then be grateful to them for it.

Tags: conflict, energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy

What are you putting up with in your life or business that you really don’t care for? What do you wish could be different? Everyone has some situation they would like to change or improve – and all situations can be changed. The question is, how open are you to new possibilities? The possibilities are there, if you are open to them.

I know, not only because of the work I do with my clients, but because of what has changed in my own life, and I’ve shared some personal examples below. So what would you like to change? Here are some common areas where people are looking for new possibilities. Perhaps one of them (or more) applies to you:

Attracting a loving relationship or improving an existing one – sometimes you might lock yourself into a box with your expectations for a relationship. If you’re looking for a new relationship you may (and should) have clear ideas of the type of person you’re looking for, what qualities they have and where you might find them. However, what if you’re actually restricting yourself in some way? If you’re in an existing relationship that you would like to be better you may be so locked into thinking that your partner should change his/her behavior that you completely overlook what you might be able to change about yourself that would result in a positive change with your partner.

I was married at 18 and divorced at 25. At that time I really didn’t feel as though I would ever have a close, loving relationship because I didn’t feel anyone would really love me. But my relationship now is better than I ever thought it could be – because I was open to new possibilities and was willing to change myself, my beliefs and expectations.

Having a more successful and enjoyable business or career – what are the possibilities for your business or career that you might be overlooking? Perhaps there are opportunities you hadn’t thought about. Maybe you might want to move in a slightly different direction but are so busy just getting by that you haven’t stopped to think about it. Are you so busy working that you have little time for anything else? What iv you could design your life first, then design your career or business to support what you want to do in your life? Most people don’t think that way, but what are the possibilities?

I always worked very hard and I had no idea that I could design my business to give me the life that I wanted – but having opened myself up to that opportunity, that’s exactly what’s happened.

Improving finances – you may not have the amount of income you would like right now, or you may even be struggling with paying the bills or paying off debt. What opportunities and possibilities might be out there for you to improrve your financial situation easily that you have never heard of or thought of?

I was always very afraid of being in debt. Of course, you attract what you focus on, so my fear of debt has attracted debt to me a few times in my life. Each time I ‘got rid’ of the debt, somehow it would accumulate again. It was only when I opened myself up to new possibilities that I found resolution. I started to see debt in a different way, rather than something to be afraid of, I started to see it as being in my life for a reason and understanding that once I didn’t need it any more it wouldn’t need to be in my life. I looked for the possibilities and the solution found me.

Improving health – perhaps you have ongoing health issues. You might ‘fix’ one thing, only to find that something else becomes a problem. What are you symptoms here to tell you? What messages from your body might you be ignoring? If you open yourself up to the possibility that your health challenges are telling you something and you’re willing to hear what they’re telling you and take action, then you won’t need them any more.

There are so many possibilities for your life, if you just open yourself up to them. That’s why we’re going on the Oceans of Possibility Cruise in February, 2012 – to help you find new possibilities for yourself and your life. I hope you’ll join us.

Tags: energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, possibilities

Have you ever experienced a situation where things are going really well, you’re feeling pretty happy with life, you feel you’re finally making progress, when all of a sudden something happens – perhaps a family crisis or an illness or you suddenly feel depressed for no apparent reason? It seems as though every time things start to go well, something happens to spoil it.

I think this is true for just about everyone. It has certainly happened for me. In Gay Hendrick’s book, The Big Leap, he describes this as an Upper Limit Problem (ULP). And the thing that’s difficult for most people to understand or believe is that you’re actually the one who creates it. It’s an Upper Limit Problem because subconsciously you believe that you have reached your upper limit, you cannot go beyond where you are now.

That’s right. Whenever we experience a ULP it’s because we’ve created it. I know that’s hard to believe, because very often it seems to be something outside of ourselves that affects us, so it seems that it has everything to do with somebody else and we simply get drawn into it. But that’s not the case.

I think Gay Hendricks explains it beautifully in his book, which I highly recommend reading. You see, your beliefs, your programming and conditioning are so powerful that when you start to move beyond your comfort zone, they immediately create something to pull you back. It’s the part of you that says “you can’t be that happy;” “life’s not supposed to be that good;” “you’re not supposed to be that successful.” So something happens to reinforce the belief.

Upper Limit Problems can appear in all sorts of ways. Here are some of them from the book:

Worry – Gay says that worrying is usually a sign that you have a ULP because worry and anxiety are not helpful. When you worry, it’s about something that might happen, not something that’s real. Worry is only useful if it relates to something you can actually do something about right now so that it leads you to taking some positive action.

Next time you find yourself worrying about something, ask yourself what’s really going on. Allow yourself to really feel the anxiety and ask yourself what really wants to come through. What is the worry trying to pull you away from?

Criticism/Blame – when you are criticizing someone or something it’s usually to cover up something else that’s really going on. when you criticize or blame, you are blocking the flow of energy, so it stops you from moving forward. This also includes self-criticism and blame.

When you find yourself criticizing or blaming – yourself or someone else – once again stop, and ask yourself what’s really going on. What’s really bothering you? Why do you feel the urge to criticize or blame? What’s it stopping you from doing, feeling or thinking?

Arguments – there’s nothing that can bring you down and make you feel bad as quickly as an argument (and arguments can come from criticism and blame). Any type of conflict immediately blocks the flow of positive energy and you can find that it develops into something that lasts for a long time (such as when you find that you haven’t spoken with a particular family member for years, because of one simple argument).

In the book, Gay explains that for an argument to occur each person is trying to prove that they are the ‘victim’ in the conflict. The argument can only end when you realize that each person involved in a disagreement has 100% responsibility. He explains this in more detail by outlining the physics of arguments. If you are willing to step out of the role of victim in an argument and take 100% responsibility it is the only way to keep the positive energy flowing.

Accidents/Illnesses – have you ever worked really hard so you could enjoy some time off only to find that when you take that vacation and are relaxed and enjoying yourself you get sick? Or things are going really well, you’re feeling good and then someone rear-ends your car? How do you know if these are just things that happen or if they are Upper Limit Problems? One way is to think back to times when you have had illnesses or accidents and ask yourself if they came in the middle of or just after a period when things seemed to be going really well in your life and you felt really good.

There are other ways that we create Upper Limit Problems in our lives, but I hope this has given you some food for thought. The most important thing is to start becoming more aware, so that you recognize when an Upper Limit Problem arises and you recognize it for what it is. Once you do that, you have no need for it and you can move on to greater success and happiness.

What are some of the ways you create Upper Limit Problems in your life?

Tags: energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, The Big Leap, Upper Limit Problems

I just finished reading a book by Gay Hendricks, called The Big Leap – a book I’ve been meaning to read for some time, but only just managed to get around to! There is a lot of great information in this book, so here’s a quick review of some points that I found interesting.

The book is all about the barriers we create to our own success, happiness and fulfillment. I like the clear and concise way he explains it because these are all things I’ve experienced myself or have experienced with clients.

One of the points he makes in the book is that we spend most of our time in one of four zones. It’s important to identify which zone you spend most time in because you may be wasting too much energy there and not putting enough energy into where you really want to be.

The zone of incompetence – this is where you spend a lot of time focusing on things that you’re either not good at or that you don’t like to do. You think you need to get better at doing them, and so you put a lot of time and energy into that.

The zone of competence – these are things that you can do, and may do well, but are not necessarily things that you like to do or that will take you in the direction of your goals. You do them simply because you can.

The zone of excellence – this zone is one of the biggest traps. It’s your comfort zone. This is when things are, perhaps, going well enough but it’s not what you’d really love to be doing. Think of being in a job that you don’t enjoy, but that you’re good at and it pays well. You stay there simply because it pays well and because you’re familiar with it, even though you’d love to do something else. But taking that step out of the zone of excellence to do something else can be very difficult.

The zone of genius – this is when you are doing what you love and it feels effortless. It doesn’t feel like work because you love it so much. This is where your life becomes joyful. This is where you can truly be yourself. This is when life just flows.

So where do you spend most of your time and energy right now? Which zone do you spend the most time in? I’ve spent a lot of time in the first 3 zones and am really now focused on being in the 4th zone as much as possible. That’s where I want to be.

Sometimes, you may not know what your zone of genius is. To help you get there, the author recommends asking yourself the following questions:

• What do I most love to do?
• What work do I do that doesn’t seem like work?
• In my work, what produces the highest ratio of abundance and satisfaction to amount of time spent?
• What is my unique ability?

I highly recommend reading the book, but in the meantime, these are questions that you can ask yourself – and you’ll want to sit with these questions for a while, rather than trying to answer them quickly.

Also, pay attention to where you are spending your time and energy – which zone are you in the most? And which zone would you like to be in?

Tags: big leap, energetic edge, Energy, happiness, Success

We all need to have some quiet time in our lives. Some time to just be still and reflect. When you regularly take quiet time for yourself you give yourself the gift of renewal, reflection and the opportunity to connect with your soul. Since this is such an important aspect of life, it’s most helpful if you have a dedicated space in your home for this purpose.

Having a place of solitude helps you to let go of the demands and obligations of life and gives you the space to be able to become centered and to renew your energy. It offers you a retreat from daily activities and details. Such a space helps you to reconnect with your own personal power that lies deep within you.

It doesn’t have to be an entire room, although if you have the space for it this would be ideal. Your place of solitude may be something as simple as a window seat – a quiet alcove that invites contemplation. When I was at the Silent Retreat in McCall, one of my favorite places to be was in a beautiful window seat that offered a view of the river – I could have stayed there all day! But it could just as easily be a corner of a room or even a closet.

Once you have identified your place of solitude, you’ll want to make sure that the energy of the space is appropriate. It should be a quiet space, with light colors – nothing too bright. Use soothing fragrances and soft textures – nothing harsh. You’ll want comfortable seating, perhaps a special chair, and adding a blanket or pillows can add to that sense of comfort.

Ideally this space would face a window with an inspiring view (like the window seat at the retreat in McCall) but if this is not possible you could find a picture of an inspiring view and hang that where you can see it while sitting in this space.

You might want to include an altar in this space. A small table, shelf or even a window ledge, where you can place items that are important and significant to you – here are a few suggestions:

• Candles or incense
• Your journal
• An item that is symbolic to you of peace and balance
• A special book
• Seashells or natural crystals
• Fruit or flowers
• A special photograph
• A bell

The things you place here do not have to mean anything to anybody else – they just have to be meaningful to you, and they should be items that invite stillness and contemplation. You can change the objects as frequently as you desire – even with the seasons if that feels right to you.

Above all this is your space. A place where you can come to just be. Where there are no demands to be made of you. Where you do not have to think, but simply allow the time for quiet reflection. This may be the place where you also write in your journal, where you meditate or pray.

I often find that people may have thought of doing this but have never done it, somehow thinking that it feels silly or even selfish in some way. Well, now you have permission – go and create your place of solitude so that you can renew your energy and receive the answers you need. If you never take the time to be still, you will be too busy to receive the guidance you need.

If you already have your own sacred space, I’d love to hear about it. Submit a comment to share details and feel free to send in a photo as well. All those who submit comments and/or a photo of their Place of Solitude will be entered into a drawing to receive a copy of one of my books (your choice) and a coaching session with me.

Tags: Balanced Energy, energy balance, Meditation, Reflection, Solitude

We often talk about physical clutter that accumulates in our homes and offices, but what about cluttered time? Since your environment is simply a reflection of what’s going on in your life, if you have clutter in your environment, it’s highly likely that your life is cluttered too – meaning that you have people and things taking  up your time unnecessarily, leaving you feeling chaotic and overwhelmed.

If you’ve ever found yourself going backwards and forwards multiple times when running errands or forgetting appointments or if you find it difficult to get things done because of  constant interruptions you may find these tips helpful for managing your time a little more effectively.

In order to be able to manage your time most effectively you need to identify what your highest priorities are. Whatever your highest priority is, that’s where your focus needs to be. So you’ll want to know exactly what is important to you – then anything that’s not important will be easier to identify and say no to. If you feel overwhelmed and have the sense that you never have enough time, you can be sure that you are allowing things to pull you away from whatever your  highest priorities are.

Once you’ve done that, here are some time and energy management tips that might help you stay focused and on track:

Combine tasks – this is different from multi-tasking. This is a way of using your time effectively. For example, if you have to wait for anything – such as waiting in line, waiting for your car to be serviced or waiting to pick someone up from the airport – use the time effectively. You can write a letter, catch up with some phone calls, read through magazines or materials that need your attention. You can exercise while watching television to catch up on the news, or listen to an audio program such as a podcast or tele-seminar) while you’re on the treadmill. Combine errands, rather than making separate trips for each one.

Plan ahead - when you are going to start a new project don’t just jump in and get started. Think of everything that you will need. Don’t start something unless you have all the necessary tools and information or you will find that you have to stop and start again later. For example, have you ever started baking something only to find that you are missing one crucial ingredient? Take all the ingredients out before you start, that way you’ll know if you need to run to the store to get a missing ingredient, you’ll know if you have the right size pan, etc.

Write it down – avoid the impulse to try to keep everything in your head. Write it down. Make sure you always put appointments on your calendar as soon as you make them. Keep a notebook to write down ideas, conversations and notes and things to jog your memory. Writing things down keeps your mind free and you’ll feel a lot less overwhelmed.

Eliminate interruptions – you don’t have to answer the phone every time it rings. You don’t have to allow people to interrupt you. If you’re in the middle of something it’s perfectly alright to say “I’m busy right now, can we schedule a time to talk about that…” If you honor your time you’ll find that other people will start honoring it too. Some interruptions may be unavoidable, such as if your boss wants you to do something urgently. So it’s a good idea when planning a project to allow extra time, that way you won’t feel so rushed.

Consolidate – set certain times of the day to make or return phone calls, check e-mails or see visitors. E-mail in particular can take up a lot of your time. It’s best to check e-mails at certain times of the day, rather than checking them and responding every time a new one comes in.

Maximize your energy – know when you have the most energy. If you’re a morning person, make sure you schedule the things that require the most energy in the morning. If you have a time of day when your energy is usually lower, then use that time to do things that don’t require as much energy. You’ll find your day will flow much more effectively if you don’t try to force yourself to do tasks that require high energy when your energy is naturally lower.

Pick just one of these tips to try out and you’ll see how much of a difference it can make. You really don’t need to go through life feeling chaotic, overwhelmed and constantly feeling as though you don’t have enough time and energy. Let me know which tips work best for you, and feel free to share some of your own!

Tags: energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, Organizing, time, time management

What do you do when your energy needs a boost? Perhaps you’re feeling low and you want to feel better. Or you were feeling great and then something (or someone) happened to change your mood. Once your energy has been lowered it can be difficult to get it back and it can be easy to stay stuck with negative energy – yours or someone else’s. How can you get your energy back? How can you lift your energy and feel better quickly?

I’m sure everyone has their own favorite methods, but here a few suggestions, things that I have found to be helpful that you may not have considered:

1. Write about it. Get a notebook or your journal and write about how you’re feeling. Just get it all out onto the page. Some people think that this is just being negative and focusing on the bad stuff, but it isn’t like that at all. Writing it down can be very cathartic. It gets it out of your head, out of your body and onto the page. And in the process of writing about it, you may gain some new insights into the situation and how you’re feeling and where it came from.I always feel better when I’ve ‘written through’ something. It creates an immediate change in my energy because I feel as though I’ve left all the negativity on the page, so I don’t need to carry it around any more and it also helps me to feel better because I find answers come to me as I write about situations.
2. Listen to your favorite music. Music has the power to change your energy very quickly, particularly if it’s something positive and uplifting or it simply has a great beat and is energizing. I also like to play upbeat music when I’m doing a job that I don’t necessarily enjoy – such as sorting through papers, de-cluttering or organizing an area, like the clost. It’s also great for helping you do the cleaning!
3. Read or listen to some powerful, uplifting words. There are many great authors that I enjoy listening to, such as Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra. They always have wonderful, uplifting messages that can pull my energy back up instantly, making me feel positive and hopeful again.
4. Go outside. Going for a walk outside, or just simply being in nature can also change your energy very quickly. Don’t just walk or be out there though, pay attention. Listen to the birds, feel the breeze and the sun on your skin. Notice the trees and the flowers. Really pay attention.
5. Call a friend. Do you know someone who has a great sense of humor or who is able to see the positive in every negative situation? Call that person and spend a few minutes on the phone with them. You can either talk through what you’re feeling, or just let their personality uplift you. Everyone should have at least one person in their life who makes them feel energized by just talking to them or being in their presence. Note – your job here is to have a pleasant, meaningful conversation and allow them to uplift you – it’s not to bring them down to the same state of low energy as you!
6. Play a sport. Do you play a sport? I love to play tennis and I find that when I go out to play it helps me to transform any negative energy or feelings that I had. Not only is it good for you physically, but if you play a team sport, socializing with the other team members is part of the fun. For example, after our tennis matches we all get together and have a glass of wine and a snack – that’s all part of the enjoyment.

These are just a few ways that you can change your energy. You should have your own list. In fact, I’d love to hear what methods you use to uplift your energy and feel better quickly, so please feel free to share.

Tags: change your energy, energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy

This weekend in the USA we are celebrating Independence Day. As we do so and we think about what it means to be free – I want to encourage you to think about the possibility of your own independence. Independence from the thoughts, beliefs and conditioning that hold you back.

If you’ve ever identified an old, unhelpful belief or some negative patterns that have held you back, you’ll know how very liberating it is. You move from feeling stuck to knowing that anything is possible.

There’s a very simple way to know whether you are holding yourself back in any way and that is to look at the results that you are currently experiencing in each area of your life. If they are not what you want and don’t feel good then you know there is something controlling you (beliefs and conditioning) and if you want to change things you need to break free of those patterns.

You can blame outside circumstances – the economy, your job, other people – but the truth is that whatever you are experiencing is in your life because you attracted it. It’s not true that everybody is suffering because of the economy, many are, but many are experiencing more success than ever before as well. If they can experience success then you can too.

Speaking as someone who has been stuck in just about every area of life, I know from my own experiences, as well as those of the clients I work with, that when you change your beliefs, conditioning and programming, then your life circumstances change. If you try to force the change from the outside, it doesn’t work – I know because I tried for years!

So if you truly want to celebrate Independence Day – to celebrate not just the independence of the country, but your own independence, then change what’s going on within you – that’s when you will really have cause for celebration.

Tags: energetic edge, Law of Attraction, Life Balance, Life energy

I was interviewed last week by multiple streams of income expert, Patricia Drain for her weekly newsletter. Thought you might like to read the article:

I had the opportunity to interview Linda Binns, “the energy expert,” about the power of energy and what effect that has on your life.

Here is what she had to say:

PD: How can a person change their environment to support success?

LB: Very easily. One of the most powerful things you can do is to eliminate from your space anything that you do not use, need, want or absolutely love. Also, eliminate anything that has negative memories and associations for you. When you hang on to these things, they take up your energy and they take up space. When you clear them, your energy is freed up and so is your space – this opens things up so that new opportunities and resources can come into your life to support your success. Having a cluttered space will slow you down and keep you stuck.

PD: How does energy affect sales?

LB: In many ways. Ask yourself – how does my energy feel around what I do? How does my energy feel around sales? People pick up on your energy. If you’re having a bad day or if you’re feeling negative about yourself or about something in your life, people pick up on that. They may not be aware of it, but they do. It doesn’t matter whether you do business with someone in person, over the phone or on-line, you are constantly sending out energy about yourself and your business. So, when you feel confident, you feel good about what you’re doing, you love to help people and you feel good about making and managing money, then that’s the energetic vibration that you are sending out – people will be drawn to you and want to do business with you. If you have doubts about yourself or about money, etc., you may attract people who can’t or won’t pay or who want things for free. The energy in your environment also has an impact on your own personal energy, and will affect the vibration you are sending out – and therefore will determine what you attract.

PD: How can business owners keep their energy at an all time high?

LB: I don’t think business owners should expect their energy to always be high. But the most important thing is awareness. You need to be aware of what affects your energy and how. What types of people, things and situations drain your energy? What types of people, things and situations energize you? You want to minimize the amount of time you spend with the things that drain you and maximize the amount of time you spend with those that energize you. But you can’t do that unless you really understand what affects you and how it affects you. For example, if you’re feeling great, having a wonderful day, and feeling as though nothing could go wrong, and then all of a sudden you find yourself going into a downward spiral, feeling negative and maybe even a little depressed, you need to stop and ask yourself ‘what just happened?’ Who did you speak to or what did you do? What was the resulting feeling? Analyze what just happened and you’ll know what happened to change your energy. So awareness is the key.

PD: If you could share ONE thing that would immediately “prove” the power of energy, what would that be?

LB: Change something – anything. Change your thinking, change your environment by de-cluttering or by moving things around, or by organizing or buying something that you really love. Change a belief about yourself – all of these are energy (everything is energy), and when you change something, you will see a corresponding change in your life situation. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes you’ll notice a big shift. But here’s what I know – when you change YOUR energy (your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, actions, environment), then your life and business situations will change. It can’t be any other way. So when you change your energy to become more positive, you will have more positive results. It’s quite simple, really – not always easy, but simple.

If you liked our conversation about energy, go to http://www.lindabinns.com/ and see all the things Linda has to offer.

Tags: energetic edge, energy and sales, energy of sales, Life Balance, Life energy, sales