He created a living out of two little numbers!

He built a business out of zero's and one's?  (Hint, hint - the binary system added to a bunch of electronics.)  And he loved every minute of it!

Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. We hear it everywhere! But every day I hear people mock that saying, or if not mock it, they simply find a dozen excuses about why is absolutely impossible.

It's almost like they enjoy denying themselves happiness.  They insist on believing life has to be hard. Nothing is further from the truth.  We make life hard by not listening to our inner spirit, honouring our talents and finding our purpose in life.

I have been lucky all my life to believe that I can do anything - and support myself and my family doing so.  Somewhere, somehow, I really believed it to my core - and my life is much a reflection of this belief. 

Some would laugh at the things I have done to make money; owned and operated a sheep and cash crop farm, did custom sewing and home decor sewing, sold sewing machines and knitting machines, sang in a band and as a soloist in churches, worked as a lifeguard, worked as a police officer, opened a professional organizing business, was a ski instructor, wrote two books and mad money on them, spoke as a keynote, wrote for a  newspaper, coached business owners and created a business unlike any other that ever existed like it and made money at it when everyone else said 'you can't run a business like that - who would buy your products?".

These are only a few of the things that I have done to pay the bills. And I can honestly say, that I have never been bored a day in my life.  I have always done what I loved to do until it became a job - and then I made the changes I needed to make to either enjoy the job again or move on to something else.

Are you doing what you love to do?  If not, why not? Can we create money out of thin air doing what we love?  The answer is of course yes.   

To do so,  it takes a bit of creativity and recognition of what your talents are, what your purpose on earth here is.  When you understand and combine the two, using them in unison, you can do anything you want.

Think of the jobs that exist out there that someone at one time said "you can't do that".  Sky-diving instructor.  Copywriter.  Home stager or ReDesigner.  Reiki Master.  Elder care representative.  All of these businesses did not exist 30 years ago.  In each case, someone decided that they could do what they love and make money doing it.  And they set out to create the life that they loved, creating a valuable business as a result - that others went out and duplicated!

Think about it.  Can we invent our own business, and do what we love?  Ask Bill Gates.  Some would say he was lucky.  I say he was smart.  He found his talent and added passion to it - and voila - he created something out of thin air -  using only zero's and one's, some wire and other electronic components - and look where it took him!

We can create the business that we love.  And we can enjoy doing it.  And when we no longer find joy in what we are doing it is time to move on and do something else that we love.  More than ever, I love what I do.  And more and more I am eliminating even the little things that I do not like doing.

I wonder what I will be doing ten years from now!  (Anyone care to guess?)  One thing is certain, I will be loving it!

Want to do what you love?  Are you searching for your passion and talents and wanting to build a life around it?  Mandie Crawford is  success coach and can help you find your path to happiness and success!  More information here.

Things my dog taught me…

Everyday I  see events happening that make me think about the metaphors that teach us life lessons a little more easily than if we experience them ourselves.

Take for instance my dog – who often teaches me new tricks.  Like how to dig up my peonies if they are not thriving where I planted them two years ago.  Or how to leave food in a bowl all day long but snack on everything from underwear to my favorite socks.  I think the lesson there was either to keep my underwear on at all times and guard them with my life or make sure the laundry is picked up before I go to bed or leave a room.  (I can get distracted you know)

Today was no different.   While walking him at a local dog park, we began the daily ritual of - I throw, he fetches.  I have to take two balls when we go because he will not give up one ball unless he knows I am going to throw it again.  So when I throw the ball, and he chases, I load up “the chucker” and am hardly done that task when I look and there he is - at my feet.  He looks at me, panting with the ball still firmly clenched between his upper and lower jaw and will not drop the ball until he sees me wind up for the next “chuck”.

My dog is ‘ball obsessed’.   Now for those of you who have a dog – they can be ball obsessed in another fashion -  but not my dog.  Ever since he was neutered he prefers the orange glow in the dark balls over the ones he originally had.  If I get the leash to go to the park – he goes insane and barks at me until I get the balls out  - and then the games begin.  Throw, run, chase, pant, pant, drop ball and run again.

After about 20 minutes of nonstop racing for the ball, I hide the balls and we walk a little.  But he never forgets about the ball.  He looks in my pockets, and has been seen jumping five feet to try and grab it from my hood.  Like I said, he is ball obsessed.

The thing is though, that he is so obsessed by the ball, that he won’t  stop chasing to save his life.  In other words,  he would run until he dropped dead of exhaustion before he would stop and rest.

So today after the walking portion, I threw the ball a few more times and then set out his portable bowl of water.  He ran to the bowl, obviously very thirsty.  He had the ball in his mouth, and put his head down to the bowl but would not let the ball go to take a drink!  Up his head would go – and he would look at me and then bend down again and try again to drink without letting go of the ball.  In fact he seemed a little confused.  Clearly, he did not want to let go of the ball - but he needed a drink.  It was the funniest thing to watch – and made me think. 

How often in life or business are we obsessed with something?  So obsessed in fact that we will not let go and because of this, we cannot do the things we really must do.  For instance, as a creative photographer, we may love to take pictures so much that we won’t put the camera down long enough to invoice a client. 

Or, maybe we love to network so much that we forget that we have to close a deal once in a while.  Perhaps we may love to spend so much time creating a product that we don’t take the time to sell it.

We become obsessed in our own way with the game and the ball. 

Unfortunately, the obsession keeps us from doing the things we need to do to survive.  As a dog owner, I know to take away the ball so that my dog will not die of thirst and exhaustion.  But who is there to remind you about what you ‘need’ to do when you become obsessed with something?

This is where an accountability partner comes in.  I have one.  (or two)  An accountability partner is someone who will cheer you on and offer up an ‘atta boy’ when you do well but will make sure to call you on behaviors that can hurt you - or remind you to do the things you need to do when you become ‘ball obsessed’.

No one succeeds alone.  Not even a dog.  We all need someone to run and play with and someone who will remind us of the things we overlook or ignore.

My dog got his water today – but only after I took the ball away.  He did not have the good sense to drop it and drink.  I got my exercise today, but only because my dog whined until I took him for a run. 

I guess you could say we are accountability partners!

Need to find an accountability partner?  Why not start by attending a Roaring Women Meeting to connect with other like-minded women in business.  Read more here. 

And if you are looking for business coaching please be sure to contact us about our coaching – or read more about what coaching is about here.

Finally, if you would like success coaching from Mandie - please read more here.

No One Climbs Everest Alone - And Lives To Tell About It

That's right.  Oh I am sure there are a few stories of some body who did not need any body - and who set out to scale the toughest mountain ever to climb - alone.  But if you can give me an example of anyone who did so without the help of anyone at all - I will award them the 'super-hero' award - along with all the others who were awarded posthumously for dying to do something alone.

That's right - "dying" - because they were too proud, too independent, too controlling to ask for or accept any help from those who offered or who could help.

Chances are though if you are like me, it is not that we cannot afford to ask for help or delegate - it is just we do not do it.  Plain and simple.  We have never tried it, measured how much money it might save us, or looked at the time we could be spending focusing on what we do best.  In addition, we fail to build that all important support team around us who can support us and assist us by doing things that we are not so good at or that take too much of our attention away from our 'core genius'.

Two weeks ago, I decided as the time management guru - that I would begin to follow some of my own advice. (Imaging that!) I also put my hands on a new technique called the two minute time management solution.  And I made the decision to delegate some of the tasks that were causing me grief.

I booked everything into my calendar including meals, meditations and exercise time, and in addition I tried something new.  I booked everything into four days instead of five.  I booked Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays off.  For me that was a first!  Most who know me would be shocked.  And finally I took a few related tasks that were not getting done but were causing me great stress - and delegated them.

As a result, something very interesting happened.  I began to get everything done on my list and more. More importantly - I got more writing done than I had in the past four weeks together.  ( I love to write)   And when Friday came, I had no guilt about taking a free day off.  I did not worry about phone calls.  I did not worry or even look at emails.  I puttered around the house, doing some much needed cleaning, some baking, had a nap and even listened to a great audio book.

In the end - I actually accomplished more last week than I have for months.  When I focused on what I do well - and delegated other activities to the team - I actually became happier and more productive. And I had a much deserved rest so that I was able to start the week refreshed and full of new ideas and strategies.

When I tried to build the business alone - it was like setting out to scale Mount Everest - without getting the right advice, assistance and support that I needed.  No wonder I was 'dying' and that business was suffering.  My ego had overtaken my common senses and I had insisted that I do it alone.  (Control freak!)

Next time you decide to do it all yourself, remember how many people actually have to support the climber to get to the top of Mount Everest.  There are often 12 people supporting one person to get to the top.  No ones does it alone.  They may die trying - but that seems like a pretty big price to pay just because we were afraid to ask or insisted we could not afford to have someone else do it for us.

If you are looking for administrative support, coaching or marketing support for your business - be sure to check out the trusted services available here: http://www.roaringwomen.com/business_services.php

Knock, knock. Hellooooo! Is anybody home?

We all live very busy lives - and most of us agree - it is often too busy!  And so it is very common to call someone at home or work and get an answering machine.

...." Press 1 .... Press 2...to access the company directory, Press 3...to leave a number you can be reached at ..enter it now.." 

In fact in this high tech world - we even have our emails send direct messages letting others know we received their email - and we will answer it within the next 48 hours.

But how often have we received a message in person and given out a recorded answer?  How often are we focused on what has happened - or  are worrying about what is going to happen - or even thinking about what is happening somewhere else instead of just being in the "present moment"

I know I lived my life mentally planning for 10 minutes, 15 minutes and maybe even 2 days later while still 'functioning' at a local level.  The result?

Missed conversations - "did I really say that?"  Mis-communications - "did you really say that?"  Missed opportunities - "I didn't see that!"  

I was not living in the 'present'.  You could say that I was 'not all there'! (no one was home)

But the most unfortunate thing that happens when we live somewhere outside the moment is that we cannot offer the world our gifts and talents.  They stay buried beneath the worries and thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow.

Each one of us plays a significant part in the expansion and growth of the world and in other people's lives.  We are all connected in thought and in energy - and when one of us is not 'present' in the moment - the chain of energy and information is muffled or in some cases broken.

Secondly - when we are not present - we are not connected to 'spirit' or a greater spirit which guides us.  We are not 'inspired'. (being in spirit) Inspiration can bring us great ideas, lead us down paths we may not have traveled and prompt us to interact with others for special purposes.

So when we are not living in the present moment - we miss those great opportunities to bless others and be blessed by others.  I learned a difficult lesson from one of my children whom I always thought I had been  'there' for.  She said to me "Mom you were there in body, but you were always busy doing other stuff - and it was hard to get your attention".  The other stuff I was doing was 'thinking' - about past or future - but I was not in the moment.

How do we 'stay present?'

Staying present takes a little practice - but it really isn't that hard to do.  Every morning I now take 20 minutes to meditate - and remain in the present - before I create my day.  For many 'meditation' seems like a 'woo-woo' thing to do - or it may seem quite daunting.  I know I was afraid of it - because I did not understand it.

If you don't meditate - take five minutes several times a day - and reground yourself.  Breathe deeply.  Listen to your breath going in and out of your chest.  Smell your surroundings.  Touch the table or chair you are sitting on and focus on how it feels.  Scan your body - and feel the energy that flows through each toe, each finger, your arms and legs - and listen careful and you will hear you heart beat.  Doing this will bring you back to the here and now.

Now take a look at the miracle that we call life.  When you are grounded and living in the present - chances are that when anyone calls your name - they are likely to get YOU and not your 'internal answering machine'!

No yesterdays are ever wasted for those who give themselves to today.  ~Brendan Francis

Gratitude - the only choice

Just recently I began keeping a gratitude journal.  Until them I never realized how important a role gratitude played in our well being.

It's funny, when we focus on what we do have - and not what is missing - our entire outlook changes.

For example, I began to focus on how great a mood my husband was in and how kind he had been lately.  It had been a long time since I had seen him smile so much.  And the more I noticed it - the happier he seemed to be - and more often!  Hmmm, I thought - maybe this is the key?

So when I sat down to do my bills, I began to get excited that I could pay each one.  And believe it or not I even hurried one day to the post office so I could get the payment in the mail before it went out that day.   Within hours, I received two unexpected jobs come in - that equaled the payment I had just made and more!

So yesterday I looked back.  After completing about 3 weeks of daily recording all the great things that were happening in my life, I realized how lucky and blessed I really was. 

Gratitude is the greatest form of love.  When we focus on what we have - and we are thankful, we are sending out the highest form of energy that exists.  For me it is becoming very exciting.  I have started looking at all the little (and big) things that I have taken for granted for many years.

What we think upon grows.  And even though I have a vision for the future - I can now move forward instead of with impatience -  with gratitude!  It's a much more peaceful place to be!