Follow Your Path Update

Welcome back!

It's been a busy time these past few months, and as my businesses and investing interests morph and grow I've been neglecting my posts posts, as some of you may have noticed.



In between posts, I trust you will enjoy the large amount of free personal and professional development content here and at my other websites and blogs (for instance, IncreasingVelocity.com, Live-with-Power.com and BreathingProsperity.com and the popular blog).

I just wanted to acknowledge that I haven't been around, and encourage all of you to do the same - get out there and learn and grow and create your future consciously! I'll be writing more soon, but just wanted to say 'hi' in the meantime.

I'll leave you with a couple of my favourite quotes:

Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. it's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere." ~ Barack Obama

How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone." - Coco Chanel

Follow Your Path Update

Personal Development - Worth Every Moment!

If you have just discovered the concept of personal development, you're in for a wild ride.

While the phrase personal development can mean many things and encompass many areas of life, I'll define it as:

The conscious and intentional exploration and development of our individual skills, thoughts, beliefs, tendencies and personality traits in order to improve and enhance our lives, and create and sustain our personally defined versions of happiness, success and abundance.

How's that? I'm sure I could expand on that, but essentially, my version of personal development includes ANYTHING that is part of my conscious sphere and which I notice and want to improve or change.

One beautiful thing about personal development is that when you work on an individual aspect of your life - finances, say, or physical fitness - it affects all the other areas. Changes in perception or habits snowball, and have positive effects on our lives as a whole.

Some examples of this synchronistic effect include:

• Discipline: You have decided that due to a newly made commitment to physical fitness, you will arise each day at 6am and go to the gym. Not only do you have to develop your capacity for wielding your willpower and discipline, this new habit will have far-reaching effects on your lifestyle: you will find yourself more disciplined in other areas, such as spontaneously wanting to file your paperwork or clean out your junk drawers; you will enjoy renewed vigor and confidence, both from the workouts and from your pride in what you're doing; in turn, you will have more energy and time in each day and get more accomplished.


• Awareness: Let us say you are exploring the part you play in your closest relationships. You have decided to take responsibility and change any disharmony by improving your relational skills and by being more appreciative of what you have. After you have swallowed the bitter pill of having been the creator of what you may have been blaming others for, you suddenly realize you are now free to create differently. Not only will this affect your personal level of happiness, but it will affect all of your relationships. You'll be happier, more proactive and more responsive to the needs and moods of those you love. You will find yourself more aware of what is going on around you, which in turn will lead you to notice opportunities you may have missed before, both personally and professionally. You will be open to more things, and in turn you will find new information coming to you which will benefit you.


• Expansion: Imagine you have set a financial goal that is fairly lofty, and you need to develop new skills to achieve it. In the process of pursuing this goal, you will not only be improving your financial situation, but yourself in general. As business mentor Jim Rohn has said his own mentor taught him, "Set a goal to become a millionaire not for the money, but for the person you will have to become to achieve it." Along the way, you will discover many things about yourself - mental blocks and limiting beliefs, holes in your plan and your skillset, unproductive habits and discouraging relationships - and in pursuing your financial goal, you will need to work on these things. In turn, you will yourself feeling more empowered, positive and confident, characteristics which have no choice but to manifest elsewhere in your life.

With just these small examples, you can see that personal development involves a complex, powerful and very exciting journey which is entirely unique to each individual. There is so much you could do that it can seem overwhelming, but know that no exploration can be bad. It;'s all good, and it's all part of being an awakening human being.

Whether you start with an audacious goal or some tiny steps doesn't matter - just start. Personal development can be fun, challenging, frightening, confronting, maddening, exciting, and without a doubt extremely rewarding - it's worth every moment!

Personal Development - Worth Every Moment!

What is Love?...

Today is about sharing and spreading warmth that should not be saved for just a couple of 'holidays' in every calendar year. Enjoy and pass it around!!

1) This 'FREE HUGS' video is fantastic, and has been around the blog but is always wonderful to watch.



2) You've probably seen this before, but it's so heartwarming I thought I'd include it here...this way you'll carry that feeling from Valentine's Day on into your week and hopefully your whole life.

When Children Ages 4-8 were asked What Love Is:

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and
paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all
the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'

Rebecca - age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'

Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving
cologne and they go out and smell each other.'

Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your
French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'

Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'

Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a
sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'

Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of
kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy
and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'

Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen.'

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend who you hate,'

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it
everyday.'

Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still
friends even after they know each other so well.'

Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I
looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and
smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'

Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'

Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'

Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he
is handsomer than Robert Redford.'

Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him
alone all day...'

Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old
clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'

Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little
stars come out of you.' (what an image)

Karen - age 7

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it But if
you mean it, you should say it a lot.. People forget.'

Jessica - age 8

And the final one:

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was
an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little
boy said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

P.S. Speaking of love, are you getting married? Check out all the tips and resources at the ALL NEW Wedding-Planning-Makes-Perfect.com!

What is Love?...

Happiness: Solution or Symptom?...

Thinking of happiness as a symptom of something may sound funny, but this is what many people believe.

Just like saying 'If I get in a car accident I will feel sad and may be in pain," many people attribute happiness to outside circumstances:

• If I get into top shape I'll feel far happier and better about myself.
• When I finally make the kind of money I want or deserve, then I'll be happy.
• I'll be so much happier once I've left this relationship, or once so-and-so begins treating me better.

What is this but treating happiness as a symptom?

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." ~ Edith Wharton

As a society, I fear we in the Western world have allowed happiness to become something elusive: we have been indoctrined into the belief that happiness is something outside of us - a difficult-to-achieve ideal, something that must be chased, captured or reached for unendingly.

Much of this phenomenon can be traced to advertising, and sadly, the personal development community. Even the American constitution refers to happiness as something to be pursued!

The Happiness Challenge

Sometimes we believe that we can either have abiding happiness OR all the material things we long for.

For instance, many people secretly fear that if they 'settle' into their current lives and just BE happy the way they are, then the message they are sending out to 'the Universe' is that they are content; they no longer wish to have anything more. This couldn't be further from the truth!

The opposite is really true, and once you can see this clearly perhaps you'll let your natural joy bubble to the surface.

Here is an example to illustrate the point:

Say we have a woman who is wallowing in loneliness, and longing for a man to 'complete' her life. She wishes someone would adore her, and feels that her dream man's love will make everything OK, and she will finally be happy.

In reality, anyone she attracts while in this state will be someone who is feeding off of her unhappiness and the relationship will not be a healthy nor a happy one.

Now, let's say a man appears who absolutely adores this woman from head to toe and thinks she is the cat's meow. Unfortunately, for whatever reason this is NOT the man she was hoping for, and thus none of this affection gets into her heart.

Now to the point: his adoration will not get into her heart unless and until she opens up and loves him back. You see, it's HER love and inner happiness she will feel if and when she does that...not his. There is nothing outside of her that allows her to feel this way. In fact, the man in question could be perceived as annoying and even kind of creepy if she doesn't feel the same way about him.

That feeling of adoration and love we think we get from others is really us letting our love out to shine. It's our own adoration and love we feel, and of course this can happen with anyone - your neighbor, an acquaintance or a beloved child who 'belongs' to someone else.

Every wonderful - or not-so-wonderful - feeling we have comes from within us, NEVER from outside. If instead our hypothetical woman decided to be happy no matter what came her way, she would shine like a beacon and many people would instinctively be attracted to her...she could then choose from that point of happiness and attraction and the results would be far more enjoyable and positive.

When it comes to improving finances or any other life situation we are dissatisfied with, being unhappy about it serves no purpose other than to perpetuate more of the same. While being aware of what we don't want helps us to define what we do, unhappiness is just misery, plain and simple.

"Happiness is a form of courage." ~ Holbrook Jackson

That's a wonderful quote, isn't it? Happiness really IS a form of courage these days, if only because it takes a soul willing to eschew the traditional pursuit of it in order to experience it. One needs to slow down, look inside and realize that all the elements for happiness have always been there, regardless of outside circumstances. You are alive, you are capable of love (even if there's no one around right now to shower it on, you've got your wonderful self!), you have a whole world of experiences and opportunities open to you, and every new moment brings new input and allows you a new choice. What's not to be happy about? What more fabulous adventure could you have signed up for, if you could have imagined such a thing (and I believe you did)?

Never want all your desires to manifest at one...for then what would you do?...

Some books you may enjoy:

Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnac: This book is a fabulous tool and follows Sarah's journey within as she explored the real meaning of abundance...it's not what she thought and it may not be what you think either! There is nothing ascetic nor sacrificial in Sarah's approach; rather she encourages us through example to define our own meaning of decadence and richness. Perfect for January as this book contains a whole new year of daily entries, but a great read any time!

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: This lovely and insightful book has become a success classic partly because it transcends most personal development-type material by entering into deeply personal territory, and by looking at the very big picture of why we do what what we do and what meaning our lives ultimately have. An excellent read and a very important step in creating the future YOU choose.

Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff: A look at being truly happy from the inside, this book contains interviews with people who have already made this decision, and will leave you with new joy and the natural happiness you are meant to experience on a daily basis.

Happiness: Solution or Symptom?...

Each New Choice

In my quest to help others live their dreams, I talk with a lot of people about the subject. As you might imagine, a question I commonly ask others is 'Are you living your dreams?' Of course, if they are not, then the next question to address would be 'why not?' This usually begins an important discussion about a person's beliefs and their exposure to goal setting, positive environments, role models and the principles of success.

A second and equally important question involved in this discussion is 'Have you defined your dreams and decided to LIVE the characteristics and traits of that dreamer personified?'

Many of us who are on the personal development road get caught in the 'waiting for our dreams to come true' trap; while we are happy and grateful most of the time, we expect we will be much happier and even more grateful when our 'dreams come true.'

What we all need to remember is that life is NOW. Will we look back when we've achieved some of our bigger goals and see that we have wasted countless days and hours longing for a better future?

While having goals and striving for them with focus and persistence is important, so too is living our now moments with fulfillment and richness. Isn't that what we are striving for anyway?...

As an example, if your 'future' ideal self is one who is excited, positive, free from fear or worry, do you assume it is because he/she has plenty of money or lives in a dream house? Step back for a moment, because this thinking is definitely on the wrong track. There is NOTHING outside of you that can make you feel powerful, happy or satisfied. While you may gain a temporary inflated feeling from getting a new car or buying your dream home, those feelings are simply internal ones, being amplified by the newness of your accomplishment.

All feelings are inside of you, and start with a choice you make beforehand and in the moment. While it may sometimes seem as if feelings take you over or come from somewhere else, I invite you to explore the part you and your thoughts have played in their creation. In doing so, you can begin to consciously choose to create otherwise, and then you really will be living the way you want, and attracting your dreams closer and closer to you.

Consider the 'feelings' a person may have after cultivating the following hypothetical thought patterns:

• A: "Why do things always go wrong after a few dates?" "What is wrong with me that I cannot attract anyone good?" "Why does this always happen to me?" "Why can't I ever get a break?"
• B: "This is useless. I don't know why I bother." "Sam always gets the plum jobs. God, I can't stand that guy." "She's such a phony. Whay can't everyone see through her like I can?"
• C: "What a great day! I wonder what exciting things will happen today?" "What can I learn from this so I can do better next time?" "I have decided that I will always bounce back, no matter what happens. Nothing can stop me." "Do I feel like running today, or swimming?"
• D: "Let me think of five good things about that person..." "I'm so grateful for all the good in my life, and I'm open for even more!" "What is needed here, and how can I contribute to this situation?" "What can I do right now that will move me toward my dreams?"

Follow the trajectory...as daily life unfolds, person A and person B will 'experience feelings' of frustration, anger, hopelessness, resentment, jealousy, and possibly even seething hatred. The physiology caused by such thought patterns is also dangerous for one's health.

Persons C and D, on the other hand, will likely 'experience feelings' of happiness, satisfaction, contribution, joy and gratitude, and the powerful feelings associated with achievement and anticipation of success. They will feel vibrant, energetic and excited about life.

As psychologist Daniel Gilbert points out in his amazing and deeply thought-provoking book 'Stumbling on Happiness,' we as humans are not fabulous at predicting how we will feel in the future. All the more reason, in my mind, to make conscious decisions about how we wish to feel and behave in any given situation.

By cultivating the thought patterns associated with the dream life we want and the dream person we want to be, we can begin to live that life NOW, with each new day. Each new choice puts you in the driver's seat of your life - begin making your choices consciously!

Each New Choice

How Do You Define Happiness?...

NOTE: Much of the dialogue below was written back in February, however I did not post it. I was inspired instead to think deeply on my answers - for my sake and yours. I have therefore put in quotes the original writing and then followed below with my thoughts from NOW.

"How do you define happiness?...

This is the question that fellow personal development blogger Alex Shalman wrote to ask me. While I know he wrote to many people, this question seemed to beg answering.

Such a simple question...yet if we could all answer it - and live our answers - the world would change overnight.

Alex has created what he calls The Happiness Project.

You may have already heard about it, however if you haven't, there's plenty of insight and inspiration to be soaked up with this one. He is in the process of interviewing top personal development bloggers about their views on his simple questions about happiness, and all interviews and answers are posted for us to enjoy and reap benefits from.

Thanks, Alex, for the inspiration. Without further adieu, here are my (current) answers to the questions posed by Alex's Happiness Project. Be sure to spend some time reading the many inspiring answers yourself by CLICKING HERE, and if you are a blogger, by all means participate as well!

1. How do you define happiness?


2. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?


3. What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness (and how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day) ?


4. What things take away from your happiness? What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?


5. What do you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?"

Excellent questions. However, I've changed this to suit my own questions and my deeper answers. I thank you again, Alex, for the inspiration and I apologize for not participating in the way that you requested.

The following is a list of some of the things that make me happy...and the why.

• Sunny days, sparkling water: sheer exuberance and joy and 'NOW' feelings
• The sound of rain, and the misty sunny time after the rain: the first is relaxing and both are calming and refreshing
• Beautiful classical music: that poignant, 'too beautiful I can't stand it' feeling
• Birds: sweet little birds and beautiful macaws and flamingos..they are so different from us, and I love to stand and listen to them talk to one another for a few minutes when I'm out walking
• Travel: that feeling of going new places, exciting experiences

• Turquoise water and palm trees: sheer appreciation for beauty and a scene that feels like I'm meant to be there >>
• Beautiful clothes and exquisite jewelry: the feeling of elegance and decadence
• Well-dressed men: sexiness, confidence, appreciation
• Accomplishing a goal: satisfaction, pride, more confidence in myself
• Helping someone else: sharing a connection and feeling worthy and compassionate
• 'Getting' something I've been struggling with: Relief, and self-validation ie. all the struggle was worthwhile
• Exercise: physical exhaustion, strength, power
• Adventure: feeling like I'm squeezing the most out of life
• Laughing, children giggling: the joy of life and lightheartedness
• Compliments from people I admire: this is deeper than feeding the ego. When someone I admire says they admire my work, it validates something deep inside and motivates me to keep going
• Suddenly remembering not to take myself seriously: The literal feeling of lightening up
• A breakthrough in thinking, a new insight: 'Aha!' moment when perspective changes, altering life
• Waterfalls and bubbling water: the jumping, bubbling spirit of water makes me feel renewed and full of joy
• The human spirit: Reminders of our connectedness

After contemplating the overall meaning of these things, I realize there is a common theme running through them, and that happiness is neither a journey nor a destination nor a choice...all of the things I had thought it was. It is, for me, a feeling that we strive for. I feel it most in moments when I feel closest to:

• My higher self
• My best self
• My vision of how things 'could be' if they were even more wonderful than now
• Simplicity
• Connectedness with others
• The sanctity and quietness of NOW
• Self-confidence
• Honoring and knowing my self
• Living by my own voice
• The spirit - the force - of life

Here is my daughter, demonstrating. Enjoy!

How Do You Define Happiness?...

Are You Living Your Life With Passion?

We all dream of living full, happy lives. In our minds, we see ourselves laughing through our days and feeling satisfied, free and fulfilled. How do I know this? Because whatever it is you may say you want - more money, more time, a better job or better health - the fact is that what lies underneath all of these desires are the same feelings we all want.

Once we acknowledge that it's fantastic feelings we're after, we can expand our means of receiving/creating them, and thus increase our chances of success. If it's time you took a good look at your own happiness quotient and gave it an overhaul, here's your next chance (there will always be more. Each moment is a new chance. Let's just say this is your next reminder, then). Make each moment count by actually putting into place the practices which will bring joy and rekindle the passion in your life. This has nothing to do with anyone else - it's all about YOU!

The following tips are designed to help you make the most of each day and ensure you are living your life to the fullest. They are not all positive and easy, but the results are: this is all about being effective. These few key areas are where you can put new practices into place and give yourself the gift of a happier, more satisfying life which is filled with passion and promise.

PRIORITIES: In these busy times, it is time to realize that we cannot do it all. We can create everything we want, but we each have only 24 hours in a day, and there will often be things that slip through the cracks.

Knowing this, we can acknowledge that the more we hone our focus and decide what our overall priorities are, the better we can live each day from that focus. We can accomplish more of the things that matter to us as individuals. This is not goal-setting. Goals arise from this work, and allow you to accomplish those things that you wish to. Inturn, you will live each day with a strong sense of purpose, aliveness and joy.

Invest the time to look at your life overall and decide what you want it to be about. A good way to think about this is to consider the end of your life. This may be difficult, but the charge it gives to your life NOW is well worth it. Ask yourself what you will regret most if you don't change it. What do you want said about you when you're gone? What kind of a legacy would you like to leave? What will you wish you had done?

GOALS: What do you want to accomplish? This list grows out of the introspection you undertook above, and the trick here is to make them YOURS. Not what your Mom wants, nor what your guidance counselor told you was right for you...but what YOU want.

Have you even thought about this lately? Many people have not thought about what they truly want in years. This is partially due to the vague notion that we carry around that says 'some day I'll have more time to figure it out and then I'll get what I want'. This is NOT how it works. SOME DAY IS NOW. Free yourself by realizing that today is all you have, and live it up! Dream with passion! PLAN to do things you love and which are fun for you. Only you can create those feelings of joy, satisfaction and fulfillment you seek.

Now you can tie your priorities and your goals together. The best two tips in this area I have heard in years are extremely simple, once you have an overarching plan:

1. Make a list every night of the five things you MUST accomplish tomorrow, and then DO THEM tomorrow, in the order of those you want to do least first.

2. Ask yourself each day: What can I do today that I'll be glad I did tomorrow? This one step is amazingly powerful, as you will see after a few days.

VISION: You may have heard that you must visualize what you want in order to get it. Did you know that in studies with Olympic-caliber athletes, tests have shown that they performed just as well after visualizing themselves going through the motions with precision, as when they actually practiced physically? Additionally, in brain and muscle tests, all the same neurons in the brain and muscle fibers in the body were activated during intense visualization as during the actual athletic endeavor.

Amazing? YES! Use this to your advantage in your own life. Practice and improve your ability to clearly and precisely picture yourself being in the situations you wish to create. There are some amazing guided meditations in the Wealth Beyond Reason program that I have found to be profoundly helpful with this process.

HEALTH: This has been addressed in many ways, from books to internet sites, and it bears repeating. My two best tips are:

1. Eat less, and more often. Studies have shown that those who eat less actually survive longer. Now that you are building this happy, passionate life, you'll want to prolong it as much as you can! Also, eating smaller amounts every three to four hours serves to boost your metabolism and burn more fat, helping you to be healthier and have more energy. Think of your metabolism like it's a fire...if you starve it or smother it, the results will be less to your liking. Consistently feed it small amounts and keep it on a low 'burn.'

2. The second tip is to get moving, and do it consistently. This one thing, if you are not already doing it, will make a huge difference for you. Go for walks, take up new sports - do whatever you have to do to stay active, and enjoy increased energy and stamina, with the added bonus of increased clarity in your thoughts.

ROLE MODELS: Get some new ones! Be on the lookout for people and situations that empower you, reminding you of the magnificence of the human spirit and bringing you a sense of possibility. This will lift you out of your narrow, everyday focus, and give you a broader perspective. One person who ispires me to a life of passion and a commitment to my own goals and accomplishments, for instance, is Anthony Robbins. His story is amazing, but more important to me is his attitude - his dedicated and passionate approach toward personal change and improvement.

There you have it...a few key ingredients to living a life with passion!

There are many more things you can do, of course, but it's important to put the fundamentals in place and really begin creating the energy, passion, happiness, and sense of purpose you seek.

Enjoy, and go create your dreams!

Are You Living Your Life With Passion?

I'm Not Who I Say I Am! (An Exploration)

Smelling the Flowers

If I want to be someone who is free to choose my daily activities and who enjoys life to the fullest each moment, then why am I not? ... I thought I was.

I have spent the past few years arranging and creating my life so that I work (play) from home, travel regularly, and can stop and smell the roses, so to speak, whenever I want. It has been a struggle, and a journey, and a marvelous learning adventure. One cannot create the life of their dreams without consciously doing so, and in the process learning and defining a LOT about themselves.

So why is it that I recently felt a strange pang of guilt as I watched people going off to work dressed in business attire and looking at me jealously or perhaps with - what was it? - disdain? As if, dressed in my casual clothes I was 'just a housewife' or something, and not contributing to normal society. Where did all these thoughts come from? Obviously from inside of myself, but I am shocked that they are there at all.

I had just sent my daughter off to school, and it was such a beautiful morning that I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood before returning to my computer. I live in a very vibrant and bustling community which was busy with commuters walking to the subway and driving past me to go to their workplaces. In my flowing summer skirt, t-shirt and flip-flops, I looked very separate from this rushing world. I have a been a part of it and chose to leave and pursue my very personal and ambitious dreams. I am home because I have exercised my personal power and created a life that is aligned with my highest value of freedom. Thus, this scene represented the results of that choice; I had the freedom to enjoy the little birds and the flowers and the stunning sunrise at my leisure, while people still 'trapped' rushed past me. So why did I feel guilty?...

Inner Conflict

This is a lesson in conflicting thoughts. It's good when they surface, because you can recognize them and straighten out your beliefs so they align with your values and desires. What I realised on this morning was that I am not who I say I am, at least not 100%. The reason I felt odd or awkward about not going to 'work' was that part of me must still be identifying with that ethic. Part of me must still believe that you have to work from 9 to 5 for a living, and that anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves, or perhaps is lazy. This was an opportunity to see that my beliefs were not aligned with my desires. I was not identifying with what I say I am.

Do you think truly wealthy, free and happy people feel guilty about being so? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose?

I have noticed this as well when speaking with friends of my husband's. When they ask me 'what I do,' I somehow feel I must justify my existence by saying I work from home, or I own and operate a network of internet-based businesses, etc.. However, if my goal is to be independently wealthy, to just have fun investing my money and just be...well, HAPPY...then why should I feel the need to justify anything at all? Perhaps there is a need to fit in by having something to say with which they can identify. I need to give some thought to what I might be comfortable saying that speaks of who I am without attaching some job or label to it.

For now, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have noticed a limiting or misaligned belief, so that I can explore and change it to something that serves me better. This is the process by which we grow and change into the people we want to be - the people who are living the lives of our dreams!

I'm Not Who I Say I Am! (An Exploration)