The Second Ten Commandments

I recently came across this wonderful writing from Harvey Mackay, author of theNew York Times #1 bestsellers Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt. And I felt it was so valuable, I felt compelled to share it from you.

 

The Second Ten Commandments

We all know about the original Ten Commandments, but have you ever heard of "The Second Ten Commandments"? These pearls of wisdom, sent to me by a friend, have been often attributed to Elodie Armstrong. I have taken the liberty of putting my spin on them:

 

I. Thou shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities. You can't saw sawdust. A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work. People get so busy worrying about yesterday or tomorrow, they forget about today. And today is what you have to work with.

 

II. Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass. Every crisis we face is multiplied when we act out of fear. Fear is a self-fulfilling emotion. When we fear something, we empower it. If we refuse to concede to our fear, there is nothing to fear.

 

III. Thou shall not cross bridges before you come to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this. Solve the issues before you right now. Tomorrow's problems may not even be problems when tomorrow comes!

 

IV. Thou shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway. In one of my favorite "Peanuts" comic strips, Linus says to Charlie Brown, "There's no problem too big we can't run away from it." I chuckle every time I think about it because it sounds like such a simple solution to a problem. Problem solving is not easy, so don't make it harder than it is.

 

V. Thou shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows. Just remember that all your problems seem much worse in the middle of the night. If I wake up thinking of a problem, I tell myself that it will seem lighter in the morning and it always is.

 

VI. Thou shall not borrow other people's problems. They can better care for them than you can. I must confess that I have broken this commandment because I wanted to help someone out, without being asked, or I thought I was more equipped to handle a situation. But I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences, either.

Unearth and Unleash Your Hidden Entrepreneur

I’ll bet you didn’t know that you were really an entrepreneur in denial. You’ve just been afraid to come out of the closet. You’ve been too terrified of taking that leap. But it’s there…whispering in your ear. What if I just worked for myself? What if I could just make money without going to a 9 to 5 job? What if I could just do something I love and get paid for it?

 

Then that other ego and fear-driven voice kicks in: But what would I do that I’d be any good at that people would pay me for? How can I know that I could really pay the bills? How do I dare let go of security when I have to support my family or pay the mortgage? How do I know I wouldn’t make a mess of things if I’m on my own?

 

Well today’s economy may have just “out-ed” you. You may have little choice but to get out of your security zone and start looking for new alternatives. Even if you haven’t lost your job, you may just need to start earning some money from new sources to augment dwindling reserves. 

 

You may not be a “natural” entrepreneur like I am—a serial entrepreneur who has only worked for others for four of my nearly 60 years—but if you have the passion, the creativity, the committed work ethic (note I didn’t say hard work, just commitment to work!) and the faith that the Universe will assist you, then you can do it, too. And you can be successful at it.

 

So let’s look at those four factors individually.

 

Passion—What do you love? What burns in you and ignites your dreams? Entrepreneurs start businesses for two reasons—they want to do something that they love or know well, or they see a void in the marketplace, something they can offer that is in demand (we’ll address this more in creativity.) But the entrepreneurs who succeed most quickly and at the highest levels are those who are in love with what they are doing. That passion can take several different forms:

 

·         A hobby or professional pursuit that engages them and their interest

·         A love for serving others and helping those people be happier or more successful

·         A general love for people and working with others

·         A passion for the process, the kind of work they are doing

·         A joy for just being on one’s own and not taking direction from others

·         A knowledge that he or she has a better way or a better widget and that there are people just waiting for it to help make their lives or jobs better

 

So ask yourself: where does your passion lay?

 

Creativity—A successful entrepreneur always finds a way to be distinctive in the business world. This is called your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

 

For example, you can be a real estate agent just like a lot of other real estate agents, but you can creatively set yourself apart in many different ways—the way you market yourself, the kinds of properties in which you specialize, a special gift you give your buyers and sellers, a unique service you provide that others don’t, a certain market you serve, etc…

 

If you are selling something, your product is different that anything on the market, or you package it differently, or sell it bundled with other products. What product can you offer that is unique?

 

If it’s a service business, perhaps you offer a service not available in your area. You create a service that few are doing and that serves a distinctive niche. Or you do it better than the competitors and can prove it.

 

Your product or service doesn’t have to be completely different than what is already in the market—it just has to appear to be different by virtue of how you position it in your marketing. And then it will resonate with those people who need it or who are perfectly attuned for what and how you are offering it.

 

For example, there are many other people in the spiritual self-help genre that address manifesting as their core value, but they are not me! They don’t build their premise around Conscious Creation and the fact that you can actually create a blueprint and make it happen in your life. That’s my USP.

 

So get creative…what can you offer, create, serve or position that is unique to you? What market can you serve that is now underserved?

 

Work Ethic—Yes, entrepreneurialism takes work. And sometimes it can be more than 9-5. But it’s not necessarily hard work. When you are doing what you love and embarking on something of your very own, it can be easy work, because the doors will just begin to open. However, if you go into it tentatively, half-heartedly or fearfully, than the Universe can’t support you. Give it your heart. Even if you don’t have much money. When you show the Universe you are committed and willing to work, than you will find answers to your challenges, people to help you, customers to buy your product or service, and money that will begin to flow your way.

 

So what kind of a commitment are you ready to make? This doesn’t mean that you have to quit your day job immediately to start your new venture, perhaps it’s something you start on the side and grow. But whatever it is, nurture it fully and completely so that it will eventually sustain you.

 

Faith in the Universe—This element is often overlooked in the harsh light of the business world. Even if you don’t initially have faith in yourself, if you have faith in the Universe to support you, than you will begin to succeed. If you are living in confidence that the Universe has your best interests at heart, and you are open to its gentle guidance, then your business will thrive. The opposite of faith is fear, and the need for control.  Yes, you need to have a plan and be firmly acting on that plan, but feeling desperate to maintain “control” is just another way of expressing the fear that you are on your own and that you no one or no force is there to help you. Let go and trust. Surrender to the Universe. Have faith in the Source Power to be your co-pilot in your new venture. If you have faith, all the answers to your questions and challenges will come forth easily and quickly, and you will be guided to take the actions that will be right for your growth and maturity as a business person.

 

So, how can you expand and practice your faith in the Universe? Start by trusting your intuition and the messages you are receiving. Then remember that everything happens for a reason and allow yourself to be re-directed if you are gently nudged in a new direction.  Keep your eye on your goal and don’t be fixed on how you get there. The Universe may have other great ways to ultimately get you to your desired success. 

 

An entrepreneur with these four—passion, creativity, willingness to work and faith–is nearly unstoppable. These are the bedrock values of a successful entrepreneur. Certainly knowledge of the market, financial resources, marketing savvy and other business tools are valuable and can increase the rate of success, but you must first have these four core values to create a satisfying and successful entrepreneurial venture. Start by finding, instilling and cultivating these values in your work life—and you’ll be on your way.  

 

Oops..was that you peaking out of the entrepreneurial closet? 

Quote

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.  Dream.  Discover." — Mark Twain

Happiness, A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard

 

Here is a wonderful opportunity to understand why Buddhists are so content with their lives and what they can teach us. Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who had a promising career in cellular genetics before leaving

France

to study Buddhism in the

Himalayas

three decades ago. He is a bestselling author, translator and photographer, who is lives what he writes. He teaches that happiness is something that can be achieved with focus and intention, and what we must do to adapt our ways in a busy world to allow it to come forth. Filled with lessons and practices that are easy to apply, this book provides a clear pathway to creating the peace, joy and contentment that we all yearn to have. Furthermore, if you’ve ever wanted to have a glimpse into how a Buddhist sees the world, this is a great insight. 

 

You can find this book at www.Manifestbooks.com

365 Days of Goodness

 

I wanted to share a blog with you from Alli D. Seigel, a young woman I met recently who wanted to do something purposeful with her life. I believe what she has done is something that all of us can emulate. She shows that being compassionate and charitable do not have to require lots of money, thought, time or energy. Alli has created   www.365DaysofGoodness.com, setting out to do 365 Good Deeds in 365 Days.  These Good Deeds range from big things (such as giving blood, starting a good-deed program in a second grade class, making a small donation on behalf of her parent’s anniversary that will provide drinking water for a whole village) to smaller things (giving a stranger a smile and some kind words on the subway) and everything in between. Says Alli: “I have had such an amazing time with my good deeds so far, with very positive feedback. I really do feel that I am living out my true life's purpose.” I encourage you to check out 365 Days of Goodness, and to think about what you can take away from her experience.

Shifting from Disappointment

 

This year has been a difficult one for many. With the economy contracting, everyone is touched by disappointment in some way…whether it is the loss of a home, loss of a job, loss of freedom, loss of security, loss of peace of mind, loss of a dream or loss of someone you loved who could not cope.

 

We each go into our lives having such high hopes for love, abundance and joy, and many times we can indeed experience those for long periods of time. But what’s really difficult for most is to reach a certain level of success and then see it slip away. That’s what has been so debilitating for many this past year. And whether it has been because of our own poor choices of mortgaging our future on credits cards and houses that we cannot truly afford, or whether we have done everything right and watched our 401K disappear – it is heart wrenching to deal with the sense of loss.

 

But wallowing in the disappointment only creates a negative energy vortex that continues the downward spiral. Yes, if you must, allow yourself a short period of time to grieve for what was. This is actually a good step in processing the emotions. But do not stay there and do not allow this to fester into anger, resentment, envy or bitterness.

 

You must begin shifting away from disappointment so you can begin co-creating either a recovery to better times or a new vision of what your life can be. Let go of what was. Whatever is ahead will be different—and maybe even better. Accepting that change is inevitable is the first step to creating that shift, rather than resenting change or holding to the past.  

 

Now what positive goal can you focus upon? What vision can you create that will help to readjust your attitude and your vibration? What vibration can you begin emitting that will be a match for where you want to head?

 

Chose a specific emotion or thought to consciously vibrate. Is it love? Is it joy? Is it fun? Is it beauty? Is it gratitude? Is it the enrichment of nature? Is it a closer connection to Source? When you are in disappointment, you want to keep it simple. Give yourself uncomplicated and simple goals. Choose one of these. Get up each day thinking about this. Take breaks during the day to focus on it. Check in at dinner time. Breathe it in. Just breathe. Go to sleep holding these thoughts and dreams.

 

Be on Negative Energy Watch. Wear a rubber band and snap it when you have a negative thought or reflect on your disappointment from the recent past. Laugh at yourself and then get up and get a glass of water. Wash your negative energy down with a long slow drink. See your new positive energy filling up your tank.

 

Spend time with positive people. If you find yourself with other folks who are bemoaning their lives, either encourage a change by suggesting everyone shift their attention to something better, or change the company you keep.

 

Do activities that bring laughter and fun. These don’t have to be costly. Ride bikes, roller skate, go to or rent movies, sing, dance, exercise, play board games, play poker with fun-loving people (for chips, not money!), read uplifting books or romances, call a friend long distance using free weekend minutes, go visit someone you love and haven’t seen in a long time who lives in a nearby town, plot your future conquests of the heart, play with children you adore, take your dog on a hike, watch your kitty with a ball of yarn.  

 

Just remember that belief that you will experience what you choose to envision is a key component for allowing it to happen.  So truly believe that great days are coming!

 

Now, if that disappointment flutters back in, shoo it away with a litany of gratitude. Maybe your portfolio is down and you’re scraping to pay medical bills, but your daughter is about to graduate college, you have the most amazing touch with decorating on a budget, the neighbors are letting you take all the plums off their trees that you could possibly want, your boyfriend has happily re-discovered his talent on the guitar and serenades you…

 

You get the idea. Life is not money. Life is life…find what is good about it and create more of it by appreciating what you do have. See the silver lining and not the grey cloud.