In Arizona the temperature is usually over 100°F in July and August, but much drier about 5-20%.  The few days it drops below 100°F the humidity usually increase to about 30-40% and everybody complains about how humid it is.  The difference is that here in Arizona nearly every house has central air conditioning and you can escape the heat when you want.  People are used to the heat, and the cold air-conditioned air  They might complain about it, but this is normal, just as it is normal to complain about winter in Massachusetts.  The interesting thing is that in both situations people stay indoors, in  Arizona over the summer moths and in Massachusetts during winter.

What I have learned is the following:

1. Stay inside and close the blinds to keep the heat out.
2. Only go out in the early morning or lat at night when the temperature is a bit lower.
3. Travel north or to higher elevation for heat relief.

There must be more to learn, but this is what I have learned so far.

Not only have I cleared out the clutter in my life, but I’m also making a more concerted effort to focus on my business and where it is going.

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What was a total mess in February is now becoming an energetic place where we enjoy staying and recharging ourselves.

In his book Brooks Palmer talks about our energy being sucked up by all the clutter in our lives.  All those things that we only think we need for some reason or another.  And then there are things that we actually need and would love to enjoy if only we could find them in the all the clutter.

Then there are all the things we do.  Are they clutter?  Why are we doing them?  Is there something else we would enjoy more doing?  Maybe something that would energize us?

What is the clutter in your life?  Is it holding you back from a Life of Abundance?

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

We have found more things we enjoy doing together, an important part of a life of abundance.

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

4th of July Salem, MA, 2010

As always the 4th of July celebration was great and the warm weather made it even more enjoyable (maybe a little bit hot during the middle of the day).  We enjoyed all of the festivities that are again only a few hundred yards away from our house.

Life is good and full of abundance.

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

The key is to recognize the pattern we have.  Often this is more related to your income and the dividing trick might not work for you.  Still you have to recognize the pattern that makes it happen and acknowledge that this is something in your past, not the present or future.  Your future is going to be different and you have to decide how different your future is going to be.

Remember that at one time in the past you had not crossed a street by yourself.  Then you did, and now that is in your past.  The street no longer limits you and you don’t even think about it.  The same goes for other limitations in your life.  You can earn more money and you have to allow yourself to do so.  That way you can start living a Life of Abundance.

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

It is like our brain goes on autopilot and before we know we are doing and saying the same things as we have been for so long.  The explanation is simple.  We have created a pathway in our brain.  It is just like when we start driving.  In the beginning we have to focus on everything we do and on our surroundings to know how to react.  After some time we master the skill and start to do the driving as a natural thing, like we are on autopilot.  The same thing happens with our automatic underearning behavior.

When we leave underearning behind we are charting into a new territory.  Our brain only has the old brain pathway, so now we are creating new pathways and it will take some time to do that.  In the beginning it can be very scary to head into this new territory.  But the payoff is much more than worth it.

What is your payoff going to be for leaving underearning behind and start earning what you need and deserve?  A Life of Abundance?

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

In a recent article in the New York Times “A Toolkit for Women Seeking a Raise” it is pointed out that stereotypes are still working against women.  For those of you that haven’t asked for a raise because of the fear of how it might go, the article gives good advice on how to ask for a raise.  I want to stress that although the article states that it is different and more difficult for women to ask for a raise, there is no reason to not asking for one.

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government associate professor Hannah Riley Bowles describes a different technique for negotiating that will give you what you want.  Here is some of what she and her peers suggest women use in their negotiations.

Be Proactive: No one will notice that you deserve a raise.  It is your job to ask for it.  Point out the good things you do and find the best time to approach your boss.

Be Prepared: It literally pays to do research.  Information is power.  When you have the knowledge the power is yours.  There are websites like Payscale.com and Salary.com with information about what the average pay is for you position in your geographical area.  At Glassdoor.com and Vault.com the information can be more specific as they have information for salaries at specific companies and your company might be one of them.  Also talk with people and more than just your girlfriends, remember the men.  Women are more likely to be paid less than men.

Tailor Negotiations: A new study by Ms. Riley Bowles found that if women explain why their request is appropriate and that they care about their work relationships they are more successful.  There are examples in the article on how to do this.

Anticipate: Don’t forget to anticipate objections and what your response is going to be.  If you are not successful this time around ask your boss for recommendations for what you could do to move to the next level.

When women have good information, are proactive and tailor the negotiations they do just as well as men.  So there is no reason to sit and hope for the best.  Go and create what you want in your life.  A Life of Abundance.

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

Some go on to think about how they have never been able to make more money and take it as a sign that they will never be able to change this fate.  They will tell you about how it has always been this way and why it will not change.  They have thought a lot about this and know why it is like this.  They even have proof of why it is so.

Then you have other people that take it as a sign that there is time for a change.  So they will start to work out how things will change.  They might not even know how, but they know it will and set out to be proactive in making the change happen.  They do not sit and wait for life to happen to them and then explain why it did.  They live their lives.  It’s with the mindset of being proactive, to do, to take action and moving on.  Their mindset is to take responsibility of their lives and knowing that the past is behind them and the future is in front of them.  That’s where they are heading.

How can being proactive help you live a Life of Abundance?

Love and peace,

ElinAnna