Your Biggest Asset

Happy New Year! What lies ahead in 2012 is no more or less certain than any other year. This year some will succeed and some will fail inside the same social and economic environment. The difference will be attributed to their frame of mind, preparedness and intentionality. Many of us take time at the beginning of each year to set goals, write down our resolutions and make financial plans. These are all very worthy but we do well to ask “What are we doing to shape our way of thinking? “ Our thoughts are our biggest asset or our biggest liability. Here are some ideas and insights that I hope you will find useful.

I hope this finds you leaning forward in 2012 with hope, gratitude and optimism.

ATTITUDE

by: Charles Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.

 


Shaped Ideas

Robert Kiyosaki’s bestseller, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, has helped millions to create roadmaps to their financial goals. Central to his series is the notion of open-mindedness. Instead of sizing up a situation and saying, “I can’t afford that,” he suggests saying, "How can I afford that?" By reshaping the idea into an open-ended question, creativity is stimulated, which leads to inspiration. Here’s a list of critical thoughts and their positive replacements.

We can’t afford it.
That’s too expensive.
I don’t have enough money.
I’ll never be able to afford that.
That’s a waste of money.
It’s too late to get started.
I’m not good with numbers or investing.
It’s too risky.
I really want to get that!

How can we afford it?
Where can I get that for less?
How can I make more money?
When will I be able to afford that?
How can I make that productive?
How can we let another day go by?
Where can I learn more?
What could reduce the risk?
Do I really need that?

Consider writing out this list, and adding to it when you discover new negative thoughts. Invent positive replacements, and write those down, too. Review the list frequently, and practice!

Journal of Gratitude

Gratitude is a very powerful force in our lives. Practicing gratitude makes us powerful enough to overcome negative thoughts that hold us back. Gratitude guides us to look beyond ourselves for the source of good things. It helps us realize just how good we have it.

Every year I write in my journal, I call it my Attitude of Gratitude Journal. This year I’m focusing on writing 2012 things I’m thankful for. It works out to about 6 per day. Want to join me? One of the top things I have already written is how I am grateful for YOU! My friends and clients are very high on my list.

Thank you for all the support you have given me. – Linnea