Unemployement outlook gives way to hope

How many people do you know that have been laid off, have their hours cut back, spouses who are working two (or three) jobs, retirees that have to go back to work, increased daycare costs… the list goes on and on.  The news offers us no way to change this cycle, only accentuates how dire it is.  What people need at a time like this is a hand to hold, a good story to inspire us, and hope to show us a better way.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday.

The U.S. economy lost an astonishing 1.9 million jobs in the past four months alone, an acceleration in layoffs toward the end of a year that brought the biggest drop in employment in more than a half century.

In all of 2008, 2.6 million people lost their jobs, the largest slump in employment since a 2.75 million drop in 1945.

The December data pointed to a bleak start for 2009 and increased chances the economic downturn could become the longest since the 1930s.

Think about how STRESSFUL that is for someone in that position.  2.6 million people with stress.  Their future, their ability to earn a living to support their family – is completely in someone else’s control.  Maybe you don’t need extra money in your wallet, but know someone who does?  It’s very difficult for most of us to open our wallets and give to friends and family in need, so why not offer them hope?  Hope is the mantra of 2009 after all, hope for a new and stronger government, hope for our environment to be given the chance to heal, hope for a more secure future.  To me, the difference between hoping and dreaming is that hope gives way to action, and action gets things done.

I’m getting things done.  I work with people every day to mentor them and show them how to start their own cycle of hope that allows them the freedom and flexibility of a career path that no one can lay them off from, cut their hours, or tell them their job has been outsourced to a machine, computer, or overseas.  Job stress (and in relation, financial stress) is the number one reason families and marriages fall apart.  In order to remove this from our lives, we need to think differently.  Act differently.  Hope differently.

Setting Your Business Strong

Looking for ways to stay motivated, productive, and profitable?  When business is going well, your entire being is more at ease and happier.  These are tough times, and stress over money and lifestyle is at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.  Here are some ways I’ve come up with – and have been practicing – to help stave off the worry and bring on the success.  I will be putting up more ideas in future posts, but wanted to get the ball rolling for a strong start to the year.

• Choose not to participate in this recession.  Some people don’t have a choice about participating, they have lost their homes and jobs because of it.  What I choose to do instead is do what I should have been doing all along, helping others.  Easier to think about when everyone is prospering and not many are in need, but I don’t have to tell you that *now* help is needed more than ever.  Have you offered your opportunity to everyone you know?  Appearances are deceiving and even though you assume someone doesn’t need the help (or money) – everyone can use extra money, from domestic engineers to doctors.  And sometimes money may not be a motivator, but time is.  Money isn’t worth quite as much when you’re working 80 hours a week for it.
• Use slow times to grow your business by putting the structure in place *now* to support yourself during busy times.  This quiet time after the holidays (hopefully) won’t last long so use it to your advantage.  Get yourself a routine, a plan.
  • Mark time in your calendar for a monthly opportunity meeting (pick a public place like a coffee shop or bookstore, or your home if you are comfortable) to share your business with others.  Use this time also to schedule one-on-one demonstrations as well.
  • Schedule a weekly ‘restock’ time to go through your supplies and put together such as hostess packets or sample packs.  Be sure you always have enough on hand to have in your purse.
  • Give yourself three hours a week to make follow up calls (vary the time of day/week so you are sure to reach people).  Set up a tickler list that will remind you to contact past hostesses and clients 30-60 days after their order to see how they are doing, how they like their products, and to place a reorder/follow up consultations.  Don’t assume clients will call you when they run out or need to make another purchase.

Do you have any ways that you increase your business at the eleventh hour?  These are the techniques you should be using all the time!  Why stress yourself out trying to make those last-minute frantic connections when it’s easier to keep the fires burning all along?

Vacation Dreams

I haven’t had a vacation in almost five years and I love the Caribbean… warm weather, clear blue water, sandy beaches… Add that to the idea of no alarm clocks and lots of fruity drinks, and you’ve got the perfect getaway for me.  I plan on going to Cancun (I’ve never been), and I plan on someone else paying for it.

How, you ask?  Arbonne has announced that Cancun is the company rewards trip for 2009.  I want to go, and I like the fact that I’ll have to work for it.  The products are amazing, but how they help you earn a substantial income and trips is second to none.

I’m spending this month decorating for the holidays, shopping for gifts, and spending time with my family.  I’m also meeting setting a goal to meet one to five new people a day to share so that I can help them change their lives and be able to spend time with their families and go shopping for gifts – even during this tough economic time.  It can be done, I’m doing it!  And all the while I’m thinking of the drinks I’m going to order as soon as I get off the plane in Mexico!

Your one wild and precious life

“What are you going to do with your one wild and precious life and what’s keeping you from doing it?” – Maria Shriver, Women’s Conference 2008

Well, what ARE you going to do?  Ms. Shriver’s answer… “Fear.  Fear keeps us from realizing that we have any power in the first place.”

How absolutely true.  Fear stops us from going forward in life, and trains us to sidestep situations that we don’t know the outcome.

If fear were taken away from your life, from a situation, from voting (at all!), from making the ‘wrong’ choices, or from calling a prospective client – what would you do?

Goal Setting

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life. – Greg Anderson

Goals need to be more than just dreams if they are to become real.  By setting goals – writing them down, referring to them often – they become the ‘to-do’ list for your life.  Just saying you have (vague) goals isn’t going to accomplish anything.

• Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good. Setting a goal of loosing 30 pounds may sound good, but what is it you really want to accomplish?  Is being at a healthy weight so you can have more energy to play with your kids or engage in the hobbies you love important, or is a number?
• Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative. “Not eating junk food” is not as powerful as “I will eat healthier.”  By thinking negative, you become negative.
• Write your goal out in complete detail.  Eating healthier is a grand goal, but doesn’t give you an action plan to get there.  “Eating healthier by replacing junk food with three extra servings of vegetables and fruits a day” is a goal that you can actually follow.
• Make sure your goal is high enough (and if you don’t reach it, reset it!) If you don’t reach your goal in the time you had planned, all is not lost.  Some progress has still been made, and should be celebrated!  If losing enough weight to fit into that sexy black dress in your closet for your class reunion doesn’t happen, celebrate the weight loss you did accomplish by buying a new dress!

Throwing In The Towel

A surefire way to turn your bathroom into a spa experience is to splurge on luxurious towels.  You only need two – hair and body – so pick the very best you can.  Indulge in colors that you love, not just shades that match your bathroom.  By having them stand out from the rest of your bath linens, you be able to find them quickly.  Everyone will know ‘moms towels’ are off limits – no sharing with the kids!

Egyptian cotton are generally considered the most luxurious, but organic cotton and hemp fibers are fast becoming popular.  Bath sheets are extra large and perfect for wrapping yourself in softness head-to-toe.  Besides bath towels, why not invest in a pretty hand towel, you are worth giving yourself a little something special to use everyday.

Candles Set The Mood

There is something about the way a candle changes the atmosphere in a room that makes me feel more at home in my own house. My husband caught on quick when I would burn a citrus scented candle to make it smell like I was cleaning all day! But for me burning candles or using wax melts is more than just fooling people into thinking my home is spotless, but a way to set the mood for my day.  Do I need to spend the day in a productive mode?  I fire up a citrus or apple scented candle, depending on the season.  Am I stressed out?  Lavender or green tea candles work for me.

Of all your senses, smell can not only invoke strong associations and memories, but can actually help your brain retain information.  Scent has been known to help sell houses (or keep them from selling).  Any spa worth it’s reputation not only smells good, but has the relaxing flicker of candles surrounding guests.

One thing I make sure of, regardless of the scent, is that the candles I burn are 100% soy wax.  It’s easier to find paraffin wax candles (if the candle does not say what type of wax it’s made from, you can assume paraffin), but personally I’m not fond of the black residue they leave on my walls, let alone burning petroleum-based products do to our lungs and health.  Soy wax is softer than paraffin, so you can only really find it in glass jars, not pretty shapes or pillars.  I’ve found that soy candles smell stronger too.  Read up on soy candles and make your own decision.

Girls Night In

Inspired by a favorite some of my daughter’s, Girls Night Out (GNO), I’ve created my own adult version – Girls Night *IN*.

You are never too old for a sleepover!  Kid swap with a friend – send your kids over to their house for a sleepover while your friend enjoys some pampering time at your place.  Calories don’t count tonight so stop by the bakery on the way home and pick up some petite pastries, or fire up the fondue pot for some irresistible chocolate and fruit treats.

Chick flick movies, pedicures, sugar scrub hand spas, desserts for dinner, and sharing a really nice bottle of wine go a long way to reconnecting with friends … and yourself.

Tea Time

One of my favorite ways to indulge myself is with a cup of tea (I drink coffee most day) in a beautiful tea cup.  There is something about sipping tea from a dainty cup and silver spoon that just relaxes my shoulders.  Whether it’s morning or night, I choose mild teas such as chamomile or mint, grab a favorite book, and relax for 15 minutes.  As a mom, that’s about all the time I can afford with two kids running around!