Tomorrow is the First Day of Your New Reality!

Fact: Almost anyone can become a millionaire.
Fact: Almost anyone can become a successful entrepreneur.
Fact: It is possible to wake up excited about life every day.
Fact: You can turn your passion into your work - and make the first three facts part of your reality!

What if you start tomorrow believing that these facts are true for you? What if you make them part of your reality. It has been proven many times that when you change your perception of reality, you change your behavior accordingly.

Most people go through life thinking this is all there is. I was as guilty of this as anyone. I knew I'd never be rich. I came from a poor family. We couldn't afford the "fancy" degree from the "right" college. And then later, when I was making a decent living, perhaps I could have gone back to school. But I was on active duty, a young mom with two small daughters and an active duty husband as well. I didn't have the time to go to back to school. And while I had ideas for businesses of my own - well, I had children and financial responsibilities. What if my ideas didn't work? How would I take care of my family?

Fast forward 20 years. My life today is so different. I'm not rich - yet - but I'm on the way to being totally financially independent. I make a good living doing something I love. I am a successful entrepreneur. What happened to make it all possible? Granted, I am no longer on active duty. But I still worked a job for a very long time. The jobs I had demanded long hours and lots of travel so I still had no time for school. I still had two daughters - only now I also had a step-daughter. And I took on the care of my father who suffered from Alzheimers. I still had financial responsibilities and obligations. If you think three children are expensive, try spoiling seven grandchildren! So what changed? My perception. I had a dad who needed full time care and no money for a decent nursing home. I had daughters with children of their own that couldn't find decent, affordable childcare. I NEEDED to be able to stay home. I also NEEDED to be able to earn a living.

Then I was given a book as a gift. And in that book was a quote by George Bernarnd Shaw. "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." That's when I realized that instead of trying to adapt myself to the reality of my present life, I had to adapt reality to the life I needed. And when you change your perception of reality, you change your behavior accordingly.

Let's do a little exercise. Answer these questions. Do you believe you can be financially independent? Do you believe you can find a life's work that you are passionate about and that excites you every day? Not everyone wants the responsibility of their own business, but do you believe that you can earn a living doing something you love? If you answered truthfully - from your heart - yes! then you are ready to move forward. But if there was even the slightest hesitation or doubt before you said yes - then you are ready to move forward. It might just take a little longer to get there!

Open your mind to the possibilities of what could be if you accept it. Put away the "buts" and "what ifs" and "maybes" and just believe that you can have everything you need. Dream of your perfect life. What do you do? Where do you live? Write it down so you can look at it everyday as you learn the skills and techniques necessary to help you enjoy the life you dream of. Look at your 'fantasy' life regularly and begin to accept the idea that it isn't a fantasy at all but your new reality.

A September to Remember!

It's the start of a new month. How about making this month your best yet!
Take more action! Set your goals and start working on them! How?

Plan your work, outline your major goals, and the major tasks you want to accomplish.

Remember, as Mike Litman says, "You don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going."

Decide now to make this month unique and memorable - the best yet!

Get out a pen and paper and identify what needs to be done in the next 30 days. What will you do? Let's share our goals with each other - we can help each other be accountable. It's been proven that sharing a goal with someone else actually helps make them more "real" and therefore more achievable.

Go the extra mile in everything you do. This month is going to be incredible for all of us. Are you with me?

The Many Faces of Kathie Thomas

Successful businesswoman. Award winning author. Dynamic speaker. Photographer. Wife, mother, and Baby Boomer Diva. These are just a few of the hats worn by BoomerBizCoach member, Kathie Thomas. And now Kathie has another achievement to add to her list - a nomination for the 2009 Australian of the Year Award. How does she do it all? Read more about Kathie in her recent interview with FaithWriters' Lynda Schab. Click on the link below for the full interview and prepare to be impressed!

http://www.kathiethomas.com/featured-author.htm

Feisty Side of Fifty is On the Air!

Have you checked out what the ladies from the Boomer Biz Coach Community have been up to lately?

One of them has been quietly making a name for herself with her new radio show - Feisty Side of Fifty Radio! Elaine Williams writes a great blog - The Feisty Side of Fifty - which is always full of insightful discussions on topics and trends of interest not only to boomer-generation women, but women of all ages. But it seems that's not enough to keep her busy. She's embarked on a brand new outlet for her ideas with her radio show.

She's had some extremely interesting guests lately including Mary Higgens Clark (queen of suspense), Suzanne Braun Levine (Founding editor of Ms. Magazine and great friends with Gloria and the gang), Dr. Pepper Schwartz (relationship expert who has appeared on all the national talk shows) and Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (neuroscientist who had a stroke--she was > Oprah's featured guest, along with Eckard Tolle, on her "Soul Series").

She is so excited about the show's success - and since she is a member of inaugural group of the Boomer Biz Coach community, we are just as excited. After listening to a few broadcasts, we just had to share it with everyone. Since it's an Internet radio show (blog talk), you don't have to worry if you can't tune in live because you can download any program you'd like. You can see the line up of Feisty Side of Fifty Radio and click on the link to the show(s) you would like to listen to.

Once you have listened to a few of her interviews and read some of her blog posts, I know you will become an ardent fan like I have. And you will want to share her outlook on "maturing" so check out Feisty Boomer Boutique to pick up some suitable attire to proudly proclaim your boomer spirit.

Elaine Williams - fifty(ish), feisty, on the move, on the air - and a member of the Boomer Biz Coach Community.

Where Have I Been?

I know - I sort of dropped out of site for the past few months. I admit - the anniversary of my dad's death hit me hard. I miss him more than I thought possible - especially if you remember how I used to complain about having to take care of him.

Then Dearl's health problems cropped up again and that has just taken my full attention. It is so hard to watch him slowly get worse as time goes on. But God has seen fit to provide me with not 1 but 3 distractions to care for. 3 new grandbabies in the last 4 months.

Reid Michel Henderson was born in April. He lives in Rogers with mom and dad so it will be very easy to spoil him!

Brianna Lynn Ditmore was born in May. Christine and Brian are currently stationed in Corpus Christie, so I had to go to Texas. I have been present at the birth of every one of my grandchildren and I wasn't going to miss this one. She was premature and had some health issues but she is fine now and is home.

Right after Brianna, I had to head to Jacksonville so I could be there to see Mylie come in to the world. Mylie was a bit later than we thought she would be so I have been in Jacksonville longer than expected. But she and Shelby, her mom, are both doing well.

And Dearl seems to be doing a bit better for the moment. I don't know how long we have - 2 years or 20 - but we have decided to just live each day to the fullest so what time we do have is spent with no regrets.

So - I am back home now and trying to catch up from neglecting everything for so long. Fortunately, most of my stuff runs pretty much on autopilot now so it won't take me long to just go in and update things.

Although I've been slacking off, the ladies from the Boomer Biz Coach program have been hard at work. Check out the latest project from Kathie Thomas. Kathie has taken up photography as her latest endeavor and she has some sensational photographs. In fact, one of her photos has been shortlisted for the Melbourne Map Guide. They found it on Flickr and plan to use it for the Melbourne Butterfly House at the Melbourne Zoo. You can check out Kathie's photos at http://www.photosbykathie.com/.

Meanwhile, please do me a favor? Take our travel survey on Boomer-Living.com. 6 short questions is all it takes and I would be very appreciative. Thanks! http://boomer-living.com/travel/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=118,

Glad to be back at work! Watch for further updates from the Boomer Biz Coach ladies!

YOU the Entrepreneur!

By Mary Eileen Williams

The reasons for starting your own business are numerous and vary from individual to individual. Although each enterprise is unique, there are several key components that form the foundation for every successful venture. It goes without saying you need to perform your due diligence: assess the marketplace, analyze the competition, build a business plan, and secure funding. However, there is much more to the process and these additional factors can make or break your chances for success.

Growing a business, whether online or brick and mortar, generally requires a substantial outlay of resources in the form of money, time, or both. But the intangibles that make up who are you as an entrepreneur are of equal, if not greater, importance. Personal and interpersonal factors, i.e. how you feel about what you do and how you present yourself to others, are the keys to successfully establishing yourself in the marketplace.

Essential components for succeeding as an entrepreneur include having a passion for what you do, the skills to do it, your personal temperament and style, and your ability to effectively articulate what you provide to customers and clients. Accordingly, anyone contemplating going into business should carefully consider the following:

How passionate are you?
What is your level of commitment?
Which aspects of your life are you willing to forego to build your business?
How enthusiastic are you about the product or service you provide?
What drives you to perform at your best?
Which external rewards are important to you, e.g. income, recognition, authority?
How do you get a sense of internal reward; how does this make you feel?
What is your personal vision of success for yourself?

Analyze past achievements and identify your unique abilities:
Identify at least ten examples of when you felt especially successful.
What are the key elements of your successes?
Which skills did you use to achieve these outcomes?
Which talents come naturally to you?
Using which of your abilities energizes you the most?
Which of your skills do others most often recognize and complement you on?

Your Personal Temperament and Style:
What personal traits do you possess that make you successful?
Which types of environments contribute to your sense of satisfaction and success?
How do you feel validated?
How do you contribute in meaningful ways?
Who are you as a person and what makes you unique?

Spreading the Word—Your Added Value:
What is your level of experience performing this service or promoting this product?
In which environments did you gain this experience?
What do you bring to the marketplace that others do not?
How is your service/product relevant to the current needs of your potential customers/clients?
In which ways will people or organizations benefit from working with you?
How does your product or service outperform the competition?
What are the ways you add value?

Without a doubt, there is much to consider when stepping out on your own. Nevertheless, with a passion for what you do, an in-depth knowledge of your unique skill-sets and style, and an ability to distinguish yourself from the competition, you are well on your way to success. Your passion, commitment, flexibility, and vision will stand you in good stead as you embark on one of the most exciting and rewarding ventures of your life!

About the Author
Mary Eileen Williams, M.A., N.C.C. has close to twenty years combined experience as a career/life transition counselor, workshop facilitator, university instructor, and writer. Both her blog, Feisty Side of Fifty, and her radio show, Feisty Side of Fifty Radio celebrate the lives of women fifty and better.

Working Moms, Save Time, Save Money – Eat In!

By Betty Lynch

With everyone worried about today's economy people are looking for ways to save money. One great way to ease your budget is to prepare more meals at home instead of eating out.
Check out your weekly grocery store ads and see what is on sale this month. If chicken is on sale, pull up My Country Kitchen's website and click on the category for chicken. Find a delicious chicken recipe, check your pantry to see if you need any of the ingredients and add them to your shopping list. Continue to check out the grocery store ads and the website until you have all the meals planned for the week. Planning your meals ahead of time and only purchasing what is on your shopping list will save you money.

Once you are home from the grocery store, wash and clean your herbs, lettuces and vegetables, put your chicken and/or meat in sealable bags and label for your dishes. If you need to marinate your meats, add the marinades in your plastic bags and then store in the refrigerator. Place your recipes on a magnet clip and place on the front of your refrigerator. This will keep all your weekly recipes organized and ready for use.

Too busy to cook? Set aside a couple of hours when you get home from the grocery store. If you need to brown ground beef for a dish you are going to have that week, go ahead and brown the meat while you are putting away the groceries. Boiling chicken ahead of time is also a great time saving tip. Then store the meat in labeled plastic bags. This will also cut down your preparation time during the week.

Every time you cook a meal at home instead of picking up the phone to order pizza, put that money that you would have paid for the pizza into a money jar on your kitchen counter. If you go to freezer and pull out a half gallon of ice cream and fix your own ice cream cones instead of going to the local ice cream parlor, put that money into the kitchen money jar. If you fix your own soft drink before you leave the house, instead of stopping by the drive through to pick up a drink, put that money in the kitchen money jar. Or better yet, fix your own coffee every morning instead of stopping by your favorite coffee shop on the way to work, put that money into the kitchen money jar. See how quickly the entire family can save money. I am almost willing to bet you that your entire family will love saving money. The money jar creates a fun way to break old habits of always spending money. Once the money jar is full, plan a special outing or trip with the kitchen money jar savings.

Save time, save money, and spend more time with your family over a home cooked meal. What could be better than that?

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together. My Country Kitchen prides itself in helping family's cook easy, convenient meals so that the family can save money in today's economy. Recipes, tips and ideas for easy and nutritious meals are only a click away. You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com;/ Email at: blynch1490@gmail.com