Horizons Magazine

March 2008

Hello and welcome to the March 2008 issue of Horizons Magazine. Happy Spring Equinox! Time for planning and celebrating new beginnings. Also perfect timing for this month's editorial, and - as always - all the names below have been changed. The two questions I'm most being asked right now are “How can I increase my business?” and “How do I choose the 'right' teacher?” Both have to do with renewal! And I can answer both with my personal story.

Now my criteria may be stricter than most because I know how energy works and I am MEGA aware of karmic implications. There are a lot of different types of spiritual and metaphysical classes being offered and - as with everything else - you will attract those that you most need at the time. The first thing I look at is not the credentials, not the business license. It's not how much schooling someone has had or even how many years they have been practicing it. It's how they treat the ones closest to them. It's their relationship score sheet. It's how they honor and respect their peers. It's how much integrity they have in personal matters. It's how honest they are in business dealings. It's in how much gossip they spread. It's in how critical or allowing they are of the ones closest to them. I can get all the technical details of metaphysical lessons for free on the internet, but there's value in having a personal teacher who can help accelerate growth. The key is to find/attract a teacher who is clear. All the while realizing you will only attract someone who is as clear as you are :)

Jane and John are personal friends who are married partner entrepreneurs with several home businesses outside Tallahassee. John works their internet business from home while he watches their 3 small children, and he also handles the domestic duties. Jane first came to me last year seeking to increase their business, and wasn't prepared for what I told her. In addition to being a bank officer, Jane is also a home minister and teacher of spiritual principles. One thing Jane does constantly and without realizing it is be critical of John in front of friends, students and clients. Just last weekend before class someone asked for coffee and Jane remarked “John didn't make coffee yet. John should have made coffee by now.” That remark (and that thought) was not necessary. That thought means you are not in the Here and Now. If you're in the Here and Now, you don't carry the baggage of yesterday into it; you are thinking anew. In the Here and Now, you simply see the coffeepot is empty and you fill it. In the Here and Now, you simply make coffee.

I told Jane that to partners in business, it's helpful to understand the basics of how it is all related.

• How you feel about and treat your partner affects the business.

• How your partner feels about and treats you affects the business.

• Jane can't think about and treat John one way and expect the Universe to return to her anything other than what she sent out.

• The Power Of The Now says: :Find a way to release old baggage. Stop thinking about it anew each day. Change the thoughts every time they come up.” That means when the critical thoughts arise, tell yourself, “I just caught myself doing it again. My old thoughts no longer apply so I am going to replace them with new thoughts.that are more true for me now.

An example of replacement thoughts for Jane:

I value John for the contributions he makes that do not appear on the weekly balance sheet. I give him credit for every effort he expends in making our life and our businesses run smoothly. I appreciate that he takes on the home and office administration. I recognize that he sacrifices his own playtime to work on the books or get the kid's laundry done. Even though he doesn't draw a paycheck, I know it's important to put a dollar value to each job he does, and to keep a running total. I know it's important for him to see evidence that I am aware of his contribution and that I value it. And that I value it enough on a weekly basis to figure his hours and ”income” weekly just like the other employees. Tonight, we will sit down together and make a list of all John's “jobs” and put a weekly dollar value on each. Hmmm, what is a fair wage for a full time nanny, bookkeeper, landscaper, housekeeper, car mechanic, tax accountant, personal assistant, personal agent and public relations liaison? Yikes, can I even afford him??

This Spring Equinox, if Jane will continue to use her “replacement thoughts” she will find that not only will her relationship with John improve, their businesses will flourish, and the renewal she has been seeking will find her.

Besides “replacement thoughts,” these tips: Together at least twice daily do a visualization session to envision the calls coming in, envision new people walking in the door and being excited about what they find there. Envision opening your bank statement and seeing the balance double and triple. Envision opening your email and seeing the registrations and PayPal payments come in. Envision going out to your mailbox and opening it and seeing lots of checks with your name on them. Envision people you already know coming to class or current students taking extra classes. Envision them telling friends about it, and see them happy and excited about what you have to offer. Do these visualizations long enough and often enough that you yourself feel excited and hopeful while you are doing them. From that consciousness, people will be drawn to you and your business.

It's the basic law of attraction at work. And the best part? Knowing that YOU are the one in charge of how much business you attract to yourself, that YOU alone determine what your income will be and how your time will be spent. Me? I make my visualization time the most important daily priority I have.

Oh, one more thing: Don't forget that everything you do and how you think and what you say in all other areas of your life also impacts your income. We know now that it's all related. You can't be critical or hold grudges or be unforgiving or get aggravated by competition or the news without it impacting your income. It's all related. You can't complain about the current administration or the state of the economy without it impacting your income. It's all related.

Enjoy our offering this month. Remember, time flies whether you're having fun or not. Hari Om.