Monday, August 9, 2010

How to Impact More People

Have you ever told yourself you want to impact more people? Chances are if you’re reading this ezine, you want to make a difference in the lives of others. Right? You want to reach out and help other people with the challenges they’re facing. It doesn’t matter if you’re a business coach, massage therapist, voice teacher, author, speaker, chiropractor, consultant, or jewelry maker. Underneath what you “do” is the desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Too often entrepreneurs (myself included) can get wrapped up in the “doingness” of their business. If you’ve ever had a day in which you run, run, run and do, do, do all day long and at the end of it doesn’t feel like you’ve really HELPED anyone… you know exactly what I’m talking about here. Between creating, marketing, customer service, fulfillment, administration, education, networking, writing, etc, entrepreneurs have pretty full plates. Not to mention, family, friends, spiritual endeavors, fitness/health maintenance, and all the other aspect of life.

So, let’s take it down a notch and look at what you CAN do in each and every moment to impact more people. Let’s look at who you are BEING while you are DOING… because who you are BEING is the very thing that impacts others, not the doing.

If you truly want to serve and impact more people, one valuable practice to get in the habit of is being of higher service to those people you are impacting right now. Take a moment now to think about someone in your life. It could be your spouse, client, business partner/colleague, child or friend… anyone.

Now, ask yourself if you are having the highest, most positive impact you could have on that person. Is their interaction with you uplifting them in the best way, or is it bringing them down. Look at this honestly, right now; there is no right or wrong in what you see, there’s only what is.

The next thing to ask yourself is what do you want to shift within yourself so your PRESENCE has a positive impact on others? What can open you up to being a clear and powerful channel of love in every aspect of your life?

This is how you can impact more people… be a beacon of love and light to whomever is in your presence. It’s not by doing anything in particular, it’s in how you show up with them and for them in each moment. Once you truly come from this place of being a powerful PRESENCE in which other people feel seen, heard, valued, important and loved, you will live an impactful life. You will achieve your mission of making a difference in the lives of others.

And, it is this difference, this dedication to being of service to others (in every area of your life) that will influence and impact your ability to serve more people through your business.


© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

From Laziness to Leadership

By Christine Kloser

What would it look like to lead your life in every moment of every day? I’ve been asking myself this question lately. You’d think being the leader that I am out there in the world with my business… that I’d be leading everywhere in my life.

But, I’m human. And, there are places in my life where I haven’t been leading myself at the level I know I can. So, I’m going to open the vault and share with you something that keeps me from leading EVERYWHERE in my life, and what steps you and I both can take to shift them.

One of the things that keeps me from leading everywhere in my life is laziness. You may be shocked to hear this because I probably don’t appear as someone who is lazy. But, I’ve discovered that often times I put all of my focus and energy into helping my clients step into their greatness, that when I’m not working on my business, I want to take a break and not step into my leadership 100% of the time. I convince myself that when I’m “off duty” I deserve to rest.

Now, just in case you’re saying “yes” of course you deserve a break, you should relax and take some down time for yourself… I’m not talking about that kind of rest. I’ve talking about allowing my consciousness to rest, and that’s not OK with me. In fact, letting my consciousness rest is what gets me in trouble.

It’s not pleasant to admit this to you, or to myself. But, it’s important for me to share it now as I’m being called to uplevel my personal leadership in bigger ways. This all came into more clarity this morning as I was talking with my husband about the work we’re doing with our spiritual teacher. So it’s fresh in my mind and ripe for sharing… and shifting. I hope it is serving you, too!

So, my antidote to laziness is to live my life as who I am when I’m doing my highest work at the Freedom Retreats. At the Freedom Retreats, I am 100% present, connected to Source, available, tuned-in, direct, loving, open to wisdom, trusting, trusted, and masterful in creating the space and safety to facilitate deep transformation and freedom. Literally, the Freedom Retreats feel like heaven on earth for me, and the participants.

Showing up in this way in every moment is going to help me, personally, experience a deeper level of freedom for myself. I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but I do expect myself to take steps in this direction everyday.

So, let me ask you, now… do you look at your life and see pockets of leadership and pocket of laziness? If so, I encourage you to look at who you are when you show up as a leader, and how you can translate that into those areas of your life where you are lazy.

And, now for a word of caution… be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Discovering new things about yourself can be unpleasant and challenging. Remember that you are a spiritual being having a human experience. And, everything you discover that is keeping your soul from living its highest expression in this life… is SERVING you. You are here to experience freedom in the highest possible way. Celebrate those times you discover what’s holding you back… they are in fact the key to your freedom!

[Note: Here’s a link to watch a my music video for "The Key to Freedom." Enjoy! www.loveyourlife.com/keytofreedom]

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Asking For Help

By Christine Kloser

For years I struggle with asking for help. It seems to be a common thing among many entrepreneurs… the feeling that you have to “do it all.” This feeling usually lies at the surface for us, because entrepreneurs are typically capable, confident, creative, “go getter” kind of people. We have a vision, a mission, a calling and a commitment to do what we need to do to achieve our goals in the world.

Yet, sometimes being capable can turn into overcompensation and drive home the feeling that we must do it all. When in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
I remember the first time I heard Loral Langemeier speak. She had come out to Los Angeles to talk at my one-day seminars for women entrepreneurs. One of the things she shared was that nobody is a “self-made” millionaire. She went on to say that every millionaire out there is a “team-made” millionaire… because they realized and utilized the value of having other people support them on their journey of success.

So, why is it so difficult to ask for help? For me, it’s a rather long and complicated answer with lots of dynamics at play, but the bottom-line is that I viewed asking for help as a sign of weakness. Couple that with my other thought that nobody would be there for me anyway even if I did ask, and you get one overworked, overstressed, “all too important” wonder woman… who really can’t do everything she thinks she can and still enjoy a high quality of life.

Thankfully, I’ve woken up to the gifts of asking for help. I think the turning point for me in asking for help was in 2008 when I called one of my book coaching/publishing “competitors” and asked her for a meeting to talk about working together. In the past I wouldn’t have let myself do that, especially with someone who could be viewed as a direct “competitor.” What if she said “no, thank you?” I would have been seen as weak (in my eyes).

But, she said “yes” and the gifts of joining in partnership with Lynne have been so abundant that I can’t imagine what my publishing business (or my life) would look like had I never gathered the courage and strength to ask her if she wanted to work in partnership with me and help grow our business together.

Now, we’ve grown to the point where we have lots of exciting, new projects on the table (you’ll be hearing about them soon) and we’ve asked for and received tons of help with all of them. Literally, we have a team around us that allows Lynne and I to be in our brilliance and creativity while having all the help we need… where others do those things we don’t do well or don’t want to do.

Asking for help brings you freedom! It brings you peace of mind. And, it brings the knowingness that at the heart of every human being is the desire to offer help. Just think about how good you feel when someone asks you for something and you step up to help them. Whether it’s the old woman at the grocery store who needs help reaching to the top shelf for an item, or a friend who is in crisis and needs a shoulder to cry on, to a marketing partner who you’re happy to support, or a client who needs an extra nudge with a challenge they’re going through.

Our hearts are abundant with the desire to be of service and help others. And, it’s a two-way street. As much as your heart is ready, willing and eager to help other people… their hearts are ready willing and eager to help you! Remember, it’s OK to need and want help, it’s OK to ask for help and there are people who will be happy to help YOU… including me!

Note: If you want MY help, please join me tomorrow for my F R E E monthly group coaching call, “Wake Up Wednesday.” Get the details at:
www.LoveYourLife.com/wakeupwednesday


© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Leading Yourself Forward

By Christine Kloser

Imagine you’re trotting along in your business, doing everything you think you should be doing, only to discover your compass wasn’t pointing to your true north. Your compass was being impacted by the direction that society, family, colleagues, and perhaps even coaches thought you should go in.

One day, you wake up to the reality that you aren’t where you want to be even though it all “looks” right on the outside. The problem is it doesn’t FEEL right on the inside. At first, you may deny the reality that’s setting in, you may try harder to get ahead and stay out there and do what you feel must be done to just keep going (though somewhat blindly), and eventually, you have an experience like I did last week; eventually you truly see what’s been happening. And, you allow yourself to feel the pain of the misalignment, of not paying attention to what you were feeling, to squelching that intuitive nudge that was whispering to you over and over again.

Basically, you dive!

But, the most important part of diving is not keeping yourself underwater when you have the tools to propel yourself back up to the surface. So, you may be asking, “What do you mean by keeping myself under water?” What I mean is you could choose (perhaps unconsciously) to keep yourself stuck; to stuff that’s going on, to “get busy,” to look outside of yourself and blame someone else, to beat yourself up, to affirm to yourself you’re “not enough”, to doubt if anything you’ve ever done has mattered, and on it goes.

When you’re on this journey of waking up and truly embracing what it means to be a conscious entrepreneur, these moments of “diving” are going to happen, they are part of your ascension process. However, that does not mean you get to stay there, not by a long shot! It is your responsibility to do what you need to do to shift yourself. Conscious entrepreneurs are the rising leaders in our transforming world… but we can’t contribute anything if we’re keeping ourselves “under water.”

So, how can you propel yourself to the surface? I’ll share with you what I did in hopes it will help you navigate the narrow passages that rise up on this journey. First, I allowed the painful feelings to rise to the surface, I allowed the tears to flow, I allowed myself to feel what I was feeling and dive into the feeling rather than stuff it down as it welled up inside of me.

I gave myself permission to curl up on the couch in my office and cry, in the middle of the work day! This is not something I’ve ever allowed myself to do… I had a “rule” that if it’s between 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, I had to work. Well, it became crystal clear to me that curling up on the couch and crying WAS exactly the WORK I needed to do in that moment.

I shared what I was going through with some of my closest friends and soul family, and received their love and support. I didn’t try to rush through my process, rather I gently allowed myself to be in it as long as I needed until I felt the light shining through.

As a result, I also discovered that I can give myself the gift of “diving” in the middle of a workday and come back to my desk after I shifted into a peaceful place. I dove, and then returned to the surface to crank out “practical” work with more ease and speed than I ever could have if I didn’t allow myself the space to feel what was happening first.

This is what, for me, it looks like to lead myself. I did what I needed to do for me. I went through it on my own, but I didn’t isolate myself in the process. I allowed myself time and space (without an agenda) to BE with what was happening. And, I could then do what needed to be done for my business (and my family) even while I was in the thick of my process.

So, let me ask, what would it look like for you to lead yourself out of these narrow passages that arise on your path? How would you move through the doubt, fear and pain to reconnect with and rediscover the magnificent, bright light inside of you?

You are a conscious entrepreneur. You are on a SOUL journey. You are here to awaken. You are here to serve FROM your highest FOR the highest. Learning to lead yourself from the darkness to the light is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, and the world around you.

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Things Aren’t Always What They Appear To Be

By Christine Kloser

Have you ever been 100% certain that a situation really was exactly what you thought it was; only to find out later you were completely wrong? The truth is things aren’t always what they appear to be. Often when you’re totally convinced that a certain thing is true, you end up finding out it’s not true at all.

I recently met an incredible singer/songwriter, Tiamo, at an event with Christian Mickelson and his song “Universe” speaks directly to this experience. Here are the opening lyrics to his song…

“I had a conversation with the Universe late last night.
It told me that the things I think are wrong always turn out right.
Cause blessings often come to parties uninvited in disguise.
So when you get the door, it’s always best to have an open mind.

Because I believe that everything has Divine reasoning,
and I believe that everything has deeper meaning.”
~Tiamo

The truth is that everything does have a deeper meaning. Underneath every supposed challenge or struggle, something deeper is happening.

I’m sure if you take a moment right now to think about a challenging time in your life, you can look beyond the challenge to see the gifts from that experience. Hindsight is always 20/20.

So, are there situations appearing in your life or your business right now that appear to be “true” for you, and are causing you to contract, rather than expand? Perhaps you’re struggling with financial, emotional, relationship or health challenges and you are only seeing what they are at the surface.

I invite you to look deeper at these issues and look for the gift(s) they are here to bring. -What if the financial challenge you’re facing is here to teach you about and bring you abundance?

What if the personal issue you’re facing is here to help you to believe in and love yourself?
What if the relationship issue you’re facing is showing up to mirror back to you the places you need to heal?
What if the health issue you’re facing is surfacing for you to learn to take care of yourself and receive love and support in your life?
What if…
The only way I’ve managed to gracefully move through the challenges I’ve faced (and continue to face) is my commitment to looking beneath apparent circumstances to find the deeper meaning. This is what I hope for you as you journey through your life and business.

You’re always going to be thrown curve balls, especially as an entrepreneur. Your soul signed up for this journey! The truth underneath everything is that you are never given more than you can handle; the Universe is indeed conspiring for your highest good, always… including right now!

So, let go of your grip on what appears to be true in your life, and dig underneath it to see what’s really true. Chances are you will discover a gift that’s been waiting for you. It’s time to unwrap that gift and receive it!

NOTE: If you want to listen to Tiamo’s song “Universe” or view the lyrics, just go to http://www.tiamomusic.com/music.html.

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Live Your Destiny

By Christine Kloser

What does it mean to live YOUR destiny? The more I’ve been committed to living this path for myself, the more I’m inspired when I see others out there in the world doing exactly what there are meant to be doing. Every time I see someone marching to the beat of their own drum, doing exactly what is right for them, it inspires me to do the same.

When I heard Elizabeth Gilbert (author of “Eat, Pray, Love”) speak recently, she said, “It’s imperative to live your OWN destiny, rather than an imitation of somebody else’s.” Nothing could be more true. If you try to live someone else’s destiny rather than your own, you will never end up where you’re meant to be… you will never end up at the destination called YOU!

So, as I contemplate living my OWN destiny, I can’t help but think of the TV show “American Idol”. Granted, I am not a big TV watcher, but I really do love “Idol” and I cry every time someone has to go home. Anyway, stay with me here…

There are two singers on that show that, for me, stand head and shoulders above the rest; Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze! The reason why they stand out to me is that week after week, no matter what song genre they’re given, they are 100% consistent in how they show up. They don’t try to be like anyone else, they don’t try to sound like anyone else, they don’t try to look like anyone else… they don’t try to play any other role other than themselves!

They are both unassuming characters on the show. Crystal in her dreadlocks and piercing and Lee struggling with his confidence. Yet, there they are; on stage in front of millions of people, simply doing what they’re destined to do… singing and impacting lives with their powerful music.

So, how about you? Where do you stand on the “living YOUR destiny” path?

I encourage you either in the privacy of your own heart and soul, or in the sacred safety of a trusting friendship or spiritual group, to allow yourself to explore this question. Too often, it’s easy to slip into doing things “because.” And, too often “because” isn’t the right reason to be doing something.

Take an honest assessment of where you are right now in your life and in your business. Whose life are you living? Are you truly living your OWN destiny (as Elizabeth Gilbert says) or an imitation of somebody else’s.

Sometimes it can be challenging to know the difference, especially if you’re already pretty far down a path. However, it’s never too late, no matter what the circumstances to make some new choices for yourself.

I know, for myself, even though 2009 was my best year in business ever, something didn’t feel right. And, I began asking myself “whose destiny are you living?” It was not an easy question to be contemplating amidst the outside view of success. Yet, I couldn’t deny the stirring inside of me that knew I wasn’t fully living MY destiny. The moment I saw this for myself, was the moment that everything began to change for the better. I can honestly say now that I feel like I am living my destiny, and allowing it to unfold one day at a time. And, so it is…

I invite you to contemplate this question for yourself… are you living your destiny? Be gentle with whatever the answer is. Allow it to be what it is and begin to take one step at a time toward exploring, uncovering and living your destined life. If you simply keep asking the question, and seeking the answer gently, you will soon find yourself living your destiny each and every day! This is my wish for you.

~~~~~~~~~

Note: If you would like a safe, sacred, supportive place to explore these questions, and find the answers, I want to invite you to consider joining me at my Freedom Retreat… as this is the depth of the work we do there. It would be an honor to assist you on this powerful journey. www.thefreedomformula.com/retreats

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Attracting Success

By Christine Kloser

Success is not something you achieve.
Success is something you attract by who you become.
~Anonymous

I heard this quote from a 15-year old boy who led a group of teenagers to perform the church service last week. As soon as I heard these words come out of his young mouth, I grabbed a pen and paper to capture this profound piece of wisdom. (You never know who will show up to be your teacher!)

Too often, I see entrepreneurs searching for and willfully working toward an experience of “success.” Heck, this is what I had done for a number of years as I tried strategy after strategy after strategy, following other people’s suggestions about what would bring me success. It worked, to a point. But no matter what I did that was “supposed” to help me achieve success, it never got me to the highest place I wanted to be within myself or in my work.

Success is not something you achieve.
If you are going about your business as if success were something you could achieve, like a goal, you’re going about it the wrong way. I invite you to consider what “success” means to you. Honestly evaluate if it is something you feel happens from outside of yourself. Will you feel successful when you launch a high-ticket program? When you earn multiple six-figures? When you gain a certain amount of visibility and credibility in your market? When you take that vacation, buy those shoes or finish your book?

None of those things are a true measure of success, at least not if you’re on a conscious path of entrepreneurship. If you’re “asleep” rather than “awake” on the journey, indeed some of these things may define success for you. But, if you’re reading my article and connecting with my message, I’ll assume you are “awake” on your entrepreneurial journey.

Success is something you attract by who you become.
Real success is not something you can make happen. You can’t force it, you can’t use your human will to create it, and you can’t follow a calculated plan to create it. As the wise 15-year old shared, success is something you attract by who you become.

So, the question then lies in who are you becoming? Who are you being? How are you showing up in the world? Do you speak of success yet complain that it’s not happening? Do you knock your head against the wall over and over again without stopping to find out what’s happening inside of you? Are you in search of success, but not willing to search INSIDE for the answers?

If success is something you attract by who you become then your main focus on your path of success, needs to be YOU! This has been my own experience. As I took the leap to turn my external focus inward, to search for success inside of myself rather than in what I achieved… everything changed. I’m telling you that if you do the INNER work of success, it has to show up on the outside.

Ever since I started walking the road less traveled and stepped away from the typical “success models” out there in the world, I am feeling and experiencing more success than ever before. But, I’m not working anymore to achieve success. I’m working internally to experience more of who I really am. And, when you’re in a state of being who you are and opening, clearing, healing, trusting, creating, loving, releasing, etc. the Universe does respond!

So, ask yourself this… do you want to achieve success? Or, attract success by who you become? The answer to this question and what you choose to do with it is the most important thing on your plate right now! Give yourself the gift in this moment to contemplate this question, write down your insight and identify at least one shift you can make this week to become more of who it is you want to be.

Note: This article will be the topic of my F R E E call coming up shortly titled “Shift Your Being… Shift Your Business.” Be sure to keep your eyes out for the details soon!

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser is the award-winning author of The Freedom Formula and Conscious Entrepreneurs. She is widely recognized as an expert in the field of conscious entrepreneurship having spoken alongside such luminaries as Neale Donald Walsch, Dr. Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, James Twyman and Marianne Williamson. Christine works with entrepreneurs to embrace a new paradigm of success… helping them experience true freedom and fulfillment in their life and their business. Get a F R E E chapter of her award-winning book, The Freedom Formula at www.thefreedomformula.com/freechapter.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum

By Christine Kloser

For most of my life I’ve been conditioned to march to the beat of a familiar drum… the drum that says, “fall into line, don’t break the mold, do what everyone else is doing, follow the pack, don’t make waves, fit in with the crowd, etc.” The beat of this drum had become so familiar to me that I didn’t even notice it was beating in the background of my life.

In all honesty, that familiar beat had been running my life. Yes, I stepped out of the usual nine-to-five corporate mold that society teaches us is what success looks like. But, I stepped into an entrepreneurial mold that had a similar beat… “Do what everyone else is doing.” And, so I did – for several years – until I realized that I didn’t want to be marching to the beat of that drum anymore.

And, so the quest began to march to the beat of my own drum… to do the deep inner work to discover what is true and right for me. I have made much progress on my quest. I’ve discovered so much more certainty within myself, while also feeling less certainty on the external level. The beauty is that I’m finding comfort in the “I don’t know.” Because what I DO know, is that I’m beginning to march to the beat of my own drum. And, with certainty like that, it makes any external uncertainty a non-issue.

So, what does it take to march to the beat of your own drum?

Opening Your Eyes
First, you’ve got to open your eyes to the truth of what is happening within you and around you. You must raise your level of consciousness and become keenly aware of your own thoughts, feelings, motivations, etc. It’s only when you begin to open your eyes to the truth (and allow yourself to see it and feel it) that you can begin to shift what isn’t working. For many years I had an inner inkling that something wasn’t quite right with a part of my business. And, it wasn’t until I looked into those dark corners that I could see for the first time what I wanted to shift, how I wanted to shift and what had been holding me back from a life of total freedom. And, it had nothing to do with my business, but everything to do with ME!

So, step one is to take a look and see if there’s anything you’ve been staying blind to that it’s time for you to see.

Compassion
Please, please, please… have compassion for yourself on this journey. I used to think that every time I saw something unpleasant about myself, my life or my business that I was “supposed” to use it to beat myself up. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you open your eyes and begin to see things… you must learn to have compassion for yourself as you become more conscious and free yourself at a deeper level. Marching to the beat of your own drum requires that you LOVE yourself forward (that’s a fabulous phrase I got from my spiritual teacher), not that you beat yourself up. So, as you do the work to find YOUR unique rhythm, have compassion for yourself and who you have been up until now. You have always only done the best you could with what you knew at the time.

So, step two is to allow yourself to see something that isn’t working for you and have compassion for yourself as you see it.

Commitment
I love the word commitment! I learned many years ago, at the very first personal development program I attended in 1995, that commitment equals freedom! At first, I thought the trainer was crazy, but the more I thought about it the more I saw the truth in this. When you are totally committed to something (in this case, your authentic expression in the world) you don’t have any other options. Your choices of being “less than your best authentic self” get taken away. And, that’s a good thing! Why would you want to be committed to anything less than pursuing your authentic expression in the world 100%?! It makes no sense. So, if you’re going to walk on this journey of marching to the beat of your own drum… COMMIT to it! And, let it take you where you’re meant to go.

So, step three is to make a commitment to yourself right now that you will do whatever it takes to release the “should’s” from your life and learn to march to the beat of your own drum!

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know... Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Truth About What’s Really Running Your Business

By Christine Kloser

There’s a silent epidemic happening for entrepreneurs world-wide. It’s not a pretty epidemic, nor is it fun… but it’s an epidemic that can be eradicated by each and every entrepreneur who has been affected by it.

I was personally impacted by this epidemic for many, many years in my business without having any conscious awareness that it was happening, that it had its hold on me. And, I’m hearing more and more about this epidemic as entrepreneurs are waking up and beginning to realize what’s really happening in their businesses.

And, the epidemic is this…. I call it the “Unconscious, Conscious Entrepreneur” syndrome. I can hear you already saying, “What?” “What does it mean to be an “unconscious, conscious entrepreneur?” Right? If you’re reading this ezine and believe in a conscious approach to business, how could you be unconsciousness?

The answer is this. There are ways of being, old habits, default patterns that you aren’t even aware of that are running your business, and your life. While you are likely working very hard (like I did) not to let these old beliefs and behaviors take over… they are so insidious, they can’t help but creep in.

Here are a two of the most common ways this epidemic shows up, and my personal experience with each:

I’m Not Good Enough
If somewhere in your psyche, you have a belief that you are not “good enough” (which is very common for us overachieving entrepreneurs), no matter how much you take action and do things in your business to feel good enough, there will always be an empty space inside of you that can never be filled no matter how much you achieve. Feeling like “enough” has to come from inside of you… it can never come from anything outside of yourself.

How this core belief showed up in me was in my ambitious drive to excel, achieve, and accomplish. While I was connected to really wanting to help people, there had been this underlying “frenetic” feeling that I always had to be doing more. At the time I wasn’t aware that my ambition and my drive to excel was being fueled by a feeling of not being “good enough.” Once I shifted away from being an “unconscious, conscious entrepreneur” and opened my eyes to what was really happening inside of myself, everything changed.

So, I invite you to simply notice if you have an underlying feeling of “not being good enough.” If you do, allow yourself to see how this belief (which is not really the truth of who you are) plays out in your life and your business. With this new awareness, now stay “awake” to it and you’ll see you can begin to make some new choices.

I’m Worried About What Others Think
This is another biggy! Be honest with yourself, and ask yourself if you’re ever done something (or not done something) because of what someone else might think? Did you launch a program you really didn’t want to do, just because your coach or a colleague told you to do it? Have you ever said “yes” to something you wanted to say “no” to because you didn’t want to let down the other person? Chances are you’ve done these things because you allow what others think about you to have an influence on you.

This was another big learning area for me. I used to worry about what others thought about me and what I did or didn’t do (in fact, to be honest, every now and then I still feel this old thought pattern creeping in). But, once I realized how much I had been sacrificing my own joy trying to fit into someone else’s idea of me – someone else’s “box” – I have been working hard within myself to not worry so much about what other people think about me. It’s a tough lesson to learn, especially when you care about others and don’t want to make waves or cause anyone to be upset. However, the most important person to not upset or make waves with is yourself!

So, beginning today, let yourself see if you have been worried about what other people think of you. And, begin to imagine what would be possible if you thought most about what you thought of you. As one of my friends likes to say, “What you think of me is none of my business.”

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know... Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

The Truth About What’s Really Running Your Business

There’s a silent epidemic happening for entrepreneurs world-wide. It’s not a pretty epidemic, nor is it fun… but it’s an epidemic that can be eradicated by each and every entrepreneur who has been affected by it.

I was personally impacted by this epidemic for many, many years in my business without having any conscious awareness that it was happening, that it had its hold on me. And, I’m hearing more and more about this epidemic as entrepreneurs are waking up and beginning to realize what’s really happening in their businesses.

And, the epidemic is this…. I call it the “Unconscious, Conscious Entrepreneur” syndrome. I can hear you already saying, “What?” “What does it mean to be an “unconscious, conscious entrepreneur?” Right? If you’re reading this ezine and believe in a conscious approach to business, how could you be unconsciousness?

The answer is this. There are ways of being, old habits, default patterns that you aren’t even aware of that are running your business, and your life. While you are likely working very hard (like I did) not to let these old beliefs and behaviors take over… they are so insidious, they can’t help but creep in.

Here are a two of the most common ways this epidemic shows up, and my personal experience with each:

I’m Not Good Enough
If somewhere in your psyche, you have a belief that you are not “good enough” (which is very common for us overachieving entrepreneurs), no matter how much you take action and do things in your business to feel good enough, there will always be an empty space inside of you that can never be filled no matter how much you achieve. Feeling like “enough” has to come from inside of you… it can never come from anything outside of yourself.

How this core belief showed up in me was in my ambitious drive to excel, achieve, and accomplish. While I was connected to really wanting to help people, there had been this underlying “frenetic” feeling that I always had to be doing more. At the time I wasn’t aware that my ambition and my drive to excel was being fueled by a feeling of not being “good enough.” Once I shifted away from being an “unconscious, conscious entrepreneur” and opened my eyes to what was really happening inside of myself, everything changed.

So, I invite you to simply notice if you have an underlying feeling of “not being good enough.” If you do, allow yourself to see how this belief (which is not really the truth of who you are) plays out in your life and your business. With this new awareness, now stay “awake” to it and you’ll see you can begin to make some new choices.

I’m Worried About What Others Think
This is another biggy! Be honest with yourself, and ask yourself if you’re ever done something (or not done something) because of what someone else might think? Did you launch a program you really didn’t want to do, just because your coach or a colleague told you to do it? Have you ever said “yes” to something you wanted to say “no” to because you didn’t want to let down the other person? Chances are you’ve done these things because you allow what others think about you to have an influence on you.

This was another big learning area for me. I used to worry about what others thought about me and what I did or didn’t do (in fact, to be honest, every now and then I still feel this old thought pattern creeping in). But, once I realized how much I had been sacrificing my own joy trying to fit into someone else’s idea of me – someone else’s “box” – I have been working hard within myself to not worry so much about what other people think about me. It’s a tough lesson to learn, especially when you care about others and don’t want to make waves or cause anyone to be upset. However, the most important person to not upset or make waves with is yourself!

So, beginning today, let yourself see if you have been worried about what other people think of you. And, begin to imagine what would be possible if you thought most about what you thought of you. As one of my friends likes to say, “What you think of me is none of my business.”

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know... Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Be Who You Are

By Christine Kloser

Do what you can.
Want what you have.
Be who you are.

These three simple lines were the message of the sermon I heard at church last weekend. As I heard these words, each one of them landed firmly in my heart and in my body as TRUTH.

Think for a moment about how much you try to “do, do, do.” Perhaps you often end your days feeling as if you didn’t get enough done. It’s a debilitating cycle to continually feel like you are not doing enough. And, of course this triggers a deeper rooted feeling of simply not believing YOU are enough.

It’s safe to say this is a cycle you are not interested in engaging in. So, let’s look at the first of these simple, yet profound, statements. “Do what you can.” Imagine living your life from the place of only doing what you can do. Not trying to do more than is humanly possible, not trying to overcompensate for your weakness by striving to do more and more, but instead believing you are valuable and enough for WHO YOU ARE. Right now, take a deep breath and give yourself permission to do what you can today and to feel GOOD about it. And, embrace this philosophy every day.

The next of these statements is another profound teaching… “Want what you have.” Imagine living your life from the place of wanting what you have rather than feeling the scarcity and lack that comes from wanting those things you don’t have. If you could release your desire for the things you don’t yet have, and truly embrace the feeling of wanting what you DO have… your world would shift from scarcity to abundance in a split second. You’re BEING would shift from contracted to expanded in a heartbeat.

The wanting of what you don’t have is likely tied into the same thread that’s present in doing more than you can… and this is the feeling of “not enough.” The feeling of not enough (and always wanting more) will be ever present until you stop searching outside of yourself for anything. If you’ve been on any sort of spiritual journey you are likely nodding in agreement with what you’re reading here. But, for those of you who are new to the concept of not seeking anything outside of yourSELF, I invite you simply to begin contemplating what that would look like for you. Who would you be and how would you feel if YOU were the only one you wanted anything from?

And, this leads me to the third profound statement I received at church and that is “Be who you are.” It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But, when you bring in expectations, approval seeking, not feeling like enough, trying to “fit in,” wanting to be liked, society pressure, family pressure, peer pressure, and a critical inner voice making you think you “should” be something other than who you are… you’ll soon see that the simple act of “being who you are” is not so simple.

One of the most valuable and insightful questions you can ever ask yourself is, “Who am I?” Because in answering a question of this depth and importance, you’ll begin to see that who you are has nothing to do with your career, your business or what you do. It has nothing to do with being a mother, wife, sister, son, friend or colleague. It has nothing to do with the size of your home, the make of your car or your wardrobe. Who you are is much more than any of that.

So, I ask you now to contemplate this question…. “Who are you?” Allow yourself to go beyond any material identification to get to the depths of your heart and soul where the answer to that question is always there waiting for you to remember.

© 2010 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know... Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

Monday, January 25, 2010

I Surrender!

By Christine Kloser

Have you ever felt like you’ve been WILLING your way forward in your business, or your life? Like you’ve been pushing a boulder up hill thinking that if you just push harder, just “did” more, just handled one more thing that suddenly the boulder would move?

If you’re nodding your head up and down right now, you’re not alone. I have spent years of my career “working hard”, sacrificing myself, thinking I had to keep “doing” more… worrying if I was moving fast enough, or falling behind. I was trying to move forward with ease and grace while simultaneously having both of my hands firmly placed on a boulder that I thought I had to push up hill.

Pushing a boulder up hill doesn’t work. In the short run, you might feel like you’re making progress because you moved an inch… but why would you keep pushing for an inch and thinking that was some great progress? You deserve much more than that!

It’s time to surrender the boulder, to completely and totally let it go… so you can breathe, relax, open, trust and allow the flow of grace to guide you. So, perhaps you’re asking yourself how you can let go of the boulder without getting crushed?

The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy. First, you must get clear on what the boulder really is that you’re truly pushing up the hill. Often times what you THINK you’re working on isn’t REALLY what you’re working on at a deeper level.

For instance, the entrepreneur who thinks the boulder is about a particular project they’re wanting to launch, may discover if they look deep enough that the boulder isn’t about the project, rather it’s about them thinking they “have to do more” in order to feel worthy.

Or, the entrepreneur who works to model other successful businesses they see out there, may discover that the boulder they’re pushing is really that they don’t feel like who they are is enough, so they try to mold themselves around what other people are doing.

This approach to business can never work. Many entrepreneurs I talk to feel like there is some boulder they are trying to push uphill… but sadly there’s not a lot of help being offered to help them look at what the boulder really is. Rather, much of the help they get is trying to help them move the boulder in a new or different way. But, hello! The boulder is still there… and just because it can move another inch because of some new technique or strategy doesn’t mean the boulder is gone.

What I encourage you to do is to look at the boulders in your business. Where are you working hard and not getting the results you want? What do you keep trying to do that just isn’t coming to fruition? What things keep happening in your business (or your life) over and over again that you do not like? These are all boulders.

Allow yourself to surrender your hold on the boulder and begin to ask yourself what the boulder is really about… and not at a surface level, but deep inside of yourself. What are you really trying to do? Prove yourself, gain attention, feel like enough, feel worthy/deserving, keep up with the “Jones’.” What is it that you are really trying to do when you push against that boulder? This is the only question that matters, and if what you’re doing isn’t serving you at the highest level, then surrender the boulder, and allow yourself to see everything that’s underneath it.

Taking this courageous step will help you discover what you need to learn about yourself so you can free yourself from ever feeling the need to push a boulder uphill again.

This is what I’ve been doing, and continue to do in my own business. And, I can tell you from experience that surrendering the boulders and going deep within myself to see what the boulders are really about has been the most freeing thing I’ve ever done for my business, and more importantly… my SELF! I encourage you to do the same!