Knowing Your Value

One of the biggest marketing mistakes is one that is so insidious that it's invisible to most of us. In speaking with thousands of Independent Professionals over the years I've asked this question: "Do you think you're getting paid what you're worth?"

And never, not once in twenty two years, has anyone said, "Yes, I am." Everyone feels they are not getting paid what they are worth, and yet almost nobody does anything about it.
Even if I gave you a dozen strategies to raise your rates or to repackage your services for higher value, you'd likely have a problem doing it because your "wealth thermostat" is set at a fixed position that always springs back to where it was.

Your wealth thermostat is set for the amount of income you feel comfortable earning in a year. Perhaps it's $50K or $100K or 200K or $500K per year. And anything much beyond that level is not only uncomfortable to you, it's downright scary.

Do any of the following statements seem true to you?

• You see money as a scarce commodity that's hard to get more of (no matter what you earn).

• You think people that make more money than you do are morally inferior to you (even while you envy them).

• You find it hard to invest in yourself (workshops, books programs). Investments always looks like expenses to you.

• When you make good money you tell yourself that it won't last or that it's not enough. The glass is always half empty.

• You feel virtuous when you work hard and do a good job, but feel a little (or a lot) guilty when you charge a high fee.

All of these are symptoms of a scarcity mindset. And for some reason, most of us seem to be afflicted with it to one degree or another. Having money naturally flowing into our lives easily and effortlessly is a foreign concept to most of us.

Starting to Value Yourself

What can you do to start moving from a scarcity to a sufficiency or abundance mindset? There are a lot of ways, and I won't pretend that you can change your whole money mindset overnight, so I want to focus on one simple thing - what you actually charge your clients.

What you're going to do is change the settings on your wealth thermostat. It's a simple, 5-step process that won't take long and will help you shift your perception of the value of your services.

1. Make a list of the things you have helped your clients with. This should be a long list that includes everything you can think of.

2. Narrow this list down to just five clients that you had the most success with and try to estimate the actual value each client received from you. Make it as tangible as possible.

3. Next ask yourself, given the actual value that each client received, what would be a fair price for your services? How does this compare to the price you actually charged?

4. Now take this new, fairer price that's based on real value provided and double it. So if you originally charged $1,000 and a fair price would be $2,000, then write down $4,000.

5. Then do this exercise out loud (with yourself or a friend): What's your price for this project? You: The price for this project is $4,000. Repeat several times over a period of time until it feels natural and easy to say it.

The next time you quote a price at the real value of $2,000, it will seem very reasonable, if not downright cheap. You will have shifted your wealth thermostat and it will feel much more comfortable charging higher fees.

Not only that, the prospect will show less resistance in paying those fees. As this new wealth setting becomes a reality for you, it becomes a reality to others.

Try it, it works!

The More Clients Bottom Line: You're as wealthy, successful and as valuable as you think you are. Before you earn more money, you need to believe you are worth more. Change your wealth thermostat and money will start to come more easily, with less struggle.
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Need to Take Back Control of Your Life? Stop Complaining!

Everyone falls victim to complaining every now and again. That's why "venting" is such a popular pastime! However, if you genuinely believe your life isn't what it should be, complaining isn't going to help.

Excessive complaining makes everyone uncomfortable. Think about someone you know who complains a lot. Chances are you try to avoid him - and other people do too. The last thing you want is to be "that guy" - the guy no one wants to talk to, for fear he'll launch into a complaint rant.

So, what can you do to stop complaining and get your life back on track - instead of letting it control you?

First, you need to understand that complaining is a bad habit - much like biting your nails or picking at a scab; all it does is make things worse. Complaining may even be something you do without thinking, because it's become such a habitual part of your life.

Many people start complaining because they've created a bunch of negative thoughts in their own heads. They realize they're making their feelings of anger or frustration worse, so they try to get rid of it all by complaining.

Instead of falling victim to those negative thoughts, make a conscious effort to get rid of them. Promise yourself that you're not going to let some negativity define who you are. Remember, your entire demeanor is based on what you think!

Similar to the way a healthy diet can help your waist line, healthy thoughts can help your demeanor. If you truly want to take control of your life and be happier, you can't feed your mind negative thoughts. Instead, you have to understand you're in control of those thoughts - and let them go.

But how do you let things go?

If you're in the midst of a bunch of negative thoughts, simply letting them go can seem a whole lot easier said than done. Here's how you can do it:

- Relax.

Read a book, take a bath, or do anything else that'll calm you down. If you can't relax right away, that's OK. Understand that it took time for you to build up all of these negative thoughts and complaints and it'll take time for them to go away. As long as you remain dedicated to relaxing, you'll win the fight!

- Believe in yourself.

You can be your biggest critic or your biggest supporter; the choice is up to you. If you make a mistake, accept responsibility for it and then let it go. If you dwell on it, the negativity and your complaining will never go away.

- Surround yourself with positive things.

The more positivity you're around, the easier it'll be to let it naturally become part of your life - instead of always falling back on negativity. If you steer clear of negativity, eventually, all of those bad habits will turn into good ones. Like any addiction, the more you feed your complaining habit, the more it'll take over your life. For example, if you and a certain friend always get together for drinks and wind up complaining to each other, stop going out for drinks.

- Stop blaming others.

Everyone will place blame on someone else from time to time, but blame isn't going to make you feel better. Instead, deal with problems and move on. Again, you'll have to work hard to remove all of the negative feelings.

If you make a serious effort to stop complaining today, you could wind up with a whole new you tomorrow!

Always Have Hope

Copyright (c) 2011

Life always seems have it's ups and downs. Sometimes we get caught up in the whirlwind of life and we don't know how to stop and get off. Situations occur, relationships come and go, jobs change, people move away, people pass away, and people get beaten down by life in general. Some discover outlets that relieve their stress such as church, friends, meditation, vacations, hobbies etc. Others find their stress level temporarily relieved by taking drugs, speeding in their cars, fighting, arguing and various harmful and negative actions. People may find themselves lost and without hope. While concentrating on living they are just in a survival mode. When people live as if their life is empty and without hope then the human condition takes over. Our ego is grounded in this world. It focuses on worldly desires in order to feed itself to become more ego-driven. The more a person lives his/her life with their ego in control the less they will feel connected to spirit.

Having a spiritual connection means having a connection to God, our power source. We came here to live a spiritual life in a human body. There are many situations that occur on earth in which we can learn powerful lessons that will spiritually elevate us here and after we pass away and live in our spiritual bodies. We will encounter many hard and sometimes profoundly difficult lessons and our job is to learn from each and every person and situation that crosses our path. We're all connected because of our humanity and because we all came from the same power source. Instead of living our lives in isolation or sometimes always in competition with others we should live our lives in harmony. The term harmony feels foreign to some people but it can bring happiness and love into your life.

There is a simple way to bring love, hope, charity, compassion and truth into your life. Take the time to be still and to be quiet. Take the "busy" out of your life. Find a time during your hectic schedule to devote to yourself. I usually find that the best time for me is in the very early morning hours before people are awake. The world outside is quiet and I can hear the birds chirping. If it's easier for you, then close your eyes and breathe deeply through your nostrils then slowly out through your mouth. Do this until your breathing has a rhythm and it helps you to relax, clear your mind and focus from within.

Then visualize the white light all around and through you. You may also at this time visualize the divine light of forgiveness for you and for others. This light of forgiveness is deep purple with sparkles of gold that looks like glitter. Take the time to experience this. Then ask God for peace, understanding, truth and integrity, compassion and empathy, and unconditional love for yourself and for others. Be still and ask for guidance and protection as you live out your day. Help other souls through kind deeds no matter how small it may be with a smile, kindness, a nice gesture and patience. Ask for the gift of not judging others because each of us has our own path to walk in this world with our own experiences and lessons.

See the world from your higher self or from your higher consciousness. And remember the universal truth that whatever goes around comes around. Whatever you do, think, or say comes back to you no matter if it's positive or negative. Our words can never be erased. Be careful and thoughtful as you live your life here. Live your life with gusto. Learn to have a positive outlook on life. When you are good with yourself then you will be good to others. Peace, love and happiness to you and keep hope alive!

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers - Kent/Sussex Counties

 

DSHA offers a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program for DSHA-approved private rental residency. This program, offered in Kent and Sussex Counties, offers housing subsidies to eligible low-income individuals and families to rent existing, privately-owned dwelling units from participating landlords. The Delaware State Housing Authority administers 902 vouchers.
How To Apply

1. Make sure you (the tenant) meet all tenant requirements.
2. Call a DSHA Contact to begin the application process.
3. You may download an application DSHA Public Housing / Section 8 Application
4. or you can use Delaware State Housing Authority's Online Application process for assisted rental housing.

PHILADELPHIA: TIME SENSITIVE...DIPLOMA PROGRAM FOR AGES 17=21

PHILADELPHIA: TIME SENSITIVE...DIPLOMA PROGRAM FOR

AGES 17-21 AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY! shared via Tiffany

Bacon...Temple University YEP program - ages of 17-21 who

do not have a High School diploma. it's not a GED program.

When complete they will have a diploma and a graduation

ceremony. They get paid for it. CALL TAMIKA BUTLER (215)

204-1219. Youth Employ Program. They will lose their

funding if they don't… get enough people . Help educate

some young sisters or brothers by passing on this info.

We Owe It To Our Children To Teach Them Money Management

Life can be interesting. When things happen in our lives, we see them one way, but God sees them in a totally different light.  One example of this can be our children. For some their children were "accidents," or unplanned. Yet, they were part of God's plan from the beginning. Each of us has been designed by God with a purpose. This is not to say that we don't love our children dearly. My children are the best thing that ever happened to me. But we do need to look carefully at how we handle the responsibility at hand.

Understanding the responsibility

When God gave us our children, He gave us a huge responsibility. Remember, as Christians, we don't own any of our "possessions". Everything God has given us has been entrusted to us to take care of for awhile. It is an awesome feeling to think about the fact that God chose each of us personally to be responsible for the children that He has blessed us with. That means that God knows our abilities and trusts us to properly guide these little people in a way that will help them discover and live out their own purpose.

We cannot take this responsibility lightly. In fact, it is part of our own purposes. If we don't nurture our children properly and provide them with a strong foundation, they may never do what God designed them to do. Our own attitudes toward this responsibility can slow the advancement of God's Kingdom.


Attitudes toward money

There are so many lessons we can share with our children. In the area of finances, we should help them develop a proper attitude toward money. They should see us give money its appropriate place in our lives. While money is an important tool that we do use in our daily lives, it should never be a focal point for us. We cannot allow our children to see us fall victim to a life where money has become our god. We belong to a jealous God. We cannot serve two gods. Let's show our children how to live strictly for the one, true God.

Spending habits

With respect to spending, we should live within a budget so that we are not spending more than we are making. We should stop trying to keep up with the Joneses and truly live within our means.

If we use credit cards, the monthly bill should be low enough for us to pay it off in full each month. We should also work toward eliminating our current debt obligations and teach our children not to get into financial debt with credit cards by teaching them to use them responsibly. These are simply examples of some of the most common struggles in every household. We should look carefully into our own households to determine our own challenges.

The pattern will continue

Our children are watching us. Whether they say something or not, they absorb every action that they see us do in front of them. As adults, they are highly likely to develop the same habits that they observed growing up.  Have you ever found yourself doing or saying something, only to realize that you reminded yourself of one of your parents? I know I have on many occasions. We can all think back to our own childhoods and see some of the habits we've picked up from our parents. The interesting thing about it is that we do many of those habits without thinking. If it happened to us, it will happen to our own children.


Will we be happy with the habits our children carry into adulthood? Are they habits that we are proud to have passed on to future generations? What changes, if any, should we make to ensure that we will be both happy and proud? It is never too late to learn new habits, so start learning new ones with your children, practice makes perfect.

Why Celebrating Other People's Success Is Important For Your Own Success

If we want to be honest about it, I think one of the most challenging things that people in general face is the ability to be genuinely happy for other people's successes. You may ask then what is being 'genuinely happy'?



Well, I think if you are genuinely happy you will not start to feel like you are inferior to them, or feel that life is unfair to you, or that you think they do not deserve successes, or perhaps secretly hope that their successes will be short lived. These feelings you experience do not make you a bad person, you may be the sweetest and most sincere on this planet, but somehow you can't help feeling this way towards other people when they achieve success.



In this world we live in we have been taught the concept of lack in almost all aspects of life. And that lack is normal, and competition is the only way to go if one wants to succeed in anything. These limited teachings have sabotaged the most sincere person time and time again.



So how do we move out of these sabotaging feelings and thoughts in the face of someone else's success? I personally think it is important to remain still within your heart and mind and not allow yourself to mind trip. And then look at how they have achieved success and ask yourself what can you learn from them? This will open up opportunities for successes immediately because you will be lifting the negative shades off your view of them and you will genuinely feel happy for the other person because you have become excited about your next move towards your goal.



From another perspective (someone actually said this!) you might say that it sounds a little selfish to be happy for someone only because you know that you will personally gain from it. From my perspective, I believe that we are all one and that since there is only ONE source of abundance, what I experience in others is what I can experience in myself.



So be joyous and truly celebrate the successes of other people, whether big or small. This will break the limitations you have placed on yourself and certianly open doors of opportunities for greater success in your own life. I wish you success in all of your future endeavours.