Summer is just around the corner. We are halfway through the year and school is almost out. The kids activities are at an all time peak and work is piling things up. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do you know how to say, “No thank you!”

Boundaries are invisible fences that you set up for yourself. Setting boundaries in our businesses and personal lives can often be difficult when you are use to giving so much of yourself. You are not obligated to set boundaries but you must for your own personal sanity and health. There is always something that needs to get done. You must look after yourself in order to look after others. Some people say that setting boundaries seems like you are closing yourself off from others but this is further from the truth.

1.  Share Your Feelings. Let the other person you are setting boundaries with know how you feel. Start with “I feel…”
2. Voice Your Boundaries. When you set boundaries, you let people know what your limits are and what you can handle. When others are aware of the limits, they do not get disappointed with unrealistic expectations.
3. Respect the Boundaries. Gain a better understanding and respect for the boundaries set by others and they will be better able to respect your boundaries.

The walls of judgment fall down when a person is fully aware of the boundaries that they must set for themselves and the respect for the boundaries of others. You learn to teach others how to treat you with dignity and respect. You must also believe you should be treated in the same way. Do not try to do everything by yourself. Ask for help when needed. Delegate. Take a break. You will be more energized and ready to take on anything that comes your way.

Let us know how you set boundaries with others; post your comment.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Wayne Dyer

At The Millionaire Woman Club tonight, I was introduced to a board game that I had not played before. I enjoy playing board games because there is always a lesson to be learned. The lessons can come in many forms:

1. Strategy
2. Planning
3. Anticipation
4. Innovation
5. Taking Risks

and many more. Tonight’s lesson was learned through the game of Abundance developed by Brandon Broadwater. Our guest speaker Carly Chan Nickel shared her story about perspective. Two stories – the same stories can be told in two different ways yet one made all the difference.  It really had me thinking about so many things.

Do you pay attention to what you say about others or how you describe them to others? What would happen if you viewed that person with a different set of glasses or viewpoint? How much better do you sound when you make people feel good about themselves and what they offer their family, friends, and community?

We have the capacity and power to change our perspective of situations. Remember the glass half empty and the glass half full analogy. What sounds better? Opportunity OR scarcity? Abundance OR Emptiness? You have the choice to choose the mindset that can create a world of abundance.

Share your views on abundant living.

I remember asking my Dad how things were going one day and he said, “No sense in complaining. No one is going to listen to those who complain when they have the power to change what is not right.”

How many of us like to listen to someone complaining? Do you find that they are taking responsibility for their own actions? Are they a solution to their issue or are they the ones causing their own grief?

One of my favorite reads is “The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work” by Jon Gordon. Great story about the power of positive thinking and action. Complaints can become opportunities to explore and improve. Customer service complaints, for example, often speak to the quality of service and experience of the customer. Situations and events cannot improve without feedback. When you eliminate excuses and complaining, your surroundings are more enjoyable and productivity increases.

Listen to the words you say about yourself and others. Avoid getting involved with the complainers; they can pull you into that negative downward spiral of energy. If you change your words to more affirming words, you will create a positive environment around you. Focus on the good things going on in your life. You are healthy and alive. Are the things you complain about in your control? If not, let them go. You sabotage yourself by dwelling on the things you cannot change. My Dad was right!

“Are You Living Your Dream? Or Just Living Your Life?”
These are the words found the back cover of “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson, a book I am in the midst of reading. The power behind those questions resonates in many of the people I encounter and work with everyday.

This inspirational story is about a boy named Ordinary who leaves the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream. The message is powerful and compelling. A great read. We all have big dreams. What is yours? Are you living it right now? What has stopped you from pursuing your big dream?

You may have several reasons that you have not pursued your big dream. Take a moment to think about who you have in your life who would want you to have that dream? There are many people around you that want you to succeed and they will help support you in any way that they can. Let other people know what your big dream is. Remember your dream belongs to you and no one can take it away from you and only you were meant to fulfill it. Go after your BIG DREAM! It was made for you…because you were meant to do great things!

Share your dreams.

A gratitude journal is just one simple way to collect and note things in your life that you are grateful for. Write down 5 things each night before going to bed that you are grateful for. They can be as simple as the giggle of a child, a gentleman holding the door open for you, or a listening ear of a girlfriend. At the end of the day, they can result in big things. They help you appreciate the moment and look forward to the abundance of the future.

Affirmations of the Day:

I am grateful for the smiles that bring sunshine into my life.

I am enjoying the abundance the world is giving me.

Add your affirmations to this blog!