5 Habits of Successful People

I'm pleased to share an article with you this month by one of my mentors, Jack Canfield. A few years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Jack in person at his home in Santa Barbara for a two day author conference. He gave me a copy of The Success Principles: How To Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be which has become a mainstay on my nightstand. Have you ever wondered what makes some people successful while others flounder? Find out below what are the daily habits of successful people.

The most successful people in the world did not arrive there by accident. Truly successful people, whether they are millionaires or have just found their true life purpose and get to enjoy living it every day, are in that position for a specific reason: their habits.

You can work, and work, and work at becoming successful until you are completely burned out. But if you don’t develop the specific daily habits of successful people, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get there. I’m going to share 5 of these successful habits, and I hope you’ll consider integrating them into your life.

1) Successful People Believe in Themselves

If you’re going to be successful in creating the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you are capable of making it happen. Believing in yourself is a choice.

The Value of Friendships

According to the Mayo clinic, friendships enrich our lives and improve our health. They increase our sense of belonging and purpose. Friendships can boost our happiness and reduce our stress. They not only improve our self-confidence and self-worth, they also help us cope with traumas.

A couple of weeks ago, I flew to the Southwest for two reunions with friends - one with the surviving women from my breast cancer support group and the other with my “Sunday Sistas” from the East Mountains. We had a fabulously fun weekend of wine tasting, good food, spa time, and lots of laughs. 

I found these two groups of friends when I was going through some of the worst times of my life ~ my divorce and my cancer diagnosis. These women are true friends who stand by you through good times and hard times.

Real friends are hard to come by. I've lived all over this country from Georgia to Hawaii to Maryland to New Mexico to California. I've met many people through college, military life, single parenthood, corporate life, church, education, and everyday life. 

I've made a lot of friends and I've lost some, too. Through it all, I’ve learned the value that friendships bring to my life. Friends keep you balanced when the rest of your world feels like it's spinning out of control. What I know now more than anything else, is to cherish my friendships!

What Would You Do For A Good Night Sleep?

The benefits of using essential oils are far-reaching including aging gracefully, sleep management, skin and body care, natural household cleaners, and total wellness. Many people have asked me how I use essential oils in my own life so I've dedicated this month's newsletter to natural solutions for a healthy life. Below is my daily and weekly regimen: Morning Shower with DoTERRA Salon Essentials hair care and DoTERRA Spa products. Use DoTERRA Coconut Oil as moisturizer for the whole body. Brush my teeth with OnGuard Toothpaste. Breakfast Drink (2) cups of water with (1) drop OnGuard protective blend to stay clear of any germs and (1) drop Lemon essential oil to alkalize my body. Take the Lifelong Vitality Pack supplements - (1) capsule each of Alpha CRS+, xEO Mega, and Micro Plex VMz, along with (1) capsule Bone Nutrient Lifetime Complex. Eat a healthy, well balanced breakfast. Apply Spa Lip Balm to lips.

What Has to Happen for You to Live an Authentic Life?

Have you recently experienced a major life change such as the end of a long-term relationship, a major health crisis or even coming to terms with the fact that you’re now an empty nester?

And while you have every right to feel sad, lonely and abandoned – perhaps, even stuck and feel like your life is falling apart - you don’t have to stay in that emotional space.

I’ve been there many times in my life, and I’m here to tell you that you can absolutely experience happiness again.

Life's A Trip . . . I'm Thrilled To Be A Guide

By Michelle Woodward, guest blogger

Life is a trip. There are over 7 billion of us humans having multidimensional experiences on this alive, blue-green ball spinning through space among over 100 billion galaxies in this Universe. Whaaaaat? How do we do life successfully, with self-expression, creativity and love and live the life we feel called to? Well THAT is exactly what I have been curious about the majority of my life!

My way into this life experience was through an affair my birth mother had. The complex circumstances around her life and the relationship were not good. The pregnancy I was coming in on was almost terminated until an Angel came to my birth mother in a dream and told her I had to be born. 

She was so moved by the dream; the next day she took action to arrange for an adoption. I was adopted at 3 months of age. My young family life was impacted by trauma and drama due to alcoholism, addiction, abuse, religious hypocrisy, patriarchy, misogyny, cancer, lack of education, poverty and more.

Can You Tap, Tap, Tap Your Troubles Away?

By John Freedom, guest blogger

EFT Tapping is gaining in popularity in self-help, personal growth and alternative health. You may have seen it on Oprah or Dr. Oz or The View on television or YouTube. Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is a revolutionary new method for rapidly resolving emotional distress and trauma, simply by tapping acupoints. It has become an internet phenomenon, as thousands of people around the world are tapping to relieve aches and pains, fears and phobias, anxiety and depression, and traumas and PTSD. Tapping is also being used to lose weight, eliminate food and drug cravings, enhance peak performance and build greater confidence and self-esteem. EFT has been called ‘the people’s therapy,’ because it is a simple, self-healing technique that anyone can do. It’s also always available --- literally at our finger tips.

In my opinion, EFT is one of the breakthroughs in psychology and personal growth of our time. One of the leaders in this field, Dr. Dawson Church, has said that “EFT is probably one of the most important developments in personal growth, since the Buddha taught meditation.” It can be helpful to recognize that all issues ---- even legal, financial and medical ---- are emotional issues. By gently tapping acupoints while focusing on the fear, stress or ‘resistance,’ the issue gently releases and shifts ----- often with profound results.

Out with the Old, In with the New

I friend recently asked me what I was working on. I told her I was clearing out the old and making room for the new. She responding, “Really, you’re doing your spring cleaning in January?” I told her yes, I was turning my business upside down, shaking out all the clutter and revamping everything. Why? It’s important to keep your business fresh and inviting at all times in order to attract new clients and to keep your current clients engaged in what you have to offer. It’s a process, but it can be invigorating if you plan it out over two weeks instead of doing it in one weekend. It goes beyond simply cleaning out your filing cabinet and reorganizing your rolodex. Here are my suggestions for keeping your business relevant:

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS INCLUSIVE. What is your target market? Is it the top 1% of income earners or can any person have access to your business? If you’re seeking only wealthy people, then your client base will stay small and limited. Make it inclusive of all people, regardless of social economic status, race, gender, or marital status and your business will grow. Take a hard look at your website and ask yourself, “Am I opening my doors to everyone? How is this reflected in the images and content on my site?”

Holiday Triggers: Finding Gratitude in Both Good Times and Difficult Times

The holidays bring back so many wonderful memories from childhood such as decorating the Christmas tree as a family while sipping hot cocoa, piling into the Country Squire station wagon and driving around the neighborhoods to look at the holiday lights, and the unbelievable anticipation of what Santa might put under the tree come Christmas morning!

Even the sound of Mariah Carey’s holiday album playing or the scent of eggnog and gingerbread houses can take me all the way back to those sweet memories. A holiday-triggered reminder can also be bittersweet for some people especially if it brings up memories of a major life event such as the loss of a family member or job or a serious health crisis.

Cherish Good Friends

A couple of weeks ago my "Sunday Sistas" came to visit me in Napa Valley. We had a fabulously fun weekend of wine tasting, good food, beach time, and lots of laughs.

What started out as a group of church ladies blossomed into my best friends forever. We have been together through three divorces, two weddings, cancer, job losses, road trips, and one of them even turned into a biker chick! No matter what, we've stayed together through great times and hard times.

My Trip to New England

Last month, I turned fifty-five. That's right, the big 55! It was a milestone birthday, but one that I will cherish forever. My son gave me a trip to New England to celebrate my birthday weekend. By heading north, we experienced a restful vacation without all the noise and city traffic from New York City.

He planned a delightful itinerary complete with a visit to a cheese and maple farm in Vermont, an Irish Festival in Connecticut and the Magic Wings butterfly conservatory in Massachusetts. Sometimes we can only imagine how special a place could be until we see it in person. The memory of this time with my son will stay with me forever. It reminded me of a question I often ask: Are you just existing from day to day or are you really exploring the passion for living a fully engaged life?