What Do You See Happening?

My dad always told my mom and his closest friends that I could fall into a bucket of dirt (he used a different word) and come out smelling like a rose. That’s an old expression that depicts how some people can make the best of any situation, and you can, too.
It all starts in your mind. What do you expect to happen in your life? Do you expect that life isn’t fair? Or that people will try to rip you off? Or that life is a struggle? Or that money doesn’t grow on trees? Or that rich people are evil? Or that you aren’t very smart? Do you think you’re just an average person, secretary, civil servant, waitress, stay-at-home mom, teenager, or senior citizen? (Note: J.K. Rowling, author of the bestselling Harry Potter books, was a single mother on welfare before she wrote her first book.)
These negative expectations of ourselves are called “limiting beliefs.” If you believe you aren’t worthy, smart enough, or deserving of life’s riches, you limit yourself with your belief system. Sure, you may have been taught these beliefs from someone else or some experience in your life, but who’s in charge? You are! You’re responsible or response-able—able to choose your response to anything—from this point forward in your life.
Setting your expectations means determining what you want in your life.

I expect that “everything works out more perfectly than I could have imagined,” and it always does. Sometimes I have to change my perspective to see the perfection in each circumstance, but knowing I’m able to choose my response gives me power and control over my thoughts and feelings.

What do you expect to happen in your life?

A tool to help you expect and attract what you want to have appear in your life is the Vision Board.  Read about my vision board experience in this months Leadership Tip at www.pennytremblay.com/default.aspx?content_id=3284

If you liked this blog post, you will love my new book, Give and Be Rich – Tapping the Circle of Abundance.  Pre-order your copy today with the black link box on the right side of this page.

I received this email from increase.org, Bob Harrison International Ministries, and wanted to pass on the message to my blog readers.

In the NFL, free agency is bringing big paydays for receivers.

National Football League wide receiver Vincent Jackson just signed a five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for $55 million. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon is joining the Washington Redskins and will be paid $42 million over the next five years.

In the professional football arena, the ones who appear to be making the big money are the receivers. However, in life, that is not the case. Based upon many years of personal observation, I have noticed that people who experienced supernatural breakthroughs and continued blessings were not those who were focused on receiving. Rather, it was those who were focused on giving.

Throughout the Bible this life-principle is revealed. For instance in Proverbs it states…”The liberal person shall be made rich; and he that watereth shall be watered himself.” (11:25) In Galatians, the Apostle Paul wrote about this key to increase stating…”he that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully.” (9:6b)

I have seen numerous times where this cause-and-effect relationship has taken place. Sometimes the breakthrough has happened over time. Other times it has happened almost instantaneously.

Such was the case with Reverend Silas Malafaia of Brazil. Years ago, he felt inspired to take his teachings about God’s delivering power on the television airwaves. Needing $100,000 to purchase television equipment, he started a special fund for that purpose.

While at a meeting, he felt God directing him to give all that was in that account ($10,000) to another person’s ministry. He put the check in an envelope, walked up front and placed it in the offering.

Before he got back to his seat, a lady came up to him and said, “God just told me to give your ministry $50,000.” Then a minister handed him a note stating…”I am sending you $40,000.” Within 24 hours, he had his $100,000. Today, Pastor Silas has the biggest television ministry in the country of Brazil.

Years ago, best-selling author and noted speaker Norman Vincent Peale summed up this phenomenon when he stated…

“Giving creates a magnetic force field that attracts money.”

One of the challenges with email is that the message sent from one person to another can be misundersood.  Another challenge is that people resort to using email to deal with converstations that they aren’t comfortable having face-to-face.

I have recorded a short video tip to get you pointed in the right direction.  It is about checking your intention first before you send an email that could harm you and the recipient. http://youtu.be/H8yXe9TAcyc

I have also dedicated my March 2012 article to this very important subject.  I know it will help many people, becuase the topic is one of the most popular conflict causing issues in organizations. www.PennyTremblay.com

If you learn something, please send it to someone else.  Of course, with good intentions

8 Life Lessons from a Good Old Dog

My dog Marley taught me 8 great lessons in her amazing life.  Today I am honouring her by sharing what she taught me.

What if we could live our days as authentic people, real and true to ourselves and our loved ones?   How would our lives be different if we could be patient and trust that everything is exactly as it should be?  How much more efficient would our lives be if we were obedient to the rules that have been established for the safety of ourselves and others?  What kind of family or work environment could we create if we gave one hundred percent of ourselves in service, and received from others what they have to offer us?   How can we be more loyal to the hand that feeds us?   What kind of love could we experience if we placed no conditions on people?

Valentine’s Day is a day to remember those who touch our hearts, and those who help shape us to be who we are.   Marley made my world a better place and I bless the time we shared and the lessons you taught me – just by being YOU.

Read my latest article, a tribute to my loyal golden retriever.  www.PennyTremblay.com

January 7^th

If you plant carrot seeds, what do you get? … carrots.

If you plant bean seeds, what do you get?  beans.

What seeds are you planting in your mind?  Are they the seeds that you expect to have sprouting up in your reality?

I am grateful to be in attendance at the MLM Blueprint Workshop in Salt Lake City, founded and led by CEO of SendOutCards.  We are on our way to becoming a billion dollar house-hold name.

Jack Canfield taught me that you can’t stick your hand in a bucket of glue without some sticking on.  Meaning when you expose yourself to motivational experiences or information, some of it sticks. The greatest thing about being here, is sitting with my 11 year old daughter, who is listening and learning about multi-level marketing, with a crowd of 2300 other people.  There may be one other child her age here.  Most are adults, who have recognized the value of personal development.

Why do we wait until adulthood to invest in ourselves?  Why don’t we bring personal development into the lives of children?  I am sitting here asking myself these questions.

I believe that there is nothing we cannot accomplish with a positive mindset.  The world is full of negativity.  We stay plugged into positive energy by exposing ourselves to the right things everyday.  Its so easy to do, and its also so easy not to do.  Our imagination, beliefs and habits are formed by our thoughts.   It’s critical that you guard with your life what your mind is exposed to.

Feed your mind the fuel that will propel you to achieve the lifestyle that you desire.

Wishing you prosperity, health and happiness in 2012, … Penny

A year ago I was told by a manager in human resources of a large organization, that she had to ask an employee to remove a sign on their cubicle or office that said “Merry Christmas” because it offended someone else in the office.

“How sad that people can’t celebrate in their chosen traditional fashion” I thought to myself.

I have been thinking about this for a year, and I am making a conscious decision to include Christ in my seasonal greetings.  Yes, I am taking a stand for what I believe in, and I am allowing myself to speak, to think, to celebrate in my traditional way.

Christmas, December 25^th is the birth day of Jesus Christ, a man who changed the world.  I celebrate Him, and I will not be silenced by political views, policies in the workplace or others who have different beliefs.

You see, I understand that others celebrate differently.  Different religious cultures name their Gods differently, and celebrate differently, and I think that is terrific too.  Who am I to say what is right, or THE way, or the ONLY way.  I can respect other people’s beliefs, even though they are not mine.

I also respect my own beliefs and traditions, and I will not be silenced or change my traditional greeting of Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays.  My Christian values guide me to stay true to who I am, and share my joy with others by greeting them a Merry Christmas before or on this day.

So too will I wish my Jewish friends a happy Hanukkah this year during their eight-day commemoration which begins on December 20^th and ends December 28^th this year.

We can wish our African American friends a joyful Kwanzaa, during a weeklong celebration of their heritage and culture from Dec. 26 to January 1st.

As these and other faiths celebrate during this time, it is not only a Christmas season in our diverse country, but other holidays too, thus, Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings are generic greetings that recognize all groups of people that celebrate differently during this season.

Rather than try and silence people from offering the greetings of their choices, can we not stay true to who we really are by celebrating our own greetings and messages, and find peace in accepting what others believe as well?

I will hang a MERRY CHRISTMAS poster in my office this year, and I encourage all faiths to celebrate and hang their message too.  Won’t it help us all accept diversity when we can allow people to be who they really are, and be educated in the true meaning of what their holidays represent to them?

I personally have experienced the give and grow rich principal many times and it has nothing to do with chasing the almighty dollar. Its an attitude and an awareness about gratitude and love.

One thing that my Dad taught our family about abundance is very basic: Give with a heart of gratitude and you will be showered in blessings.  No matter how difficult the customer or how small the amount he profited, he always treated everyone the same.  My father was a farmer who struggled during the era where there was no insurance for his crops when family farms were totally dependent on the weather.  After 3 years of loss, he sold the farm and started a family business.  This was a transportation business where he built long and lasting relationships.  One of his methods of giving back was to plant a huge garden, which he loved because he could still enjoy growing food while providing for his family.  My Mother could never figure out why “he planted enough food to feed all of huron county”. He had two large gardens where he spent his spare time (many hours) tending to vegetables and he even grew cantelope and watermelons.  We knew he gave away produce to the neighbours but we didn’t know how much he gave, until he passed away.  At his wake, many people appeared and we had no idea who they were. There were families that came in gratitude and told us that they loved our Dad because of his generosity and he basically kept their family from starving.  We were told many stories of how my Dad had made up care packages of fresh produce, packages of meat (as he never lost his love of raising livestock) and distributed them to low income families in the war time housing on the base. He often would leave the food on their doorstep and the family knew it was from “Earl”.  Needless to say, when the priest spoke of my father’s genuine love and generosity, there wasn’t a dry eye in the church.  My father was not interested in wealth, he only wanted to provide a loving and secure home for his family and to enjoy his hobbies.  His whole approach to give and grow rich was being rich in the love from his family and friends and knowing that some of his small acts of human kindness would make a difference in other peoples lives.  When I return home to visit my family, I often drive around the neighbourhood on the old air-force base and think of my Father and the families who’s loads were a little lighter due to these wonderful acts of human kindness.  My Dad was the epitome of “give and grow rich”.

Karen

It is interesting to me, that the only book Steve Jobs had on his iPad was Autobiography of a Yogi.

He knows that when we can transform ourselves from the inside, we can transform the world.  This portrays the power in personal development.  You can’t skip it, or work around it, you must work through it to be your best and transform the world.

from source:  This acclaimed autobiography presents a fascinating portrait of one of the great spiritual figures of our time. With engaging candour, eloquence, and wit, Paramahansa Yogananda tells the inspiring chronicle of his life: the experiences of his remarkable childhood; his encounter with many saints and sages during his youthful search throughout India for an illumined teacher; ten years of training in the hermitage of a revered yoga master; and the thirty years that he lived and taught in America. Also recorded here are his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Luther Burbank, the Catholic stigmatist Therese Neumann, and other celebrated spiritual personalities of East and West. The author clearly explains the subtle but definite laws behind both the ordinary events of everyday life and the extraordinary events commonly termed ‘miracles’.

“I believe that communication is the most important leadership skill that one can possess for success in business,” I shared with Robin, the CEO of a successful Canadian-wide franchise.  Robin has experience working in many different companies and countries around the world.

I asked him, “In your opinion, what is the most important leadership quality?”

“Authenticity,” he said.

“Authentic leaders create environments where exceptional performance is nurtured through honest, intelligent and sincere communications.  The very best in people is brought out not through fear of consequences but through a desire to achieve.  This is best accomplished, in my experience, where the leadership agenda is all about engaging with genuine candor.  It’s pretty simple really.  Our goal as leaders is to get talented people totally focused on the work at hand and not waste time with the distractions of politics and  implied messages.  Once leadership authenticity takes root, people stop looking over their shoulder and become energized around moving the business forwards – not looking backwards.”

Authenticity is paramount in personal and professional leadership, and in order to exercise it, communication skills are key.  I learned a deeper lesson in leadership from Robin, and I am grateful to pass it onto you.

You can learn more about The Authentic Leader in my November Leadership Tip at www.PennyTremblay.com

Best wishes for an amazing November,

Penny