Are you wanting to change or preserve your reality: 6 questions can change the course of your life (Part 3 of 3)

Part 1 of this introductory article highlighted whether stretching, aka personal growth (not to be confused with parking your butt, reading self-help books, and watching the world whiz by you), is for you and whether you are open to using it to grow your business and improve your lifestyle. Part 2 covered how to stretch to your desired reality in a conscious and supported way. Part 3 shows you what attitudes and actions are required before you can replace inch-by-inch changes with exponential progress.

Secret Question #5: Are you sleeping through the stretches?

Are you tight here? Life is dynamic. If you go through life thinking your bills will and have to stay constant, for instance, you will grow to the extent that those bills need to be paid and not an inch more than that. The problem with this rigidity is that it keeps you locked into a financial box that has no give to it, and consequently no flexibility to accommodate surprises and spontaneity. What you put out – i.e. the rigid ways of thinking and acting – is what the Universe will give you more of, through prospects who are indecisive, fickle and/or commitment-phobic, all of whom match this constricted (instead of expansive) energy. This can happen even if you are a very optimistic person. Why? Because if your subconscious mind – which is a storage vessel for your beliefs, memories, unresolved and repressed emotions like fear – and your conscious mind are energetically at odds with one another, guess which mind will get to place the order to the Universe? That is correct, it is the subconscious mind, which works on a 24-7 basis... even during your sleep.

Moving beyond your limitation: What concrete actions steps can you begin taking to kiss limiting thoughts and actions “goodbye”... even if you are not good at doing the goodbye thing? Here is a powerful way to ignite that powerful process: Anytime you are making a decision, ask yourself: Am I making it out of fear or out of love? Here is an example to help you discern the difference: When you make a financial decision about your business’ future, does it become preempted by your spouse’s beliefs and expectations, especially when (s)he reinforces your fear-filled thoughts with a message like this: “Look at how irresponsible you have been with your spending, including your decision to go into direct sales and attend all those so-called ‘training’ conferences held out of town, when you have no experience in this field and there is no guarantee of when you will make money from it, if even at all.” The truth is, while your spouse may see these activities as frivolous, it is critical that you invest in: networking and other types of prospecting, to make solid connections; training, to keep up with your company’s latest news and innovations; and coaching, to learn how to leverage and monetize your time invested in and on your business. It is these activities that will help you leap out of struggle and into success.

So, what can you do about this sensitive money issue? Firstly, know that men typically want to provide, while women crave security. The reverse can also happen, where women are good providers and men want security. Simply ask, directly and with authority, for your spouse to support and trust you and your financial decisions. If you stand your ground in a loving, self-confident and assertive way, this should work like a charm. (S)he may still have doubts but the main thing is, you have initiated the stretching process.

Secret Question #6: Are you doing partner stretches?

Are you tight here? As you heal and release the old ways of being that are preventing you from playing with your passions and bigger in your purpose, stay open to partnerships. This means being equally receptive to the fact: your faithful journey is intended to be alone and with people who see and appreciate you for who you are, including when you are stretching. Being your own authority and being in community are not exclusive terms.

Moving beyond your limitation: Along your journey, you will always find people who are willing and wanting to support you, directly or indirectly, in realizing your purpose through your business and chosen lifestyle. Take joint venture partners for instance. When asked this question – What is your top lesson learned from collaborating? – they may surprise you and be very forthcoming and be willing to share. Here is one such case: Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes speaks to Collaborate.

In the word collaborate, you will see the word labor. The top lesson that I have learned from being in partnerships is that you have to be willing to work. There are 5 steps to making teamwork pay off.

L - Listen to your partner. When they have ideas, pay close attention to your front line and their thoughts will have an effect on your bottom line. Never think you are the only with great ideas. Get feedback from them on what you can do better and how you can implement it.

A - Act on things immediately. After you and your partner have had a terrific brainstorming session, pick 1 to 3 ideas that your company or organization can put into effect in the next 21 days. Urgency can keep your business out of emergency.

B - Be alert to your industry. Go to networking events and do research on and off line to find new trends and opportunities in your field.

O - Offer encouragement. There will be up and down times in any business. It is not how you go down; it is how you get up. Empower each other with positive words and uplifting feedback. If you help keep your partner up, they will rarely let you down.

R - Review results often and make adjustments. Set up a meeting weekly and see where you stand. Did you meet your sales goal? If not, find out what you can do next week to improve? Average people stay in the same places, and above-average people make the adjustments and take off like a rocket.

These 5 steps will help any partnership go from labor pains to labor gains.