Do you love your business? And does your business love you back?

Article & Photo by Jennifer Lee

Do you love your business? Or if you work for someone else, do you love your job? I mean really, really love it?

We spend so much of our time working, why not be absolutely head over heels in love with what you do for a living?

5 ways to fall in love with your business all over again:

Focus on your passion.
Are you spending most of your day on the work that lights you up or on tasks that you loathe? What do you need to say no to so you can say yes to the things that make your heart sing?

Find ways to bring fun and joy into your work.
What are some small things that bring a smile to your face? Is it using fun colored markers or post-its? Is it being barefoot? Is it getting to try something new?

Work with people you love.
When you surround yourself with good peeps, you’re bound to feel good. Who are your perfect customers? The ones who light you up when you work with them and you know you’re helping them in the best possible way. Who are your perfect partners and creative cohorts? The ones who you know you can count on, delivery quality, and appreciate your relationship.

Invest in yourself and in your business.
Is there a new skill you want to learn that will give you an edge? Are there events you know will give you tons of exposure or tools you know will help you create your next great product? Be willing to spend money on things you know will help grow your business in the long run.

Show yourself some love.
How can you take better care of yourself? When you’re healthy and happy, everything just seems to flow more easily. Instead of working yourself to the bone, make sure to take gentle breaks, celebrate your successes, and practice compassion toward yourself and others.

Pick one or two things to play with this week and see what that sparks for you and your work. When you love your business, your business loves ya right back.

If you long to have a more fun and fulfilling relationship with your business or you just want to turn up the heat on your professional passion meter, then please join me for a fabulous and informative event that will make your creative heart flutter – the first-ever Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit.

To find out more about Jennifer Lee, and her Right Brain Business Plan, visit Artizen Coaching®

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5 Tips for Healing with Patience & Love

by Margalit Ward

The past couple of months have been an interesting combination of work, holiday celebrations, and laying in bed sick with pneumonia. Yes, this is why you have not seen a recent post from me in quite some time. During December and parts of January, I had the opportunity to re-look at how I was taking care of myself during the busy holiday season, while balancing the projects I had set in motion. It was also an opportunity for me to remember how to make adjustments when life's challenges can force you to slow down... I mean STOP everything.

I thought it would be helpful to share some of the ways I re-remembered to take care of myself when hit by a healing crisis (I finally had to admit that pneumonia is not like a cold, or even the flu, it's a kick in the ass, get your butt in bed situation).

Simplify
Keep life simple. Don't add extra commitments, phone calls, tasks, appointments, etc. to your day, even when you just begin to feel better. My main focus for December was, rest, sleep, drink water and soup, and... more sleep (oh yeah, and catching up on Project Runway episodes). Pretty simple. When the holidays arrived, I only focused on one goal, enjoy the time with my family. I didn't try to send out the usual holiday cards to all my friends and family, attend numerous parties, or plan a trip. I kept life simple and I enjoyed a beautiful & peaceful holiday.

Let Go
Similar to keeping things simple, but taking it another step, try letting go of any attachments to HOW things get done. I don't know about you, but I can sometimes be a bit of a perfectionist. Wanting things to be and look a certain way, and if not, then I would feel dissatisfied or annoyed. It's very freeing and refreshing to let that go. Maybe for a couple of weeks it's okay to let the house get a little messy, the garden a little unruly, and your closet a little cluttered. (I think I heard a gasp!) Give yourself some space to relax and be flexible with how things unfold. Feeling relaxed and letting go of some of your daily responsibilities can assist in your healing.

Ask for Support
Give yourself permission to ask others for support you when you're not feeling well. You can ask your spouse, sister, friend, neighbor, child or a parent to please lend a hand during your time of healing. Ask them to make you soup, pick up your medication, rub your feet, etc., whatever makes you feel cared for and nurtured, and is something that they can do. (Do remember your 'please' and 'thank you's') This gives you more time to rest, and allows others to care for you, which can be a gift to the people in your life more than you know. It's an opportunity to receive from others the care and attention you deserve when you're sick.

Love Love Love Yourself
Since you're not as busy while you're resting, you have a lot of time to remind yourself how wonderful you are. Once your fever breaks, grab that dusty journal and take some time to write about what you've been learning lately. Or use it as a place to write what you appreciate about yourself, your life and the people you love. Write a love letter to yourself, and mail it to you. Create some new affirmations about how you are taking great care of yourself, your body, mind, emotions and spirit. Affirm that you are loved and cared for. Take baths, read books you love, do relaxing and nurturing things for yourself. I think you get the picture. Love and nurture you... you deserve it, now more than ever.

Gratitude
Focus on what's wonderful in your life. No matter how sick you're feeling, thinking about what you're grateful for can lift your spirits and create an attitude that is supportive to your healing process. Add writing about what you're grateful for to your journal each day, even if it's just one thing. Create a new gratitude ritual, such as; keeping a gratitude rock in your pocket or purse to remind you to focus on gratitude; once a week share gratitude with at least one other person; or google gratitude quotes on the internet, and start a list of your favorites. However you choose to focus on gratitude, doing so will generate a greater sense of well-being and loving energy.

Being sick is never fun, but I believe it gives us the opportunity to stop and reflect on what is and isn't working in our life; to make adjustments in how we spend our time and focus our energy; and to listen to ourselves in a greater way. Our bodies are wise and if we pay attention, more deeply, patiently and lovingly, we will hear what truly nourishes us.