Will you still love me when I'm 64? (Beatles)

When this song came out (yes, I was alive) I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to be 64, much less be loveable at that age.
But time changes all that.  We just celebrated my mom’s 90th and I find myself somewhat in that same mystified position again.

Mom is probably as close to the best-case scenario of what can happen when aging.  She is financially secure and able to live in a very well appointed assisted living situation where all her needs are provided for; she has 2 doting children living within miles of her who provide social needs and companionship; she’s enormously popular with her age group, and at 90 seems to have had almost no mental decline.  Her love of jewelry, make up and shopping has not waivered.

All is not perfect. She can no longer walk on her own; has narcolepsy, neuropathy and some other “n” words and sports several monitors underneath her cute stylish jeans and periodically visits Emergency, but she is high spirited, engaged in life, able to whip through a department store on her walker at amazing speeds  (gives new meaning to “shop 'til you drop”) and spends no time feeling sorry for herself.  (This is the #1 trait I admire.)  While many her age are drooling into a cup, she’s planning her trip to Scandanavia and Russia this summer.

I don’t know if this is my destiny – we can do what we can to create great outcomes.  For me, having a business and helping others seems to be my way of being the best I can be right now, but we are not all equally blessed.  My husband did just about everything right that he could, was a rugged athlete until shortly before he passed, never saw a vegetable he didn’t love, and gave tirelessly of himself helping others.  Yet, at the end he lost his memory.  But he had an amazing life that other people have never forgotten.

That’s all we can hope for.  That we’ve honored our gifts in a big way; that we have loved as passionately as we can and have been grateful for all of it.  I did not know I would end up here when I started writing, but that’s what true direction is I think; being authentically who you are for as long as you’ve been given, however long that is.

PS:  If you're concerned about your aging and want to be sure you find the right direction for you at this point in your life, contact me at mlm@firedupforsuccess.com for a no cost chat.

The Gratitude Game

The Gratitude Game

by Mary Lyn Miller

As Thanksgiving approaches, we often think about gratitude, and while I have published this before, I am often asked to do it again.  And as we are looking forward to a new year and new visions and goals, it's important to be grateful for what we have first before we race to move on!

While your probably view yourself as thankful for your blessings, we determine what we believe to be a "blessing" and what is not.  However, some of your greatest blessings may not initially look all that positive in the beginning.  For instance, my experiencing Cancer is what turned my life around and opened the door to a good health consciousness and rewarding life work.  Today I always give thanks for the gift of Cancer, but at the time it was fearful and overwhelming. The first thing to understand about gratitude is that it is not a selective process.

                                                 

The Gratitude Game begins with the premise that genuine thankfulness begins with being grateful for everything..yes, absolutely EVERYTHING in your life.

These are the steps to the Game:

1.    Make a list of anything you perceive as positive in your life. The people who love you are a good start. Anything good about your work, your relationships, special advantages or support you've received, anything nice someone else has done for you.  Just write down everything you can think of that is good about your life. Be truly grateful for it.

2.    Next write down everything ordinary that you take for granted: the roof over your head, your sight, your hearing, the ability to chew, your health, the warm California climate (you can tell I'm from the Midwest) and so forth. When you really think about it, there are so many small, inconsequential conditions that conspire to create a good lifestyle.  This is a good time to recognize them.

3.    Finally, write down any painful, uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and events, some of which may feel uncomfortable or difficult right now…and get grateful for them.  Why? This is how we learn the lessons of life. No one said it was all going to be easy.  But, gratitude opens you up. It helps you release the resistance (oh, why did this have to happen to me?) and embrace your difficult circumstances and allow the most good to come from them.  What creates your reality is not what happens to you, but how you RESPOND to what happens to you.  Life does have challenges, but there is a positive side for each and every one of them.  Be grateful for the gift inside of every heartache even if you can’t see it right now.

4.    Give thanks for those blessings that are on the way. Feel them coming. Expect success.  Expect the best and be grateful for it.

After completing this little game, how do you feel?  

Everyone who plays is a winner because I'll tell you a secret, gratitude allows you to receive more; it is the foundation of all abundance. An open, gracious heart is a powerful magnet for good. Money, opportunity, and joy flows toward gratitude.  Try it and see.

It will prepare you for a glorious Thanksgiving!

Happy (Almost) Independence Day!

Any company producing a product called “Fired Up” should address the queen of all fired up holidays: the 4^th of July aka Independence Day!

Of course, we know it as the day that the “United States of America” finally signed the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming our separation from Great Britain. (I understand it was actually signed July 2, but needed to be edited for 2 days – another story.)

A mere 1,337 handwritten words including headings with 56 signatures announced the humanitarian values of this new country as well as a list of grievances that would not be repeated. It is to this day, one of the most powerful documents in our history and changed the course of not only this fledgling country, but the world.

When I talk to entrepreneurs, the #1 reason many have stepped into their lifestyle is a quest for “independence.”

It made me think that we should all have a personal Declaration of Independence. A brief document signed by ONE (you) that, similar to the Declaration, could have 3 parts:

1. What you stand for or believe in (the need to be creative, the right to create your own livelihood, the importance of helping others, the need to be self-expressive, etc….like a personal Purpose Statement.) It will be the values your business represents as well, I would think.
2. What mistakes you have seen others make that you will not make (What you will do to live the life you stand for)
3. What you are willing to do to live the life you have been designed to live which will set you free.

As soon as I started writing this, I just knew you’d want me to give you an example, so below is a quick, fairly imperfect template that I put together for myself just to give you some thoughts:

“I, Mary Lyn Miller, do declare I believe all beings are endowed with a Divine sense of Purpose and the ability to make their Purpose come to pass through the consistent pursuit and focus on passion and joy. Passion is light through the tunnel. I have come to know it is not always an easy journey, but the one which provides the most reward, fulfillment and financial well-being, and the one I must choose in order to live an authentic life without regret.

I will not:

• Work only for money.
• Ignore my innate gifts and talents
• Distrust my instincts
• Allow myself to be too afraid to do what I need to do to move forward
• Try to do it all myself
• Forget that prayer and meditation is almost always the answer to every major need or desire (forget myself and my ego.)

I will:

• Do something that gives me passion every day.
• Realize passion and purpose is not something “to find”– it is already in me and I simply need to give it space to express.
• Do my best to stay in the moment
• End every day with a profound sense of gratitude no matter what.

What about you? What would your personal Declaration of Independence look like? Take the time over this holiday weekend to give it some thought and make some notes.

We all have to invest time to be free. Happy 4^th!

Nightly Ritual for Daytime Success

Are you always looking for the next bright shiny object to improve your business? There is a proven strategy immediately available that can have an immediate effect on your business and life. And you can implement and use it in your business right now! In fact, I’ve been using this powerful technique for years. It costs absolutely nothing and requires no fancy tools. 

Here’s how it works: 

At the end of each day, I take a few minutes to think about 5 things that I’m grateful for. This includes small acts of kindness like a stranger who smiled at me, a great parking spot, or someone who held the door open for me. If you don’t acknowledge these small moments of happiness, they will be easily forgotten. 

The key to successfully cultivating an attitude of gratitude is not feeling gratitude. It’s PRACTICING gratitude. Try to think about what you’re grateful for at least once a day. Write it down in a gratitude journal or make a note in your iPhone. The simple act of prioritizing gratitude and counting your blessings will reveal an enormous power that promotes happiness and success. 

Does this sound too good to be true? I promise that the return on even the smallest investment in your gratitude practice will dramatically improve your personal and business life. Give it a try and see what happens!

The True Secret To Business Success

Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner and preparations are in full swing. For many people, this is the day to give thanks for what they have and celebrate their blessings with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy… Nothing wrong with that, but I challenge you to take a deep breath and ask yourself:

What are you grateful for RIGHT THIS MOMENT?

When did you last make room for gratitude amidst the chaos and confusion that is the entrepreneurial mind? It’s probably been a while…

If you’re going to ask me about my #1 tip on how to grow a successful business, it’s not a particular software program that I recommend, nor is it a book, a business guru, or a fancy program. It’s much easier and cost-efficient. It’s practicing GRATITUDE!

In today's performance-oriented society, it’s easy to be negative, critical, and pessimistic. Instead of focusing on the blessings that surround us, we focus on what we don't have. And what we focus on expands! This is why the practice of gratitude is so important. When we are grateful, we are in the present moment. We learn to see challenges and mistakes as opportunities for growth.

The power of gratitude is absolutely amazing! When you practice gratitude, you are more energetic, more balanced, and more determined. Practicing gratitude can improve the relationships that you have with existing clients or customers. An attitude of gratitude will make you a magnet to opportunities and abundance. You will be amazed at how things just FLOW to you.

It is impossible to be negative, sad, or critical when you feel grateful. Counting your blessings reminds you of all of the wonderful things and people in your life. And it makes you aware of what matters most in your life.

Gratitude opens up your ability to attract more of what you want, because you appreciate what you already have. 

Watch out for part 2 of  "The True Secret To Business Succes."

The Gratitude Game

As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s a good time to be thankful for the good things in our lives.

While most of us view ourselves as thankful for our blessings, we determine what we believe to be a "blessing" and what is not. However, some of your greatest blessings may not initially look all that positive in the beginning. For instance, my experiencing Cancer is what turned my life around and opened the door to a good health consciousness and rewarding life work. Today I always give thanks for the gift of Cancer, but at the time it was fearful and overwhelming. The first thing to understand about gratitude is that it is not a selective process.

The Gratitude Game begins with the premise that genuine thankfulness begins with being grateful for everything..yes, absolutely EVERYTHING in your life. Yes, your business challenges, your work struggles, maybe even not knowing what might be next. Here are the steps to the Game:

1. Make a list of anything you perceive as positive in your life. The people who love you are a good start. Anything good about your work, your relationships, special advantages or support you've received, anything nice someone else has done for you. Just write down everything you can think of that is good about your life. Be truly grateful for it.

2. Next write down everything ordinary that you take for granted: the roof over your head, your sight, your hearing, the ability to chew, your health, and so forth. When you really think about it, there are so many small, inconsequential conditions that conspire to create a good lifestyle. This is a good time to recognize them.

3. Finally, write down any painful, uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and events, some of which may feel uncomfortable or difficult right now…and get grateful for them. Why? Difficulty is how we learn the lessons of life. No one said it was all going to be easy. But, gratitude opens you up. It helps you release the resistance (oh, why did this have to happen to me?) and embrace your difficult circumstances and allow the most good to come from them.

What creates your reality is not what happens to you, but how you RESPOND to what happens to you. Life does have challenges, but there is a positive side for each and every one of them. Be grateful for the gift inside of every heartache even if you can’t see it right now.

4. Give thanks for those blessings that are on the way. Feel them coming. Expect success. Expect the best and be grateful for it.

After completing this little game, how do you feel? Everyone who plays is a winner because I'll tell you a secret, gratitude allows you to receive more; it is the foundation of all abundance. An open, gracious heart is a powerful magnet for good. Money, opportunity, and joy flows toward gratitude. Try it and see. Let me know your results.