I will start this week out by saying you are so WORTHY of the effort it takes to feeling amazing so you can achieve your ULTIMATE DESIRES!

1. Get Your Sweet Self Up & Out of Bed:

Enough Already with the Snooze Button: The best thing about your life is that it is happening NOW! I often speak with women who are continuously hitting the snooze button. They lay in bed in dread, or just stay in bed – not wanting to get up. If this is you, please take my advice…it’s time to break up with your snooze button! Why? Nothing good comes from this habit. (A great thing about habits is that they can be broken with the right support!)

Yes, of course, sometimes we do need more rest, but that is not what I am talking about here, today. As women, we crave more time – more time in calm and peace. We desire more time to fall in love with ourselves, more time to nurture our souls and precious desires, and more time to make a plan toward our goals.

You see, one of my best secrets – ever – to living a vibrant, radiant, sexy, and happy life – is to wake up a little bit earlier and claim time for ME in the morning. While your family and loved ones are still sleeping, and the world is still quiet, can be the most beneficial time for your own well-being. There is an absolute sweetness that comes from creating a morning ritual – it is so powerful and soul transforming. This one step changes my private client’s lives in a really big way – words truly cannot express it. When we get clear about their morning and ditching the snooze button – magic happens for them! Magic, such as crystal clarity about your life, defining exciting personal and professional goals, and what’s next for you…These are all ways in which we connect to a higher level of focus that is absolutely necessary in the pursuit of your life’s new meaning and goals.

2. Express Your Truest Self:

Please make a new contract with yourself to fully express yourself. No more holding back, being submissive, and staying in hiding. The world needs your brilliance! It’s truly time to do away with the out-dated self-image of what you should and should not do. Instead, fully let go of the worry that you may hurt or upset others if you truly express yourself. Let’s face the real truth – the only one you upset and hurt is you, when you hold back on the self-expression. You have such brilliance inside of you – a true gift. When we liberate ourselves through self-expression, we liberate others to do the same.

True freedom comes in the form of self-expression, or the ways in which you can express yourself.

Here are some of my most favorite forms of self-expression:

• Through finding and using your voice more often.

• Writing and Journaling.

• Singing, Dancing, and Painting.

• Cooking and Gardening.

• Dressing yourself in a way that feels most authentic.

• Deepening intimacy with yourself and others

• Allowing yourself to receive love.

• Being vulnerable in a health way.

• Coming out of hiding.

• Connecting with more like-minded people.

• Expressing gratitude.

Add yours here______________________________________________________________

3. Claim What You Need and Want and Get the BEST Support

Women are often keeping up with the demands of life – instead of really claiming what it is we need and want, and getting the best support to help us fulfill wants and needs. If you are feeling frustrated, angry (or any other negative emotion) about someone, or something, chances are you have a need that is going unmet…so, it probably makes sense.

However, the truth is that knowing this, makes it your responsibility to take whatever action is necessary to get clear about your needs. It is up to you to determine what you need and to take action to get your needs met. I know at first it can be really uncomfortable to ask for what you need. But once you do it – and experience the freedom that comes from it – it will become easier to do. Someday, it just will be “how you roll”!

Remember, no one can take your personal power or happiness – unless you allow it. Take time today to get clear about what needs are going unmet in your life – and do not hesitate to invest in the best support to help with this, like hiring a coach. You deserve to have all your needs and goals met.

4. Eliminate Low Energy Foods:

If you want to feel amazing, you must eliminate low energy foods! When I coach private clients who have low energy foods in their daily food plan, they all have something in common – they have completely disconnected from their bodies and have forgotten how it feels to feel amazing in their own skin. You really deserve this in your life – to fuel your body with clean high-energy foods, to feel your absolute BEST, and be so incredibly comfortable in your own skin! Not only will you feel amazing, you will feel connected to your passion again, GSSD (get serious stuff done), feel sexy and vibrant, and you will be surprised how many opportunities come your way – effortlessly.

Do this today! Get clear about what you are eating and why you’re eating it. Then – answer this question: Is it helping you, or hurting you?

Sometimes it can be difficult to connect with what you most desire to bring into your life for the New Year, and this can become frustrating. Give yourself permission to release the struggle of not knowing or feeling unclear about your goals and shift your focus inward. Long lasting change starts on the inside. When you shift your focus and go within, your goals will naturally unfold and they will be aligned with your most authentic self.

Here is what I suggest you do NOW:

Go inward now and answer these two powerful and empowering questions:

1. What are your strengths? Make a list of them. How can you better utilize and apply your strengths to create a happier, more joyful and successful 2012?

For example: I was speaking with a client who is super creative, but didn’t necessarily access her creativity they way she had hoped in 2011. Her goals really weren’t defined. By answering these questions, her creativity goal became crystal clear for this year. She intends to collaborate with a group of creative people who together will utilize their creativity to deliver an award-wining product for people around the globe to enjoy.

2. What personal qualities would you like to strengthen in 2012?

Here are some examples of personal qualities to strengthen:

Be more bold, courageous and fearless – commit to not letting fear hold you back.

Claim your truth and it. Take more action to achieve true financial independence.

Be adventurous and have more fun – on a daily basis.

Let go! Let go of worry, self doubt, toxic people and food, any negative thought that makes you feel less than good, being nervous or fearful about what others think of you and most of all let go of anything that is standing in your way of living the life you desire!

Be free from hesitation and unnecessary stressors.

Be proactive rather than reactive.

Be grateful every day.

Be active in telling yourself what you really want and taking the action to get it.

Be conscious about setting boundaries with yourself and others – say NO to the things that deplete you and say YES more often to the things that energize you.

Be consistent, confident and focused on your top three priorities -everyday- always. Let nothing, no one or any negative thought get in your way!!! (I give this advice to my daughter everyday when she leaves for school!

As you begin to get clear on how you would like to strengthen yourself from the inside, it’s as if you are brightening your internal light. As your light shines brighter, you’ll find that you are attracting opportunities and resources that support your desires.

Once you have answered the two questions above and have chosen the qualities you would like to strengthen follow this three step process:

Step 1: Write a Goal Card with a positive affirmation to go along with each goal (keep it in the present tense).

Step 2: Take your Goal Cards and hang them up where you will see them. In your office, bathroom, car etc.

Step 3: Choose three actions you can take this week to begin to utilize or strengthen yourself.

Here is example of this three step process:

Goal: Become financially independent.

Affirmation: I feel amazing being financially responsible and have more money as a result.

Actions:

1. Look at your numbers and know them like the back of your hand – cost of living, income coming in and expenses going out.

2. Open any unopened bills. Money does not like to be ignored.

3. Balance your bank account and look at your bank balance everyday.

4. Arrange online banking and put systems in place to achieve financial freedom.

5. Where is there money on the table right now for you to pick up? In other words, where is there hidden money in your life or what action could you take to bring more money into your life?

6. Start a FFA – Financial Freedom Account

As you consider the quality you would like to strengthen, remember that the quickest way to create a better life is to focus on taking action. Release yourself from focusing on what you haven’t done or need to do. As you do this you will find that your confidence increases and you will trust your intuition more and achieving your goals will feel effortless.

5 Steps To Do The Exact Thing That You Say You Want To Do

I use to think something was wrong with me for not doing the exact thing I knew would help turn my ideas and dreams into reality. I spent a lot of time saying “I know what I need to do, but why the heck am I not doing it?” This really blocked me from achieving my personal and business goals. %$firstname$%, can you relate to this?

I spent a lot of time wondering why I wasn’t taking action or implementing the exact thing I said I wanted. I often felt confused, and I finally came to place where I was exhausted and tired of asking myself this question. I fully decided I wasn’t going to let another day, week, month, or year go by, feeling like I missed an opportunity.

Here are 5 tips to get you moving into your exact desires:

1. Fully Decide: It is your time NOW and there is no better time to actively pursue your dreams. Why wait? The world needs you NOW. When we decide, we instantly become empowered to take action. The women in my Bold, Brilliant & Rich Life Mastery Program are mastering the power of making decision, and as a result they are up-leveling their lives and business plans. They are now taking action toward the things they once just thought of.
2. Create YOUR Plan & Work It: Fully embrace the idea that you are the captain of your ship! Your schedule is about doing the things you love. There is a huge difference in waking up and being clear about the intention and focus of the day, as opposed to waking up and scrambling, just trying to keep up with whatever comes your way. Make time in your schedule to create your plan and work it. I suggest awaking and giving yourself what I call an “Hour of Power.” As women we need more time for us! You can begin with thirty minutes and develop consistency, then work your way up to an hour. You will find over time you crave the full hour because it makes you feel unstoppable, and you begin to see the amazing things you’re accomplishing.
3. Priority & Focus: Get clear on your top three priorities and focus on these. Whatever we put our attention and focus on, we get more of. Eliminate the things/activities that drain you from being able to prioritize and focus. Get clear about where you are leaking time and where energy is being drained. This will allow you to make empowered changes to set your priorities and focus on them.
4. Own Your Truth: Get honest with yourself and own your truth. Your inner truth is always waiting to be acknowledged so it can emerge and give you the incredible life of success and abundance you’ve always wanted. Most women hide from their truth because they fear what they will find. They have a hunch and knowing that if they follow their truth, their life will change in a powerful. This can be scary or they believe they aren’t deserving of their truth and the freedom it brings. You should know that your truth is the one thing that will set you completely free; the real thing you fear is your brilliance. Get quiet and own your truth. You ARE more than enough and you deserve to have the things you REALLY want deep inside.
5. Support & Align yourself with like-minded people: It’s true what the success gurus say about the power of association. Surrounding yourself with like-minded, empowering individuals will keep you on track to your BIG goals and vision. This is the exact reason I invested in a high-level Mastermind group. When I feel as though my vision is too big, my Mastermind pushes me to dream even BIGGER. They see in me what I blindly do not see; they see my brilliance and push me to own my personal power. Because I’m constantly in contact with others who want the same abundant life I seek, it keeps me fully aligned with my goals. Being with a group like this will give support, encouragement and keep you taking action and accomplishing BIG things that bring the success you really want. You are full of potential surround yourself with the people, coaches and mentors that naturally pull this potential out of you.

Apply these 5 tips to your life TODAY – don’t wait – and you’ll find yourself closer to your BIG goals, dreams and vision every day. 

What special experience would you like to create this season? Imagine creating the ultimate experience to enjoy your holidays and release all that drains you. You have the power to choose not to do the things you really don’t want to do, be with the people you really don’t want to be with or feel like there is never enough time to get it all done.

It’s easy to be seduced by the false belief that there isn’t enough time. Believing this myth will make you feel as though you have no choice about how you spend your time and precious energy this holiday season. Truthfully, there is more than enough time. It’s really about letting go of the need for more time and easing into the wonderful sensation you would like to create.  Gaining clarity and deciding what experience you really desire for yourself and the people you love is really important to the joy you experience.  Experience is about fully emerging all five senses into whatever it is you decide for yourself through the holidays and fully owning it.

Imagine the Ultimate Experience: Close your eyes and breathe into the holiday season.  What experience would you like to create for yourself – one of calm, peace, love and laughter? Take time now to imagine your best possible holiday experience. What would you like to create? Maybe you’d like to slow down and spend more time in front of the fireplace reading and with your loved ones creating new memories, enjoying the present moment. Close your eyes and fully go into the sensation of the experience you’d like to create for the upcoming weeks and let your answer emerge from your soul’s desires.

Let Go: To receive want you desire you must let go of everything that is blocking your ultimate experience. Usually when we don’t have what we desire we either are not clear on what it is we actually desire, or there is something blocking us. Sometimes letting go means doing away with a behavior that is no longer serving us, no longer engaging in a relationship that depletes us, or letting the go of the need to please everyone. Perhaps it’s letting go of rules about how the holidays should go that no longer align with you. Do you need to create a new, joyous holiday experience this season?

Allow yourself to gain clarity. Do you need to say no in order to say yes to yourself and the holiday experience you’d like to create?  You deserve the best experience. Take a moment and be very clear about how you want this season to be enjoyed and what you must do to make it so. Your life is now.

Amazing Self Care: Be gentle with yourself and take time to connect with your soul.  Fully nourish your soul and body with quiet time, getting in touch with yourself, eating high quality foods, breathing in fresh air, seeing the sunlight, resting and exercising. Bringing amazing self care into your life will only bring you more good energy and joy. Self care is also about having FUN and bringing laugher to your life. Where in your life would you like to have more fun? Grab you calendar and block out more YOU time – do this now.

Savor the Moments: Where could you savor the moment instead of comparing, judging or beating yourself up? Instead of worrying about getting the perfect gift, feeling overwhelmed by time or identifying the next way to grow your business, begin to savor your good experiences.

Here are 5 ways you can savor the holidays:

1. Replace all the negative energy in your life with savory, good thoughts. You will instantly feel more light hearted.
2. Make a cup of hot chocolate and sit with your children, lover or best friend. Fully savor the moment and learn more about their life what sparks their fire.
3. Take a break from the “hurry” and create a memorable experience. Begin to gain clarity from shifting your focus from stressful to savory. This will make all the difference in creating a better holiday experience.
4. Take Time Off – Yes you!  Allow yourself a day off to replenish and revitalize. The more you give to yourself the more you have to give to others.
5. Recharge your “batteries”. When we recharge we vibrate out to the world confidence and feel-good energy. This is contagious.

Many of the people I coach are go-getters and highly motivated, which is fabulous, but it also makes it difficult for my clients to take time off and enjoy all that they have achieved. There is always going to be a ton to do, so allow yourself time off and fully enjoy it. This means not thinking about what has to be done, but rather allowing yourself much deserved time off and a new experience.

I invite you to share how you plan to create (or have created) a new holiday experience this year by posting a comment here on my blog.

When it comes to making changes to bettering our life, the first thing that you may ask yourself is where to begin.  I have 7 brilliant and easy ways to better your life starting today. As you read through start with the ones that most resonate with you.

1. Trust Your Intuition: Imagine your life if you fully tapped into your intuition. Our intuition is one of most powerful resources we own. Listening to our intuition is the essence of creativity, the foundation for intentional living, and the source of all our best answers and decisions. Intuition is that hunch you have, your gut feeling or as I refer to it, my “knowing.” Connecting and listening to your intuition is a skill to master. For some people, trusting intuition is hard to do. I recommend you start by allowing yourself the experience of listening to your intuition. Even if you’re unsure, listen to your knowing and begin to trust. Listening to your intuition is key in making decisions because you already have the best answer inside you. By listening to your intuition you access exactly what you need to know and is the best knowledge source for any life or business decision.
2. Show Up in Your Life: Do you expend more energy avoiding your life rather than showing up in it? Is more time spent telling yourself you will do it tomorrow, wasting hours away on Facebook, or watching television instead of being present to your life’s vision? It’s time for that to change. Begin showing up in your life — in small big ways, it doesn’t matter; the point is to show up. Show up imperfectly; be exactly who you are right now.  Agree to stop tricking yourself into thinking you will show up later – once you’ve come up with the perfect way to do it, the best idea or the ideal opportunity. The best of everything comes after you decide to show up. When you show up in your life, you build a deep sense of self-confidence and which allows you to play a bigger role in your life.
3. Learn to Receive: Women are masters at giving but have a difficult time receiving. We often don’t fully receive what is given to us. Open yourself to fully accept what others offer to you; you deserve it. Accept compliments, gifts, and help when others extend them to you. All you have to do is say, “Thank you.” When you begin to receive you experience life and people in a more meaningful way.
4. Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: Stepping out of your comfort zone can be unpleasant or scary, but staying in a place where we feel at ease doesn’t help us make the changes we desire or take our lives to the next level. Make an agreement with yourself to find a way to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Today, do one thing you’ve wanted to do but haven’t yet because you feel uncomfortable doing so. Through the process of doing this you will find out you have much more to offer yourself and the world.
5. Take More Action: Inaction does not result in fulfillment. Get out of your head and into your life by taking action. Instead of waiting for some big push or inspiration to hit, decide to take action right now. If you have a sense your life would benefit from taking a class, or working with a coach sign up. If you been thinking about writing that book, starting drawing or getting back to an exercise regimen, stop thinking and take action. Write your outline, enroll in that class, get your art supplies, put your sneakers on and take that walk. Take action.
6. Break out of Captivity: Say no to old rules that hold you back and create new ones of your own. Let go of outdated self-images and beliefs that no longer support you and where you are going. Stop worrying about what everyone else will think, turn off your inner critic and follow your heart.
7. Embrace Life’s Lessons: Don’t worry about making mistakes. When you concern yourself with thoughts of failure, you hinder yourself from making any progress. Concerning yourself with how you might not succeed keeps you from taking action to move forward. The more you worry about making mistakes the more stagnant you become. Begin to trust that every mistake you make is the perfect opportunity to learn and grow. Embrace the lessons you’ll learn from the blunders and errors you might make rather than allowing these fears to hinder your progress. Don’t beat yourself up about how you might not be perfect; celebrate the fact that you are taking charge of your life and taking action toward your goals!

The best thing about your life is you get to decide, how and when you want to change it.  Putting one or all of these tips into practice will getting you moving and I guarantee you’ll find that you are more self-confident and feel more in control of your life and your destiny.

All of life is a gift. Every person, experience and moment is a gift. Did you know that Gratitude is the very first step to receiving and actually experiencing what you desire? Gratitude “seals the deal.” When you are in the state of gratitude you are genuinely and enthusiastically grateful for that which you have and that which you positively expect to receive.

Gratitude is a daily practice allowing yourself to be present in the moment. For some, it is a way of life. People who practice daily gratitude live happier and more abundant lives.

1. Gratitude is about being present.

Gratitude is about waking up in this moment and being here now – really being here – and noticing what’s around you. Most people are so busy thinking about whats not happening, or how much more they have to do, that they don’t look around and notice what’s happening at the present moment. The only moment we have is right here and right now. Wake up to fully embrace the present moment.

2. Gratitude is about honoring your life.

Do you ever compare your life with someone else’s? Do you ever wish your life were better and more like another’s? Sometimes we can lose ourselves in comparing and wondering how we “measure up” to some standard set by someone else. Gratitude requires you to validate your own life because everything in life is a precious gift. Gratitude allows you to keep the focus on your life. That which we put our attention and focus on grows.

3. Gratitude is about attracting all that we desire.

All things come to those who are grateful. It’s difficult to attract abundance and joy if you are saying “no” and arguing with what IS and criticizing yourself or others.

When you allow yourself to be fully present, you say YES and create a powerful shift. Attraction is about “yes.”

Gratitude attracts more of that which you are grateful for and deeply desire. Being grateful for all that you have and that which you desire even if you currently do not possess that which you desire.

Gratitude attracts exactly what you desire and allows you to receive it quickly.

4. Be in love with Now.

The special key to learning to accepting everything  that you already have (good or not so great) is to love the present moment – all of it – and prefer nothing other than the present moment. Truthfully, this is all we have. This will put you into an instant state of calm and feel-good, which is the state for seeing, hearing and experiencing life’s most precious gifts

5. Gratitude doesn’t need explanation

Gratitude doesn’t need to be explained because it’s magical. It’s already inside of you. It’s not something you need to go out and get. Rather, it’s something you have instant access to by connecting to all that is within in you.

Being grateful right now negates resistance. Gratitude allow you to understand you at a deeper level so you have a deeper understand about the path to come. Gratitude negates resistance. Once you bring yourself to a place of gratitude, you will look at everything and clearly see yourself.

I invite you to share what your most grateful for this week by posting a comment here on my blog.

Personal innovation is the expansion into a bigger version of oneself. And isn’t that what you say you really want? In order to innovate your life you must connect to your creative flow. You may not recognize it but the power to innovate is already within you. Everyone is born creative, it’s simply a matter of connecting to those talents.

Do you want to change your life, grow your business and make space for the new to enter into it? It’s not as complicated as it may seem. Really, it’s not. Once you choose to see that the power to change your life and grow your business already lies within you – you can then start to access it and make a transformation.

I highly encourage my clients to take ACTION – big or small – because taking action is absolutely necessary in order to attain creativity and innovation. This past week I had a fantastic session with a highly motivated client. She is working on innovating her business and creating her first information product (which is great, by the way). During our session we reviewed her progress and she said, “As I began to write, it just came to me.”

Now, let me back up a bit. Only a few short weeks ago this exact client came to me for help because, although she knew she wanted to create a product, she had no idea what it was going to be. Sound familiar?

Innovation is about coming up with something new. In order to create new you must move toward it . . . not resist it. Here are five important tips for bringing innovation into your life instead of pushing it away:

1. Get Out of Your Head

When you can’t figure it out and you get frustrated – whether “it” is what to write or draw, or which products and programs to design – get out of your head. Creativity is a flow of energy that is inside you. You can’t force it; you have to connect to it. When you’re stuck trying to decide what you should be creating, rather than staying in your head trying to force ideas to come, get up and go for a walk on the beach, move your body and shift your focus. Turn to sources that inspire you and allow yourself the freedom to get your creative juices flowing. Rather than staying stagnant in your head, move your energy and allow your creativity to work its magic.

2. Create Space

If you want to innovate, stop telling yourself you don’t have time. Create space for it. Creativity does not come from feeling restricted and telling yourself you’re too busy or that you “just can’t right now”. Make the time. You decide your day; use that power to create the space to do the work you want to do.

3. Have an Attitude of Willingness

One of the biggest creativity blockers is resisting innovation because you’re looking for a guarantee. Be willing to ease up on the need for reassurance and allow yourself to create without resistance. Truly, the only guarantee we have is change, and the best way to respond to that is through creative innovation. Once you surrender yourself to the process, you’ll find that innovative spark.

4. Find Your Own Style

Be on your own path, not everyone else’s. Do you embrace your personal style or are you afraid to express it? Stepping into you and choosing to stop hiding allows those things that are uniquely yours to flow, which lets your authentic self shine through.

5. Practice Bold Brainstorming

A lot of the time we wait for our ideas to appear and they just don’t come through. Rather than beating yourself up for being stuck, practice Bold Brainstorming sessions. You can do it alone or with a like-minded person such as your coach. The process of Bold Brainstorming can not only help you come up with a ridiculous amount of new ideas, it can help you decide which is best and how to implement.

The time has come for you to Ignite Your Passion. Passion is unstoppable: are you ready to spark it? Think about what excites you when you open your eyes in the morning. What would you love, love, love to do all day, every day . . . even for FREE? Now, think about what’s standing in your way. What are the fears that keep you from living out your passion? Is it worrying about what others will think? Do you doubt your ability to truly achieve your goals? Find your answers to these questions. Identify what things are keeping you from creating the life of your dreams.

Acknowledge your fears and then release them. Only then can you truly embrace your innovation and connect with the creativity that is within you.

Self-imposed limits are a result of our own thinking based on past conditioning. They are boundaries we’ve set in our minds about what we can’t be, do, have or achieve. These limits are not real; they only exist in our minds.

If you’re frustrated with boundaries and feel ready to expand your life, I encourage you to identify your self-imposed limits. Once you know what they are, you can free yourself from restrictions.

Self-imposed limits feel constricting and depressing. They often sound like the following

• I should stay in this career since this is what I earned my degree for.
• I am too old to even try now.
• I shouldn’t risk it; it could take too long and be too much work.
• I’ll never earn much money. No one in my family has ever made over $75,000 per year.
• I don’t have the time to “just do it.” I am too busy.
• I can’t publish a book; I am not a professional writer.

Self-imposed limits are false restrictions we place upon ourselves that stop us from taking further action and turning our dreams into reality. Imagine fully believing in your true potential rather than holding back because of self-imposed limitations.

This week, prepare yourself to jump out of the box and start creating your life from a much bigger space.

1. Make a List of the Limits You Place on Yourself.

Once you bring your awareness to the boundaries you’ve built, you can decide to make different decisions that align with what you really want. You no longer need to tell yourself “I can’t.”

Become inspired and open to all possibilities for recreating your life.

2. Change Your Beliefs.

Ask yourself whether you are truly limited in the way you previously thought. Why would you believe you are limited? What could you do without these limits?

Replace your negative, false beliefs with true and empowering ones.

3. Improve Your Self-Image.

Start seeing yourself as the highest and best version of you. Ask your highest self for daily guidance and listen to your intuition. By listening to your highest self, you start to develop a higher level of confidence.

What would your best and most confident self say to those limitations?

4. Have a Positive Expectation.

Expect the best with complete certainty. When you free yourself of limitations, you create space to fully see and believe in all that you’re capable of. Positively expect amazing outcomes. When you let go of self-imposed limits, you naturally release worry and need for perfection. You become present in the moment.

You were born to succeed and that is the beautiful truth. Now, fully expect it with certainty.

Please do! Just be sure to include this complete blurb with it:

Empowerment Expert , and Master Certified Coach Karen Fagan publishes her “Live in Your Brilliance” weekly ezine. If you want special tips to live bold, brilliant and rich in your life and business, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to Live in Your Brilliance at www.karenfagan.com. Want to see more secret tips? see Karen’s blog at Karen http://www.karenfagan.com/blog/

Imagine being empowered, clear, intentional, and living worry-free, in abundance around your money– always. Being conscious of your money increases your personal power. I have found a lot of people being slaves to their money – which essentially means that their money tells them what they can’t have – this is so disempowering.

People who are servants to their money say things like, “I would like to go out to eat with my friend for lunch (take a vacation, hire a coach, buy a new car) but I can’t afford it.” Their decision-making process comes from a place of lack, which means they create more lack in their life.

When people are servants to their money, it becomes really easy to make decisions that keep them in the servant role. They choose not to invest in themselves for fear there will not be enough. They start to avoid issues around their financial situation. They worry about money and let money tell them what they can’t have or can’t do. Their focus is on what they don’t have or can’t afford.

How we handle money is symbolic of our life. You may have heard the saying “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” This means that how you manage your money is how you manage your life. For example, if you don’t have enough money, you may frequently tell yourself that you don’t you have enough time. Another example would be how not knowing how much money is currently in your bank account translates to being unfocused when taking action towards creating your life vision. Avoiding taking responsibility with your money often turns into not taking responsibility for your life and the creation of your happiness.

I truly believe one of the biggest reasons people lack money is because they have tolerated a lack of it. The have tolerated less than a certain amount of dollars in their bank accounts, i.e. allowing unnecessary overdraft charges and late fees. When people are enslaved by their money, they are unconscious about how to attract more of it into their life. They avoid looking at bank account balance and opening bills, and they settle for less than they deserve.

A person who is empowered about money has the freedom to make decisions that are best for them, their families and business. They have financial freedom – their money tells them, “Yes! You can have, be or do whatever your heart desires!” They live in an abundant place and make decisions from there.

It is time to create a powerful shift regarding your money and finally step into the leadership role.

Below are 3 tips on how to Stop Being a Slave to Your Money and Step into Your Personal Power:

1. Be Honest with YourselfBe willing to change your attitude around your money and have honest dialogue with yourself. Your higher self would never say that it’s okay to deplete your accounts to a zero balance and go even lower with overdraft fees – neither should you. Be honest with where you currently are financially and raise the bar of what you will tolerate in your bank account. If you always go into the negative at the end of the month, decide not to tolerate it any more; decide to tolerate no lower than $100 in your checking account ever.I have found that when people start to look at how they spend their money and decide to make changes they actually find more money. Look at all the places where you have money in your life and find ways to make more. Change your spending habits, leverage your talent to earn more profit or take action on plans to bring more money into your life.Before you spend money ask yourself whether your purchase will add value to your life. Be honest and ask yourself whether you’re spending money to fill a void. Are you spending because you believe that you’ll never have enough so there’s no point – this is being a slave to your money.Grab a piece of paper and make your Honest Money List. Write down the spending habits that are not serving you — the ones that are blocking you from obtaining prosperity. Then write down what you’re wiling to change. Be honest with yourself; make a commitment to be empowered with your money.
2. Change Your ThoughtsHave you ever fantasized about all the things you could do if only you had enough money? Thoughts of abundance are key to attracting more money in your life. You’ve just got to learn how to master your inner money gremlin.
   
   Your inner money gremlin is fear. It is self critical, it doubts, then it worries and goes right back to doubt. It thrives on lack and not having enough. The inner money gremlin chatter can be so loud that it can stop us dead in our tracks. It quickly leads you to believe that your life will always be in its current state of financial lack and chaos.

   Beginning to understand the limiting beliefs that you have about money results in your being able to take action toward financial abundance.

   Some (completely false) limiting beliefs:
   I just don’t know how to manage my money.
   If I were really meant to be in this career, I wouldn’t be having so much trouble.
   The economy is so bad; it’s just not the right time to pursue my dream.
   Money is the root of all evil.
   People with money have it so much easier than I do.
   I’m in so much debt; this is really bad.

   It is time to begin to work through your limiting beliefs around money and become a master at managing them. Successful people have the same inner money gremlin. The difference is that they realize what the gremlin tells them is not relevant to who they are and the vision they hold for their life. Instead of focusing on their inner gremlin’s chatter, they focus on momentum towards their goals.

3. Have Courage and Be Consciously AwareStarting today, begin to believe that you deserve to be comfortable with your money.  You no longer need to hold your head in shame because your bank account balance is less than you desire.You do however need to be courageous and decide to raise your awareness. Decide that you will no longer let your bills have power over you. Instead, lead your money. The first step is to take an honest look at your current financial situation.Start by opening all those bills that are stacked up and actually look at the statements. If you have handed your financial power over to someone else because you have felt you’re not good at handling money, schedule a time to meet with them to find out your financial status.  Start to take your power back now.To create lasting change you have to begin to know your money – one of the best ways to know your money is to take an honest look at it. It may be uncomfortable at first, but by making the commitment to doing so, you’ll find that you become more comfortable and feel more empowered. A higher level of confidence doesn’t come from having more money; it is developed through the process of taking courageous action and being more aware of what you have.

When you decide to change your relationship with money you will instantly feel a sense of freedom and hope. Money can only determine what you can do, be or have if you allow it to. When you begin to observe your money, fully believe you are worthy to receive more and get comfortable with it – it no longer holds power over you. The possibilities become endless.