Stop Living In Fear

One societal tragedy seems to follow another these days, causing many people to live in a constant state of fear. In the last year alone, we have seen shootings in schools, malls, and movie theaters, public bombings, and several accidents of a deadly nature. It is no wonder that fear has become part of many of our lives. Though fear is an important survival instinct it is also much more and we must be careful not to let it control our lives.

According to researchers, fear can short circuit our brains, making it difficult for us to cope with events that affect us. Just ask residents of the Boston area whose neighborhoods were invaded by military helicopters, SWAT teams, and law enforcement agencies from all over the country for several days during the manhunt for the marathon bombers. Quiet, rural neighborhoods were transformed into war zones making many people afraid to step foot outside.

When tragedies like the Boston bombing or school shootings occur, scared parents must do their best to calm petrified children. Youngsters grow up knowing that bombs can detonate in public places and preparing themselves for school shootings. Though this is far from an idyllic childhood, it has become necessary. Unfortunately, fear is one of the consequences for even children untouched by such tragedies.

Though evildoers are mainly responsible for inducing panic and fear, the media also plays a role. Media coverage constantly replays images and audio of horrific events, maximizing their impact. This causes the threat to remain real and alive in the minds of observers. A sustained response to threat is the natural reaction, causing people to remain fearful long after the immediate danger is gone.

What most people do not realize is that feeding fear only causes it to increase. Fear can wipe out confidence, affect the ability to make decisions, and prevent us from living our lives. In fact, fear is often the only barrier to achieving what we want in life. It can prevent us from committing to a loving relationship, achieving a successful career, or starting a work at home business. All of these great things lie beyond our fear making it important for us to overcome this obstacle.

At some point, fear stops each of us in our tracks. It may be as small as a nagging thought or as prominent as a physical reaction such as shallow breathing or a speeding heartbeat. Fear can cause us to alter our daily routines and may even prevent us from resuming life as we once knew it. When we are born, we have adventurous spirits and are not afraid to take risks. Fear destroys this and affects our enthusiasm, determination, and faith.

What we should not do is let our fears control us. We must nurture the positive feelings that contribute to success. Belief, action, and faith can overcome fears that try to stop us in our tracks. Whether we have been personally touched by a tragic event or worry that we may be, we should not let fear destroy our lives.

The Best Ways To Use A Tax Refund

Many people consider their tax refunds gifts but these are really remittances of money earned through hard work. This is not “extra” money or a payment that fell from the sky, it is money that the filers worked to accumulate. Understanding what a tax refund really is can make it easier to decide what to do with it. Before reading any further, be aware that the correct answer is not going on a shopping spree or taking a lavish vacation.

Time magazine reports that three of every four Americans receive income tax refunds and these payments average approximately $3,000. Many people view their tax refunds as financial relief far more consider the payments as an excuse to spend. This mentality has yielded very unfortunate outcomes throughout society.

Societal norms give us permission to do whatever we want whenever we want to do it simply because we can. We are not required to consider our financial future whenever we make a decision regarding money. Unfortunately, this leads many people to exchange their financial freedom for a life characterized by material possessions, debt, and other forms of financial servitude.

It is easy to want to accumulate more until we find ourselves buried by our debts. Even people who are under huge financial pressure may be more worried about their possessions than they are about their financial futures. Each of us should avoid falling into this trap and instead focus on creating financial success for others around us and ourselves. One way to do this is to use our tax refunds in positive ways rather than letting them burn holes in our pockets.

A strong set of financial goals serves as a guideline for handling a large amount of money such as a tax refund. Refer to these goals when determining how to spend the money. If debt has become an issue and a goal is to become debt-free, use the refund to pay off credit card, loan, or other balances. Individuals with investment goals should place the money where it will earn a respectable rate of interest.

Advertisements and articles offer “advice” about how to spend tax refunds but are often nothing more than marketing tools. Resist the temptation to make a down payment on a new car, pool, or boat because this will place you into unnecessary debt. If debt is not currently an issue, do not make it one. When attractive investment options do not exist, donate the money to charity or another worthy cause. Giving is known to have positive consequences not only for the recipient but also for the giver.

Another way to reinvest the money in yourself and others is to use it to establish a work at home business that offers the public something it needs and provides friends, family members, and acquaintances with an opportunity to come onboard. Avoid the urge to splurge and use the tax refund in a beneficial way this year. For those who make the right choice, the results will be impressive and long-lasting.

Prevent Rejection from Having a Lasting Impact

Rejection comes in many forms and can begin in childhood when a parent abandons a youngster. Other people find themselves victims of rejection from people who made big promises but never delivered. As if experiencing rejection was not bad enough, the lasting impact can sabotage a person’s future. Many people carry around past rejection and it affects their lives and the lives of everyone they encounter.

Self-made entrepreneur Dani Johnson likens the act of carrying around rejection, or merely fearing it, as “pressing the self-destruct button” on personal and professional relationships and isolated elements such as finances. People who carry rejection view circumstances and situations in a skewed way. They enter a situation looking for proof of rejection, twisting reality to provide the desired proof. Someone who carries rejection may alternatively try to reject other people first, blowing situations out of proportion or dramatizing them to become the victim.

These behaviors cause huge issues in personal relationships and business dealings. They ruin friendships and romantic partnerships and do nothing for career advancement. Carrying rejection reveals insecurity and low self-esteem. It will not make someone attractive for a promotion or raise at work, will not draw new clients, and does not serve any other positive purpose.

Rejection carriers do not realize that they do not need to perform a certain way to be accepted. Their existence renders them accepted and they should spend time focusing on where and in whom they choose to invest their time. We choose to stand by people, love, and encourage them. We also choose whom we allow to stand by us. By not allowing others to beat us down repeatedly, we choose to prevent rejection from ruining our lives.

Children are not typically taught how to manage emotional pain. If they experience rejection, they often carry it into adulthood and pass the consequences on to their children. Instead, they should focus on healing and helping others to shed their own fears of rejection. Avoiding this issue will not make it go away. Instead, the negative feelings will fester and affect everyone and everything encountered.

Dani notes that inner healing is the only way to eliminate the aftermath of rejection and prevent passing it along. Inner healing is a major focus of Creating a Dynasty and First Steps to Success, two Dani Johnson training programs offered throughout the country. Dani will be offering First Steps to Success in Pittsburgh on April 27 and 28 and Creating a Dynasty will be held in Pittsburgh from May 17 to 19. Whether you reside on the east coast or will be traveling from overseas, the trip is worth it because these seminars change lives.

Rejection is one of several personal obstacles to achieving full potential in life. Everyone who is carrying around rejection should deal with it. Otherwise, this issue will have power over their lives and negatively affect their careers and personal lives. First Steps to Success and Creating a Dynasty are two programs that provide the inner healing necessary to overcome rejection.

Dani Johnson Tells Us How To Battle The Economy And Win

If anyone knows how to turn a personal financial crisis into a winning situation it is Dani Johnson. In her early twenties, Dani used her dedication to transform her financial status from bleak to amazing. Economic conditions are much different today and many people use this as an excuse for their debt and unemployment. However, there are also people who are flourishing in this economy. This leads to the conclusion that the person, not the economy, is to blame.

How we deal with our circumstances, not the circumstances themselves, determine our success. Just ask Dani, as she managed to go from being broke and homeless to pulling in a six figure income in just one year. People who succeed in the current economy are doing things differently than the majority of the public just as Dani did so many years ago. Why wait for the economy to change when there are ways to become more valuable and successful during the current conditions?

Dani notes that a very small portion of the population, approximately two percent, takes the bull by the horns. The majority of people sit back and wait for change to occur. As we have recently witnessed, change can be slow in arriving and there may be subsequent setbacks that extend the wait. Time is precious and to make the most of it, we must learn skills that increase our value and distinguish us from people who are waiting for change to arrive.

The economy and job market are characterized by a continuous state of change. However, one thing holds true no matter what state these are in: value commands a premium. By increasing our value, we increase our worth and raises, promotions, and career growth follow. Dani has helped thousands of people to elevate their value. Her technique? Helping people to increase their skills. Success is not determined by background, family, personality, or looks. Skill is what makes one person more valuable than another is.

According to Dani, professional, interpersonal, and leadership skills increase value, indirectly increasing income. We must master the skills required by our professions, be willing to learn new skills, and be open to specializing. These characteristics separate the amateurs from the professionals. Enhancing our people skills results in income security and success. Individuals who lack people skills are typically the first workers to be downsized.

People who increase their leadership skills become influencers that are valued by the marketplace. These individuals are constantly bettering themselves and they focus on creating results. Someone with an advanced level of leadership skills will not accept excuses. He or she assumes responsibility for creating personal success and helps others become leaders.

Individuals who are in debt, unemployed, or otherwise not meeting their potential perpetuate their situations by doing what they have always done. Those who stop blaming their circumstances on the economy and instead increase their professional, interpersonal, and leadership skills succeed by making themselves more valuable. Dani has helped many people develop their skills so consider using her methods. 

Change Your Work Environment To Improve Your Income

For many people, work is something that pays the bills. These folks show up, put in their time, and go home, all the while avoiding any level of involvement. Even the least engaged employees are affected by the environment in which they work. Whether a workplace is laid back or stressful, it impacts people operating within it. Work environments affect everything from how employees interact with each other to how much they and the company earn.

Walk into a business and you can immediately tell whether people are happy to be working there. Satisfied workers sport smiles and are friendly to everyone they encounter including strangers. They carry themselves proudly and are respectful to others. Believe it or not, these people actually enjoy what they do. This atmosphere is encouraging to workers, visitors, and customers. A positive internal working environment translates to a positive external environment with customers and prospects.

This workplace is much different from the typical environment because it makes people fall in love with going to work. Everyone feels good and this contributes to positive corporate morale. This is much different from the typical work environment where employees either slack off or trample each other to climb the corporate ladder. Each of these groups cannot relate to the other so there is no sense of camaraderie or even cohesiveness.

Despite appearances to the contrary, most employers do not want their workers to fail. The boss is not out to get everyone in the department. Bosses believe in their workers and want them to succeed. If this were not the case, they never would have hired their staff. Unfortunately, many bosses do not communicate their faith in employees and the desire for  happy workforce. When employees are happy, they create a positive environment and this impacts clients in a positive way. As more customers do business with the company, profits flow.

What is the secret to a positive work environment? Each and every employee must create it. Rather than wishing that we worked in a positive atmosphere, we must develop it. Whether we are part of a work at home business or spend our days in the headquarters of a large corporation, we bear the responsibility of creating the type of environment that we want to work in for over the long-term. 

We choose to create a workplace that tolerates slackers and people who are in it for themselves or we choose to develop a work atmosphere that fosters collaboration, celebrates achievements, and makes people want to return each day. Making this choice is the easy part…creating the desired work atmosphere is another story. It takes hard work and determination that begins by inspiring everyone to work together.

Become an influencer in your workplace to help the environment change for the better. In the process, others will take notice and provide opportunities for advancement. As you become more prominent within the organization, there will be additional opportunities to exert a positive influence on the work atmosphere. Make the workplace somewhere that everyone wants to be!