Dare to Change Life Coaching & Mentoring

Tag: freedom

Age of Aquarius and your 2021

According to Wikipedia, approximately every 2,160 years we have a new astrological age, epoch.

And I’ve noticed a lot of references to the “Age of Aquarius” moment on December 21st, 2020, when apparently Jupiter and Saturn met for the first time in millennials, at 0° Aquarius.

The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on December 21st, 2020 might have been that final ‘cosmic push’ that will mark the official beginning of the “Age of Aquarius.”

Why do I bring this up now?

Because this “Age of Aquarius” moment is a sign that we’ll be leaving an old world behind and experience “a new normal.”

I know what you might be thinking…. “We’ve experienced this “new normal” for almost one year already and I had enough of it!”

Well, apparently the things associated with Aquarius are concerned with the new ways of being and new ways of doing things that will affect every area of our lives.

And while the new epoch may be about some revolutionary changes, the real significance for each of us is going to be in how we respond to it.

Will we be flexible and able to align our choices with possibilities or inflexible and anxious about the future?

So, I invite you to PAUSE.

Make time to REFLECT on your 2020.

Create a sacred space, get your journal and write down your most memorable 2020 moments….

Some of them might be painful…could be financial losses, broken relationships, health issues…
Acknowledge your emotions associated with these memories…allow yourself to feel them…then consciously let them go….

Next, recall your “2020 WINs” – joyful experiences, new business opportunities, interesting connections, deep self-discoveries….
Anything that makes you feel excited, joyful, self-loving, and powerful.

Now…SET YOUR INTENTIONS for 2021!

Set your intentions for different areas of your life – health, relationships, career, finances…

For example, let’s start with your finances.

What are your financial goals for 2021?

What income do you want to receive monthly?

What do you envision to be the sources of your income in 2021 and beyond?

What adjustments do you want to make in your cash flow?

Do you need to attain or upgrade some skills to accomplish these financial goals?

What specifically do you want to focus on in 2021 to make yourself more valuable, whether at work or in your business?

Up level your marketing and sales skills?

Improve your speaking/presentations skills?

Learn how to invest your money strategically so your money starts working for you?

Improve your time management skills?

Incorporate mindfulness practice in your schedule to feel more peaceful and calm?

Next, write down how it will make you FEEL once you accomplish your goals.

What will change in your life?  How will it affect your loved ones?

You got an idea, right?

And if being financially independent is your top-of-mind thinking for 2021 and beyond….
If you’re done procrastinating, waiting and worrying how you can create a life where you never have to worry about money again – let’s connect in person (in my private Zoom room.)

Let me help you map out YOUR UNIQUE path to Financial Independence so you start your journey instead of just thinking about it.

CLICK HERE to schedule your “Never Worry About Money Again” consultation with me asap!

The value of this session is $497 but it’s my GIFT to you for the next couple of weeks. However, I can only have 5 complimentary sessions per week, max.

So, don’t wait – get into action.

2021 is going to be great for those who don’t wait!

It can be YOU!

As always, I am rooting for you.

With Love and Gratitude,

Millen Livis

P.S. Being financially independent is possible without winning a lottery or killing yourself at work!

Take me up on this risk-free offer – schedule your “Never Worry About Money Again” consultation now.

Let me help you map out your unique fastest path to Financial Independence. ?

December 24, 2020
The Most Effective Medicine to Heal Your Life: Thanksgiving Reflections

“Stay in peace, not in pieces” ~ Iyanla Vanzant

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays.

I like it because of its spirit of unity, the feeling of togetherness instead of divisiveness, whether you celebrate it with family, friends or strangers.

I like it as an opportunity to reflect on what is REALLY important in your life and for its spirit of gratitude, compassion and abundance that we all can access at will.

Gratitude needs to become your daily practice to help discipline your busy and worrisome mind.

It’s like learning to drive – at first, you need to remember how to operate your car, but overtime, with a lot of practice, you drive without thinking or noticing how you ‘operate it.’

It’s what you do and think DAILY, not once-in-awhile, that makes the difference in your life. I am sure you already have some of the daily rituals in place.

Let me to share with you some of mine here:

(more…)

November 27, 2020
Story #5: From Comfort to Sacrifice to Compromise Again

After the confrontation with my husband’s mother, we had our talk….

I said to him: “You know…if you decide to leave – it’s up to you, if you decide to stay – it’s up to you, BUT I’m leaving.”

We left the USSR in November 1989.

We left everything we had accumulated for the last eight years and lived from a suitcase for months.

Along the way, our luggage was stolen, so we literally only had the very basic necessities…but we kept going.

We had to travel through many countries without the proper documents, and the journey took about five months.

When we got to New York City in March of 1990, we started with a few adversities….

My husband got very sick and had a high fever.
I didn’t speak English.
We didn’t have jobs.
We were almost out of money.

And yet…the moment I stepped on the ground in New York City, it felt wonderful!

My “inner compass” had tapped me on the shoulder again and said, “You’re home!”

I felt grounded…though in uncertainty.

The beginning of our “new life” in the U.S. was challenging:
I took a minimum wage job at a local florist shop and learned how to say, “What would you like?” LOL

We had to go on welfare…for six months!

I volunteered for a local hospital and took care of my daughter’s depression (from being separated from her grandparents).

However, I kept my focus on getting a professional job so I could support my family.

And so, we saved up enough money to get our first (old) car (paid $3000!!), so we could go to job interviews.

That was an important milestone for us.

As I self-taught English, I was dreaming about being a physicist again….

However, my husband – being a very practical man – said: “It doesn’t matter what you love, in this country, even musicians become programmers, be practical!”

And so, in the spring of 1991, I was hired as an IT consultant for Merrill Lynch and started working in the World Trade Center in NYC.

On the outside, my life in corporate America was the typical American Dream.

I worked hard, and as my skillsets grew, I advanced my career and was moving from one major brokerage firm to another, almost always in the World Trade Center in New York City.

I worked with mostly men, and learned to survive by becoming “one of the boys around the water cooler.”

It wasn’t the way I wanted things – but it was what had to be done to get along.

Eventually, we bought a house in New Jersey, and my husband and I commuted about 90 minutes each way, every day.

We were both making good 6-figure incomes.
He took care of our money and settled in decorating our house, being a wife and mother at home, and “one of the boys” at work.

I wasn’t paid as well as men at my same level, but I accepted that as a fact of life and kept moving ahead, conforming again, just to get along.

It wasn’t what I wanted, it wasn’t what I dreamed I’d do with my life, but it was comfortable, and I was so busy, I didn’t think much about my future.

What did you have to do instead of following YOUR dream?

What sacrifices have you made for your family?

Which dreams did you have to compromise on?

To Your Health, Wealth, and Freedom!

P.S. Want to read other stories? Click HERE to download the “BECOMING: Stories About My Journey From Surviving To Thriving.”

June 7, 2020
Benefits of Intentional Living

It’s a brand new year and… a new decade! Woo-hoo!

And, most likely, you have new big goals you want to accomplish this year and beyond – fitness goals, financial goals, career goals, personal goals, and health goals. Yes?

So, what is one of the most important factors that would help you smash any of your goals?

I believe it’s being intentional.

Intentional with your Time, intentional with your Direction and Focus, intentional with your Choices, intentional with your Environment.

Be Intentional.

Here’s what I mean.

I used to be one of those people who live life by constantly reacting to external situations in life – felt overwhelmed by challenges at work, by challenges with money, by challenges with health, and on and on….

Everything felt like a pile of problems that I had to face and the pile was growing with time, not shrinking.

It got to the point when I felt that my life was out of control… Divorced, jobless, financially broke, in physical pain, directionless.

Do you know someone who has felt that way at some point in life?

So, the downward spiral in my life continued for some time and it literally brought me to my knees. THAT’s when I realized that I was always reacting to external circumstances, that I was always focused on “what is” (and not on what might be), that I was NOT living intentionally.

And, as you may know, when we are brought to our knees, we are more willing to open our hearts to new concepts, new perceptions, and new perspectives. My heart got wide open when I hit the bottom. It was a dark and lonely place….

The coach who I started working with (for the first time in my life) introduced me to the notion of intentional living – creating your experiences from the inside out.

Later on, I learned about the Quantum model of reality (as opposed to the Newtonian model of reality).

Quantum Model of Reality

You see, in the Newtonian linear model of reality, external circumstances affect your personal reality (“cause and effect” mechanical concept of reality). In the Newtonian model, you have no choice but re-act to the external world. That’s what we were thought at school, weren’t we?

In the Quantum model of reality, your personality (your thoughts, emotions, attitude, choices, behaviors, and habits) affect your personal reality. This means, that you can be INTENTIONAL with the way you choose to think, feel and act.

And, if practiced consistently over an extended period of time, you will re-shape your personality, which, in turn, will re-shape your personal reality.

Intentional living is how you can create an incredible life.

Imagine what kind of life you would create if you choose to live intentionally? What would you create? How would you feel and be?

Now…

HOW can you live intentionally and not feel that you are just “a victim of external circumstances”?

That’s a great question to ask!

By introducing healthy habits and designing daily mindfulness routine in your life that will help you feel more peaceful, more self-loving, and more clear and connected to your goals in life.

So, what habits could you practice in order to feel more intentional with your time, your focus, and your choices?

Which daily routine could you introduce into your life NOW to live more intentionally?

How your days would look like once you live more intentionally?

How would you feel once you decide to create more and re-act less?

Imagine how different your life will be.

Share your intentions and ideas in our private Wealth Building for Powerful Women group.

I’m excited to hear from you!

And in the next article, I’ll share with you some of my own habits and daily routines that have helped me create an incredible life.

To your Peace, Power, and Prosperity!

Millen

P.S. It’s my birthday week and, as a token of GRATITUDE for your trust and loyalty, I want to give you a Checklist for Living Free. Download it HERE and EN-JOY!

Also, my team and I are cooking some remarkable experiences for you in the coming months. So, make sure you stay in touch!

To your Health, Wealth and Freedom!

January 21, 2020
Your Big Badass Dream Plane & THREE Levers to Upgrade Your Financial Life

What would it take for you to feel wealthy?

How many millions?

Or maybe just having “more than enough”?How many homes/yachts/planes?Or maybe just having more choices?How many children/husbands/lovers? (OK, this topic is for anothertime/place… LOL)Or maybe just having more free time, working less?Obviously, being wealthy means different things to different people…And it’s great to have Audacious BIG Badass Dreams.And my question to you is: “Are you actually ready to bring your currentfinances into harmony with your BIG Badass Dreams?”Because dreaming BIG is great! However, in order to take this BIG BadassDream plane off the ground, you’ve got to get very clear about it (is it REALLYworth the efforts?), then map your way forward and learn to pilot it, so youcreate the momentum.Because if you don’t… well, let’s stay positive here.So, what is your “BIG Badass Dream” plane?What do you REALLY want for yourself and your loved ones?

Can you describe it as if you were living it in the present moment?What do you do, what do you feel and see, where do you live, who are youwith?Make time and space for yourself to “normalize” your Big Badass Dream –make it SO NORMAL that you start embodying this dream!Then you can get to map your way forward.How do you map your way forward?By mapping your money according to your desired level of financial fitnessand using three cash flow levers to accomplish your desired results.Money Mapping is about discerning what’s REALLY important to you in life(and this may change as you go through different phases in life) and thendesigning your lifestyle so that it supports your values and your BIG dream.Money Mapping is Budgeting 2.0, because it’s NOT just about counting everypenny you spend on groceries. That’s tedious and unnecessary for mostpeople.Money Mapping is about you focusing on your BIG Badass Dream, translating itinto numbers, then reverse-engineering it into the money map so that yourlifestyle and choices are coherent with your goals.In my programs, I talk about 4 stages of Financial Fitness:1. Less than enough2. Just enough3. More than enough4. AffluenceYOU DECIDE what financial fitness level is next for you. THAT will determineyour spending patterns, your saving patterns and your investing patterns.That’s what the money mapping is for.

My clients come to me at different levels of financial fitness spectrum and withvery different ambitions. And they ALL evolve to much higher but differentfinancial fitness levels. Because they have different definitions of “wealth.”That’s why I asked you at the beginning “What would it take for you to feelwealthy?” Your answer will determine your specific money map.In other words, your answer to this question (which only YOU know theanswer to), will guide your choices and financial decisions.For example, you may have a BASIC money map (to track your money, youcan use an Excel spreadsheet or an app) that reflects just basic needs(groceries, rent, utilities) and paying off debt. This may support a simplelifestyle, living debt-free, in a rural area, and have less pressure…Then you can create another COMFORTABLE money map that will includesome comfort items like massage, mani & padi, trips, restaurants, privatecoaching, etc.Finally, you can create another AFFLUENT money map that will cover allyour intentions and desires – from millions in the bank, to having a personalchef, jet-setting to French Riviera, and having vacation homes in resort-likelocations.Having these money maps will help you “land” your BIG BADASS DREAMplane with concrete numbers that will back it up, support your desired lifestyle.Finally, the time for the HOW question. What levers do you have to controlyour cash flow and upgrade your financial fitness?I invite you to consider these THREE levers to control your cash flow:1. Income2. Budget (pattern of spending)3. DebtAnd here are THREE ways that you can use to improve your cash flow:1. Identify your current ‘financial leaks” and make necessary adjustments.2. Brainstorm and uncover additional long-term sources of in-coming cash.3. Brainstorm and uncover immediate prospects for incoming cash flow.In summary: You Big Badass Dream can be your reality. Being FinancialIndependent is NOT a pipe dream. You’ve got to get your money map inplace, get strategic about your choices and get this plane onto the runway,ready to take off.

With love, health and wealth

P.S. If you feel sick and tired of being restricted by money, feeling worryingabout your retirement, anxious about investing – let’s connect! Here’s the linkto schedule a complimentary Money Breakthrough session with Millen.What do you have to lose? Fear, money anxiety, indecisiveness. What youcan gain? Clarity, direction, specific strategies and concrete steps to moveforward.

April 27, 2019
7 Steps to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #6 – Shop Smart

Women shop differently than men. In general, women tend to love shopping and many see it as an entertaining activity. They are more likely to make impulsive purchases and often take advantage of special offers.

Men mostly buy just what they need right now – they go with a clear idea of what they are looking for and try to spend as little time as possible.

Can you relate?

In order to spend less and save more, especially as a woman, you’ve got to become a savvy shopper. It’s not difficult. And the tips that I’m going to share with you here will help you buy what you need, spend less and save more. That’s what I call smart shopping.

You can save substantial amounts of cash when you become intentional shopper as opposed to emotional shopper.

Ready?

Here are EIGHT TIPS for SAVVY SHOPPING:

1. Plan your purchases in advance

Plan your purchase. Pause and get really clear about: Why do you need it? Where will you put it? What will you use it for? Who will use it?

If you don’t have compelling answers to these questions you will realize that you don’t really need to buy it at this time.

If you feel strong about your decision to buy the item, plan the day to go shopping and enjoy the fact that you made an intentional decision to buy it, not an impulsive one.

2. Have a budget for your purchase

Have an approximate amount that you intend to spend on this purchase. This will help you be intentional about the amount you’re willing to pay and not get carried away with whatever price you see on the label.

Does it require some financial discipline? Yes. And it’s a good habit to have if you want to be a Wealth Builder instead of Wealth Consumer.

3. Pay in full (cash or debit card)

When you are in a store and you see something that you really want or need, it’s easy to pull out a credit card and pay whatever the price may be.

However, if you are using cash or a debit card to purchase the item, you’ll have more awareness about the price that you’re about to pay because your amount is limited by the cash in your wallet or by the amount in your bank account.

4. Buy older iterations of products

Retail price of the latest version of a product is always higher than the previous years’ model, whether it’s a phone, a TV or a car.While the newer version may have more features, you’re paying a premium price for these new features if you buy the product on release-day.

The same model will be priced significantly lower in just a year or two, so waiting a little longer can be quite lucrative. You may save hundreds or even thousands when you weigh the benefits of saving money on buying a good, but not the latest model of the product.

5. Shop for clothing during the end-season

You like to look like a “million bucks”? Great! And it doesn’t have to cost you that much! You can find significant markdowns on clothing prices—50% or more—during the end of the season for clothes.

Retailers cut prices to get rid of things that are going out of season. It may worth your money to wait a few months to buy clothes you like at prices your wallet will love!

6. Don’t be fooled by marketing

Stores are designed to entice you to spend money. Their strategies are subtle and effective.

Most use different lighting effects, colors, music, and items displayed in a certain way to entice you into buying more than you intended to when you came to the store. The same applies to online shopping – additional items are suggested to you when you buy anything.

Don’t fall for any of it. Be clear about what you came to the store to buy so you won’t get dazzled into overspending or buying something you didn’t plan for.

Buy quality items that are offered at discounted price but only if you need and want them, not simply because of the decreased price.

Finally, remember that sales people are trained to make you buy! It’s a good idea to ask questions about products, but don’t let them persuade you into buying it there and then. Take your time to make measured decisions.

7. Negotiate

Very few people realize that you can negotiate many products’ prices with a seller!

Let’s say, you have decided on an item you want. You have found the best price, you chose your timing right, and you are ready to pay for it.

But wait! Always ask for “the best possible price” wherever you are or whatever you are buying. What is the worst that can happen?

Sometimes when the seller cannot offer any additional discount on the product, you may get a discount on a service or another item that you need to buy too! Negotiation is a great skill that you can develop and practice when you shop!

8. Be mindful of timing when you travel

Prices on hotels, vacation rentals, airfare, and even rental cars are often much higher during certain days of the week, school and college breaks, and national holidays.

The travel industry knows that most people like to leave for vacation on Fridays and come back on Sundays. That’s why these days the prices on airfare, vacation rentals and hotels are higher.

Be smart and adjust your travel timeline so that you get a better deal. Shop around for plane tickets to fly out on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday to take advantage of lower prices.

Also, the plane tickets usually cost less when bought in advance – plan your air travel in advance. Do price comparison for your favorite travel destinations to reduce your travel expenses further.

The Bottom Line: From shopping for groceries to shopping for a weekend getaway, spending money is a “side effect” of shopping (Get savvy about it!

Next time you’re browsing in a store or online, think about these 8 tips to be a savvy shopper.

To your Health, Wealth and Freedom!

P.S. Have you registered yet for my brand new training – Unpack Your Debt?

This is a 5-day LIVE bootcamp where I’ll share the TRUTH about DEBT and show you the WAY OUT.

You can access this LIVE training FREE if you register before February 25th! Click HERE to Register NOW

February 28, 2019