Dare to Change Life Coaching & Mentoring

Tag: success

Six Lessons to Boost Peace of Mind and Happiness
Today I want to share with you some insights from my time off the grid.

A few months ago I felt a deep desire to make time for my inner expansion – to focus on refining my awareness, honing my focus and clarifying my vision.

I strongly believe that there are times when we need to slow down to speed up.

So, for my B-day, I chose to go to the Buddhist Meditation Center (to the disappointment of my family members and the curiosity of some friends.)

Spending almost a week at the Buddhist Meditation center reconfirmed my deep conviction that our mind is the control center of our life experiences.

It was my first exposure to the Science of Conciseness according to Buddhism.

While I love many wise sayings attributed to Buddha and have read/heard a few times about Karma, Reincarnation and the Wheel of Life, I haven’t really dived into those concepts that much…until the visit to the meditation center.

Some questions that I couldn’t answer before could be reasonably answered using the concept of Karma (e.g. “How come some young children get cancer?!” or “Can a human being in this life be reborn in a different form in the next life?”)

The Buddhist notion of mind’s delusions like attachments (to our wishes being fulfilled, or to our opinions and beliefs), mistaken aspirations, anger, hatred, jealousy, ignorance (a.k.a. mistakes in perceptions) resonated with me deeply.

“All our problems are caused by our attachments to the uncontrolled desires.”

I love the depth of Buddhists’ appreciation for the “preciousness of human life” and how the loving-kindness, compassion and cherishing others are inherent attributes of Buddhist teachings.

“Every person has the potential to be a Buddha in making.” Yep, that means YOU and I are “Buddha in making.” Very cool, isn’t it?

And the sober reminder of the impermanence of our lives (one time we meditated on death…just to cheer us up LOL) kinda shook me up and made every moment of my life and every person I love and appreciate 100X more precious…

Frankly, I’m still processing many profound concepts (e.g. the idea of emptiness, the Buddhist perception of death, etc.) as I work my way through these teachings.

However, what I want to share with you briefly today is SIX practical applications of the Buddhist teachings.

Please note that these are NOT exact Buddhist lessons but rather my personal inference of the teachings I received.
1. There are no inherently “faulty/broken/evil” people. We all, at some point in time, are controlled by the mind’s delusions (e.g. attachments, anger, ignorance, etc.) So, we must distinguish a person from her/his delusions and refrain from judgments and discrimination.
1. Every human has a vast potential for happiness and success…within her/him. The potentiality of the mind is like seeds of consciousness. That’s why it is SO important to be aware of your thoughts and feelings and be able to intentionally choose what you focus on and how you want to feel.
1. YOU are not your mind and not your body. That’s why YOU can control your mind and your body. Also, it’s important to feel the acceptance of our [physical] death. Nothing is permanent and life is not about building a citadel around you, to protect yourself from suffering….Life is meant to be experienced.
1. You, as a human being, have a powerful ability to engage with your imagination. You can ask questions like “What would need to take place for me to ________?” You can imagine living your desired reality. You can visualize the place/time where your current predicament doesn’t exist… Any end of suffering starts in your imagination. Imagination IS a functioning faculty of your mind.
1. Your gracious and effortless presence in this world can be the greatest contribution to others. Shifting your focus from your challenges and predicaments to other people’s challenges and suffering is a powerful technique to help release your attachments and suffering.
1. The roots of all our problems lie in the uncontrollable, un-peaceful mind. The true, lasting happiness can only be found within a peaceful mind. Only by creating peace within our mind and helping others do the same, we can make the world a better place.
OK, I think you’ve got the gist of these valuable teachings (and this is just scratching the surface) – just enough to remind yourself that YOU have limitless potential and tremendous inner power. You can create anything you set your mind to create (as long as you keep reasonable expectations and are detached from the outcome). And your life, as it is right now, is very rare and precious.

Now…I would LOVE to know what you think about this topic, what resonated with you, what feels foreign to you…

So, go to my private Facebook group “Wealth Building for Powerful women” and share your insights and opinions. I promise – we will NOT judge them!

To Your Peace, Power, and Prosperity!

P.S. Do you think it’s a good idea for you to to start (or continue) planning for your future?

If you answered YES, then I’d like to offer you a GIFT – Wealth Planner – so that you prepare yourself for the next phase in your life and secure your future.

CLICK HERE to download your FREE Wealth Planner

And if belonging to a PRIVATE FREE community of like-minded women sounds good to you as well, join us here => Wealth Building for Powerful women
February 4, 2020
Wealth Creation Starts with YOU.
In the last week post, Benefits of Intentional Living, I promised to tell you how I started living intentionally and briefly shared with you the rough patch I went through a few years ago – the downward spiral that brought me to my knees and…opened my heart.

I never thought that something like that could happen to me.

Using the “societal metrics of a successful life”, I was living an American dream – family, beautiful house in the suburbs of New York, prestigious high-paying job, friends, parties, vacations….

Yet deep down I was not happy – it felt like was dying inside. And there came a time when I could no longer pretend, so…I decided to dare and change my life.

Yeh, I jumped – walked out of my “prestigious comfortable job”, my comfortable marriage, my beautiful and comfortable home, and…re-started my life all over again.

I recall feeling enthusiastic about my future again, especially after graduating from the “prestigious and well known” business school. I SO wanted to create lasting wealth, serve others, travel, and make a difference in the world.

Yet it didn’t happen… for some time.

I got into a free-fall and my “parachute” didn’t open for a while…

The promising business partnership fell apart; my new investment business was cash-poor and I had to let go of my team members; I struggled with paying bills and student loans; had serious health issues; and got depressed.

At that time I didn’t know that the Wealth creation must start with me…

Wealth creation starts with YOU

I was SO focused on “external” achievements that I completely neglected the most important source of success in my life – myself and my well-being.

I felt stuck and unhappy…again.

And what I discovered was that I had to rethink how I perceive happiness.

I realized that I neglected my inner well-being.

I needed to change…again. But this time the change had to be from the inside out.

You must re-train your brain

I needed to re-train my brain.

And the best way to do that is to practice mindfulness.

So, I decided to practice intentional living by introducing a healthy daily routine. I’ve strived to live intentionally every day by being deliberate with my time, focus, and choices.

Let me share with you the daily routine that has helped me turn my life around and create an incredible life:
1. I start my morning by counting at least 5 things I’m grateful for –Gratitude is my anchor state.
2. Then I get up and drink some water (often with a slice of lemon) to get my body hydrated.
3. Next, I get to my meditation space. I meditate anywhere between 30 – 60 minutes (based on my schedule that day). I use different styles of meditation – silent, guided, or mantra. Meditation helps me get into a state of being where I feel more calm, peaceful and intentional with my thoughts and emotions.
4. Next, I head to my yoga room and practice yoga and/or Qigong.
5. During weekends, I like to read books, especially on metaphysics and mindfulness, and journal.
6. Only after these 5-6 steps, I nurture myself with nutritious food – make a green smoothie for breakfast (with kale, celery, cucumber, sunflower sprouts, lemon, banana and green apple).
7. After my nutritious breakfast, I go for a walk in nature.
I begin my morning with this simple routine – BEFORE I even start my to-do list for the day.

Out of all those 7 steps, meditation is one of the essentials. Being in the state of calm and silence, when the chatter/noise of the outer world is neither distracting nor guiding my focus, allows my brain to rest and recover.

Oh, and I also like to set an intention before my meditation… For example, one of my intentions is to feel in love with my life (no matter what challenges I may encounter.)

Sometimes it’s hard to shut down my busy mind or switch attention from physical pain… In these situations, I just notice those thoughts, acknowledge them and gently get back to the flow.

Noticing what’s happening in your mind or body without passing any judgment is often referred to as mindfulness.

You Can Do It, Too

Following a healthy (and supportive) morning routine will change how you feel about your day. It may not be easy, at first. You may forget, or skip some steps; you may choose to do none on some days.

What’s super important is that you don’t beat yourself up. Guilt is one of the most toxic emotions humans experience and I know first-hand how draining this emotion feels.

I invite you to forgive yourself, remind how many benefits you’ll experience from having a healthy daily routine, and simply get yourself back into the flow.

By the way, you don’t have to have all those 7 exact steps – I encourage you to come up with a daily routine that works for you and your life.

So, what daily routine are you going to implement in your life?

What ideas that I shared with you today resonated with you?

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

To your Peace, Power, and Prosperity!

P.S. For my birthday, I chose to go to the meditation retreat hosted by the Buddhist monks. It has been a truly fascinating experience…I’ll share more about it in my next emails or videos.

Have you downloaded yet my Checklist for Living Free? It’s my gift to you and you can Download it HERE. EN-JOY!

Also, my team and I are cooking some VERY COOL experiences for you in the coming months….So, make sure you stay in touch!
January 27, 2020
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
7 Steps to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #5 – Pay Yourself First

In step #4 we talked about tracking your money, remember?

If you don’t know where your money goes, if you don’t have ANY mechanism (call it budget, call it a money tracker, call it whatever) – you don’t have control over your money. Money controls you!

You may feel that you have to make more and more money to live.

Yes?

What if you could spend less so you won’t need to work more to make more?

And if you feel that you’ve already trimmed your budget to the bare minimum, then it’s possible that it’s time to look for an additional source of income.

Ok, that was a quick reminder of key #4 – Track Your Money

Now the next, step #5, is to Pay Yourself First.

There’re THREE Aspects in this step:

1. Pay Yourself First

So, once you figure out how you can better control your optional spending, your unnecessary expenses (your “wants”), the next important money habit to develop is to pay yourself before you pay anyone else!

For many people, a good way to start saving regularly is to have a small amount transferred automatically from paycheck to a savings account.

In other words, have some savings automatically set aside!

If you don’t see it, you don’t miss it.

How much can you set aside?

The common suggestion is between 5 and 10 percent of your gross annual income.

Of course, this can be much harder than it sounds.

So, if you’re currently living paycheck to paycheck without clear opportunity to increase your income in the near future, begin by paying yourself with WHAT YOU CAN now. It could be one percent of your income, or $20, $50, $100.

ANYTHING is better than nothing. Train yourself to allocate consistent contributions toward your savings. That’s the goal here.

The next question: what is the purpose of these savings?

Here are a couple of suggestions:

2. Maintain an Emergency or “Peace of Mind Fund”

Before you commit your newfound savings to ANY investments (ALL investments involve risk), make sure you have at least three to six months’ worth of your lifestyle expenses saved in an emergency (aka peace of mind) fund.

Life happens to all of us; cars need repairs, houses need maintenance, medical emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Keeping your emergency fund liquid will ensure that you don’t have to panic and sell your investments when their prices are down, and guarantees that you can always get to your money quickly.

If you have trouble deciding how much you need to keep on hand, begin by considering the standard expenses you have in a month.

If you have dependents (e.g. kids, parents, etc.), you’ll want to keep more money in your emergency fund to offset the greater risk.

Once you fill your emergency fund, you can redirect money to your investments.

3. Give yourself an allowance

Here’s the fun part. Once you get to the point that your basic expenses and savings needs are met, you can decide how much money you want to spend guilt-free on anything you want (like shopping, eating out or entertainment).

You and your spouse can have that amount in cash each month but when the money runs out, it’s gone until the following month.

Anything you don’t spend can be carried over.

This may add some fun and money flexibility into your relationship because neither of you can question how the other spends their allowance.

Leave a comment and let me know what resonated with you and what you want to implement into your life right away.

To your Health, Wealth, and Freedom!

For more resources on various financial topics, check this page on my website:

WORK WITH MILLEN

For additional real-time support, join my private Facebook group:

WEALTH BUILDING FOR POWERFUL WOMEN

Free Resources:

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February 14, 2019
7 Steps to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #1 – Declutter your environments

Let’s get tactical and discuss the steps to regain control over your money.

Having the right environments is super important. That’s why you hear a lot about decluttering.

If you live in a home that is filled with clothes that you don’t wear and don’t like, boxes with magazines and souvenirs, pieces of furniture that don’t add anything to the comfort of your physical space, YOU CAN change it!

If you don’t have an environment that supports what you want to think, feel, create, and experience, remind yourself that YOU CAN change it.

If you have a relationship that doesn’t make you feel supported, loved, and appreciated, that doesn’t spark joy in you – YOU CAN change it.

If you feel that you got yourself into a “money prison” because of accumulated  debt, or unhealthy spending habits, or arguing with your partner about excessive spending and feeling insecure about your financial future – YOU CAN change it too!

You can CHOOSE to be clear and intentional with your choices and change what’s not working for you.

You can move away or towards a different environment, or you can create a new energy in your current environment.

And whatever you want to change, start changing NOW by letting go of what’s not working for YOU!

You want to make a big leap? Great, go for it!

Feel like starting with small changes? Awesome!  Baby steps are great! It’s how you implement BIG changes without feeling overwhelmed.

Life is what you choose to make of it.  Whether it’s your physical environment, relationship, work, or money.

Living with your focus on past mistakes drains your energy, deflates your confidence, blocks the flow of wealth, joy, and new opportunities in your life!

That’s why decluttering your mental space is super important!

I recall the time in my life when I felt that I must change my environments – my work, my marriage, my financial habits (e.g. shopping therapy) – because I felt empty inside…I felt just existing, going through life instead of living it.

BUT I was afraid to change.

“What if”, “not yet”, and “not now” thinking kept me stuck in the environments that felt like desert. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a support system at that time.

My FEAR of “not having enough”, not being able to support myself, feeling financially insecure if I leave my marriage, kept me in a prison of my own making for years.

Until one day…I decided to change.

First, I asked myself “What is the worst thing that may happen?” Once I reconciled with the answer to this question, fear of consequences couldn’t keep me hostage anymore.

Then I asked “Why it may not be true that I cannot be financially secure without a man?” And the answers started pouring from my heart onto my journal.

And then…I asked “What needs to happen NOW so that I feel more ease, joy, and excitement about my life?” And the answer was clear and loud…

DARE TO CHANGE.

If you tolerate environments that make you feel overwhelmed, not capable, not supported; the environments that deflate your confidence and sense of personal power – don’ wait for a better time. Or better circumstances. Or a “prince charming” to save you.

DO NOT WAIT TO BE SAVED. YOU ARE YOUR SAVER.

Change might challenge you. You might need to juggle some things and make a few adjustments…

BUT it’s possible. And often necessary.

So that you step into your full power. Get in control of your money. Charge of your financial destiny.

And the first step is to attend to your environments and declutter your space.

Next I’ll share the next step to regain control over your money.

P.S. And if you can get access to a supportive environment, to like-minded people who would support and encourage you to live your dram life – use it!  Join the Wealth Building for Powerful Women community to get live support and connect with like-minded women. You don’t have to feel alone in this world!

January 16, 2019
This ONE Thing Could Literally Change Your Life

So, the 2018 is officially over with all the successes, challenges, breakdowns, breakthroughs, changes, and transformations.

It’s a NEW YEAR, a NEW AGE and a NEW PARADIGM!

And as I heard from one spiritual guru recently, the energy of this year is “Seize the day.”

In other words, when opportunity knocks, welcome it and run with it. And if challenges get on your path – don’t panic or curse your luck. Find a way to perceive them as…opportunities in motion. Opportunities to learn, grow, and expand.

This week, I had a privilege to speak to an amazing beautiful 94 years young woman. She has this special spark and charm that is hard to describe in words… One might guess that her life was easy, joyful and fun. Yet it was anything but easy…

During the WWII, she lived under Nazi’s occupation in Lithuania, escaped, became a refugee and lived in different countries before coming to America; was divorced, remarried, then lost her second husband to cancer…

She raised two wonderful daughters as a single mom, learned how to master her money, became an investor, achieved financial independence, and became an amazing painter after leaving her professional career as a chemist.

Her house looks like an art museum… Her many paintings reflect her rocky life journey.

So, I asked her if she could distill all her experiences and wisdom into ONE thing that really matters… ONE thing that helped her overcome enormous obstacles and go through many personal challenges…what would it be?

She looked at me, smiled and said: “The only thing that truly matters is whether you’re happy inside despite your life situations…” Then added softly “I am happy inside.”

“All the time?!”- I asked with some sense of astonishment in my voice.

“NO”, she responded. “Not all the time! About 95% of the time.”

I smiled…

Can it really be THAT simple?

Yes, I believe it can. And it’s a matter of choice.

Today you can choose to focus on problems, react to challenges in your life, compare yourself, and feel powerless and unlucky…

OR

You can choose to focus on solutions, on what “works” in your life.

You can choose to believe that you can do anything.

You can choose to release what no longer serves you.

You can choose to accept your current life situation and thrive for better.

You can choose to love yourself just the way you are, without any need to prove anything to anyone.

You can choose to better yourself and your life through new knowledge and expanded awareness.

You can choose a new way of being.

It does not happen overnight.

It does not happen because it is a New Year.

It happens because you consciously choose every day what you give your attention to, what thoughts you allow to dominate, what words you use, what habits you practice, what boundaries you establish, and how you re-calibrate your feelings.

Be kind and loving to YOU. At least 95% of the time. LOL!

That’s my intention for 2019 in addition to helping as many women as I can to master their money and experience more EASE, PEACE and FREEDOM.

And that’s why I have a question for you.

If you could sit down with me for a cup of coffee, what would YOU want to ask me? What top one or two questions you’d like to ask me?

Just message me or write in the comments below your questions.

To your Health, Wealth and Freedom!

P.S. I’m serious! Go ahead and message me or write in the comments below your questions. What would you ask me?

January 3, 2019