Success At Any Age

It was at my day job years ago that I encountered small mindedness. One of my co-workers told me that I was being judged primarily on my age and that because of my age – despite my advanced successes – I would not be taken seriously.

I reflected on this comment and wondered if age – and years of experience – were truly necessary for success. Experience is important, yes. It’s how knowledge happens, but without that uniqueness that is you and that distinct eye for whatever your trade may be all of that can go wasted.

Take, for example, Yves Saint Laurent. I had a pair of Yves Saint Laurent jeans as a twelve year old and found a strong connection with this name. I later discovered that my wedding dress was touched by this designer and made in his house of couture. I admire his work, his eye, and his contribution to the progress of women’s fashion. What I had later learned about this designer was that he took over the house of Dior at the age of twenty one. YES. 21.

As a matter of fact, Dior told St. Laurent’s mother that St. Laurent was the only boy he could trust to hand over his house of couture. Dior planned to give over control of his house in 3 to 4 years when he would retire. The next day, Dior went to another city for health treatments and died four days after his encounter with St. Laurent’s mother.

Could you imagine taking over an international corporation at twenty one? Can you imagine the your country, the world, and the success of a chic name looking to you to continue and exceed the expectations? Clearly, Dior didn’t see an age, but he saw talent, hard work, dedication that would carry St. Laurent and Dior to the future.

So, my friends, those who are mostly around my age and those much older than I and feel you’re starting late… Don’t let a number stop you – a small one or a big one. If you have talent, determination, passion, and the humility of awareness, then keep moving and fear not. Success, like beauty, is yours – at any age.

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Leslie, Inc. offers solutions for finding happiness through one-on-one coaching, mindful leadership retreats, and digital products. If you’re ready to GET HAPPY, check out Leslie’s guide packs. For more tips on achieving your state of happiness, sign up for Leslie, Inc’s weekly newsletter.

#career #professionaldevelopment

Find Peace: Simplify Your Life

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. ~ Confucius

Do you insist on making life complicated? Do you do so without even realizing it? Is your life full of struggle between yourself and those you love? Are you having a hard time at work or finding a job?

Simplify life and find your peace now!

BE MINDFUL Be mindful about the life you want to live. Ask yourself if you want to keep it simple, stress free, and happy. Keeping your focus in mind on your priorities will act as a guide as you navigate through life, giving you the ability to choose what you’d like to use your time, energy, emotions, and resources on.

You may be focused on living healthy. Your primary concern may be your family’s welfare. You might want to focus on your professional career. Your priorities should be respected by others, and held sacred by you.

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES Know what is worth fighting for and what isn’t. If what you’re arguing about is going to make you and the other person a better person, then tread carefully. If you’re just arguing with no goal in mind, then choose differently. Not everything in life has to be a battle or difficult to overcome.

As I mentioned earlier, knowing your priorities will help you choose the battles you want to engage in. As yourself how much conflict you want to experience on a daily basis and make choices to limiting the negative conflict in your life.

MORE ? SUCCESSFUL We suffer from a ill-advised notion that the more we do and the more we are involved, the more successful we are. The problem with this type of thinking is that our lives become so bogged down, dependent on schedules and appearances that we forget the purpose of everything we have committed to in the first place.

Over committing can lead to unnecessary stress, relationship problems, and all sorts of unforeseen consequences that will require your additional attention. Collecting commitments does not make you the most successful human being on the planet.

CONSUME LESS This is a very simple way to keep life simple, but can be one of the most difficult. Western society has been conditioned to consume and purchase for emotional and social validation. The problem is, the more we own, the more that owns us.

Homes, cars, technology, and things require attention and maintenance. Attention and maintenance require time, energy, and resources – all of which require you to do something about, making the consumption cycle endless. Reduce what you consume and see how freeing and simplifying it can be.

DEFINE RELATIONSHIPS During this time of public social networking, it’s easy to “friend” anybody. It’s also easy for others to know more than they should about us. Everybody on your friends list does not need to know what you and your spouse are going through relationship problems or that you have differing lifestyle opinions from your colleagues.

It’s essential to define relationship boundaries and to limit what you share with those you can truly trust with your personal information, opinions, and dramas. Sharing everything with everybody gives others the right to judge you complicating relationships and causing unnecessary conflict. You have the right to limit what you share about yourself and your life. Not everything about you has to be open for discussion.

DEFLECT PRESSURE There is a lot of pressure coming from a variety of people, groups, and causes asking you to get involved. Some people go so far as to tell you that if you don’t join them in their cause, you are a part of the problem or that there is something inherently wrong with you. This ends in you joining to avoid guilt.

Do not be afraid to say no to those who try to pressure you to join their cause, organization, to go beyond your means in assistance or to fix their problems. Your gut will tell you what is right in pursuing and your life will give you indicators giving you the green light for joining or the red light for saying, “Not at this time.”

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Leslie, Inc. offers solutions for finding happiness through one-on-one coaching, mindful leadership retreats, and digital products. If you’re ready to GET HAPPY, check out Leslie’s guide packs. For more tips on achieving your state of happiness, sign up for Leslie, Inc’s weekly newsletter.

#personaldevelopment #spiritualdevelopment

13 Ways To Save Money

Here Are 13 Ways To Save Money:

1. Be open about money with your family: While growing up, my mother hung a spiral notebook by the back door in the kitchen listing all of the month’s expenditures, church tithes (donations), savings, and extra income. It was her way of telling us where our family’s money was going. If we wanted or needed something, all we had to do was look at that list and see if it was even worth asking her. If there was no money left over for the month, we didn’t ask. If there was, we’d take the risk. Needless to say, all four of us kids got jobs at fifteen so we could have our own income. Expose your children to fiscal responsibility at a young age and see how open they are to understanding the difficulties and benefits that comes with it. I know we did.

2. Designate some money for a side savings I use all of my random craigslist sales or small cash gifts for a Christmas/donation account that I keep on the side. That way, when Christmas comes around or if someone I know is in need, I don’t stress about from where the money is coming. That way, I can buy the gifts and cards for friends and family without having to think twice.

3. Discuss major and non-essential purchases with your spouse before walking into the store. After trial and error, my husband and I have an agreement to discuss money matters and spending budgets before leaving the house. If we cannot come to an agreement, then more research must be completed before we find the optimum situation for a purchase. We avoid debating in public to avoid arguments. It’s a relationship saver.

4. Remind yourself of your financial goals Keep your financial goals at the forefront of your mind, especially when you’re in a spending situation. If spending will honestly help you (and I don’t mean getting the Beemer for your drive to work) then go forward wisely. However, remind yourself of financial goals you desire to meet within a deadline: paying off credit card debt, saving for vacation, saving for a marriage or new child, and so forth. Remind yourself that by living frugally, you’re able to really live the life you’ve always wanted.

5. Go used! I always find it funny how so many people insist on buying NEW when everything eventually becomes USED! I enjoy buying used furniture because with a little research, time, and (sometimes) elbow grease, domestic beauty can be found. A friend of mine, a former CEO for an international corporation, loves finding furniture on the side of the road and fixing them up even though she can afford not to. Check out craigslist in your neighborhood. Cities like San Diego, New York, and Miami have almost everything imaginable for sale – and cheap! The best part is, you can negotiate and there’s no sales tax for most items!

6. Sleep on it If you’re feeling conflicted about a purchase, sleep on it. Many times, I completely forget about what I wanted to buy. Other times, I’ve completely made up my mind and decide to go through with it.

7. Make dining out a special occasion I met a women who spent $2,000+ each month (for a family of two) on dining out. Her logic for this spending was because she was in the middle of remodeling her kitchen and didn’t have a place to cook and dine at home. If she spent the money used for dining out to complete her kitchen, she’d be able to pocket that money for other things like retirement. Make dining out a special occasion one in a while and use the opportunity to celebrate something (like how much money you’re saving!).

8. Organize your home I know a family whose home is so disorganized that they have five pairs of scissors because they keep losing the other ones. Know where everything is with an organized home. Keep stock on everything you have so you don’t feel tempted to purchase something you already have.

9. Go to free events Check your local newspaper, vistors’ bureau, community centers for free events near you. Take advantage of them and reconnect with your community.

10. Use coupons The amount of coupons and special offers have gone up during this recession, so take advantage of them. Get what you really need, though. Shop during sales and have the patience to wait for your favorite item to go on sale.

11. Take care of your wardrobe You do NOT have to launder your clothing after every wear. Most clothing can be washed after every three to five wears. Air dry them, too. The fabric lasts longer. Purchase pieces made of quality fabric and have quality construction. These pieces will last for years, saving you money on the long run and making you buy only basics like t-shirts, under garments, and socks each season.

12. Give yourself MAD MONEY This is money my Grandma uses for totally random, impulse purchases. It’s not a lot. It’s $15 for a week or two, but it’s money for fun expenses. Remember, when it’s gone, it’s gone!

13. DISCIPLINE YOUR EGO! I can’t tell you how many clients and people I meet who justify their over the top spending because their “image depends on it” or if they don’t have a fancy car, big house, or latest gadgets then their “friends” with judge them. Learn to tell the difference between wants and needs. Tell yourself that stuff do not make the man, but rather what man does with his resources that defines him. Real friends will respect you for the decisions you make, not for the things you have. Let go of the need to have stuff and the need to have others’ approval.

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Leslie, Inc. offers solutions for finding happiness through one-on-one coaching, mindful leadership retreats, and digital products. If you’re ready to GET HAPPY, check out Leslie’s guide packs. For more tips on achieving your state of happiness, sign up for Leslie, Inc’s weekly newsletter.

#financialtopics #money #salaryandincome