Tis' the Season to Plan!

I know, I know... ya'll are thinking "Is she crazy? I don't have time to think let alone plan!"

Just hear me out for a few minutes. There is a method to my madness.

This year, Mike and I decided we were going to spend less on Christmas and spend more time enjoying the festivities. With our large family and extended family, it's necessary for us to start our financial planning for the holidays early in the year and as the kids kid older, they definitely get more expensive! Gone are the days when we could go to Toys R Us and spend a few hundred dollars and come back with a boat load of presents. These days, a few hundred doesn't even cover a good iPod! Add Hollister jeans, American Eagle hoodies, Nike Air Max, etc. etc. you get the picture. It also turns out that college tuition for our oldest is due about the same time and the majority of our family members birthdays fall between September and December. The end of the year is without a doubt, an expensive time for us and requires a lot of pre-planning and because I am self employed, my income is not steady so I have to make the best of what I do make.

The economy has been a good tool for teaching the kids how to be responsible with their money and so far, so good. They made excellent decisions with their Christmas funds and the two kids we still have at home decided to go in together on family gifts. They saved a lot and still managed to get everyone on their lists something nice. We were really proud of their efforts.

In looking ahead to the new year, a lot of people are dreading more of the same. As I stated in an earlier article, I refuse to participate in the recession. I'm a firm believer that there is money out there to be made and even if you've lost your job, you still have everything you need to make a living.  Everyone has special gifts that can be taken out and dusted off or in some cases, discovered! For too long people have put the fate of their lives in the hands of others only to pay the price when those same "others" have to look out for themselves and their own interests.

Through my coaching program, I am working with people who are feeling the same way. They came to me feeling hopeless and little-by-little they are finding that they don't have to participate with the rest of the world in these horrific economic times. In every case, my client's are realizing that they have talents and ideas that are not only good but they are DOABLE!

The new year is a perfect opportunity to plan a fresh start and an incredible new beginning. All you need is a spiral notebook and your imagination to get started.

Have you ever sat at your desk and daydreamed about what it would be like to work at home doing what you love the most? Maybe it is writing articles or an eBook, or some type of art, or maybe it involves starting a home-based business to help seniors i.e. a home delivery service for the elderly, or another service for people who can not get out and about.  Maybe you love to take pictures or have a special gift with video... it can be anything you enjoy and it can be used to start anew.

With few job choices available to many of you, it's the perfect opportunity to stop worrying and start doing. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain and you'll enjoy yourself in the process.

My plans for the new year is to produce my own Country Living program for eTelevision. It's been a dream for over a year and I've let other things get in the way, but in 2011 it's going to become a reality! I've made my list and I've begun laying the ground work for the shows production. I have sponsors lined up and fresh ideas flowing.  This is something I LOVE to do!  Part of my project will involve selling some of my artwork in the form of greeting cards and home decor. Who would have thunk it? Ha! The best part about this plan is that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what I am doing! I began sharing my ideas with others and before I knew it, I had people referring other people and sharing ideas, it took on a life of its own and some of my friends and family are even participating in the creation and production. Piece by piece the dream is coming together and it's becoming a reality!

You can DO this! You can find a way to make a way and when you shed the chains of fear, uncertainty, and stop being negative, your mind will reward you with incredible feedback! Try it, you got nothin' to lose and everything to gain!

As a side note, I want to caution you about the thousands of "Make you Rich Fast!" MLM offers you may come across. Most of these programs are junk. If they were any good, everyone would be doing them, but some of the sales people are pretty convincing. Don't throw your time or what little money you have away by participating in any of these programs no matter how good they sound. Use what you do have for your OWN idea, not someones else's.

I am excited about what the New Year will bring for all of us. I'd LOVE to hear your ideas and I'll help guide you any way I can.  Don't wait another second! Get your notebook, grab a nice cup of hot cocoa, and start planning your successful future!

Until we meet again... Simply Believe!!

Let Your Creativity Change the World!

I've made it a point to avoid negative people for the most part this year. I mean, if I want negativity I just need to read the news every morning and absorb the incredible amount of bullshit the politicians and mainstream media are trying to force down the throats of the masses. Between politics and religion, I don't know which one takes the cake for being more dishonest and manipulative.

Around April of this year, I set out on a new journey to re-invent myself and in the process I freed myself from old beliefs and whatnot that truly made the most incredible difference in my life. I discarded people who were no good and were a drain on me and I welcomed new people into my life that think alike, encourage and support me. It may have been a rough year financially for a lot of people but for me, it's been a year of abundance in all areas. I have refused to participate in the recession that is consuming the rest of the world and I have enjoyed teaching others how to do the same.

For the past 2+ years I've been working diligently on my Internet television portals and through thick and thin, an attempted theft of my concept, scrounging for development resources, the portal is finally where it needs to be to move into the new year and embrace the world with our amazing technology! Can I tell you how excited I am about this? Words can't describe it!

So what exactly is Internet television? Well, in my case it is television quality program that is broadcast via the Internet, mobile devices AND through regular television! It is a platform that allows people who would never have the chance to share their unique programming with anyone except a YouTube audience. eChannelz put unknowns in front of over 100 million television viewers globally and five times that amount via Internet and mobile devices. How incredible is that?

The opportunity for creativity is so endless not to mention that the opportunity for opportunity is endless as well! Just flip through the cable channels at night and peruse the number of totally ridiculous reality shows. There is everything from cake baking to pawn shop sales and EVERYTHING in between!  It seems like you can come up with a reality show idea and BANG! You're on TV.  It may seem that way but it really is a bit more complicated than that. And honestly, it seems like every week the shows get trashier and trashier. For instance: Jerseylicious. This is a reality show about a bunch of incredibly sleezy New Jersey women/girls who make total asses out of themselves, wear WAY too much makeup, spend WAY too much time in the tanning booth and act like total pigs. Not a show I want my 17-year old daughter watching that's for sure, but she is the exact demographic they target. Nice eh?

Although I am no longer a member of the Christian faith I still believe in family values and offering programming that isn't going to encourage my teens to go out and make an ass out of themselves or embarrass me. I think we can present programming that families are looking for that are not as trashy. Sure there will be programming for a mature audience (no porn of course) but the key to eChannelz is that people can pick and choose what they want to watch. It's kind of like programing a la' carte. Find a cable company that will offer you that! ha!

The great thing about creating this portal is that I was able to really let my creativity lead the way. I have channels for just about everything and everyone. At the moment, we are not offering faith based programming because in the process of setting up that channel none of the people involved could agree on whose beliefs were right and which version of Christianity should be presented, SO, we'll have a "Spiritual" channel and invite people of all beliefs to participate from Catholics to Muslims.. everyone is welcome to share their message on our portal so long as it complies with the broadcaster guidelines.

SO back to my point... I wanted to just share a little of my vision with you.  The world is lacking jobs, funds, loans, mortgages, customers, sales, etc. But what it will never lack is the creativity in your own mind to leave those negatives behind. Do you have ANY IDEA how much power you have within your own self to create and accomplish your dreams?  If I could get the masses to listen to and believe ONE THING, it would be that they don't need to listen to the garbage that they are told day after day and that everything they need to live their dreams is within them!  I'm not just talking the talk either! I am LIVING it!

Do you have a really unique idea for a television show? How about an idea for an eSeries or a documentary? Email me and let's talk about it! You might be the next E-cademy  award winner! And if you need help overcoming the funk your in because of the circumstances you're surrounded by, I'm here to help you through that too... get in touch and let's live our dreams and reach our goals together! THEN...we can help others do the same! Are you with me?

Until we meet again...Simply BELIEVE!!