Wealth and Abundance Come in Many Forms

Photo taken during my vacation to the island of Moloka'i in Hawaii
I was cleaning my desk today and came across a chapter I had printed out from Bud Bilanchi's book, Straight Talk for Success. The chapter is titled "Build Strong Relationships" which starts off with a quote from Jeffrey Gitomer:

"Everyone wants to be rich. Although most people think being rich is about having money, rich is a description for everything but money. Rich relationships lead to much more than money. They lead to success, fulfillment and wealth."

I think this is a quote that every child should learn...and some adults too!

When we think of wealth and luxury, many of us automatically picture millions in the bank, exotic sports cars, and mansions. Although that is a form of wealth, being "rich" is so much more than that. Wealth and abundance can flow through many ways. Jeffrey Gitomer nailed it right on the head when he said that "Rich relationships lead to much more than money".

I've been blessed with many friends. As a military brat growing up, I've traveled to a myriad of places and met so people. Thank God for Facebook because now I'm able to keep in touch with all of these people. There are people who I've known since childhood growing up in Lemoore, a small town in Central California. One friend in particular I've known since the 3rd grade.

Carrie (name changed for privacy) and I have been friends for about 30 years and have kept in constant contact even when we've lived thousands of miles and continents apart. We've often joked about being roommates when we're old like the ladies from that 80's show, "Golden Girls". Although I'm sure we've gotten on each other's nerves, we've never had any arguments or fights during our friendship. Could you say that no amount of money could replace that type of relationship?

So, this year I told myself that I was going to not work so much and do more traveling. An opportunity opened up for me to go to Hawaii last month and house sit for a friend that I had met through a company we both blogged for. Although that company has ceased operations, we kept in touch and built a relationship through our blogs and Facebook.

When I told my friend Carrie about going to Hawaii, she offered to add me to her "Enrolled Friend" list. You see, she's a flight attendant for a major airline. As her "Enrolled Friend" I can fly anywhere practically for free. I get this privilege for 1 year...I used it to not only travel to Hawaii, but I went to Miami for vacation as well. I even had the chance to experience traveling in First Class for some of those flights.

When I tell people I've met during my travels about my vacation, they ask me, "Do you even work? What do you do?"

There's a saying in the U.S. that goes something like, "It's not what you do, it's who you know." In my case, it has been about who I know and have created relationships with. However, it's also about Law of Attraction and sowing positive seeds in those relationships. I wanted to travel more and The Universe made it happen!

This is just one example of how you can be rich without having tons of money in the bank. Wealth and abundance comes in many forms. Being rich can come through long-lasting friendships, gifts, wisdom and knowledge, a healthy body, or even simple acts of kindness.

What makes you feel rich?

Guest Post: How Having Confidence in Myself Scored Me an Incredible Job

Having confidence and strong belief is the first step to attracting anything you want in life.  In this guest post by Mariana Ashley, she shares her perspective on confidence and how it helped her get a job.    

If you are anything like I was a few years ago, you may think that the title of this blog article is yet another bogus one that's filled with empty promises. However, I'm a firm believer in the ability of a sense of confidence to lift you out of virtually any bad situation and catapult you to places you've only dreamed of. And I know this from personal experience, since every task or experience in which I had low confidence levels, I failed miserably, where the opposite was true when I was able to assert myself. Here are a few things I experienced in which confidence scored me my dream job.

1. All confidence is initially faked.
Other people, in many ways, are like cockroaches. They're just as scared of you as you are scared of them. As such, remember that if you have a tendency toward low self-esteem, know that the only way to build confidence from zero is to fake it initially. Then you will see how your confidence builds on past experiences. In my job search, whenever I landed an interview, I made sure to pretend that I wasn't super nervous.

2. There's a difference between cockiness and confidence.
Confidence, of course, has its limits, and it's usually the least secure of us who will resort to being cocky. The best way to avoid cockiness in the job search process is to be honest and humble about your qualifications. If you don't know the answer to an interview question, for example, say that you don't know, but proceed to hazard an educated guess. This demonstration of humility is oddly enough an enormous confidence booster.

3. The more you prepare for anything, the more confident you will be automatically.
Even though I mentioned that confidence is almost always initially faked, you can only fake so much. That is to say, feigning confidence can only be accomplished if you are first knowledgeable about your industry, the job market, the company with which you are seeking to work, and the type and culture of people by home you are seeking to get hired.

4. Being comfortable talking to people of all different backgrounds is half the battle.
Of course, confidence in the job search arena isn't usually about mustering up the energy and courage to challenge yourself about the job, or the tasks entailed. People tend to lose their confidence when dealing with other people. During my job search, I learned that communicating kindly and humbly but assertively is the key to success when it comes to dealing with people. If you want more concrete examples of how you can improve your people skills, pick up Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends and Influence People or join your local ToastMasters.

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Great Household Budgeting Tips

When you're getting down to budgeting at home, you should really get everyone involved. Even the smallest changes can yield big savings over the course of a year. Everyone in your household can contribute to the good cause!

Usually, if you're in debt, it's a really good idea to cut back on expenses. Household budgeting is a good place to start. You can get more debt help and advice today if your debts are getting difficult to manage: just follow the link.

Five tips for your household budget

DIY - Try to tackle any jobs around the home that don't need a specialist. If you're not sure, ask someone for advice or look up how to fix things yourself online. There are thousands of DIY forums out there with tips from professionals. It could save you hundreds of pounds. Just make sure you don't try jobs you can't handle - and make things worse!

GARDENING - Do your own gardening and grow your own vegetables. Seeds are relatively cheap and it's a good hobby. Ask for tips and help from your green-fingered friends and relatives. You'll find many people love sharing their gardening knowledge and they may even share their spare pots or cuttings with you for free!

MEAL TIMES - This may sound obvious, but cooking separate meals for each individual in your home is generally more expensive than making one large meal for all to share. Everyone has their favourite foods, but there's usually a common ground. If you agree to eat together more often, it could save a lot of money over the course of one year.

LAUNDRY - Wash your laundry on a lower temperature to save money on your electricity bill. A cool wash, at around 30 degrees Celsius, should still shift most superficial stains. (Stubborn stains could be soaked before washing.)

Consider whether you really need to use the tumble dryer. These appliances use a great deal of electricity and are expensive to run. When it's raining outside, you can still hang washing out to dry indoors.

HEATING - You set your thermostat so the room temperature stays constant. Lower that temperature by just 1 degree Celsius and you could save more than you expect on your heating bill.

You may not like to try every single one of these tips, or you may already be saving money in your household through these ideas (or others). Either way, household budgeting can take just a little bit of thought and effort, but the money you save can go quite a long way towards repaying your debts faster. 

As you start paying down your debt, focus on the many different ways that money can start flowing into your life!  Put your mind at ease knowing that The Universe will always take care of you...