Complete this sentence:

I’ll be happy when_________.

I bet you didn’t have to think very hard or for very long to come up with something. Yep, our instinct that we’ll be able to be happy when we fall in love, when we lose 15 lbs., when we move to the city of our dreams, when we make six figures, or when we find inner peace is hard-wired.

Though seductive, the idea that we’ll be happy when something happens outside of us is totally backwards.

The way it really works is that we find ways to tap into our inner happy and then our life actually begins to look and feel the way we’ve always wanted it to. It’s an inside job.

We’ve all been trained to get our duckies in a row. Find the guy. Get the house. Have a baby. (Ideally by the age of 30.) Join the PTA. Lose your belly fat. Have lovely landscaping. And nice window treatments while you’re at it. Dress well – not too sexy, not too matronly. Give back. Do work you love. Make excellent money. Travel. Be well read and educated but not too opinionated. Check off the boxes and then you’ll be happy.

We’ve all been sold a bill of goods, a hill of beans, a load of crap. Happy is here and now if we choose it.

Deep, lasting happiness can be yours at any time, but it can only come from one place…

From within YOU.

Sure, our circumstances trigger our fleeting Happiness. But circumstances are not SUSTAINABLE because they are totally out of our control.

We HAVE TO source Happiness from something we have total control over…our thoughts, feelings and actions!

That’s why I wanted to fill you in on this FREE interview series I’m doing with Bec Robbins called Secrets to Lasting Happiness. The Secrets you’ll learn here are INVALUABLE in sourcing that LASTING Happiness. Also included in the series are

=======> Secrets to Lasting Happiness<======

Even if you’ve mastered ‘fleeting Happiness’ in your life, you will not want to miss this because it will totally take you to that deeper level of Happiness you’ve always craved.

I had so much fun doing the interview with Bec and I know you’ll love the series! You’ll also get to hear from some of my other friends including Tanya Geisler, Barbara Carrelas, Lissa Rankin, Dyana Valentine, Molly Mahar, and Hiro Boga.

You and everyone around you deserve to tap into your endless, inner source of happy. Happy is your birthright.

=======> Secrets to Lasting Happiness<======

In honor of the recently, dearly departed songstress Donna Summer, I’m sending you some disco love today to remind you that tomorrow, Friday, May 25th at 3pm EST, is the last dance, last chance to:

1. Watch and get all the amazing FREE content and value from Marie Forleo’s B-School launch video series
2. Enroll in B-School

Marie is a dear friend of mine and has helped me and countless other women (and a few good men) expand their businesses far beyond their wildest imaginations. If you’ve got an idea, a product, a service, or some other nugget of brilliance cooking inside you that you want to get out to the world, now is the time. Tomorrow is your last chance to enroll in Rich, Happy and Hot B-School so head on over to get your spot in the class of 2012.

Check in with yourself and see if it feels right to you.

And then if you need some more info, here are 5 reasons to enroll:

1. Marie knows what she’s talking about and she’s a great teacher. She has a 7 figure virtual business that allows her to go anywhere, do anything, and love her life. It’s a good idea to learn from someone who has what you want. She does.

2. The network of B-School participants is off the hook amazing. I’ve received so much value from being a part of the B-School community. Business collaborations have been formed, we’ve had a ball cross promoting, I have a go-to community for recommendations for any service provider I might need, and I have a place to go to ask all my questions. This is priceless.

3. When you enroll in B-School through my link below you get exclusive access to a 4-part group coaching series I’m leading about how to set up your online business for financial freedom as opposed to burn out. Most women business owners I know set themselves up for burnout. I don’t want you to suffer the same fate and I’m going to teach you how to avoid it. There’s no other way to get access to this training I’m offering other than enrolling in B-School through my link.

4. You get lifetime access to B-School. Marie is one of the most generous people I know. Once a B-Schooler, always a B-Schooler. This will be my 3rd time through the program, but I only had to pay for it once. Crazy, amazing value. You can go back to this material for the rest of your life AND you can learn at your own pace.

5. Marie may never offer B-School in this format again. She’s always changing things up and tweaking her offerings so if you ever want to get the information offered in B-School, the time is now. Get it while the getting is good. Now is your moment.

And of course, if it’s not right for you, that’s okay too. But be sure to catch the brilliant content in the free video series either way by clicking HERE. These videos will only be available through Friday, May 25th at 3pm EST, as well.

If it feels right, CLICK HERE to enroll in B-School now. I’ll email you next week with your private, exclusive invitation to join the amazing women who’ve already enrolled through me in our 4-part group coaching series to learn how to build your business for freedom, not burnout.

So let’s dance, the last dance

Let’s dance, the last dance

Let’s dance, this last dance tonight

Click here to enroll in B-School.

Click here to catch the free video training series before it’s gone.

I moved home to Maine last week after pining for the home that it’s represented for me my whole life. When you cross the Maine state line you’re greeted by a sign that says: “Maine: The Way Life Should Be.” As far as state mottos go, this one really floats my boat.

I just wrapped up living no place in particular for the past 15 months on. My man and I did more than 30,000 miles by car last year, I logged many more in the air, and we slept in over 100 beds.

I was burned out. I was having a major hankering for a home. I was ready to nest.

So The Freedom Tour came to a close back in December, we nestled in for the winter on the east end of Long Island in a tiny, seasonal town called Wainscott where more than 2/3 of the houses in our neighborhood were vacant. Ultimately it was a little too sleepy for us. So, heading an insistent call I’ve been putting on hold for 11 years, we moved to Maine where I grew up.

When you finally do something you’ve been dreaming of doing forever it gives you the beautiful opportunity to manage your expectations.

After reading every word in Maine Magazine, including the ads, every month for the past year, fantasizing about the smell of salt air and the taste of fresh seafood, and imagining what it would feel like to finally be HOME, we finally did it.

I would love to report that everything as soon as we moved in everything was completely perfect, that suddenly my life made more sense, that I gained tremendous clarity and insight, and that I felt relieved, relaxed, and regenerated. But the truth is, I felt depressed. It didn’t feel like “the way life should be,” at all.

And this somewhat bottomless, endless feeling of blah didn’t go away in a day the way I thought it would. It kind of lingered the way the smell of the garbage wafts around for a few minutes even after you take it out. And because I thought I should be feeling ecstatic to be finally fulfilling a long time dream, I didn’t tell anyone how I felt. I felt ashamed that I didn’t feel totally psyched.

Here’s the thing about emotions that go ignored: they fester. They ferment. They get into all the little nooks and crannies that can only be cleaned out using a q-tip.

So yesterday I got on the phone with my coach and when she asked me how I was and I replied, “I’m okay,” the tone of my voice alerted us both to the contrary. I proceeded to cry pretty much for the next 60 minutes as she gave me permission to be exactly where I was. There was no judgment, no asking me to move through it, no giving me suggestions for what I could do to feel better.

In fact, she encouraged me to stay right there in my icky, yucky, depressed, sad state.

Our society, myself very much included, has a strong leaning towards the positive.

Put on a happy face.

Buck up.

Grin and bear it.

Fake it till you make it.

I was raised on affirmations, choosing a thought that feels better, the power of pure positive thought, and getting into vibrational alignment with the good that I want to attract. So staying in depression and not trying to do anything to fix it feels antithetical to my very nature.

See the thing about positive psychology, affirmations, the law of attraction, and a lot of the self-help aisle of the bookstore is that it discounts an entire spectrum of emotion that may not feel “good” perse, but is nonetheless valid. And to deny, sublimate, push down, push away, or try to escape the tapestry of emotions, whether you deem them good or bad, that make up experience of being human is denying a part of you, as well.

After my coaching call I sat on the couch and took deep breaths. I set a timer for 25 minutes because I know how deeply engrained my tendency to move away from difficult emotions by getting into action is. Chela, my coach, suggested opening to whatever I was feeling – opening so wide that I eventually would become bigger than the painful emotion itself.

I’m still trying to get a grip on what that means, exactly, but I’ll tell you what: after sitting and taking deep breaths and focusing on the physical and emotional experience of being depressed…

I felt really honored.

I felt really seen.

I felt totally validated.

And of course, as the tides of emotions tend to do, things shifted and I ended up having a delightful evening seeing The Avengers in 3D with my mom and Mike at the Cinemagic in Saco, Maine. (Not that feeling better was the point. I’m just reporting in.)

Chances are pretty good that there will be a moment in the next few days when you’ll feel an emotion that doesn’t feel so hot.See what it feels like to feel it, breath into it, and stay. You might feel like it will swallow you (I did.) You may feel like if you let yourself go deeper into it you’ll never come back (I felt that way.) But in the name of knowing yourself better, and at the very least soaking up every delicious and not so delicious drop of the human experience, stay anyway.

My mom always told me you have to feel it to heal it.

Honor yourself by being exactly where you are, even if where you are sucks. Then report back. I’d love to know what happens.

Here’s something I hear from women A LOT:

I have a dream and a mission. I have something I’m really passionate about that I want to get out into the world. But I’m overwhelmed and I have no idea where to start. I want to create financial freedom for myself AND do work that I love AND make the world a better place. Help!

I’ve been really blessed to be able to turn work that I love into a business that provides financial freedom for me and is changing the world for the better. And each woman who gets this same chance, to be happy, free, fulfilled, and of service, has a HUGE impact on her own family, her own community, and the world at large.

“But I’m sitting here in front of my computer with only an idea, a blog, and a glimmer of hope and I don’t know how to build a successful business. I don’t even know where to begin!”, you may say.

Well, my answer to you is get thee over to Marie Forleo’s site to watch her three free videos specifically designed for women who want to make it big online and have great lives to boot! Marie created these as part of her launch of Rich, Happy and Hot B-School, a course for women who want to learn how to rock their online businesses.

The free video series is so packed with so much valuable content I had someone say to me the other day: “If Marie is giving away so much great stuff for free, what will she have left to teach in her course?” My answer was: “TONS. You have no idea how much great stuff Marie has to give. There’s so much more where that came from.”

In the videos you’ll learn:

• Why women are particularly suited to succeeding with online businesses
• 13 keys to makin’ it online – simple and brilliant
• How graduates of the program have overcome their fears and are now running their own successful businesses
• Plus, a whole lot more …

Incorporating what I’ve learned from Marie, both personally and professionally, has made a hug impact on my life.

I can attribute my 100% plus increase in revenue last year to working with Marie.

Guess what? I’ve got something really fun up my sleeve for you if you decide that RHH B-School is right for you!

Total bonus for you:

As a thank you for being one of my loyal subscribers, I’m offering anyone who enrolls in B-School by clicking through the link here in this email an exclusive spot in a group coaching series I’m leading during B-School. In four sessions I’ll take you through the most important steps you need to take in order to create financial freedom for yourself. So often women start businesses and end up chained to them, working harder than they’ve ever worked before with less free time than they’ve ever had, feeling totally burned out. I want to help you prevent this old, self-employed model for you. I’ll do some laser coaching for each person in the group on their business model and give them a few tweaks they could make to move towards financial freedom and away from burn-out. As a financial freedom expert I’m going to get up close and personal with you and your business and support you in making it financial-freedom-friendly. You want a business that allows you to live a life that really works for you. This is what I’ll help you create.

I usually don’t offer any sort of coaching and I can’t say that I’ll ever offer this again, so if something in you is saying that B-School with some extra TLC and coaching from yours truly would be just the ticket, CLICK HERE to access Marie’s free videos and to get on the list for B-School.

Marie and I are both dedicated to supporting women in being wildly successful, incredibly happy, and totally of service. Marie designed B-School to give women the practical tools to do exactly this.

If you’re not in a place to make an investment in B-School, head over and get access to the free videos anyway. You can thank me later.

P.S. If you want a chance to work with Marie for free, watch all the way to the end of the “Behind The Scenes” video for a chance to win a scholarship to B-School.

P.P.S. Enrollment in B-School begins Friday. If you want to secure your spot in my 4-session group coaching then make sure to CLICK HERE to access the free training videos and get on the list for B-School. Then, when you enroll on Friday I’ll get a little message and I’ll reach out to you after May 25th with details for our coaching group. You don’t want to make the same mistakes many women make when setting up their online businesses that prevent them from creating financial freedom. I want you to be able to wake up whenever the heck you want, live anywhere in the world, spend time with the people you love most, and do what makes you the happiest. B-School combined with my coaching group will give you the tools to have all of that and more. Click here for instant access.

I consider Marie Forleo a friend, a mentor, a way-shower, and a damn good time to be around. Spending time with Marie personally, learning from her through her weekly show MarieTV, her event Rich, Happy and Hot Live, and her online course Rich, Happy and Hot B-School has had a profound impact on both my personal and business lives.

I increased my business revenue by over 100% after taking B-School. And I’ve also learned some great relationship tips that from her that have played a big part in keeping things with my man hunky dory. She’s wise, she’s sassy, she’s loving, and she knows her sh*t.

I caught up with Marie last week on a trip to NYC and today I’m sharing her fabulosity with you via Glimpse TV. Today Marie is launching a never before seen, free video series for women who want to learn how to market better and sell more online. (Click HERE to get instant access to the free content.) She gives a sneak preview of her new content TV episode below. In the episode you’ll also learn:

• how being a control freak can actually serve you
• the exact place to start when you’re putting a business idea into action
• the one practice Marie does to ensure both spiritual and business growth

In this episode Marie also reveals a $200K business mistake she made pretty recently that she rarely talks about. Tune in to find out what it was, what she learned from it, and how you can avoid making the same mistake in your business.

If you want to learn to make money AND change the world with your online business (whether you have one yet or not) CLICK HERE to get access to Marie’s free, life-changing content. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in her first video:

• Why women, in particular, are wired to succeed in the digital era (men, don’t think this lets you off the hook, there are lessons here for you too)
• The shocking changes that’ll take place online in the next few years (if you have an online presence, you need to know this!)
• Marie’s step-by-step 6 Pillar roadmap to online success with a PDF worksheet included

To check out Half The Sky, the book Marie mentioned in the Glimpse TV episode, click HERE.

Check out MarieTV on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Tweetables from the video (click on each one to automatically tweet it!):

As you pray move your feet. ~@katenorthrup on #glimpsetv w/ @marieforleo http://bit.ly/Iokxb4

When women are economically empowered the whole world wins. ~@marieforleo w/ @katenorthrup on #glimpsetv http://bit.ly/Iokxb4

I believe everyone’s website should be the best unpaid sales person, bringing in $ 24/7. ~@marieforleo on #glimpsetv w/ @katenorthrup http://bit.ly/Iokxb4

Communication is the heartbeat of a happy life. ~@katenorthrup w/ @marieforleo on #glimpsetv http://bit.ly/Iokxb4

When you’re practicing modern marketing, the best parts of your humanity come out. ~@marieforleo on #glimpsetv w/ @katenorthrup http://bit.ly/Iokxb4

Don’t forget to head over to Marie’s site for instant access to her free video training by clicking HERE. This content will be more valuable to you and make you more money than some of the other things you’ve paid for. Trust me on this.

How do you feel about marketing?

What was your biggest business mistake and what did you learn from it?

What did you learn from Marie in this Glimpse TV episode and how are you going to put it into action?

Leave a comment!

P.S.  If you’re at all interested in video marketing, you have to see what Marie does in these videos. She’s just raised the bar for our entire industry – worth it to take a look for this reason alone. http://www.enrollinbschool.com

***I'm a very proud affiliate of Rich, Happy, and Hot B-School.***

KC Baker and I first met when we worked together in Team Northrup starting in 2005. This well spoken, poised, champion for women has been a dear friend of mine for seven years. And today I’m so thrilled to share the work that she’s doing in the world with you guys via Glimpse TV. I’ve seen KC through many iterations of her personal and business life since I’ve known her. What all of her pursuits have had in common is that she’s deeply committed to supporting women in bringing their highest selves into the world AND that she’s a total rock start entrepreneur.

Within the last year KC launched The School For The Well Spoken Woman, a place where women on a mission can come to learn how to rock their message AND delivery.

Because if you’ve got something to say but you don’t know how to say it powerfully and in a compelling way, your mission will be thwarted from the beginning. But if you combine your mission in the world with poise, confidence, grace, presence, and superb communication skills, then people will really be able to hear what you have to say and you’ll make a far greater impact.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before: most people fear public speaking more than they fear death.

So KC certainly has plenty of people to support in moving through their discomfort and fear towards grace and power. As a prep for her upcoming events, Speak Up For Your Business (an 8-week speech writing course that I’m thrilled to be part of the faculty for) and The School For The Well Spoken Woman LIVE, KC is rolling out a free video training series covering the following juicy topics and more:

• the secret that all charismatic public speakers use to captivate their audiences
• the single most important perspective shift to turn your fear of public speaking into grace
• the one question to ask yourself that will make writing your next talk EASY and have it turn out EPIC

Sign up by clicking here to receive KC’s free Secrets to Confident, Graceful Public Speaking video training course. You’ll also have a chance to apply for her upcoming programs. Speak Up For Your Business begins May 12th and The School For The Well Spoken Woman LIVE is happening in San Francisco and NYC (you pick your location) in July.

KC is doing such critical work in the world. I’m overjoyed that The School For The Well Spoken Woman exists because helping women clarify and turn up the volume on their voices couldn’t be a more compelling mission. I’ll never forget doing Team Northrup presentations with KC back in 2005 and being struck by how much grace, elegance, presence, and power she had as a public speaker back then. So let me tell you, this woman knows her stuff!

Back in February KC flew across the country to snowy Wainscott, NY to snuggle up with Mike and me for a week because she got a download in her meditation one day that this would be the perfect thing to do. We cooked, we talked, we walked on the beach, we all wrote around the fire, and of course, we filmed Glimpse TV

Watch our episode below to find out:

• KC’s perspective on what is going to move us forward as a species
• how to stop what KC calls “innocent narcissism” from preventing you from speaking succes
• and how to use your breasts to enhance your impact as a speaker and a change-maker (I’m serious and it’s not what you think!)

If you want to crank up the volume on your voice and your message in the world, this is an extraordinary time to be alive. ~@KCBaker w/ @KateNorthrup on #glimpsetv (CLICK HERE TO TWEET THIS TWEETABLE)

Watch KC’s TEDx talk that I mentioned in the Glimpse TV episode below:

Sign up for KC’s free Secrets to Confident, Graceful Public Speaking video training course by clicking here.

I’m so thrilled to be a part of Speak Up For Your Business and to be joining KC, Barbara Stanny, my mom, Dr. Christiane Northrup as a guest speaker. This 8-week course is also included when you enroll in The School For The Well Spoken Woman LIVE so check that out by clicking here.

 What message do you want to get out into the world? What are you on a mission to say? What freaks you out the most about speaking in public? Leave a comment here!

One day back in January I went to the post office and awaiting me was one of the most exciting packages I’ve ever received. You see, ever since the day I first read about her alter ego Candace Candalabra on White Hot Truth I was obsessed with Danielle LaPorte. And my major online crush has turned into a very dear, nourishing friendship. The package was from Ms. LaPorte and I was so over the moon excited that I immediately started to cry. And then I squealed with sheer glee. (See photo for evidence of glee.)

I devoured the book. Reading it every morning became my spiritual practice.

Then I read it by the fireplace because I figured it would help to ignite fires within my soul too. It did.

Then I read it in Hooters because, really, that place could use a little extra soul to go with all the boobs. Plus, the color on the cover kind of matches the shorts that the Hooters girls have to wear. (Note the shorts and rack on the girl to the right of the book.)

This book is the antidote to self doubt. The Fire Starter Sessions had my cells tingling from the first page. Every word, idea, and invocation has been curated to evoke our deepest hunger and deepest knowing. Part wake up call, part affirmation, part love letter, The Fire Starter Sessions will get you hot and bothered. This book is the ignition for the creative work still unborn on this planet that the world is so desperate for. Get the book and be reminded of your genius.

At Danielle’s launch party in NYC on Wednesday night she said:

“Your success is directly proportional to the quality of the relationships in your life.” ~Danielle LaPorte

(CLICK HERE to Tweet this quote)

There is a sea change happening here, people. Danielle is part of a new model that includes commitment to love, generosity, and spiritual actualization not in addition to business success, but as necessary ingredients for it. I was deeply aware and viscerally delighted by the fact that I was surrounded on Wednesday night by people committed to this same reality.

The night was glowy, love-filled, and beyond spectacular – thanks to the tone set by the guest of honor.

Here are some more photos from the evening for your viewing pleasure and to show you how you can expect to feel when you receive your copy!

ORDER IT NOW SO YOU CAN FEEL THE WAY WE ALL FEEL IN THESE PICTURES!

Also included at the bottom of this post is my Glimpse TV episode with Danielle from back in October. It is one of my most favorite and one of the most commented on and re-shared episodes in Glimpse TV history. If you have yet to see it, scroll to the bottom and enjoy!

My sister Ann and I totally psyched about getting our copies of The Fire Starter Sessions.

My friend Ms. Rich Happy and Hot herself, Marie Forleo, enjoying the hell out of celebrating Danielle.

My man Mike and I enthusiastically displaying our new copy of The Fire Starter Sessions.

Launch party co-hosts Marie Forleo, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Kris Carr kicking off the evening love fest telling Danielle how much they adore her and her work. How gorgeous are they?! How breathtaking is it to see super successful women cheering one another on?!

My man Mike, who drove from Pennylvania to be at the party, and the gorgeous Ms. LaPorte.

And finally, as Danielle, dubbed it: a love sandwich

Get your copy of The Fire Starter Sessions by clicking HERE. Permission to thrive, love letter, and antidote to self-doubt rolled into one.

And last but certainly not least…Glimpse TV featuring the Divine Ms. Danielle Laporte:

I’m starting my own Camp Fire, a Fire Starter Sessions group, in Portland, ME in May. If you live in Maine or know anyone who does, leave a comment below so I can start wrangling the Fire Starters Down East.

Leave a comment and tell me what lights your fire and your favorite quote from the book so far if you have it!

I received a beautiful email in January from a woman named Erin Giles on a mission. She asked me to write an essay on freedom to contribute to a book she’s putting together to free women and girls. The book was inspired by a film called Nefarious: Merchant of Souls about the human sex trafficking industry. When Erin saw the film her heart broke open and she knew she had to do something to end this inhumanity.

I was moved by her passion and my own desire to help. I’m one of 60 contributors who wrote about love, knowledge, & freedom. (Guess which one I wrote about?)

Erin is spearheading a campaign to raise enough money to print, bind, and ship the books to prepare for End Sex Trafficking Day on September 26th, 2012 when the book launches. There are 15 more days in her campaign.

Donate $25 for love. Donate $25 for knowledge. Donate $25 for freedom.

Watch the video below for a 2.5 minute video on how this book will free women:

Here’s a little taste of my essay to whet your appetite:

Tell the truth. Say it with love. Say it even if you’re scared. Say it because you’re
scared. And then prepare yourself for true freedom.

Help Erin, the other contributors, and me remind the world that women are not for sale.

Click here to donate now.

If this is a cause that speaks to your heart, share this post on Twitter and Facebook, share the video about it, and please vote with your dollars.

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bnKhrVZ6tk&feature=youtu.be

Link to donate: http://www.endsextraffickingday.com/

Freedom tastes the best when combined with a generous dollop of home.

In other words, it’s easier to spring off into endless possibilities and expansion and ecstatic creation in your life if you’ve got a firm foundation, if you feel safe and grounded.

When I sold my apartment, got rid of most of my physical belongings, and headed out in my Prius to be purposefully homeless for an indefinite period of time while driving around the country teaching about financial freedom I had a strong interior sense of home. The Freedom Tour was only possible because of my strong container.

My mom still lives in the house I grew up in. My grandmother and uncle still live on the property where my grandmother raised her six kids. My dad still spends summers in the home that his mother spent summers as a child. My roots run deep and that’s why I feel so safe to fly.

What does freedom mean when it comes to our money?

When it comes to our money, we have to have a solid container in order to be able to create financial abundance and financial freedom. I define financial freedom as having your passive or residual income greater than or equal to your living expenses. What’s great about this equation is that you can move towards financial freedom both by increasing your passive/residual income and also by simplifying your life to decrease your expenses.

As opposed to models of financial success that measure only your income, financial freedom actually measures your quality of life. When your passive/residual income is greater than your living expenses, you’re officially free to choose to spend your time however you’d like to spend it. And choice is the ultimate currency of freedom.

How strong is your container?

As you’re working towards increasing your passive/residual income by doing things like investing in real estate or paper assets, creating intellectual property, building an online business and selling digital products, building a network marketing business, or joining affiliate programs, you can also start creating a strong home for your money. The stronger your money home, or container, is, the more free you’ll be able to become.

A strong container for your money includes the following:

• A great financial team (accountant, bookkeeper, financial advisor, lawyer, investment broker, etc.)
• A regular practice of keeping track of your expenses and income (use a bookkeeper, spreadsheet, notebook, or Quickbooks)
• A plan for paying off any debt you have
• A regular practice of putting attention on your bank statements and investment account statements
• A plan and regular practice of putting money away in savings/investment/retirement accounts
• Paying attention to your money in whatever way feels nourishing and important

Some of you just read that and practically fell asleep due to boredom, had your eyes completely glaze over, or left your body. For those of you who think paying attention to your money is something that somebody else should do for you, is over your head, or is terminally boring, listen up!

It’s time to start paying attention to your money like your life depends on it.

Because it does.

I used to avoid looking at my bank balance, my account statements, and my credit cards bills with mounting balances that I wasn’t paying off because I thought that paying attention to my money in that way meant a lack mentality. I had read tons of metaphysical books on money that had told me to create abundance by acting as if I had the amount of money I wanted, to trust that the universe would take care of me, and to believe that there was more than enough to go around and that I was deserving of prosperity.

That was all fine and good but somehow I missed a major piece of the equation. There’s a great African proverb that says:

When you pray, move your feet.

I was doing the praying part without being willing to hold up my end of the bargain. And as a result of my financial oblivion and avoidance I ended up in nearly $20,000 worth of credit card debt. I felt like a failure and an imposter.

One day I was on a plane flying from San Diego back to New York City writing in my journal. Something amazing happens to me when I’m on a plane; it’s as though I’m closer to God and I get really good downloads of insight. As I wrote in my journal about my lack of financial awareness and why I couldn’t seem to get myself to pay attention in the way I knew I should or spend within my means, it hit me:

My lack of financial awareness that manifested in me spending beyond my means was a way of keeping myself small.

Woah. I had never realized before that paying attention to my money and spending within my means could be a vehicle for taking exquisite care of myself and a manifestation of self-love. I did a 180 degree turn and started to create a strong container for my money. I looked at my bank balance every day and gave gratitude for what I had. I wrote down all of my debt with the APR rates and due dates of minimum payments. I started opening and reading every single account and financial statement. I started to pay attention to my money as a way of loving myself.

And guess what happened? In record time I was able to pay off all of my debt. About three years after my airplane insight about money and self-love I have more in savings and I make close to 100% more than I did when I was not practicing the proper care and feeding of my money.

I created a strong container for my money with care and attention, all sourced from love. If you want to live a life where you have the choice to spend your precious time, the most valuable commodity you have, in the ways that give you the most joy and pleasure, it’s time to start building your container.

Give your money a strong foundation. Build a home for it and gather your team. Use financial awareness to expand your self-love. And then and only then, from this stable base, can you really fly and experience true freedom.

Last week I launched my Mentoring Program. I’ve been sitting on this idea for six months. For whatever reason (fear, time, other projects, lack of clarity, karma) I just couldn’t get myself to launch it. Until last week.

I’ve been playing with you and creating in this online space for almost two years. Yet, I realized I had never directly invited this amazing community to work with me in any tangible way. So, I decided it was about time to finally sell something of mine here. People had been asking. It was time to deliver.

But throughout the entire process (and ongoing, as it’s not over yet) I felt like I was exposing myself. In a good way, of course, not like a creepy guy on the corner flashing people in a trench coat. Exposing myself in that way that makes you feel exhilarated and afraid one second to the next. It turns out that it’s scary to put yourself out there and say, “Hey! Here’s some truth and wisdom that I have to offer. Here’s an opportunity to hang with me more. Here’s a way we can work together. Here’s what I’ll give you. Here’s what it will take on your end.” The whole process churned my insides, showed me some ways I could love and trust more, and also thrilled me.

It took some notes on stickies throughout the launch because I had a feeling I’d want to share what I learned with you. So here’s some food for thought the next time you expose yourself whether in the form of published words, an online launch, a performance, a heart-felt truth-filled heart-to-heart, or in your journal by yourself in the wee hours of the night.

It doesn’t matter how, when, or where you expose yourself, or to whom. But it does matter that you do it from time to time or more often. Because the world desires what you’ve got. It requires all of you and that requires exposure.

• Don’t wait until you’re ready. You’ll never be ready. You might as well tell them who you are now. No use waiting as the right time will never come. Much like having children, there’s no convenient time to show yourself.

• Give yourself a deadline by announcing that something will be delivered to someone on a certain date at a certain time. I sent a note out to those who’d opted in to hear about the Mentoring Program to let them know they’d get details on Tuesday morning at 10am EST. Then I got my butt in gear to get those details ready to deliver. By not letting them down I didn’t let myself down.

• Create the circumstances for you to shine. My coach, the divine Chela Davison, helped me realize that the optimal conditions for me to create great work include not having very much time to produce it. I have a boat load of examples from my life where I’ve produced my best work in an hour or two right before it was due. No more getting out the flail and beating yourself up for your creative style. Own your creative process and celebrate it. If you need three days of cleaning your sock drawer, surfing Facebook, reading magazines, and staring into space in order to sit at your computer and channel brilliance for 45 minutes, set yourself up for success and make it happen.

• Once you press send or ship your art, let go. Turn off your phone and computer. Go to the beach and say a prayer to the ocean. Kiss your man. Take a nap. Give yourself the space and time to celebrate creation without having the results yet. Know that the act of creation and exposing your art has value in and of itself. Reviews, opt-ins, purchases, applications, tweets, and emails will come in eventually. But let yourself marinate in the work itself, uninfluenced by results.

• When you encounter the inevitable tech glitch, botched design, screw up at the manufacturing facility, or PR mishap, first take a deep breath. Get a snack. Drink a glass of water. You’ll make far better choices when well oxygenated, hydrated, and fed. After you’ve done those things, then respond. Let people know that you’re aware of the error and that you and your team are working to fix it. Be yourself. Be humble. Don’t over apologize. One sorry is enough and even one may not be necessary. It turns out the world has more space for you to be imperfect than you give them credit for. Take the space set aside for your humanness.

• Ask for help and then actually take it when it’s given. My man Mike filmed my sales videos, edited them, created my sales and squeeze pages, and even found custom “Apply Now” buttons in my chosen color scheme for my launch. He also listened to me as I talked through what I wanted to do for the entire launch. He offered advice, enthusiasm, and a “can do” attitude. Receiving that level of support and help required an expansion in my capacity to take in love. Sometimes the act of exposing ourselves is not a one-woman show. We often need helpers. And these helpers need to be fully received and appreciated. It’s a simple law of the universe, like what goes up must come down: that which is given must be fully received or else it can’t be fully given.

• How you do it is what you get. Make the process fun. A book written through angst and turmoil will probably make readers feel kind of crummy even if it’s really amazing work. When something is birthed through fun and pleasure it’s entire passage is lubricated with smiles, sparkles, and ease. Our culture is obsessed with the idea that suffering buys us something, but why not try on the idea that creation that’s easy is just as valuable to the world, if not more so? Plus, given that your life is now and it’s all about the journey, why not enjoy the process since you’re using precious moments of your life to do it anyway? Let your results be a reflection of the creative process. Exposing yourself doesn’t have to be painful. Pretend like you’re a two year old running naked on the beach. Let it be fun. Let it be joyful. Let it be easy.