Sometimes we write down goals without really connecting to them passionately. All research tells us that emotion has to be connected with goal setting in order for it to register is the nonconscious brain. So I recommend a couple of strategies. First, before you write down your goals, imagine a time in your life that was so amazing, every time you think of it, it makes you want to jump around with excitement and joy. Take that same feeling with you as you write down your goals. Second, separate your goals into 3 lists.
1. Flat Earth List: The first goals are more like a "to do" list. You already believe you can accomplish them but need to focus and direct yourself. This list is about disciplining yourself to NOT procrastinate and do the thing you know you know you CAN do. Things on this list are losing weight, exercising, eating right, cleaning your garage, getting more organized, creating a new contact system, etc., the kinds of things we should do to keep our selves healthy in business, relationships, emotionally and spiritually.
2. Round Earth List: The second list of goals should be where you list those things that you hope you can achieve. This is the list where you put that new car you want, the new clients you hope to close, the sales records for the year you want to achieve, etc. This is a list that requires you to discipline your focus and keep your mind on where you want to go. This list is more challenging than the first list, but still feels possible. These are the things you NEED to do in order to move forward in your life.
3. Out of this World List: The third list is your GREATEST DREAMS list - on this list you must force yourself to go WAY outside your comfort zone. Did I say WAY OUTSIDE your comfort zone? This is a list, that if you could have the things on this list you would be jumping on yellow couches on the Oprah show like Tom Cruise. This list is your place to challenge yourself to be, what to date, you have considered 'unrealistic' or "impossible' You see if you separate the word impossible just a little, like you were texting God it would read "I M Possible!"
Anything you want, you can have if you can allow yourself to believe this one little sentence "I M Possible!"
Here are two of mine from the third list -
The Heart Alliance and the new web portal TheHeartOfaWoman.com is the largest women's web portal and online social womens networking in the world, serving and blessing women around the world in every area of their lives.
The Heart Link Network is the fastest growing and most effective women's networking organization in the world.
Sweet Blessings, and DREAM on,
Dawn Billings
CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network www.TheHeartLinkNetwork.com, www.DawnBillings.com,
Creator of the Capables, new revolutionary parenting toy/tool
Author of over 15 books, relationship, networking and entitlement expert
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Awareness and Gratitude: The Winning Combination for a Happy Life
When you commit yourself to living an endowed life versus one of entitlement, you realize that every moment is filled with opportunities for appreciation and gratitude. Endowed lenses are lenses covered with words like blessed, fortunate, and lucky.
Maintaining an endowed perspective helps you to remember how fortunate you are for obvious things like your health, your eyesight, your ability to speak, or walk, or run, or even more subtle things, like the kind smile of a friend or the laughter of your children. When you take the time to really look at your life you will discover that something of real value is always there.
Living a life of endowment does not mean that you ignore life's troubles, difficulties and disappointments. An endowed life is not a life lived with your head buried in the sand. Rather, it means that you are committed to finding and fulfilling the real and positive possibilities in every moment; whatever else that moment may hold.
When you challenge yourself to stay aware of those things for which you can be thankful, you'll shed a positive light on even the most difficult situations. Being realistic about challenging or difficult situations does not have to make you negative. Looking at your life through endowed lenses will give you the most powerful and positive perspective during even in the most troubling of times.
If you work to see, know, and acknowledge a real and valid reason to keep a positive outlook in every situation, you can truly change the world; your world. Don't let the need to have what you desire next impair your enjoyment of what you have now. Instead, let your gratitude serve as a gateway to the abundance that is all around you.
We waste too much time longing for things to be different, when what we need to do is first find value in the way things are. It is important to take action toward the future we choose, but we must remain fully appreciative of where we are and what we have. Don't let the need to have what-ever comes next impair your enjoyment of what is now. Instead, let your gratitude serve as a gateway to the abundance that is all around you. When you let your heart be thankful, it opens your eyes to the reality of abundance that already exists in your life. That endowed reality brings to your life immediate peace, joy and happiness.
Dawn Billings is the CEO and founder of The Heart Link Network. Dawn is the author of over 15 books, you can find at www.DawnBillings.com. In 2008, Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of the nation's emerging women leaders, as well as one of 15 "Women of Achievement" by the YWCA in GA. Dawn is the creator of the new parenting toy/tool called The Capables which is revolutionizing parenting around the world. www.TheHeartAlliance.com
Maintaining an endowed perspective helps you to remember how fortunate you are for obvious things like your health, your eyesight, your ability to speak, or walk, or run, or even more subtle things, like the kind smile of a friend or the laughter of your children. When you take the time to really look at your life you will discover that something of real value is always there.
Living a life of endowment does not mean that you ignore life's troubles, difficulties and disappointments. An endowed life is not a life lived with your head buried in the sand. Rather, it means that you are committed to finding and fulfilling the real and positive possibilities in every moment; whatever else that moment may hold.
When you challenge yourself to stay aware of those things for which you can be thankful, you'll shed a positive light on even the most difficult situations. Being realistic about challenging or difficult situations does not have to make you negative. Looking at your life through endowed lenses will give you the most powerful and positive perspective during even in the most troubling of times.
If you work to see, know, and acknowledge a real and valid reason to keep a positive outlook in every situation, you can truly change the world; your world. Don't let the need to have what you desire next impair your enjoyment of what you have now. Instead, let your gratitude serve as a gateway to the abundance that is all around you.
We waste too much time longing for things to be different, when what we need to do is first find value in the way things are. It is important to take action toward the future we choose, but we must remain fully appreciative of where we are and what we have. Don't let the need to have what-ever comes next impair your enjoyment of what is now. Instead, let your gratitude serve as a gateway to the abundance that is all around you. When you let your heart be thankful, it opens your eyes to the reality of abundance that already exists in your life. That endowed reality brings to your life immediate peace, joy and happiness.
Dawn Billings is the CEO and founder of The Heart Link Network. Dawn is the author of over 15 books, you can find at www.DawnBillings.com. In 2008, Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of the nation's emerging women leaders, as well as one of 15 "Women of Achievement" by the YWCA in GA. Dawn is the creator of the new parenting toy/tool called The Capables which is revolutionizing parenting around the world. www.TheHeartAlliance.com
Am I Crazy?
When clients used to come to me and ask me if I think that what they are doing is crazy, I usually ask them a question, "How do you feel?" Most of the time they will confess, "Not very well, my life feels crazy and out of control."
"Hmmm, then I would say that what you are doing, might be crazy?"
We don't need other people to tell us when we are acting crazy. We already know. The only reason we go to a professional to get their opinion is on the outside chance that they will lie to us and tell us that we aren't living as crazy as we feel.
Rather than focusing on what's fashionable, or popular, or what others are doing, pay attention to what is actually happening in your life. What is working, and what's not working? It is an easy question to ask but often a difficult one to answer. Anyone can make claims and promises. They can tell you they have the answers. But rather than buying into them, take a realistic look at your life to get clear about the real problems first.
Too often in a results oriented society, we want to get to the solution sometimes before we really have taken time to really understand the problem we are rushing to solve. Ninety percent of our habits, our beliefs, our actions come our of our nonconscious which is just like the large part of the ice berg that is hidden under water. Our nonconscious is not creative, it is instead completely dedicated to maintaining the status quo. If you are ever feeling crazy and don't feel your life is working the way you want or going in the direction you would like it to go, STOP, take a breath and really examine the patterns you are living out. Only then can you decide what to keep and what to change, what to add and what to delete.
The choices and actions that work in life are pretty universal. They get results, time after time. Dreaming big dream, setting great goals, taking great action, giving your best, showing up, following through and focusing on your dreams with laser intensity, all work. We must commit ourselves to those actions that consistently create value, and move the world forward. When something really works in your life, it doesn't just work for you, you will notice that it is working for those you love as well. But the opposite is true as well. When something isn't working in your life it is a sure bet that it is impacting others you love negatively as well.
Sometimes, in order to find what works in your life, you must go through the difficult experience of learning what doesn't work. This process makes the knowledge of what does work all the more valuable, because you've paid dearly for it. So when you know what works, make use of that value and put it into action. Success in relationships, as in everything else, is a matter of taking what works, and putting it to work.
If you are going to be crazy, be crazy for the success, peace and joy you can create in your life, if you are willing to grow and change the things that attempt to steal what is great from your life.
I am crazy about you. Sweet blessings, Dawn
Dawn Billings is the author of over 15 books and CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network www.TheHeartLinkNetwork and www.TheHeartAllance.com Dawn is a faculty member of www.iLearningGlobal.tv where her entertaining and insightful high definition segments are translated into 5 languages around the world.
Dawn is the creator of a new parenting toy called the Capables and was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of the nations emerging female leaders for her socially dynamic programs for women and children. Dawn was selected as one of 15 women of achievement in GA by the YWCA in 2008. www.DawnBillings.com
"Hmmm, then I would say that what you are doing, might be crazy?"
We don't need other people to tell us when we are acting crazy. We already know. The only reason we go to a professional to get their opinion is on the outside chance that they will lie to us and tell us that we aren't living as crazy as we feel.
Rather than focusing on what's fashionable, or popular, or what others are doing, pay attention to what is actually happening in your life. What is working, and what's not working? It is an easy question to ask but often a difficult one to answer. Anyone can make claims and promises. They can tell you they have the answers. But rather than buying into them, take a realistic look at your life to get clear about the real problems first.
Too often in a results oriented society, we want to get to the solution sometimes before we really have taken time to really understand the problem we are rushing to solve. Ninety percent of our habits, our beliefs, our actions come our of our nonconscious which is just like the large part of the ice berg that is hidden under water. Our nonconscious is not creative, it is instead completely dedicated to maintaining the status quo. If you are ever feeling crazy and don't feel your life is working the way you want or going in the direction you would like it to go, STOP, take a breath and really examine the patterns you are living out. Only then can you decide what to keep and what to change, what to add and what to delete.
The choices and actions that work in life are pretty universal. They get results, time after time. Dreaming big dream, setting great goals, taking great action, giving your best, showing up, following through and focusing on your dreams with laser intensity, all work. We must commit ourselves to those actions that consistently create value, and move the world forward. When something really works in your life, it doesn't just work for you, you will notice that it is working for those you love as well. But the opposite is true as well. When something isn't working in your life it is a sure bet that it is impacting others you love negatively as well.
Sometimes, in order to find what works in your life, you must go through the difficult experience of learning what doesn't work. This process makes the knowledge of what does work all the more valuable, because you've paid dearly for it. So when you know what works, make use of that value and put it into action. Success in relationships, as in everything else, is a matter of taking what works, and putting it to work.
If you are going to be crazy, be crazy for the success, peace and joy you can create in your life, if you are willing to grow and change the things that attempt to steal what is great from your life.
I am crazy about you. Sweet blessings, Dawn
Dawn Billings is the author of over 15 books and CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network www.TheHeartLinkNetwork and www.TheHeartAllance.com Dawn is a faculty member of www.iLearningGlobal.tv where her entertaining and insightful high definition segments are translated into 5 languages around the world.
Dawn is the creator of a new parenting toy called the Capables and was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of the nations emerging female leaders for her socially dynamic programs for women and children. Dawn was selected as one of 15 women of achievement in GA by the YWCA in 2008. www.DawnBillings.com
Be the ONE
We struggle today with the simplest of problems. I have heard many complain that the world is a harsh and unforgiving place that needs more compassion and kindness. I agree. I believe that it does, but the answer seems obvious to me. If the world needs a little more kindness, be the one to be kind. If you are aware of a lack of compassion, give it in abundance.
When you come across a problem, be the one to offer a solution. The world needs leaders who do their best to turn problems into opportunities and when the time is ripe for a fresh perspective, they are the ones to respectfully offer their opinions.
If no one is sure of what to do or say, be the one to offer a genuine smile and a kind word of reassurance. If you know an answer, teach it. If you have a gift, give it. If you have a message of inspiration, inspire others with it. When there is something that must be said, be the one to speak up with tenderness and respect, teaching others how to communicate in the process.
If everyone waits for someone else to make the first move, we will remain stuck in the status quo. Start a revolution of kindness, a movement of responsibility, stand for charter, respect and compassion and be the leader you were designed to be. Whenever you find yourself complaining, stop, stand up and fix the problem you are complaining about. Be the one to step forward and get all those around you moving in a positive direction. The world needs those who are willing to be in the lead. And life richly rewards those who do it with genuine respect and concern for those who follow.
Take the initiative and be a leader, especially in your home. Someone needs to take the lead, and you can be the one to make the difference.
Dawn L Billings is the author of over 15 books on parenting, relationships, entitlement and networking. She is an ardent advocate for women's and children's issues. She is a faculty member of the new internet training company called www.ILearningGlobal.tv where her high definition segments are translated into 5 languages and viewed around the world. Dawn is the CEO & Founder of The Heart Link Network, and The Heart Alliance.com international women's networking organizations and communities. In 2008 Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House project as one of 80 emerging women leaders in the nation. To find out more and buy Dawn's books visit www.DawnBillings.com
When you come across a problem, be the one to offer a solution. The world needs leaders who do their best to turn problems into opportunities and when the time is ripe for a fresh perspective, they are the ones to respectfully offer their opinions.
If no one is sure of what to do or say, be the one to offer a genuine smile and a kind word of reassurance. If you know an answer, teach it. If you have a gift, give it. If you have a message of inspiration, inspire others with it. When there is something that must be said, be the one to speak up with tenderness and respect, teaching others how to communicate in the process.
If everyone waits for someone else to make the first move, we will remain stuck in the status quo. Start a revolution of kindness, a movement of responsibility, stand for charter, respect and compassion and be the leader you were designed to be. Whenever you find yourself complaining, stop, stand up and fix the problem you are complaining about. Be the one to step forward and get all those around you moving in a positive direction. The world needs those who are willing to be in the lead. And life richly rewards those who do it with genuine respect and concern for those who follow.
Take the initiative and be a leader, especially in your home. Someone needs to take the lead, and you can be the one to make the difference.
Dawn L Billings is the author of over 15 books on parenting, relationships, entitlement and networking. She is an ardent advocate for women's and children's issues. She is a faculty member of the new internet training company called www.ILearningGlobal.tv where her high definition segments are translated into 5 languages and viewed around the world. Dawn is the CEO & Founder of The Heart Link Network, and The Heart Alliance.com international women's networking organizations and communities. In 2008 Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House project as one of 80 emerging women leaders in the nation. To find out more and buy Dawn's books visit www.DawnBillings.com
A Child named Adolf Hitler
Many of you have probably read about the child named Adolf Hitler Cambell. His younger siblings are named JoyceLynn Aryan Nation and Honszlynn Hinler. The story hit the news when a bakery employee refused to write the child's name on a birthday cake. Since that time, there has been a great deal of attention paid to the parents and children of this family.
Children are the greatest gift given to human beings. They are our proof that good exists, laughter heals, touch is precious, love is real, and that we were created to learn and grow. They come to us vulnerable and innocent, and they arrive with an awesome responsibility attached. We are responsible to nurture and guide them, and keep them safe so that they can learn to nurture, protect and guide others.
Life is about legacy. We are all born, we live, and we die and what remains after we are gone is our legacy. There are legacies of great good in the world, and there are legacies of great evil and cruelty.
Life is about story. Story--stringing words together like pearls -- helps us categorize, describe, explain and give meaning to our lives. We as parents, scribble the first lines of a child's story when they are born. Part of that story is influenced by the name we give them.
Names carry meaning, whether a child is named for their grandmother, uncle, mother or father or named for a symbolic purpose, or because his or her parents felt a name was beautiful or unique. Whatever the meaning, names matter. They give an identity to a child and can sometimes alter a child's path. That being said, how could these parents choose to burden their innocent children with such traumatic and difficult legacies?
A child is not a political flag to wave through bullets of hatred, or a billboard on which to advertise your controversial beliefs. They are not targets we stand in front of us, or bait for potential rodents to feed on. These are children.
Is it possible that Adolf and his siblings can succeed in spite of their names? Is it possible that they can overcome the first dark scribble of charcoal, carelessly penned at the beginning of their life story? Yes, anything is possible. And if they do overcome the ugly mark placed upon them at a time when they were helpless and had no control, we can say, good does overcome. But for any parent to consciously choose to make a child's path sharp, brutal, dark and dangerous, full of potential conflict and judgment when they could have chosen so much better for their child, is in my opinion -- abuse.
Dawn Billings is the author of over 15 books on parenting, relationship and succees. She is a faculty member of iLearningGlobal.tv where her insightful and entertaining segments are translated into 5 languages around the world. Dawn is the CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network www.TheHeartLinkNetwork.com an international womens networking organization, and www.TheHeartAlliance.com a social online community for women and creator of the new parenting toy/tool called the CAPABLES, which are a fun, easy, powerful and effective way for parents of toddlers to teach their children how to grow up to be extraordinary, contributing human beings.
Children are the greatest gift given to human beings. They are our proof that good exists, laughter heals, touch is precious, love is real, and that we were created to learn and grow. They come to us vulnerable and innocent, and they arrive with an awesome responsibility attached. We are responsible to nurture and guide them, and keep them safe so that they can learn to nurture, protect and guide others.
Life is about legacy. We are all born, we live, and we die and what remains after we are gone is our legacy. There are legacies of great good in the world, and there are legacies of great evil and cruelty.
Life is about story. Story--stringing words together like pearls -- helps us categorize, describe, explain and give meaning to our lives. We as parents, scribble the first lines of a child's story when they are born. Part of that story is influenced by the name we give them.
Names carry meaning, whether a child is named for their grandmother, uncle, mother or father or named for a symbolic purpose, or because his or her parents felt a name was beautiful or unique. Whatever the meaning, names matter. They give an identity to a child and can sometimes alter a child's path. That being said, how could these parents choose to burden their innocent children with such traumatic and difficult legacies?
A child is not a political flag to wave through bullets of hatred, or a billboard on which to advertise your controversial beliefs. They are not targets we stand in front of us, or bait for potential rodents to feed on. These are children.
Is it possible that Adolf and his siblings can succeed in spite of their names? Is it possible that they can overcome the first dark scribble of charcoal, carelessly penned at the beginning of their life story? Yes, anything is possible. And if they do overcome the ugly mark placed upon them at a time when they were helpless and had no control, we can say, good does overcome. But for any parent to consciously choose to make a child's path sharp, brutal, dark and dangerous, full of potential conflict and judgment when they could have chosen so much better for their child, is in my opinion -- abuse.
Dawn Billings is the author of over 15 books on parenting, relationship and succees. She is a faculty member of iLearningGlobal.tv where her insightful and entertaining segments are translated into 5 languages around the world. Dawn is the CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network www.TheHeartLinkNetwork.com an international womens networking organization, and www.TheHeartAlliance.com a social online community for women and creator of the new parenting toy/tool called the CAPABLES, which are a fun, easy, powerful and effective way for parents of toddlers to teach their children how to grow up to be extraordinary, contributing human beings.
Network your way to a Better Memory
No matter what you are doing, whether it is shopping for groceries, getting your nails done, sitting at the park with your children, or attending a networking gathering, researchers have found that ten minutes of face to face contact improves memory and boosts intellectual performance. This research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin is fascinating.
Think about it, just ten minutes of talking, face to face or by phone, improves memory and boosts intellectual performance as much as intellectual endeavors such as math and crossword puzzles. This is very good news for someone like me who is not great at intellectual endeavors such as math or crossword puzzles, but loves people, especially talented and amazing women. I am excited to think that now, along with strengthening and growing your business, The Heart Link Network™ an international women's networking organization based on the female endocrine system, can also help you to improve your memory. When I created the concept I thought of hundreds of ways that it could help and benefit women, but honestly, improving memory was not on my original list.
University of Michigan psychologist Oscar Ybarra and his team asked more than 3,500 people ages 24 to 96 about their social interactions and tested their working memories. What they found was that regardless of age, the more social contact each person had, the higher their level of mental function. The researchers also split 76 college students into three groups.
One group spent 10 solitary minutes doing intellectual exercises (such as reading comprehension), a second group had a 10-minute discussion, and the third, in isolation, watched 10 minutes of "Seinfeld." I know, most of you believe there is nothing more stimulating than reruns of “Sienfeld,” but on follow-up cognitive tests, the social interaction and intellectual exercise groups did better than "Seinfeld" viewers. And everyone was surprised to discover the chit-chatters did just as well as the intellectual group. This is such good news to me.
"There's a widespread belief in this culture that the way to maintain your sharpness is to do technical and intellectual activities," Ybarra says. But this study suggests an alternative to Sudoku or crosswords could be simply attending The Heart Link Network™, having an amazing evening of fun and connection, talking and sharing with one another and poof, a better memory to boot. It certainly doesn't get better than that.
Dawn Billings is the CEO & Founder of The Heart Link Network, an international womens networking organization and www.TheHeartAlliance.com an online social community for professional women. Dawn is an author of over 15 books, a highly sought after speaker and faculty member of iLearningGlobal.tv, where her insightful and entertaining segments are translated into 5 languages around the world. Dawn is the creator of the new parenting toy/tool, called the CAPABLES, touted by experts to revolutionize parenting around the world. www.DawnBillings.com In 2008, Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of 80 emerging women leaders in the nation.
Think about it, just ten minutes of talking, face to face or by phone, improves memory and boosts intellectual performance as much as intellectual endeavors such as math and crossword puzzles. This is very good news for someone like me who is not great at intellectual endeavors such as math or crossword puzzles, but loves people, especially talented and amazing women. I am excited to think that now, along with strengthening and growing your business, The Heart Link Network™ an international women's networking organization based on the female endocrine system, can also help you to improve your memory. When I created the concept I thought of hundreds of ways that it could help and benefit women, but honestly, improving memory was not on my original list.
University of Michigan psychologist Oscar Ybarra and his team asked more than 3,500 people ages 24 to 96 about their social interactions and tested their working memories. What they found was that regardless of age, the more social contact each person had, the higher their level of mental function. The researchers also split 76 college students into three groups.
One group spent 10 solitary minutes doing intellectual exercises (such as reading comprehension), a second group had a 10-minute discussion, and the third, in isolation, watched 10 minutes of "Seinfeld." I know, most of you believe there is nothing more stimulating than reruns of “Sienfeld,” but on follow-up cognitive tests, the social interaction and intellectual exercise groups did better than "Seinfeld" viewers. And everyone was surprised to discover the chit-chatters did just as well as the intellectual group. This is such good news to me.
"There's a widespread belief in this culture that the way to maintain your sharpness is to do technical and intellectual activities," Ybarra says. But this study suggests an alternative to Sudoku or crosswords could be simply attending The Heart Link Network™, having an amazing evening of fun and connection, talking and sharing with one another and poof, a better memory to boot. It certainly doesn't get better than that.
Dawn Billings is the CEO & Founder of The Heart Link Network, an international womens networking organization and www.TheHeartAlliance.com an online social community for professional women. Dawn is an author of over 15 books, a highly sought after speaker and faculty member of iLearningGlobal.tv, where her insightful and entertaining segments are translated into 5 languages around the world. Dawn is the creator of the new parenting toy/tool, called the CAPABLES, touted by experts to revolutionize parenting around the world. www.DawnBillings.com In 2008, Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of 80 emerging women leaders in the nation.
Does Networking Need Heart?
Networking is one of the most important and powerful tools for growing and strengthening exposure and ties within a community. Many experts agree that networking is the fastest and easiest way to meet, link, connect and create the kind of relationships that create new business. Why would networking need heart?
The greatest challenge facing any woman in business today is exposure. A woman in business must be known. What you know, and who you know are no longer the two most important aspects of being successful. The question that is most important in todays world is "Who knows YOU?" Who knows you, likes you, believes in you, respects you, admires you, trust you and would refer other people they know to you? In order for someone to do business with you, they must know you exist and that you have products and services that can benefit their lives. But all things being equal, people will choose to business with people they like and trust.
No one can choose your services or products if they don’t know who you are, and what you offer. Therefore every person in business needs to expand their circle of influence, especially women in business, because women are innately more relational by nature. But what does expanding your circle of influence mean.
1. It means that you need to broaden your exposure.
2. Continually meet new people.
3. Make an impression that will be memorable.
4. Make people believe that you, your product or service can make a difference in their lives.
New connections will ultimately increases your bottom line if they are the kind of connections that have lasting impact, and the only connections that can have lasting impact are those that leave a favorable impression on someone's heart.
Networking and marketing are two sisters of success. Each business woman knows that she needs to network. She needs to meet new people and find ways to connect, benefit and support those people to grow and prosper, as they help to connect her do the same. Marketing is imperative and yet, most small businesses do not have an adequate marketing budget, if they have a budget at all.
It is exactly for this reason, networking is more important than ever. Networking is one of the least expensive ways to market your business. That is why Dawn L. Billings, CEO & Founder of The Heart Link Network created a new way for women to powerfully and inexpensively satisfy both their networking and marketing needs. Dawn has been an advocate for women for over 35 years. First as a therapist, volunteering her time to work with women who had been abused and working in schools with children who were struggling to succeed. Dawn has written over 15 books on children and greatness, success, relationships and how to end the wrath of entitlement in families, organizations, corporations and the world.
In 2008, Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of 80 emerging women leaders in the nation for her socially dynamic parenting toy/tool called the CAPABLES, that will be released in 2009. Parenting experts tout this toy will revolutionize parenting around the world. Dawn was also selected as one of 15 Women of Achievement in Georgia, by the Cobb County YWCA for her years of dedication to the benefit of women and children. Dawn said The Heart Link Network was born out of her long standing love for women and a realization that women needed an opportunity to showcase who they were and what they were passionate about in an environment that was intimate, informal and inspiring to encourage them to share not only their products and services with one another, but more importantly their hearts. To answer that need, she created The Heart Link Network.
The Heart Link Network is a dynamic high touch marketing and networking tool specifically designed for women. Dawn's background in psychology, personality and neurophysiology enabled her to create a networking model that women can relate deeply too and enables women to bond, share and encourage one another toward success. Dawn even developed a way to incorporate professional women who have traditionally been excluded from networking experiences like nurses, teachers, mothers, cancer survivors and many others because she believes that ALL women need to link their hearts because women linked can change the direction of hearts and create a better world.
Because of the HEART at the center of this organization, The Heart Link Network is one of the fastest growing networking organizations in the nation, opening over 100 locations in its first 120 days. As an associate of The Heart Link Network, a woman can grow her business as she helps other professional women in her community grow theirs. The Heart Link Network was not designed to be a business opportunity. Instead it was designed as a tool that powerfully aids women in building the businesses they already love.
The Heart Link Network also provides a wonderful, no cost, online professional female community at www.TheHeartAlliance.com, a web based social community that helps to provide the high tech exposure as a compliment to The Heart Link Network’s high touch marketing and networking opportunity. Both success tools, The Heart Link Network and the no cost, online community www.TheHeartAlliance.com can help women link their resources, products, services and hearts to bless and benefit each other and help each other achieve their dreams of success. Does networking need heart? The answer is a definite and emphatic - YES.
The greatest challenge facing any woman in business today is exposure. A woman in business must be known. What you know, and who you know are no longer the two most important aspects of being successful. The question that is most important in todays world is "Who knows YOU?" Who knows you, likes you, believes in you, respects you, admires you, trust you and would refer other people they know to you? In order for someone to do business with you, they must know you exist and that you have products and services that can benefit their lives. But all things being equal, people will choose to business with people they like and trust.
No one can choose your services or products if they don’t know who you are, and what you offer. Therefore every person in business needs to expand their circle of influence, especially women in business, because women are innately more relational by nature. But what does expanding your circle of influence mean.
1. It means that you need to broaden your exposure.
2. Continually meet new people.
3. Make an impression that will be memorable.
4. Make people believe that you, your product or service can make a difference in their lives.
New connections will ultimately increases your bottom line if they are the kind of connections that have lasting impact, and the only connections that can have lasting impact are those that leave a favorable impression on someone's heart.
Networking and marketing are two sisters of success. Each business woman knows that she needs to network. She needs to meet new people and find ways to connect, benefit and support those people to grow and prosper, as they help to connect her do the same. Marketing is imperative and yet, most small businesses do not have an adequate marketing budget, if they have a budget at all.
It is exactly for this reason, networking is more important than ever. Networking is one of the least expensive ways to market your business. That is why Dawn L. Billings, CEO & Founder of The Heart Link Network created a new way for women to powerfully and inexpensively satisfy both their networking and marketing needs. Dawn has been an advocate for women for over 35 years. First as a therapist, volunteering her time to work with women who had been abused and working in schools with children who were struggling to succeed. Dawn has written over 15 books on children and greatness, success, relationships and how to end the wrath of entitlement in families, organizations, corporations and the world.
In 2008, Dawn was selected by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of 80 emerging women leaders in the nation for her socially dynamic parenting toy/tool called the CAPABLES, that will be released in 2009. Parenting experts tout this toy will revolutionize parenting around the world. Dawn was also selected as one of 15 Women of Achievement in Georgia, by the Cobb County YWCA for her years of dedication to the benefit of women and children. Dawn said The Heart Link Network was born out of her long standing love for women and a realization that women needed an opportunity to showcase who they were and what they were passionate about in an environment that was intimate, informal and inspiring to encourage them to share not only their products and services with one another, but more importantly their hearts. To answer that need, she created The Heart Link Network.
The Heart Link Network is a dynamic high touch marketing and networking tool specifically designed for women. Dawn's background in psychology, personality and neurophysiology enabled her to create a networking model that women can relate deeply too and enables women to bond, share and encourage one another toward success. Dawn even developed a way to incorporate professional women who have traditionally been excluded from networking experiences like nurses, teachers, mothers, cancer survivors and many others because she believes that ALL women need to link their hearts because women linked can change the direction of hearts and create a better world.
Because of the HEART at the center of this organization, The Heart Link Network is one of the fastest growing networking organizations in the nation, opening over 100 locations in its first 120 days. As an associate of The Heart Link Network, a woman can grow her business as she helps other professional women in her community grow theirs. The Heart Link Network was not designed to be a business opportunity. Instead it was designed as a tool that powerfully aids women in building the businesses they already love.
The Heart Link Network also provides a wonderful, no cost, online professional female community at www.TheHeartAlliance.com, a web based social community that helps to provide the high tech exposure as a compliment to The Heart Link Network’s high touch marketing and networking opportunity. Both success tools, The Heart Link Network and the no cost, online community www.TheHeartAlliance.com can help women link their resources, products, services and hearts to bless and benefit each other and help each other achieve their dreams of success. Does networking need heart? The answer is a definite and emphatic - YES.
What is IMPOSSIBLE?
Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said. “One can’t believe impossible things.” “I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Believing in impossible things takes practice. It requires a perspective that allows for miraculous occurrences, as well as discipline and commitment of thought. Life-transforming miracles are rarely on the scale of parting the Red Sea. Most of the time a life can be transformed by a miracle as simple as a shift in perception -- choosing a different way of perceiving life.
Remember the delightful classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life? It did not fare well as a box office release, and now it is the most consistently watched movie in the history of feature films. The movie opens with the main character, played by Jimmy Stewart, contemplating suicide. He is burnt out, perceives himself as a failure, and believes the world would be better off without him. He needs a miracle to save him and he gets it. Through the course of the movie, he is transformed from a totally depressed, suicidal individual into a man running through the streets of his town filled with ecstasy and joy for life. How did this miracle occur? Jimmy Stewart gained a different perspective on his life. No facts needed to be changed -- no reality needed altering -- no sticks turned to snakes. The only change necessary in order for the main character’s life to become miraculously transformed was that he changed his negative interpretation of his circumstances.
This reminds me of a wonderful story. I volunteered to help teach children to read. I was working with a challenging young man who was really struggling to read. As I was sitting beside him, reading a book that my youngest son Corbin Billings wrote when he was ten called "The ABC's of Becoming Great: the young man came upon the word “impossible” and was stumped by it.
“I don’t know what that word is,” he said.
His words hit me like a wet towel in the snow. “Oh my goodness.” I thought to myself, “How many people are working very hard to unlearn what that word is? "Just take a deep breath, relax and attempt to sound it out, like we have been practicing,” I encouraged him.
With his eyes squinted and mouth tense he slowly sounded out the word. “I. . . M. . . Possible,” he stretched out the word.
Frozen in my chair, I sat listening to a miracle. In one moment this young man who I was supposed to be tutoring, was teaching me a profound and powerful lesson. How wonderful it would be if everyone who looked at the word 'impossible' didn't know what the word was? And secondly, what would happen when we do come across the word 'impossible' we learn to read it correctly. “I M Possible.”
At that moment I realized that I must always be careful to remember that even when I think I am the teacher, I am the student. This young man taught me a lesson that day that changed the way I look at the world, and in the process, changed the world.
Dawn L Billings is the founder and CEO of The Heart Link Network, www.TheHeartLinkNetwork.com an international women’s networking organization and The Heart Alliance, www.TheHeartAlliance.com an online community for specifically designed for professional women around the world. Ms. Billings has championed opportunities to increase women's business growth, career and leadership advancement. Dawn is the creator of the revolutionary new parenting toy/tool called the Capables, and in 2008 Dawn was chosen by Oprah Magazine and The White House Project as one of the nation’s 80 emerging women leaders for her socially dynamic programs designed to benefit women and children, and was also selected as one of 15 “Women of Achievement,” by the YWCA of Cobb County, Georgia.
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