If you’re reading this blog post on a computer in the U.S., you already have advantages and freedoms that many in the world can’t take for granted.

First of all, you can read. (A few Middle Eastern and African countries are still debating whether girls should be taught to read….)

Second, you have electricity. (I love my annual Orcas Island camping trip, but flashlights and porta-potties get old after a few days.)

Third, you have a computer, or at least, computer access. (Anyone over 30 will remember the time known as “B.C.” - before computers!)

Furthermore, nobody’s making you read this. It’s not government-approved propaganda. And in spite of the tenacious corporate hold on much of our print and airwaves, make no mistake, we live in a land where freedom of speech reigns - even freedom to criticize our political leaders publicly.

My point is this: even if you’re working a job you don’t love, even if you’re struggling to pay your bills, even if your significant other just ran off with someone else and things could be better than they are, you’ve still got a helluva lot to be grateful for. (I’ll light a sparkler to that!)

You have the freedom to choose a new home or a new line of work, to study any subject you want (even for free via your computer), freedom to meet new people, even start or expand a business. The requirements for these things? Nothing more than sheer ingenuity and force of will. We enjoy tremendous freedoms that should never be taken for granted, freedoms for which others literally risk their lives for the chance to have.

People in U.S. complain, sometimes very legitimately about taxes, corruption, and other problems. But I haven’t heard any stories of American citizens strapping together pieces of wood and pushing their families away from the shore in the attempt to try to float their way to someplace better before they starve to death or die of exposure. I do, however, know former refugees and immigrants who risked it all to find a better place, and they are grateful every day that they found it.

You might call it a paradox:

On the one hand, we live in one of the wealthiest nations, not just of our time, but of any time.

We have more freedoms, possibilities, and technological advantages than 99% of the people on the planet.

But are we any happier, any more grateful, any more “free” than those of less privileged societies, or countries with a “lower standard of living”? Do we have time to enjoy more things, or are we just working more to pay for the things we don’t have time to enjoy?

You be the judge. As a nation, we are famous for eating ourselves obese, overworking ourselves into early graves, and racking up more consumer debt than citizens of any other nation. Millions of people are caught in cycles of revolving debt, and nearly a million and a half file for bankruptcy in the U.S. each year. Rampant unemployment and large downturns in the stock and housing markets have turned many good intentions sour, and we realize that our lifestyles and our habits were not sustainable.

Where has all this “freedom” gotten us? We’re over-extended, over-entertained, and over-whelmed. We carry phones and devices with perpetual internet connections, but we’ve become disconnected from ourselves, each other, and the earth. We’re majoring in the minors.

Some are looking to political movements to save us and “get us back on track.” But I believe it’s time to move forward, not reminisce about a past that had its own set of problems. It’s also a time for unprecedented personal responsibility, an opportunity to stop expecting the government or somebody else to bail us out.

It’s time for us to get intentional and to make decisions that reflect our highest intentions. Being debt-free, building a profitable business, and achieving financial independence all begin as decisions. Do people just randomly wake up one day and realize they have paid off all their debts or achieved financial independence as the surprising result of their circumstances? No! Any change of course begins with a decision.

It’s time for our own Declaration of Independence, not from oppressive forces around us, but from the distractions and obstacles within us. If you’re not living a life you love, it’s time to change the course you’re on.

If you’re ready for more freedom in your life - more personal freedom, more financial freedom, more emotional freedom, then decide it, declare it, and begin it. As W. H. Murray wrote in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951 (chronically but largely incorrectly attributed to Goethe):

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:

‘Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!’

Whether you’re reading this on the 4^th of July, the middle of October or the March after next, I invite you to make your personal Declaration of Independence on what is always the perfect day - “today.” Make a decision about what you want your life to be like, and declare those intentions in words and in writing.

As for me, it’s my decision to spend this next year helping people out of debt, assisting them in removing the blocks to their prosperity, and showing them how to transform their relationship with money so that they can live out their own visions and intentions. I’m committing myself to a new level of giving and bringing value, and I’m opening myself up to a new level of receiving in my life. I’m committing to a new level of self-care and discipline, particularly seeing how (since my elderly father moved in with me six month ago) it is all too easy to neglect myself to attend to the seemingly urgent tasks that can fill the day. I’m also committing to a new business model that will allow me to help more people and take more days off for planning, family time, and restoration.

What do you want your own personal Declaration of Independence to say? What are you committing to that you are ready to ”begin now”? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Happy Fourth of July,

Kate

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A funny thing happened on the way to getting my taxes done…

Some kind of “tummy bug” hit. Not that awful have-to-sit-on-the-toilet-with-a-bucket-in-your-lap flu that leaves you wondering what else your body could possibly purge, but a milder I-just-don’t-have-an-appetite-and-my-stomache-kinda-hurts thing.

Now, with all the “work” I’ve done with my relationship with money, I’m pretty conscious about how my mind, body, emotions, and financial world fit together. Was I resisting doing my taxes? To be honest, it’s one of my least favorite things, though I’m not sure the tummy ache was related. (I actually was in a pretty good mood after I got into the swing of things…)

I’ll admit, I relish exploring the more creative, emotional, right-brained aspects of money… from brainstorming business ideas to helping someone process through their “stories” about money, perhaps gaining big “aha’s” or even reframing how they relate to money. But I’m not an accountant type; I struggle with mundane record-keeping tasks, and I’m not the person to come to with your questions about Quickbooks!

Having huge breakthroughs in my relationship with money — and developing many distinctions that help others to do the same — created a new world of possibilities for me, but it didn’t make me a bookkeeper!

Still, the bills must be paid, the taxes must be filed. And if you’re like me (naturally resistant to mundane financial tasks), you might even find your mind and emotions working against you to accomplish these things. As they say, awareness is a perfect place to start…. but awareness itself doesn’t guarantee change or even progress. What’s needed is focused attention and energy.

Changing our focus and energy around something can have profound effects. Law of Attraction coach Sandy Forster, an Australian single mom who went “from welfare to millionaire” shares how she changed her focus and energy around bill paying. In a time of severe cashflow difficulties and great debt, she started focusing on gratitude. As she would pay each bill, she would give thanks for the services provided, whether that of her telephone, electricity, or other service.

Even she could not pay the bills in full, she controlled what she could control at that moment, which was shifting her focus and energy. She gave gratitude for her debts, then she would write on the check, “Thank-you! Happiness and Prosperity to You!”

Yes, she blessed her creditors.

Although Sandy experienced a rather sudden shift in fortunes, the shift was a long time coming. Following a divorce, her financial situation slid slowly downhill, and she spent many months in that valley before things turned around for her. And as she tells the story, the changes started inside, very intentionally, as she shifted her beliefs, energy, and focus, little by little, until good things started coming her way with great velocity.

If you suffer from tummy aches, feelings of dread, procrastination, and other signs of anxiety and resistance to financial tasks, try these tips:

When paying bills or doing financial accounting or paperwork:

• Plan. Set aside time for it in advance on your calendar. Make it an important appointment, and not something you try to do at 11pm at the end of a long day.
• Prepare. Approach the appointment with a good attitude and positive self-talk.
• Get comfortable. Put on pleasant music (it has to be instrumental for me, or it’s too distracting), adjust the lighting so it feels good to you, sit comfortably, and sip on some hot herbal tea, a glass of wine, or whatever will put you into a relaxed mood.
• Give Thanks. Dwell in gratitude throughout, not worrying about money already spent, but thankful for value and services received.
• Reframe. Notice resistance in the form of limiting beliefs, such as “I’m not good with money” or “I can’t do this.” Challenge those beliefs when they surface. Be gentle and affirming with yourself, acknowledging that you can do more than you’ve believed, and that you are capable.
• Be productive. Work however you work best - whether in short spurts with lots of breaks, or one long period with no interruptions. And managing/preventing interruptions is key! Turn off the phone and eliminate distractions.
• Finish. Work to complete a particular goal, whether that’s doing your bookkeeping for the week or month, paying all bills, or completing another task.
• Get support. Use an accountability buddy to keep you on track and share your accomplishments with.
• Get help. If you get in over your head, hire or ask for help.
• Celebrate! Reward yourself when you’re done! It can be as simple as enjoying some gourmet chocolate, watching a favorite movie, or treating yourself to anything else that you know you’ll enjoy.

As you shift our focus and our energy around your financial tasks, you will discover “Hey, that wasn’t so bad after all!” You might even find yourself looking forward to the next round of bill-paying or receipt-logging. Though I make no promises that you’ll wake up a left-brain, detail-oriented accountant!

Today seems like a good day to ask…

Does it seem like some people just “have all the luck?” (And it’s usually not you!?) If you’d like to increse you luck and literally, your “good fortune,” read on.

I have a “G.R.A.T.I.T.U.D.E. Formula” comprised of 9 steps to increase prosperity and abundance in every area of life. And the first step has everything to do with increasing your luck and opening yourself up to more of the green stuff, regardless of your ethnic heritage. As a matter of fact, it’s something I always recommend to my self-employed clients who want to start or increase the flow of money in their business…

Ready? (It’s the “G” of the G.R.A.T.I.T.U.D.E. Formula…)

Give Generously.

It might sound too simplistic, too obvious, but oftentimes the important things come across that way. As Wayne Dyer points out, when you approach life from “I need more… gimme gimme gimme,” you actually attract more scarcity and repel the abundance you are seeking, financial or otherwise.

Being able to shift your focus to what you have to offer, and how you can serve, rather than what you don’t have but desperately want, is the key.

This principle not only resonates as true, it’s statistically and demographically documented! In the excellent book by Thomas J. Stanley, Millionaire Women Next Door, one of the characteristics of millionaire business women tend to share in common is their generosity. They give of their income at 3-1/2 times the national giving average (an average of 7% instead of 2%). These millionairesses are also tremendous givers in their estates as well.

And lest you think, “Oh sure, I’d be generous too if I were a millionaire,” let me point out what else the research revealed. These generous millionairesses didn’t wait to start giving until they became wealthy by some standard. They started giving BEFORE they were considered “wealthy.”

You see, building a keeping wealth is ultimately dependent on a wealthy mindset, and giving is truly the height of an abundant mentality.

Some of them learned to regularly give 10% or more of their income, and interestingly enough, these “Tina Ten-Percenters,” as Stanley nicknamed them, seemed to keep as much of of their wealth as their tight-fisted counterparts on the other end of the spectrum, the “Olga One-Percenters.” Coincidence?

Giving is a declaration to the universe that there is not only “enough” for you, but there is more than enough. It is an statement made with actions that says, “There is more on the way, and enough to go around.”

Enough for me, enough for you.

Enough to keep, enough to give.

Eben Pagan, a wildly successful marketer who sells informational programs (primarily) on the internet, has revealed the crucial difference this contribution mindset has made in his bottom line. Growing up poor, Eben once worked for $10 an hour and rented an apartment before purchasing a trailer to live in. Now Eben’s company now generates up to $24 million dollars of annual sales. (He no longer lives in the trailer, although he swears he was quite happy in it!)

When mega-marketer Frank Kern pressed Eben to get specific on how he went from there to here… from literally “living in a trailer” to a multi-million dollar business, Eben declares the day it all changed for him was when he stopped trying to figure out how to SELL something that would make him a million dollars, and started focusing on what value he could GIVE.

For years, Eben’s mind had been obsessed with the question, “How can I sell a million people something they would pay a dollar for?” He changed his focus to wondering, “How can I GIVE $100 of value to a million people who might then be willing to pay $10 for the value they had received?” …And the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Eben models this giving philosophy today, giving away entire segments of his video trainings, establishing his value before people purchase.  (Programs like Wake Up Productive, Self-Made Wealth, Get Altitude…) And he trains other entrepreneurs to do the same. Don’t hold back, but give generously of the value that you offer.

By giving first, the flow of giving and receiving is established. The cycle is jump-started, and the inevitable result is that good things will return to the giver, in some shape or form. This is true if these principles are followed:

1) The giving is truly GIVING (i.e., it’s not a form of martyrdom or creating obligation, but the gifts are truly and freely given.)

2) What is given is of VALUE to those to whom it is given (it is wanted and needed, something of use.)

3) The gift given fosteres sufficiency and sustainability. (It does not disempower the receiver.)

Eben looks like a pretty lucky guy… or maybe he’s just learned the secret of Giving Generously.

And now, an Irish blessing…
May you always walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.

Kate

I’m honored to kick off the month as part of a list of tremendous guests such as Mikelann Valterra of the Women’s Earning Institute, best-selling author Molly Gordon, (The Accidental Entrepreneur), and Anna Choi, a woman I highly admire for her transformative money management work with couples. See the whole schedule HERE and if you like, subscribe to the free podcast (same page) so that you won’t miss a show!

The show I’ll be featured on goes live Wednesday, March 3 at 3pm pst on 106.9 HD, channel 3. For the details of how to listen via the internet, subscribe, or hear a replay, click here.

And I can’t wait to meet the Sisters in person… The Sisters of Sizzle are Elise Kloter and Jill Pagano. Amongst other things, Elise is a Passion Test Facilitator, and Jill is a Nia instructor. Together they are fun, energetic, and a perfect example of what happens when women’s intuition meets entrepreneurial synergy. The two met and got this crazy idea to start a radio show, and voila, they were getting their sizzle on in no time! Their program now has thousands of subscribers and attracts fantastic guests.

Join my new friend Robin Stephens and me for a teleclass on March 2nd and we’ll answer those questions and more! Robin has invited me to launch her next Healthy, Wealthy and Organized teleclass series on March 2nd. The class is free, but you can’t afford to miss it!

Robin Stephens is a gifted life coach who works with (especially) women to help them

• increase wellness and energy
• create motivation
• achieve balance
• conquer their clutter and stress.
  (How awesome is that!?)

Now Robin is helping even more busy women professionals and business owners achieve more inspired, balanced, and organized lives through her classes and products. (See www.healthywealthyandorganized.com) And that includes… this teleseminar!

Here’s what’s happening:

“Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Fortune Teleclass”

Hosted by: Robin Stephens with Guest Expert Kate Phillips
Date: March 2, 2010
Time: 5 pm PST/8 pm EST
Bridge line: (605) 475-4800
Access Code: 795697#

On this call, I’ll reveal the basic three-step formula for creating wealth, as well as six other essential keys for women who want to create more abundance and reverse beliefs and attitudes that sabotage their success.
You’ll discover :

• Simple things you can do right now to alleviate financial stress
• The biggest key to creating abundance in your life
• Why affirmations and the law of attraction don’t work
• How emotions can feed abundance and scarcity thinking
• The most common beliefs that hold us back from playing a bigger game
• Creating a healthy relationship with money
• and more tips or mini-coaching call-ins as time allows!

Can’t make the call? No worries. If you register you’ll automatically receive the recording within 24 hours after the call.

Register here for the call AND the recording.

I hope to hear you on the call!

Flock is an innovative website that offers spiritual direction and soul-nurturing advice to a growing online community of women (so far) who are discovering their unique spiritual paths. I’m part of a team of coaches, counselors and experts, and delighted to be the “financial healer” in the mix.

Rachelle interviewed me for her Magpie-Girl blog, asking “What are the common misconceptions women have about money and prosperity?” Click here to read my answer at Magpie-Girl….

Magic wands, Aladdin’s lamp, wishing wells, fairy godmothers, even the Law of Attraction… all symbolize our ultimate desire to turn our dreams into reality.

The fact is, most of us have big dreams, but sometimes the gap between our dreams and our reality can be overwhelming.

• We want to lose 25 pounds, but we can’t lose one. (My friend Mark Combs recommends losing one pound 25 times….)
• We want to double our incomes, but we find ourselves struggling just to maintain.
• We want to fall in love, but we haven’t been on a date in ages.

If the gap between your dreams and reality is a bit large for comfort, then take an honest look at how you are approaching your goals, intentions and resolutions.

See if you’re making any of these fatal mistakes:

You have no structure in place for creating what you want.

You set a few goals or made a few resolutions, and next January, you’ll do it all over again. It’s “make or break,” with no strategy, no accountability, no plan to correct and continue built into your calendar. Maybe you improve for awhile, but then after setbacks and failure, you throw in the towel and forget about it til next December 31st.

You’re not setting goals, you’re making wishes. Throw some change in a fountain or blow some candles out on a cake, then get serious about creating the life you want. It’s a nice idea to make decisions at the start of the year (month, project, etc.), but if you don’t have a structure and a plan for how you might move towards what you want, good luck!

You’re relying on incomplete, outdated technology.

If you’re using “S.M.A.R.T. goals” as your template, you need to update your technology bigtime. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with Specific, Measurable, Acheivable/Actionable, Realistic and Time-Sensitive, but this formula is decades old and falls short of giving you real momentum in closing the gap.

I recommend you DON’T (just) write your goals… Super-charge them with imagination and emotion! Use different learning styles (visual, audio and kinesthetic), utilize your senses:

• Visualize
• Memorize
• Role-Play
• Write poems or rhymes
• Express your intentions in movement
• Draw, paint or sketch something that represents your goals
• Collage a Vision Board
• Argue your goals with a willing antagonist
• Journal
• Write your goals with your non-dominant hand
• Speak or sing your intentions
• Write and repeat affirmations
• Practice thinking, speaking and feeling from the place of realized goals. In other words, imagine that you’ve already reached your vision. As you become comfortable with the new vision, you create tension with your current reality. You’ll also access greater creativity and momentum to attract what you want.

You haven’t changed your environment.

You created a new vision, but then you walked into your old office, got distracted by the same distractions, kept the same habits and saw all the old people who expected the old you. Not exactly a recipe for transformation.

Change can happen from both the inside out and the outside in. Clear the clutter (and better yet, paint your office a new color and redecorate). Eliminate the distractions, change up your habits and hang out with people who are working towards (or better yet, have realized) the same dreams.

You’re not accountable to anyone.

Do you think the contestants on The Biggest Loser have some motivation to lose weight? I’d say that having to report my weight on national TV each week would definitely accelerate my results! Weight Watchers has always motivated its participants with a weekly “public weigh in” because accountability changes people’s behavior. Simply put, it works.

Don’t try to achieve your goals in a vacuum. Very few people can do that. We need to be accountable for our actions to people who will help us hone our ideas, encourage us or give us a kick in the behind when we need it. We need ongoing support from people who are committed to seeing us acheive our goals. (And see above – if you don’t have a structure for that happening, it probably won’t!)

Get an accountability partner, join a committed mastermind group, hire a coach (or all three - some successful people have several coaches and accountability partners!) Just make sure that you’ve got people to keep you on track, and that if you don’t move towards your goals, somebody will notice!

You’re setting the wrong goals.

Year after year, if you’re not reaching your goals or attaining your resolutions, it’s time to examine the target, not the arrow.

Maybe your law practice has never gotten off the ground because, after all, you never really wanted to be a lawyer anyhow. (That was your father’s goal for you.)

Perhaps you have internal conflicts, such as is common with financial goals. (You want to be a multi-millionaire, but you have judgments about people with money.)

Or perhaps your conscious mind and your soul wisdom are pulling in two different directions… which might happen if your goals aren’t aligned with your passions or your highest good, or when you’re simply too attached to the outcome. (Observe how someone desperate to be in a relationship ends up repelling potential dates with their neediness.)

You want things to change, but you’re not willing to start with you.

Sometimes we try to grow our business without growing ourselves. We think our relationship will get better when our partner gets their act together. We’re still looking for the magic pill that will help us lose 20 pounds without changing what we eat. More clients and more success sound fantastic, but we think all we need is some “technique.” (Get a Twitter account and a Facebook fanpage and it’ll all be good….)

The reality is, you have to grow yourself to grow your business. You’ve got to look at how you’re managing your time, your finances, your relationships, your health, your clients.

How are we living life? With focus and discipline, or without it? With a good attitude and positive expectations, or with cynicism and dread? Are we obsessing over the economy and external factors, when we should be focusing on our own productivity, environment, and mindset?

You’re focusing on what you don’t want instead of what you want.

This is probably the simplest and yet most difficult secret of making any kind of change in our lives. (Simple to explain and understand, difficult to do consistently.)

Often we get stuck in a place of “resisting what is” instead of “creating what’s next.” We make excuses and defend why we don’t have what we want. Maybe we feel resentful, or jealous that others are enjoying the love, the money, or the fitness that we desire. Worse yet, we might be stuck in fear, our energy zapped by our fixation with potential “worse case scenarios” rather than applied to forward momentum.

Sure, you may have your affirmations posted, right next to your dream board. You might start your day with intentionally visualizing your realized goals, and you even have a coach or an accountability partner. But try setting an alarm every hour for a week as a reminder to observe your thoughts. Where does your focus naturally go?

You don’t even set goals or make resolutions.

Maybe we’re not confident in our ability to create what we want, or too cynical to think we can have it. Perhaps we’re tired of making excuses for why our dreams seem so elusive, so we don’t even start. (Or maybe we’re not aware that everything we create in our life first begins with a thought, an intention, an idea. We think that things just “happen to us” passively and so we don’t even try to influence the outcome.)

It’s hard to win the game if you’re not on the court. This year, instead of watching from the sidelines, jump in and play. And if you don’t have powerful practices, rituals and support to move your intentions forward into reality, you might want to make that your #1 Resolution for 2010.

(reprinted from Biznik.com)

I’ll be exploring how we can all Jump-Start our year though the principles of “Dream Creation.” You’ll discover how to Super-charge your goals and intentions, and we’ll also have some great hands-on practices as well as resources to help you launch the New Year right.

This event is (amazingly enough) FRE*E! It’s held from 7pm -9pm (or come anytime after 6:30 to network). It happens the first Wednesday each month and is currently held on the City University Campus in Bellevue. To RSVP and get directions (or to find out about future events) go here.

I look forward to seeing you soon, tonight or some other time!
Kate

These predictions are from a number of “channels” that gathered recently in Sedona, Az (see details) the song is “Amazing” from the UK band One Eskimo.

I make no predictions myself, I just love the vibe of this video and I’d be thrilled to see even some of these predictions become reality!

Happy New Year, may 2010 see the fulfillment of your deepest desires.
Kate