THE #1 REASON YOU'RE FEELING STUCK

I know you’re trying to elevate your life, you’re always trying to learn, grown and improve. You have a passion to do m ore, be more, live more and give more! I can’t blame you for that! I totally get it, life is all about living it to the fullest so if we can optimize our time here then we can really be our highest self align with our values and live our full purpose. So if you get this, then why are you feeling stuck??

Here it is, the #1 reason why you’re feeling stuck in life right now…

 You haven’t identified your Elevation Points  Elevation Points are the areas in your life that lift you up, these moments add value to your life, they encourage and support your growth and your level ups, they elevate you!

 Why does this happen and how can we optimize it?

 We typically have things backwards.

 We think because we are out of time we need to stay up late, or skip our workouts, we shouldn’t make time for ourselves to hangout, enjoy and relax. So pretty much, since we don’t have time we need to spend more time. It’s all backwards!

I understand the perspective “If I get more done today, I wont have to deal with it tomorrow.”

The problem with this, since we are spending more time and energy in hopes to get more time and energy in the future we are burning out and actually losing time and energy!

Taking a moment to think about this concept in terms of money might be helpful. If you need more money, you’re probably not going to go out and spend money. In fact if you need more money there are two things you could do either save or invest. Now consider time, if you took the time to relax and restore, we are talking about saving and conserving energy, and then we are going to invest our energy by moving our bodies!

Building these habits is a guaranteed way to receive more time and energy!

So start spending your time and energy wisely, invest it, save it!

 Until next time,

-MJ

MY 8 FAVORITE PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

There is so much stuff to do on a daily basis and it can get overwhelming quick! At least over here, anyway, or for any of you out there that are hustling, starting your new business, you’ve got jobs, you’re taking care of the kids, starting a new life and you’re really trying to conquer, level up and be the best you can be.

That is way I have gathered up some of may favorite productivity tools to share with you in hopes they can help elevate your situation and of course your productivity.

#1 GOOGLE CALENDER/iCAL

For the longest time this was all I used! But, then I realized I could be more proficient if I incorporated other things to schedule all my things like my workouts, mediations and bills. I seriously used it for everything, it’s great and I love that you can sync it with your computer or access it online.

#2 BUILT IN ALARM CLOCK

This is just the alarm clock on my iPhone. I have alarms set for when to wake up, when to go to bed, my 5 minute breaks, drink water, take vitamins, move sessions. Yup, I use it all the time!

#3 TRELLO

This is a website that I had used for a while but then fell off of, I was hesitant, I loved making my to do lists, but I’ve recently moved back and I’m loving it. The features and options are wonderful. You can share lists and make lists of list, oh my, you can make notes between people viewing, there are alarms and due dates, seriously so many options, its great and I highly recommend it!

#4 EXCEL SPREADSHEETS

I’m all about Excel; I have money, energy, mood and workout trackers that I’ve created on with it. I used to do all of this on graph paper but it took up so much of my time and energy!

#5 QUICKBOOKS

This was hard at first, since I am such a fan of Excel its what I have always used to keep track of my business finances but since becoming a corporation I was almost forced into QuickBooks but its awesome! It’s syncs with your account, you can snap photos of your receipts and attach them effortlessly. It’s so different from what I was originally used to but it’s so efficient!

#6 DROPBOX

I use this for everything! A lot of people use things like iCloud or other cloud backups, but Dropbox is defiantly my favorite! It syncs my photos, private and work related, project sheets for work when we are out an about, also sending and sharing files when we are traveling or away, yeah… digital life is pretty cool when you think about it.

#7 SCHEDULING APPS – LATER

I am big on social media so a scheduling app like www.later.com makes my life so much better! Ill normally schedule post out for 2 days or so and it allows me be so much more present with my posts and the content I’m trying to share. I don’t have to post on the fly or on the go and I can even schedule out social media posts for when I have a vacation planned so I can focus on spending quality time with friends and family.

#8 MINT OR CLARITY

I used these apps for setting budgets to help me track my spending. These apps will send notifications if you have reached or are reaching a spending limit, it even keep track of reoccurring expenses!

Do you have any productivity tools that elevate your life? Let me know us know in the comments below!

May you be productive.

Until next time,

-MJ

MOVE YOUR BODY - CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Okay, let’s get real for a moment… How many of you actually think working out is an actual waste of time, it’s a chore, you wish there was an easier or similar way? How many of you know the benefits of working out, you know its good for you but its still such a task, like its a hurdle to get over? Well, you’re not alone! I’ve been there; I didn’t like the idea of exercising or the idea that I was going to have to do this for the rest of my life! WHAT?!

Okay, so I am hoping by the end of this post I can shed some light on how to make this not seem so daunting how we can actually make working out Simple, Quick, Easy and Fun, but first lets recap all the benefits of exercise, incase you didn’t know. 😏

·      Health

·      Wellbeing

·      Emotional/Hormonal Regulation

·      Look/Feel Better

·      Sleep Better

·      Increased Strength

·      Immunity

·      Longevity

There are so many positives to exercising! You would think we would just naturally want to do it, right? Well, you know as well as I do that that’s not true! So, Why is it so hard if it’s so good for us?? 😫

Here are a few of those reasons:

#1 WE PUT IT IN A BOX

 We think it’s about exercise, about getting to the gym, about working out, it’s “cool.” We think things like “In order to work out we need those gym shoes or cute yoga pants.”

#2 IT’S TIME CONSUMING

We spend time planning, prepping, anticipating, getting in our car and going somewhere to exercise, when in reality it can be so much more efficient.

#3 NEGITIVE ANCHORING

It’s possible we’ve had a bad experience or pushed to hard, we are not understanding of our threshold and our own energetic balances within our body. All of these feelings negatively anchor our minds to not enjoy the process of working out!

#4 POOR BALANCE/DEFICIENT

 We don’t meet ourselves where we are at, we put so many expectations on ourselves, along with societal pressures of having to be “fit” and “thin.” Eek!

So, that’s why I developed the 5-minute MOVE concept! All it takes is 5-minutes a day, only 5-minutes to MOVE. NO hard-core weight lifting no burpees! You just simply meet yourself at a place where it is Fun, Energetic and Positive. Dancing, walking, playing with your dog/animals, playing with your kids, dancing with your kids, these are fun ways to MOVE your body and anchor Positive Movement. 

Try it out, set aside 5-minutes a day to MOVE in a way that your body love, that you love, make it positive by reinforcing it with positive emotions behind it, make it not feel like a chore!

MOVE your body and you will change your life!

Happy moving,
-MJ

DEFINING OPTIMAL LIVING

Today I am looking to share the solutions and steps I have found that will create an experience of optimal living.

Step #1 ACCEPTANCE

Accepting that life isn’t always optimal. It seems ironic, I know, but life isn’t always perfect and if you chase perfection all the time the we are bound to be dissatisfied. If we chase particulars we are bound to be unhappy. Have you ever noticed the people that are the most particular tend to be the most uptight and grouchy? So accepting the fact that things aren’t going to be perfect doesn’t mean its not going to be optimal, its up tp you to optimize those moments. Which leads me to step 2…

Step #2 SQUEEZE LIFE FOR ALL ITS WORTH

In those moments of non-perfection do all you can to squeeze what you can out of those moments. every moment is a blessing, filled with opportunities for growth and learning.

Step #3 OPTIMIZE EVERYTHING

When you can master the art of fulfillment, the art of optimizing every single moment, every single situation, every failure and success, every area of your life! When you can optimize it you’ve truly created an optimal life.

“People who live optimally are non-negotiable about their bedtimes, about their morning routines and workouts, about negative thought patterns and beliefs… NON-NEGOTIABLE!”

Optimal living isn’t easy, it takes work and that why so many of us continue to seek it. The unfortunate thing is many of us seek it with things at are “easy.” If I just make more money, if I buy my dream house, if I buy my car, if I get a good relationship, if I looked prettier, if I was skinnier, then I would be happy. The truth is, happiness comes from being able to non-negotiate the things that are going to create value and a fundamental foundation in your life.

Until next time,
-MJ

WHAT IT TAKES TO LIVE OPTIMALLY - AREAS OF OPTIMIZATION

Everyone strives for optimal living but it seems that only few really achieve it. I love that we are in a space where we are always trying to improve, to thrive instead of just survive. But what does it take to really live optimally?

“Optimal living requires sustaining an optimal foundation.”

Realize I say the word sustaining not achieving. Many of us achieve an optimal foundation but the hard part is sustaining that optimal balance that supports the optimal life that you are wanting to live.

When I first started my journey of personal development I always felt like no matter how hard I worked no matter how hard I tried I kept having to do more sh*t! I was questioning if it was ever going to get easier!? Am I ever going to feel comfortable with this process and fully arrive?

The truth is… No! It doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger. When you get stronger and smarter, and more clear, and honest with yourself you want to take in more, its a natural thing to want to experience life and level up your reality. But every time you level up your reality you have to recalibrate the foundation to support that reality.

So what areas of our live need to be recalibrated and continuously kept in check ignorer to sustain an optimal life?

Area #1 HEALTH

You can focus and sustain multiple areas in your life but if you neglect your health it almost makes it impossible to live optimally! When your body, hormones, and energy levels are off balance it can be really difficult to meet life fully. I understand we all come from different backgrounds, advantages, and disadvantages, regardless of what those are, it is our job to decide to work with those.

“It's not about the cards you're dealt, but how you play the hand.”

― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Area #2 MINSET

I truly believe that if you put your mind to it you can do and conquer anything! Your mind is so powerful and we have to be careful of how we choose to use it. The mind can think things that don’t add value, hold you down, that tell you “I can never live fully.” “I can never achieve that state!” It is the mind that reinforces, subconsciously, the habitual patterns, thoughts, and beliefs that keep you from sustaining an optimal foundation.

Area #3 SPIRIT

This is who you truly are, what makes you feel alive, it’s what connects you back to the source! Its that place of peace, confidence, knowing and love. Spirit is just as important as Mind and Body. Because if you don’t live from your heart, from your soul… if you’re not doing what feeds your soul, even if you achieve everything else, externally, it’s not going to feel right, it’s not going to feel optimal. So you need to be able to identify what your purpose, your passion, how you fulfill your greatest self, how to feel good, living in the soul you live in, and that is a beautiful thing! You get to self create and self discover!

Area #4 ENVIRONMENT

When your environment doesn’t cater to a healthy, fertile soil, which allows you to grow strong roots and a strong foundation, then you become those plants that get washed away in the rain. You become the trees that break in the storm. This lack of resilience will stunt your ability to live freely and fully. So if you want to live optimally you need to create an environment that will help support your drive, your habits, and the things that you need to sustain this foundation.

Area #5 RESOURCES

Your time, energy, money, opportunity, relationships, people and things around you all contribute to either increasing or decreasing the elevation of your life experience. Realize, if you’re on this journey to become a better you and to live an optimal experience, it isn’t about doing one thing in exchange for another. It’s literally, something that you have to hone in on and focus on, grow, cultivate, and maintain in all areas of your life. Just like a garden, you need to invest your resources in order to make it grow; time, energy, sunlight, nutrients, soil, and repetitive cultivation. You’ll notice the more time and energy you put into your garden the more you’ll get out of it, the same goes for life.

“Show me a person who lives truly free and happy and i’ll show you a person who has taken responsibility and truth over blame and lack of action.”

Be good, be great, and most of all be grateful. Cheers to optimal living!
-MJ

AVOIDING VACATION SICKNESS

A couple of years ago, I noticed, every time I took time off of work, I’d be sick the whole time! Of course this stinks right? Your on vacation, you want to have fun, you want to have energy!

Now, this took a few times for me to realize the pattern of what was going on here. After a little bit of research I realized I was suffering from something called vacation sickness.

The body is brilliant! It knows when we are really busy it isn’t ale to stop and take a break, it hangs in there until it’s given the chance to process, cleanse, and detoxify.

When we take time off we finally have a chance to relax and destress. This then signals to the body “HEY! This is a great time to start processing!” Bring on the sickness symptoms! YUCK!

So how do we avoid this?

Tip #1 ACCESS YOUR LIFESTYLE

Access your lifestyle and the pace of your lifestyle. This gives you a chance to evaluate your stress levels and why your body is having trouble doing what it needs to do the it needs to do it. If you’re tied up with work and kids and obligations take time to see where you can cut back. Realize that all of us have just 24 hours in a day. All it takes is small steps towards redirecting or managing your energy to help bring more balance and harmony into your life.

It’s not about time management its about energy management.

Tip #2 KEEP YOUR HEALTH ROUTINES IN PLACE

I know its vacation, things typically go out the window right? But keeping your health routines in place during your vacation will really help you and your body stay balanced. When your lifestyle changes abruptly it will abruptly change your bodies response.

Tip #3 EASE OFF SLOW

How many of you have lost sleep over trying to pack for vacation the night before, hustled your work week trying to make sure you’ll be caught up on work and email before you head out 🙋🏽‍♀️ Now Imagine you are driving your car, you’re in 4th gear and you then downshift into 1st or 2nd gear! This is exactly what taking a vacation can sometimes feel like. Once you’re on vacation, there is nothing to do, no hustle no bustle. So to avoid the abrupt shift, ease in slow.

Tip #4 KEEP IT LOW KEY

I know it can be tempting to put all that fun exciting stuff up front, but if you can keep the first few days as low key as possible. Remember, ease in slow. Settle in and take it slow.

Tip #5 DO A LITTLE WORK

Just a little ;) If you feel like it and if you do be sure to keep it simple. Maybe some of the work that gets put on the back burner, like rebranding or emails. This is really helpful when it comes to keeping your body in it's routine.

Tip #6 EASE OUT SLOW

Coming off of vacation running back into a work week can be pretty stressful, at least for me. Similarly, how you want to ease into your vacation, same thing for easing out of it.

Tip #7 REST & HYDRATE

Nothing is going to cure you quicker than a sufficient amount of good clean water and good quality rest. This will insure your body has the recourses it needs to flush out toxins, detox your body and have the energy it needs to fight off or prevent anything that you might be facing.

Tip #8 MAINTAIN A VACATION PACE

This doesn’t mean you need to be on vocation your whole life, although that would be great ;) When I say maintain a vacation pace I’m just trying to say relax.

Hopefully this will help ease into your next vacation. May you be happy and healthy.

Until next time,
-MJ

Overcoming Inflammation - Improve Your Health, Energy & Comfort

What is inflammation? The dictionary definition is a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection.

Inflammation is one of the root causes for many issues within our body. Most illnesses or dis-ease within the body has symptoms of inflammation.

Inflammation can cause:

• Acidity - a breading ground for dis-ease

• Migraines Headaches

• Feelings of exhaustion

• Weakened immune system

• Slow healing

• Lack of sleep

• Pain or discomfort

The key to dealing with inflammation is to address it as soon as possible. The two main factors I like to focus on are pH and Blood Sugar levels. Doing so has really leveled up my health, energy and life.

So how do we deal with inflammation?

Tip. #1 PROPER FOOD, REST & HYDRATION

When you don’t sleep, your body becomes inflamed. When you eat acid forming foods, you body becomes inflamed. When you eat toxic foods, your body becomes inflamed. When you mix certain foods, like dairy, starches and meats your body becomes inflamed. You are 70-80% water, if you’re not drinking enough water you’re not replenishing what your cells need, not only to thrive, but to flush toxins and process the way it’s suppose to. Thats why FOOD, REST & HYDRATION are #1!

Tip #2 ANTI INFLAMMATORY FOODS

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Raw fruits and vegetables

• Alkaline water - when you’ve worked out extra hard, you’re extra sore, if you’re feeling sick or experiencing higher levels off stress

• Lemon water

• Apple Cider Vinegar by itself or as a base in dressing

• Digestive enzymes

Tip #3 AVOID STRESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Stress is necessary and unavoidable but at the same time the way we perceive stress is very devaluing to our health, well-being and prospective and experience of life. Stress is something that happens when we have reached our capacity, keep in mind I’m not saying completely avoid stress, you just need to implement the proper rehabilitation and restoration needed after times of stress to make it a positive thing for you.

Tip #4 MOVE YOUR BODY

Nothing is going to reset the system and get you feeling good and energetic like moving your body! You don’t have to do a massive HIIT program everyday, you don’t have to bust out the heavy weights, you just need to move. Walking, swimming, dancing, light weight or body cardio, all of this works, just keep it fun, simple and easy.

I hope these tips are helpful!

Have you had an issue with inflammation? What helped you? Feel free to leave you thoughts and comments below.

Until next time,
-MJ :)

Cure Your Lack of Motivation by Doing this One Thing Daily

Have you ever found yourself in one of those cycles where you just don’t want to do anything? You have a hard time going from one thing to the next. If feels like you are moving through life without a purpose or without motivation. DO you find yourself filling your schedule with things to do, only to find you’re doing things but not the things that actually need to get done because you just don’t want to do them? You’re bored, uninspired, you feel.. Blah. This is called… Unmotivated.

So I get like this sometimes especially when I am over worked, overtimed and burnt out, but I have discovered that doing this one thing daily has the ability to erase it all!

That one thing is getting outside and MOVING!

I make a point to do this with my family daily and it starts with getting out and walking the dog as a family. Ive noticed if I wake up and they have already gone out the rest of my morning seriously feels like BLAH!

Getting out and moving has this profound ability to reconnect us to ourselves, our breath our bodies. It gets us out of our element, especially if you work from home like I do. I makes me feel like I am having an opportunity to experience something different and new. Even if you do this for only 5 minutes a day I guarantee you will feel more motivated, inspired and excited!

Here are some tips to keep in mind

Tip #1 SIMPLE, EASY & FUN

Make sure that, whatever it is you’re doing, you like.

Tip #2 BE OUTDOORS

Fresh air, sunshine, blue sky.. this ensures a feeling of reconnection. Connecting back to what you came from. Science has actually shown that taking time to look at a beautiful body of water a mountain or any nature scene cause our heart rate to slow down and helps us live longer!

Tip #3 LEAVE YOUR PHONE, THOUGHTS & WORRIES BEHIND

Doing this will help you stay present with nature, your interactions and in the moment. You’re phone, notifications, thoughts and worries aren’t going anywhere, you can always deal with them later.

Tip #4 PRESENCE OR QUIETUDE

If you take yourself out with others (which I highly encourage) take time to be mindful of your chatter. For instance if I went on a walk with my husband and we chatted the whole time about work and our todos essentially its just leaves is feeling like everything is piling up as opposed to feeling refreshed and ready to conquer or tasks. So take time for quiet presence even among others.

Tip #5 DO IT EVERYDAY

Do this for 7 - 10 days and see how you feel. you might realize you begin to need that morning walk, morning yoga on the patio or in the garden, in order to feel motivated and ready for your day.

Let me know if you have morning routine, how you make it fun and easy.

If you need some help getting started check out my 5 MINUTE MOVE CHALLENGE this is a sure fire way to feel more energized, motivated and inspired!

Until next time,
Be good, be great, be grateful,

-MJ :)

How I Juggle Homeschool and a Home Business

A common question I often get is “How do you do it all?” Well… Here’s my big secret… I don’t do it all! Between home schooling and home business there are so many moving pieces so here are a few tips on how to manage.

Tip #1 - Have a supportive partner

For some of you this might be asking for the moon, some of you are single, some of you are trying to do it alone, some aren’t married yet.

If you can find a way to do it with a partner and one that is on the same page as you this will not only help to strengthen your relationship but you’ll be able to conquer together!

It helps me out tremendously that I have a partner that is able to take on certain tasks while I take on my own tasks and then we have this time where we get to come togther! Without him there is no way Id be able to do all that I do on a daily basis!

Keep in mind if you’re single the other tips don’t change.

Tip #2 - Make sure you have a schedule

Making sure you have a schedule that is not only good for you but also good for your kids helps keep everyone on the same page, we know what to expect. When you are in a routine it takes you less time to get from point A to point B because you’re already familiar with that flow. Its so helpful when it comes to maximizing time and efficiency!

Tip #3 - Cut Corners - Prep for success

I don’t mean to cut corners in a dishonesty way, cut corners by prepping! You guys know I am huge on this. Take on meal prepping, I see scheduling as a way of prepping, prepping bags the day before or even hiring help.

Tip #4 - Involve the kids

Blend your activities. Instead of pushing your kids away when you have X Y and Z to accomplish let them do it with you. Cleaning, unloading groceries, helping with chores or work activities. After they have helped, take a few minutes to play. It’s a wonderful way for them to learn experientially. Yes, maybe its not as proficient but I find that the time with my kids is invaluable.

Tip #5 - Manage your energy

You need to make sure you are getting enough sleep, making time to work out, eating properly that way you can go out there and be as proficient as possible! Because If you want to get out there and conquer big or overwhelming tasks, big jobs, your life than you have to have a well oiled, well fueled machine, aka yourself, your body and mind so you can go out there and conquer like a rockstar.

I hope these tips are helpful, whether you are applying them to home schooling, home business or any other area in your life.

Until next time,

-MJ :)

9-5 VS. Entrepreneurship – Pros & Cons

You all know I love business building and the path of entrepreneurship! I think it’s a great way to challenge yourself and to create self-improvement, it exposes us to adversity, so we can learn grown and refine. Entrepreneurship has been so fulfilling and value adding to me and my life and in return I get to share this value and fulfillment with others.

I have noticed along my journey that a lot of people tend to be on the fence about whether the path of entrepreneurship is for them, what’s really involved when it comes to leaving your 9-5 and whether it’s worth it or not. My hope is that I can bring some clarity about the differences between working a 9-5 vs. Entrepreneurship the benefits and the downsides as well.

9-5 PROS

1.    Steady work, income and clients
It’s not up to you to make sure the business is up and running. Your main responsibility is the one task at hand, the task you have been hired for and typically the pay scale reflects the amount of difficulty or responsibility you’ve taken on.

2.     Integrated Benefits
Wages are, typically, withheld, its common to receive a store discount and even health insurance, this makes things easy, straight forward, consistent and routine. You just have to show up, do the job and get paid.

3.     Community
I’ve made some really great friends through work and I’ve always looked forward to starting a new job knowing that the potential to meet new people and build a community, was there.

Entrepreneur PROS

1.    You have full and total control
Some might call us control freaks ;) that’s fine by me. Honestly, though I love being able to control my time, the amount of time work, for how long, how much or how little. You have control over what type of work you do and the amount of money you make for that job.

2.    Full optimization
You can focus on the things that you enjoy.

9-5 CONS 

1.     You’re at the mercy of your job
You’re capped at how often you can work, you only have so many vacation days and sick days, if you don’t like working with somebody… you’ve got to deal with it, same goes for some of your tasks. Of course, often times you can talk with a manager to work something out, but most of the time you are at the mercy of the job, boss or company and their expectations of you.

Entrepreneur CONS

1.     Your responsible for everything
If you’re not bringing business in, if you’re not making money… It’s your fault.

2.     We were never properly trained for this
In school we were trained to be “factory workers” we clock in, we clock out, we show up, we stand in a line, we do what we are told. This has made it difficult to navigate the unknown of entrepreneurship while learning to solve problems we didn’t even know we had! 

3.     No work integrated benefits
It’s up to you to figure out what insurance plan to go with and pay for, you need to file your own taxes… you need to file your own taxes… one more time, you need to file your own taxes! If you’ve been following my journey, you’ll know there was one year I had a wonderful lesson with this one!  

It’s so important to figure out the important stuff and be sure to have your ducks in a row.

If you think there is anything I’ve missed please let me know by leaving it in the comments below, and I am curious which do you prefer? I think its pretty obvious which way I lean.

Until next time,
Be good, be great and most of all be grateful.

-MJ

Charity Ideas – How to Contribute

Giving feels so good, doesn't it? And it’s that time of year when we tend to make that conscious effort to be especially giving. Outside of the holidays and regular daily contributions of love, making time to contribute to a greater cause regularly is crucial to our happiness… but where do we start? Truly there are no rules to contribution but here are some helpful tips on how to start, whether it be to charity or just contributing your time to a loved one. 

1.    Time
Nothing is more valuable than our time. There is no way to create more and no way to get it back. That is why I see giving of time as the highest contribution you can make! A few ways you can give your time are by locating a local food kitchen or shelter that needs volunteers. You can donate your time by going to a local beach or neighborhood to pick up trash or you can give your time to a particular cause by contributing your efforts to building new schools or homes in areas of need.

2.    Money
For some of us it might be possible to actually give a portion of our income back via charity, to someone in need through websites like GoFundMe, or to an organization that is dear to your heart or that supports a cause you feel passionate about. The organizations that I have felt strongly about contributing to lately have been Charity Water & 4ocean. Another favorite way to give money is go to a restaurant and give my server a large tip if the service was exceptional or, maybe, I could tell they were having a bum day.

Often times it may feel like we don’t have enough to give but when we give, it seems, that life conspires to give back 10-fold.

3.     Create Your Own
If you see a problem or an issue ask for help by creating a campaign. Facebook has a wonderful feature now, for birthdays, you can ask for donations to a charity or campaign of your choice! How amazing is that!

I recently had an amazing experience with this when my Brother-In-Law lost his baby and almost his wife in the process. They had so many medical bills (I didn’t have enough money to contribute on my own), I thought about asking others for help and sure enough, all of you banned together and made it happen! It was a wonderful first-hand experience to see how much relief it brought them. It gave them time to grief, it took stress off their shoulders, when it came time to deal with finances - it allowed them time to focus on mental and physical health. This is something that will stick with us for the rest of our lives, that is the power of giving, you can make a real difference for everyone involved.

There are always going to be different reasons or notions that might inspire you to give. I always say, follow them! 

Until next time,
Be good, be great, and most of all be grateful!

-MJ

Why I Love Working Online

A lot of these reasons may not come off as a complete surprise to you but I figured it would be a great topic to discuss seeing as there are some of you out there that are thinking about working online or are considering your next side hustle or project.

Lets go ahead and jump right into it!

1. You have access to the global marketplace!
   There are so many great tools and softwares available online that can help us to target our demographic and find our audience and client base that we are looking for to buy our product or service. That means endless possibilities!
   

2. Mobility
   This was such a huge motivator for my husband and I when we started our family! We didn’t want to be tied down with other business ventures like franchises or real-estate. We wanted to travel and have freedom so we decided to create income that was mobile! This is the power of working online!
   

3. Less Overhead
   If a majority of your transactions take place online you have significantly less overhead than if you owned a physical location. It’s a relief to not have a massive location, there is less to manage and less cavities that come along with it. This supports my minimalist approach to life and business. I can literally pack up my business in a backpack and take it with me wherever I go!
   

4. Minimal Equipment & Supplies
   This goes hand in hand with #3 Although, my husband and I are photographers which means we do have to have equipment. We have significant storage space for lighting and products as well as propping and staging, but you don’t have too! Thats the beauty thing. if you just do consulting, coaching, strategy or teaching online course you don’t necessarily need so much for work or for your clients.
   

5. The Marketplace Is Open 24/7
   You never have to close up shop! People can still contact you, e-mail you, look at your products or services, check out your portfolio or website. Even while you are sleeping people can still shop!
   

6. Optimal & Efficient
   You guys know I am all about optimizing, optimizing life, money, time and experiences! I believe working online has helped me optimize not only my business but also my life!
   
   Until next time,
   Be good, be great, and most of all be grateful!
   
   -MJ