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Self Responsibility, Integrity, Capitalism

I met Andy Feld last week at a conference in Atlantic City. Andy’s sessions touched me in a deep & profound way. Andy travels the country and speaks to people about how to create success, happiness, and abundance in their lives. I am honored to share this guest post from Andy.


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Conservation & Love Are Not Contrary to Capitalism
Do you think that taking better care of our planet Earth, and its people, is contrary to the principles of Capitalism? Believe it or not that is the message some people give to me. Frankly, I do not believe that having a heart and being a capitalist are mutually exclusive. In addition to being an author and speaker I have been a businessman and entrepreneur in the fields of commercial real estate and mortgage banking for the past 30 years, and I believe I speak from a platform of direct experience as I have competed in a fiercely competitive business environment. The picture I see is that capitalism and free enterprise have built the wonderful economic structure of this country, but this same financial freedom has also caused the current “economic crisis” that most of us have never seen before.

The search for abundance is a healthy undertaking, but when we lose our integrity, this search for abundance becomes greed, and the byproduct of greed is uncomfortable for most. The loss of jobs, loss of retirement funds, and physical decay to the planet is what we are witnessing today. Frankly, I never thought I would say this, but a little government oversight along with some inspirational guidance from spiritual leaders may be just what is needed. We are in the midst of a planetary wake-up call where we are all coming to grips with the idea that happiness, joy, and abundance involves a lot more than the next purchase of things. We are also starting to understand that maybe this time there will not be a quick economic recovery and we will need to find new ways to create our personal happiness and abundance. We, the earth, the people, and the animals are all one connected with a common spiritual thread held together by love. Helping another and assisting our physical planet does not in any way take away from personal self responsibility, free enterprise, and most capitalistic principles.

As I speak to various audiences around the country it is obvious we are all searching for new ways to create our personal and business joy and abundance in a rapidly changing world, and the answer always starts with individual self-responsibility. Please do not get fooled into thinking that someone else will take care of you.

Painting Our Life’s Picture
We all are personally responsible for painting our life’s picture, and if we refuse to do so, then we abdicate this power to others, which in turn typically leads to our displeasure. How do we create and manifest what we desire? We do it by taking control of our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions and wrapping them up with faith and love. Is this easy? No, it takes a great deal of self-discipline, willpower, and practice. We all agree that we do not always get what we want, but what we do get is always the sum of our current thoughts, emotions, words and actions.

Being from the heart (walking with grace) and having integrity does not contradict the principles of free enterprise and capitalism; it only enhances them! Self responsibility, free choice, and free will remain the order of the day while remembering that we are all in this together.

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Twenty years ago Andy began his ongoing study of happiness and success. In August of 2005 on a hiking expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, he was inspired to write his first book, Simple Happy: Finally Learning to Listen to Yourself. Andy’s new book WAKE UP! YOUR LIFE IS CALLING!: Activating Spirit, Happiness, and Abundance gives his readers the tools and inspiration to create their lives exactly as they desire during these tumultuous times.

Andy lives in Morrison, Colorado outside Denver. He travels the country as a frequent speaker on life inspiration and business sales. He is also a regular guest on radio programs across the United States and on local TV.

You can read more about Andy at his website, Simple Happy, and you can find his books on Amazon at the following links.

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    3 Super Simple Ways to Reduce Stress, Improve Health, & Live Happy

    Want to know how you can cut your stress in half?

    How about if there were two things you could change that would drastically alter your stress levels for the rest of your life?

    Now I bet you really want to know, right?

    What if I told you that doing these simple things will not only decrease your stress levels, but will also make you happier and decrease your risk of heart attack, ulcers, & high blood pressure?

    Ready for this? Four words: Stop Rushing, Take Vacation.

    Yes, that’s it. It’s really quite simple, but the results that you will see if you make these changes will amaze you.

    The Problems
    So why is rushing & a lack of vacation such a huge problem? Well, rushing every now and then wouldn’t really be such a problem. But in today’s society, the reality is that we don’t just rush every now and then. We rush all of the time.

    We are constantly hurrying from one thing to the next, multitasking, with our minds in five different places at once. We browse the Web in multiple Windows. We watch television while surfing the Web. We talk on our house phones while texting on our cell phones/iPhones/Blackberrys. While we’re driving to work, we’re planning our days, who we’ll see at each meeting, and what we’re having for dinner. While we’re eating dinner, we’re checking our email, responding to emails, and thinking about what’s on TV that night. While we’re watching TV that night, we’re thinking about everything we’ve got to do tomorrow. You get the picture…

    The Facts
    The United States is one of (if not the) most stressful, fast-paced, uptight societies in existence. The “American way” of rush, rush, rush has huge negative implications. And sadly, the rest of the world is beginning to follow suit. It’s not a good path to be on.

    Here are some statistics about minimum vacation days around the world:

    Austria — 35 days
    Brazil — 30 days
    Finland — 35 days
    Sweden — 32 days
    Ukraine — 24 days
    United States — 7 days
    (Source: http://nationmaster.com)

    7 days? Really? WTF United States!?!?!?

    Every year Expedia.com launches an intense Vacation Deprivation survey to gather the facts & the effects of American Vacation Deprivation.

    Check out these stats:

    Notice that despite earning the least amount of annual vacation days, Americans will still leave an average of 3 days unused! This goes to show that so many Americans don’t even use the little vacation time that they get! Not good.

    Why is Vacation So Important?
    Let’s talk about mental health.

    • 34% of Americans say they come back from vacation feeling better about their jobs and are even more productive.
    • 53% of employed U.S. adults say they come back feeling rested and rejuvenated after vacation.
    • 53% of employed U.S. adults say they come back feeling reconnected with family after vacation.

    It’s no big secret that work can be stressful. Even if you absolutely adore your career, you still have the occasional (or frequent) challenging day. If you refuse to take a breather every now & then, you are putting your mental health and your relationships at risk.

    Obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, anxiety, depression, and so on are all symptoms of stress. Stress causes cortisol to build up in your body, the cortisol is then stored as dangerous fat. In addition to all of the physical symptoms of stress, there is the issue of rushing around. When you are rushing nonstop from place to place, it’s easy to stop for fast-food because you don’t make the time to cook nutritious meals for yourself and your family.

    If you look at the rates of obesity around the globe, you probably won’t be shocked to see where the United States fits in.

    That’s right, numero uno. Not a good place to be in this case. Americans are the most obese individuals in the world. A sad fact to note considering that we are also some of the richest people, with some of the most vast & diverse availability to nutritious & wholesome food. (Please watch Food, Inc. for more information on this topic.)

    Turning the Tide
    The facts are straightforward. Constant rushing & vacation deprivation will cause you harm. Here are 3 super simple ways that you can combat these harmful habits.

    1. Practice efficient time management. Keep a calendar and don’t overbook yourself, no exceptions. We all have a ton of stuff that we want to get done, but we have to prioritize. Choose the tasks that mean the most to you and will provide you with the best ROI (return on investment). Don’t commit to anything that doesn’t benefit you, your career, your family, or your friends in a big way. Your time is precious and you should treat it as such.

    2. Use your vacation time, all of it. No matter how many days that your company allots for vacation, make sure and use it. If your company tends to be on the real stingy side with vacation, don’t be afraid to set a confidential meeting with your HR director to point out the importance of sufficient vacation time. Sufficient vacation time is mutually beneficial — you will feel better and thereby, your performance will improve. Win – Win!

    Likewise, if you work for yourself, make sure to pencil in enough time for R & R.

    3. Breathe. When you are rushing, you are most likely breathing shallow. Shallow breathing causes rapid heart rate & conversely, deep breathing causes a slower heart rate. Take time to observe your breathing throughout the day. If you find yourself shallow breathing, take a deep breath in through your nostrils. Let the air flow through your chest & deep into the pit of your stomach. Allow your stomach to expand, like a balloon, as it fills with air. Then slowly exhale through your nose and expel all of the air from your body. Breathe in deeply again, allowing the air to fill your stomach as before. Each time you inhale, take in the positive energy & light around you. Let it fill & calm your soul. Each time you exhale, push out your negative energy & fear. Continue to do this until you feel calm.

    * — * — * — * — *

    Slow down, be in the now.

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