a new definition to ‘a random act of kindness’

Last night something amazing happened.

The E-Circle Spring Session came to a close after 12 inspiring, action-packed weeks. In reflection and gratitude of all the hard work that the circlers put in over the past 12 weeks, we opened our circle to their friends and family. I’m confident in saying I’ve never experienced a room with so much love, support, strength and hope.

Each week in E-Circle we tackled another life skill, concept and wellness topic. Circles are followed by practices and weekly challenges that supplement our weekly session. The last challenge being “do a random act of kindness for a stranger.”

This is where something else amazing happened.

Last nights session focused on self reflection, future goal setting, the present and acknowledgment followed by information on upcoming programs, including Level 1 of an upcoming E-Circle in May. At the end, one of the Circlers offered up their random act of kindness to our guests.

Having experienced the power of transformation, self care and empowerment, this Generous Circler, decided to create an on-the-spot scholarship for someone who is ready to empower themselves but may be letting money stop them or stand in the way of making changes in their life. This was a truly remarkable  moment. One empowered soul giving the gift of empowerment to another. Talk about RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS, she may have just created a NEW definition for me.

Anyway, the point is that, here in NYC and all over the world we come in contact with countless amounts of strangers every single day. These encounters present a beautiful opportunity to change the world. Yes, you heard me.

Now its your turn. Take on this challenge and do a random act of kindness for a stranger. And watch how, one at a time, we can all CHANGE the world.

In awe and gratitude,
D

More information on the KINDNESS SCHOLARSHIP for E-Circle Level 1 starting on May 10th, visit here. For details on the scholarship, click on the E-Circle logo here:

One Person's Trash is Another's Treasure!

This past weekend my grandparents (Sydell & Milton…cute, right?) moved out of the house they lived in together for 45 years. During this time, they raised 7 children, 12 grandchildren and made countless lifelong memories. Over the last 2 months, it took almost all 21 people (give or take a few) to move them and 45 years (times 21 people) worth of memories. This got me thinking about “stuff” and the meaning of materials things.

My grandmother, god bless her healthy 80-something year old soul, is the ULTIMATE collector. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, had a meaning and was saved. By some Professional Organizer’s standards she might have even being considered a mild hoarder. On the surface, one would notice overly full closest, cabinets, and numerous boxes full of old clothes, shoes, trinkets, books, magazines, art projects, photo albums and more. However, once we got started with the cleansing process (after all, they were downsizing from a 6 bedroom house to a 3 bedroom townhouse) I learned a thing or two about the meaning of “stuff.”

What was MOST interesting to me was the impeccable memory that my grandmother had and all of the significant and insignificant stories that went along with each jewelry box, grandfather clock, kitchen appliance, necklace, notepad and bathroom towel. At times it was overwhelming emotional for my grandparents, to face the end of an era in that house, and to start a new chapter of their lives as active 80-somethings (today they are VERY excited to have completed the move and reside in a beautiful and active elderly community on a golf course…not too shabby!). It was most amazing to see what “things” help sculpt and define a lifetime. The moving process even caused me to return to my own apartment looking through my closests, de-cluttering my drawers and asking myself “what does all of this stuff mean?”

Believe it or not, it was very cathartic for me to re-evaluate my “attachement” to some of the material things in my life, and also discard of any of the “stuff” that is meaning-less (I was shocked to rid my small apartment of at least 2-3 large garbage bags). I realized that having meaning-less materials items in your life, home and office, is actually taking up the space for more meaning-ful things. This is an interesting concept if applied to the Law of Physics, stating that no two things can occupy the same space at the same time. Thus, if you are looking for more meaning in your life, in terms of a relationship/career/success/happiness/etc, look around at the material things that make up your life, at home and at work. Ask yourself:

-          Are the things in my environment energizing and fulfilling me?

-          Does this item have a story?

-          Is this meaningful or meaningless?

-          Is this item a necessity or a want? Do I know the difference between a need and a want?

-          Does this item have a positive memory or feeling attached to it or a negative one?

Try to go through your environment and keep only the things that have real meaning to you, things that you love, use and enjoy. Discard or give away items that you don’t use, need, like or anything that has a negative feeling or memory attached. For sentimental keepsakes that you do not wish to throw away, store them in organized containers in your attic or garage. It is okay to keep things that have TRUE meaning to you, but if you feel yourself holding onto a useless memory, get rid of it to make room for the new meaning in your life.

Remember, one man’s TRASH is another man’s TREASURE. To save or make a pretty penny sell gently used items on ebay, or in a yard sale. To score some good karma points, donate gently used clothing and household items to your local church or salvation army.

Cheers!

SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP: 4 Quick Tips That Will Improve Your Life Without Driving You Nuts!

A large part of living THE GREAT LIFE is being smart when it comes to your wallet and bank account. Let’s face it, most people carry around unnecessary stress from not knowing what their financial present and future look like. Fear of the unknown is so common and it often drives our everyday happiness and makes us feel anxious, stressed and moody. Well, what I say to that is, simply having a plan of action and paying just a little more attention to the GREEN STUFF ($$) can ease the stress and take a HUGE weight of your back, and even fatten up that wallet of yours! Cha-Ching!

Here are some quick and easy tips for being Smart and Savvy with your finances that won’t drive you up a wall!

1. SET MONTHLY GOALS. Without driving yourself too crazy, chart out your target monthly spending. Start with the big stuff…rent, utilities, student loans, etc. Then, if you can, chart out a rough estimate of the other stuff…food, gas, happy hour, trip to Target. ADDED BONUS: Tailor your monthly budget so you have some flexibility. Most people steer off course with their budget when they feel suffocated by the strict rules. So leave yourself some wiggle room to buy that new bathing suit for Memorial Day Weekend…no sweat off your back with this plan!

2. GO GREEN! TRANSLATION = Get rid of the PLASTIC and USE CASH. After you’ve subtracted your bills and expenses from your monthly TAKE-HOME, and socked at least 10% away in a savings account, divide that into 4 weeks. That number is what you CAN be spending and should not be exceeding on a weekly basis. To keep track, go to the ATM at the start of each week, take out that amount and ONLY use the GREEN STUFF. Consider your credit card and bank card for an absolute emergency only….shopping, cosmos and manicures DO NOT COUNT!

3. DIY = Do it Yourself! To save some of the GREEN each month, get used to doing some things yourself, instead of paying almost 4 times its worth for the services. Example of things I do myself that the ‘old me’ would have shelled out for…paint my nails, wash my car, and chop my own fruit for a fruit salad. Paying for these things can really add up, and there’s nothing like washing your car on a warm Saturday morning with your significant other…its fun, romantic and inexpensive = WIN/WIN!

4. AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! A lot of us are doing this with our bills already but this one goes ONE STEP FURTHER! Create a savings account and “emergency fund” account that gets direct deposited from your Checking on Pay Day! Don’t freak out now…start with a small number, lets say 5-10% of your paycheck for your savings and then, $25/month in the emergency fund. This way, the money comes right out before you can even think about spending it! I know for me, if I think too hard about this, I could probably justify some good reason why I don’t have to do this. But, bottom line is, I do… and so do you!

There, you survived this short SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP! It wasn’t so bad, was it? If you can start small and put even simple things in place, let’s say…one or two of these tips you will be surprised how much less stress and weight you’ll be carrying around. You’ll decrease stress, worry and fear and increase your wallet and savings account. That’s enough of a reason to me!

Cheers, and remember, don’t drive yourself nuts with this! Have a GREAT day!

SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP: 4 Quick Tips That Will Improve Your Life Without Driving You Nuts!

A large part of living THE GREAT LIFE is being smart when it comes to your wallet and bank account. Let’s face it, most people carry around unnecessary stress from not knowing what their financial present and future look like. Fear of the unknown is so common and it often drives our everyday happiness and makes us feel anxious, stressed and moody. Well, what I say to that is, simply having a plan of action and paying just a little more attention to the GREEN STUFF ($$) can ease the stress and take a HUGE weight of your back, and even fatten up that wallet of yours! Cha-Ching!

Here are some quick and easy tips for being Smart and Savvy with your finances that won’t drive you up a wall!

1. SET MONTHLY GOALS. Without driving yourself too crazy, chart out your target monthly spending. Start with the big stuff…rent, utilities, student loans, etc. Then, if you can, chart out a rough estimate of the other stuff…food, gas, happy hour, trip to Target. ADDED BONUS: Tailor your monthly budget so you have some flexibility. Most people steer off course with their budget when they feel suffocated by the strict rules. So leave yourself some wiggle room to buy that new bathing suit for Memorial Day Weekend…no sweat off your back with this plan!

2. GO GREEN! TRANSLATION = Get rid of the PLASTIC and USE CASH. After you’ve subtracted your bills and expenses from your monthly TAKE-HOME, and socked at least 10% away in a savings account, divide that into 4 weeks. That number is what you CAN be spending and should not be exceeding on a weekly basis. To keep track, go to the ATM at the start of each week, take out that amount and ONLY use the GREEN STUFF. Consider your credit card and bank card for an absolute emergency only….shopping, cosmos and manicures DO NOT COUNT!

3. DIY = Do it Yourself! To save some of the GREEN each month, get used to doing some things yourself, instead of paying almost 4 times its worth for the services. Example of things I do myself that the ‘old me’ would have shelled out for…paint my nails, wash my car, and chop my own fruit for a fruit salad. Paying for these things can really add up, and there’s nothing like washing your car on a warm Saturday morning with your significant other…its fun, romantic and inexpensive = WIN/WIN!

4. AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! A lot of us are doing this with our bills already but this one goes ONE STEP FURTHER! Create a savings account and “emergency fund” account that gets direct deposited from your Checking on Pay Day! Don’t freak out now…start with a small number, lets say 5-10% of your paycheck for your savings and then, $25/month in the emergency fund. This way, the money comes right out before you can even think about spending it! I know for me, if I think too hard about this, I could probably justify some good reason why I don’t have to do this. But, bottom line is, I do… and so do you!

There, you survived this short SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP! It wasn’t so bad, was it? If you can start small and put even simple things in place, let’s say…one or two of these tips you will be surprised how much less stress and weight you’ll be carrying around. You’ll decrease stress, worry and fear and increase your wallet and savings account. That’s enough of a reason to me!

Cheers, and remember, don’t drive yourself nuts with this! Have a GREAT day!

"The Latte Effect" Learn To Harness Your Wealthy Attitude for More Abundance and Financial Freedom Today!

October is my self-declared month of “money.” A few months ago I started thinking about making a cross country move (most of you know how much I travel to, and would love to live in, California). So, as of late, I’ve been doing a 360 analysis of my finances, this includes: a cash flow analysis, my personal budget, and most importantly, my mental “relationship” with money and abundance. I truly believe in taking a holistic approach to money just as you would your mind, body and soul. With the holidays just a few months away, and a potential move on the horizon, it’s time to take charge and save myself the financial stress and angst later on!

A Wealthy Attitude Starts with YOU:

I am a true believer that one of the secrets to wealth starts with having healthy attitudes towards money, attracting abundance and feeling good about your self worth (in terms of numbers). For example, when I work with small business owners and entrepreneurs, a lot of times they struggle to come up with fair prices for their products and services. Well, it all starts with how much you believe you are worth. And, I believe you are worth a heck of A LOT. If you believe in yourself, you increase your self worth. With a high self worth, you will attract more money and abundance. The law of attraction is as simple as that.

The Latte Effect…What would you do with an extra $600 a year??:

Since October first I have been calculating my cash flow and spending habits. I am an extremely visual learning, so I’ve created a chart to keep me on track. In an excel spreadsheet I have created a column for my income, bills, expenses, due dates, money spent and received. It is truly amazing how when you ask yourself “Do I really need this?” before making an impulse purchase, the chances are you don’t. And, therefore, you don’t need to be flushing money down the toilet.

For today on, I am challenging you to take a hold of your financial habits, and to hone in on your unhealthy habits, like “the latte effect.” Let’s say you buy a Latte 3 times per week, at approximately $4 a pop. That’s almost $50 a month JUST ON COFFEE! That’s $600 a YEAR! Would you pass up $600 on the street, or intentionally flush $600 down the toilet? I’m not saying that you can’t drink lattes; I myself LOVE a good vanilla latte once in a while. The point is = I am asking you to TAKE NOTICE of how quickly that $4 flies out of your wallet. I bet you aren’t thinking about how much $$ those warm beverages add up to, and what you could be buying with that extra cash. Examine your other quick-fix spending habits; identify the other “latte-like” things in your life.

Wealthy People Live Within Their Means:

In addition, last night, my Financial Advisor friend told me to STOP USING CREDIT CARDS ALTOGETHER. He said DO NOT SPEND MONEY YOU DO NOT HAVE, right now! And, it makes so much sense. A wealthy person is one who lives within their means. Stop focusing on making more money, and start examine what you do with the money you have. Of course, you will always have opportunities to make more money, but that is NOT the solution, that is the added bonus. More often than not if you develop a healthy foundation for money, set up a plan to save and get-out-of-debt, and start to live within your means, you WILL become wealthy. This is not easier said than done, you just need to attend to developing new healthier financial habits! Financial freedom = a less stressful, more enjoyable lifestyle!

Stop Giving in to Fancy Advertisements…You KNOW what You NEED!

Looking at my finances from the birds eye view has been a very empowering experience, in some way LIFE CHANGING. The most important thing that I’ve learned is that the credit card companies, banks and fancy advertisements WILL NOT dictate how or why I spend my money. I will make healthy financial choices that are good for me, and great for my wallet. Remember, you always have a choice.

Maybe the next time you’ll rethink how badly you “need” that latte?

"Fake it 'til you make it" Back-to-basics on making GREAT decisions!

Life is a series of conscious and unconscious choices. Some of the choices will move us forward, some will hold us back, while others will leave us off right where we started. I’ve always admired people who are good decision-makers, people who make a decision, stick to their guns, and move forward…full speed ahead.

According to “the great life,” it all boils down to a few key points that I have outlined below. To become a GREAT decision-maker and start making GREAT decisions, you must first take a look at the internal basics:

1. Who ARE you?

When you get to know yourself inside and out, your values, your beliefs, your wants and needs, you will be able to make more consistent decisions to move you closer to the things that you truly want. So, you must first answer this question.

2. What do you VALUE?

Get to know your values; qualities you value in yourself and in others. Surround yourself with like-minded people, it will be easier to make decisions that are congruent with your values when you feel valued and value those around you.

3. What do you BELIEVE in?

For this question, I ask you to start and think about some of the things that you believe in. What are words you LIVE by? What do you believe about the world to be true? What do you believe in people? What do you believe in yourself? What are your morals? When you answer these questions you will start to act with more intention, and decisions will get easier.

4. What are your OPTIONS?

For me, it is a HUGE help to see all of my options clearly written out on a piece of paper. This helps me get my thoughts and options down in one place, and out of my head. Once you have all of your options written, ask yourself “which of these options do I want to experience right now?” That is the key. Which experience will get you from where you are now, to where you want to be with the least amount of time, money, energy and stress, and with the most amount of happiness, joy and fulfillment.

5. What is all the PRESSURE about?

Identify where you are feeling pressure surrounding a decision. Most of the time making a BIG decision feels so overwhelming because of the points of pressure involved. If it’s not a matter of life or death, ask yourself, “Where is all the pressure coming from?” Is it within you, from an outside source, the pressure to fail, etc? Once you are able to identify the pressure source, you can tackle it head-on, and relieve it. Without the added pressure, you will be able to see your options more clearly and where they fit into your wants and needs.

Lastly, I will add that once you relieve the pressure, look at ALL your options, find out what you truly want, value and believe in, you will be able to make BETTER decisions that are congruent to what you think, feel, want and believe. The next step, is to make the decision with 100% confidence. Remember: you can always alter the course as you go. But it is important to make a decision with 100% of your intention and confidence, so that you can start to act consciously and unconsciously in motion towards your GREATER goal.

And hey, if you are not 100% confident, you can always employ the “fake it till you make it” mentality. I try to use this one as a backup plan (wink wink).

What helps YOU make great decisions? Share your thoughts below, cheers!

xo, DeAnna Lynn Englezos

"Fake it ’til you make it" Back-to-basics on making GREAT decisions!

Life is a series of conscious and unconscious choices. Some of the choices will move us forward, some will hold us back, while others will leave us off right where we started. I’ve always admired people who are good decision-makers, people who make a decision, stick to their guns, and move forward…full speed ahead.

According to “the great life,” it all boils down to a few key points that I have outlined below. To become a GREAT decision-maker and start making GREAT decisions, you must first take a look at the internal basics:

1. Who ARE you?

When you get to know yourself inside and out, your values, your beliefs, your wants and needs, you will be able to make more consistent decisions to move you closer to the things that you truly want. So, you must first answer this question.

2. What do you VALUE?

Get to know your values; qualities you value in yourself and in others. Surround yourself with like-minded people, it will be easier to make decisions that are congruent with your values when you feel valued and value those around you.

3. What do you BELIEVE in?

For this question, I ask you to start and think about some of the things that you believe in. What are words you LIVE by? What do you believe about the world to be true? What do you believe in people? What do you believe in yourself? What are your morals? When you answer these questions you will start to act with more intention, and decisions will get easier.

4. What are your OPTIONS?

For me, it is a HUGE help to see all of my options clearly written out on a piece of paper. This helps me get my thoughts and options down in one place, and out of my head. Once you have all of your options written, ask yourself “which of these options do I want to experience right now?” That is the key. Which experience will get you from where you are now, to where you want to be with the least amount of time, money, energy and stress, and with the most amount of happiness, joy and fulfillment.

5. What is all the PRESSURE about?

Identify where you are feeling pressure surrounding a decision. Most of the time making a BIG decision feels so overwhelming because of the points of pressure involved. If it’s not a matter of life or death, ask yourself, “Where is all the pressure coming from?” Is it within you, from an outside source, the pressure to fail, etc? Once you are able to identify the pressure source, you can tackle it head-on, and relieve it. Without the added pressure, you will be able to see your options more clearly and where they fit into your wants and needs.

Lastly, I will add that once you relieve the pressure, look at ALL your options, find out what you truly want, value and believe in, you will be able to make BETTER decisions that are congruent to what you think, feel, want and believe. The next step, is to make the decision with 100% confidence. Remember: you can always alter the course as you go. But it is important to make a decision with 100% of your intention and confidence, so that you can start to act consciously and unconsciously in motion towards your GREATER goal.

And hey, if you are not 100% confident, you can always employ the “fake it till you make it” mentality. I try to use this one as a backup plan (wink wink).

What helps YOU make great decisions? Share your thoughts below, cheers!

xo, DeAnna Lynn Englezos