“Collaboration ~ Your Ultimate Gift to the World!”
Networking and Collaborating are two words you frequently hear in business where you professionally offer your innate gifts and talents to others with the intent to connect and grow your businesses by creating a win-win. Yet, we are most likely not so giving of those benefits of knowledge, experience and service that we are offering to others, to ourselves.
The best networking and collaborative ventures to exponentially grow your business come when you make YOU your top priority to serve and satisfy. Once you recognize that all of your life experiences are a direct reflections of self, you can then begin to make the changes you desire to experience on the outside by diligently working on the inside of you through personal development. If you are experiencing lack in any area of your business whether it be in creativity, prosperity or right-relationships, you then need to look within to see where you may be creating the scarcity that is being reflected to your outer world.
For instance, if you are experiencing an insufficient supply of creativity, you then want to look at how often are you taking the time to personally co-create and play? Are you indulging yourself in an artistic creative expression such as playing, writing or singing with music, dancing, painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, literature writing or journaling, gardening, designing, building collecting or making something? How often are you engaging in playtime?
If you are experiencing lack with prosperity, you then want to look at where are you not being generous to yourself? Are you splurging on yourself with quality and luxury or are you limiting yourself based on the price? Do you receive compliments well and with gratitude or do you dismiss and downplay them? Do you allow others to give to you with ease or do you push it away when offered?
If you are experiencing lower vibrational relationships or connections, you then want to look at where are you not being good to yourself? Do you regularly pamper and romance yourself with flowers, candles, bubble baths, full body massage, facial, manicure and pedicure? How often are you listening, playing, singing or dancing to music? Do you act, think and speak lovingly towards yourself? Are you exercising, dancing, stretching, doing yoga, making time for meditation and prayer, breath work and take walks outside? Are you drinking plenty of water and eating your daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables? How often are you nurturing YOU? How often are you laughing?
When you take the time to observe and reflect on how you are valuing and treating yourself, is when you’ll see the answers to the questions that are lacking in your outer realm and the solutions to get you back on track to living the life of your dreams with purpose and passion.
Published in the April/May, 2014 Issue
SIBYL MAGAZINE: FOR THE SPIRIT AND SOUL OF WOMAN
Mind, Body, Spirit Certification Testimonials …
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Love the reminder that we create our reality, whether in business, or personal life. I think most women tend to forget about themselves when life gets chaotic. If we make it a priority to take as good care of ourselves, as we do everyone and everything else in our lives maybe it wouldn’t feel so chaotic to us.
Collaborating and networking are definite win-wins! I don’t think there is any other way, as we all have different gifts and talents to offer.
This was a huge hurdle for me as for most women. We are trained to put ourselves last from day one. It’s a great article full of truth and gentleness.
Thanks dear Dr. Maxwell ~ Great reminder! Always turn back to check ourselves, if we love ourselves enough!
Never forget to spoil ourselves! What’s on the inside, is what penetrates the outside ~ Love you!
Great reminders. Loving our self gives us the strength to be our best and help others.
Great article, thanks for sharing.
A lesson well learned. Thank you for sharing!
Its been a hard lesson, but when I take time to be good to myself the rewards are endless. Giving tirelessly to others is short term if you don’t also give to yourself!
I thought it was selfish for the longest time! Thank you for reminding me that I get in return what I give, including giving to me!!!
Namaste’
It is wonderful to read this article. It’s as if you have been given the permission to pamper yourself. Understand that this self love will help others by helping you.
Dr. Maxwell,
I love this! This is so important for anyone in business and especially, those who are in the service industry! Self-care must be a top priority in both life and business as you can only give what you will allow yourself to receive! Once your well becomes empty, you have nothing left to give AND it causes an imbalance in so many areas of your life that you are no longer contributing a win-win on any level. Be good to yourself and your cup will overflow abundantly on all levels!
Thank you for this “essentials to living a fulfilled life … Be Good to YOUrself” reminder and these great personal development “reflection” exercises to bringing balance into both my personal and professional life! I too, love the correlation you make with self-care and creativity … true enlightenment! You Rock, Stacey!!
Hi Dr. Maxwell ~ I love the way you have connected self-care and creativity. As entrepreneurs and especially, as entrepreneurs who are givers and helpers, the potential for burn-out is a real threat. We are in this business for the long-term – it’s a marathon, not a sprint AND if we want our businesses to thrive and prosper, self-care MUST be a top priority. When we push our bodies and our minds too hard our strengths begin to diminish and creativity is often one of the first strengths to go.
Many coaches feel guilty about putting themselves first. As helpers, it is often an unconscious habit to put yourself last. The irony is that you cannot help others if you cannot help yourself or if your strengths are too diminished to be of any use. If you’ve ever flown, you’ll note that the flight attendants when demonstrating the use of oxygen masks, recommends that you put your mask on first before you turn to care for children and others who might need help. We cannot be helpers unless we put ourselves first. We have to have time for laughter, for relaxation and reflection, for lifelong learning, for creative marketing, for family, friends and fun in order to have a balanced healthy lifestyle.
Thanks for that great reminder, Stacey. Great ideas, too!