Women Entrepreneurs Click to return to entire list of articles specifically for women
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." -- Helen Keller
Read Who's In Charge Of Your Debt? You Are! by Halffe Gelder
Read The "I'm Not A Genius" Syndrome by Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler
Read Change Your Perspective:Change Your Income By Randi Mohilner
Women in Business
The "I'm Not A Genius" Syndrome by Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler
Creativity is often viewed as a characteristic of a few gifted
geniuses. John Briggs, author of Fire In the Crucible: The
Alchemy of Creative Genius believes: "The way we talk about
creativity often reinforces the notion it is some kind of special
gift."
But in truth, creativity goes far beyond the ability to paint,
write, create a new business, or invent a new product. Stripped
down to its bare essentials -- creativity is actually a
fundamental survival skill.
And you'll unleash far more creativity by simply adjusting how
you "think about" creativity.
The "Sides" of Creativity
On an artistic level -- creativity is the search for the elusive
"Aha" -- a moment of insight when we suddenly see a problem, or
an idea, in an entirely new and fresh way.
It's true that not everyone can be Beethoven or Picasso or
Einstein.
But the impulse to breakthrough to a new idea is not limited to
artists and geniuses. We each have our own natural creative
genius.
On the "everyday" level -- creativity is actually at the heart of
any action that somehow transforms your inner or outer reality.
You are actually being "creative" when you open the refrigerator
door and search for the "makings" of a sandwich.
Why So Few People "Feel Creative"
Why then do so few people manage to consider themselves
"creative?"
It's because most of us were taught to repress our natural desire
to challenge the "reality" of things as they are.
Professor Mark Runco, founder of the Creativity Research Journal
explains it like this: "We put children in groups and make them
sit in desks and raise their hands before they talk. We put all
the emphasis on conformity and order, then we wonder why they
aren't being spontaneous and creative!"
Sound painfully familiar?
Overturning the "Genius" Myth
Another reason many do not consider themselves creative is the
"I'm not a genius" syndrome.
David Perkins, co-director of Project Zero at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education agrees. Perkins believes we don't
believe ourselves to be creative because we're often intimidated
by the "genius myth."
This old myth claims creativity is restricted to high IQ
"geniuses." But this was actually debunked years ago in a study
begun by Stanford psychologist Lewis Terman -- the man who
adapted the original French IQ test for the USA.
In the early 1920s Terman had California school-teachers select
1,528 "genius" schoolchildren with an IQ above 135. These
children's lives were then followed by a research team for 60
years.
After six decades the researchers found that these geniuses had
done fairly well. Many were professionals and had stable,
prosperous lives. But interestingly -- very few had made notable
creative contributions to society, and literally none had
completed any extraordinary creative work.
According to Dr. Dean Simonton, author of Genius, Creativity and
Leadership and Scientific Genius: "There just isn't any
correlation between creativity and IQ."
Unleash Your Creative Impulses
To free your natural creative impulses it's often necessary to
resist the pressure to "march in step" with the rest of the
world.
This can be admittedly tough.
One place to start is by trying an original way of doing some
habitual task. Virtually everything you do can be done in a
slightly different, slightly better way --- from organizing your
paperwork, to washing the dishes.
And remember, the essence of creativity is NOT necessarily
getting things "right." At it's heart -- creativity is based on
risk taking. On being willing to make some "mistakes."
And here's a point about mistakes and failure: Many who claim
they aren't creative say this simply because they tried once --
and failed.
But interestingly, creative genius may actually go hand-in-hand
with failure.
Consider the great creative genius Edison. He held over 1,000
patents. But most of them are forgotten, because they weren't
worth much to begin with.
So don't let "fear of failure" stop you from exercising and
building your creative muscles.
Visit Quantum-Self.com, the web's premier Personal Excellence
portal. It's sizzling-unique-intelligent-inspiring! Great fr.ee
self-tests, brain teasers, and mind-building original articles.
FR.EE abundance course for new ezine subscribers. http://www.quantum-self.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Women in Business
Who's In Charge Of Your Debt? You Are! by Halffe Gelder
Yes, you can take charge of your debt. While the burden of debt
is one of American's highest costs, you can bring down your own
financial burden and come out of its devastating effects. Don't
let debt destroy your marriage or family matters. Don't let
debt tear apart your body or weigh down your mind.
The time to take control of your financial situation is now,
even if you're feeling weighed down and frustrated by too much
debt. Below are a few tips to get you started:
1. Debt comes from different sources. Set out to identify
these sources. This may feel very frightening at first, but this
assessment will help you get a handle on the situation. Begin
by listing expenses on paper or even use a money management
program like Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Money to find out
where you have "liquid assets". "Liquid assets" - such as
checking and savings accounts and cash - are used to liquefy and
pay off debts. Other last resort liquid assets also include
personal property and real estate.
The next step is to list every source of monthly income: child
support, government assistance, employment, and other regular
incoming money. Another income to list is an anticipated
windfall, such as a family cash gift or income tax return.
Creditors should also be listed. No matter how small or large
the debt, make sure they get on your inventory. Details like the
creditor's name, address, account number and phone number should
be noted as well. Also, insert the full balance, interest
rates, current monthly payments, terms and date that these
payments are due under the creditor's listing.
2. Decide how much money you need to live: Not all of your
income can be used to pay your debt. You have fixed and variable
expenses that will take a large bite out of your income. Make a
list of fixed expenses such as rent or your mortgage payment. A
car payment is usually a fixed expense too and might be
necessary for you to travel to and from work. Write down all of
your variable expenses such as utilities, food, clothing, fuel,
personal care, entertainment and medical expenses. These are the
things you need to live. Determine which of them you can reduce
through more careful spending and shopping or conservation
efforts. Subtract the amount of your monthly living expenses
from the amount of your monthly debt obligations. This is how
much money you have to pay your other creditors each month.
3. Creditors permit negotiating. Go ahead and contact them.
You can make a big difference toward reducing your debts and
improving your credit by talking to creditors. Many creditors
are equipped with offers that can put you back on track. For
instance, a few of these programs include lower interest rates,
repayment programs, a loan renegotiation, and a payment break.
Once creditors extend these offers, don't loose track. If you
encounter any stumbling block while following these programs,
let your creditor know right away and find a way to maintain a
healthier history.
4. Pay off debts: Start with the smallest debt on your list and
concentrate on paying that one off first. Don~t ignore other
debts to pay it off, but put any extra money you have toward
that debt. Once that debt is paid, take the monthly amount you
were spending on it and put it toward your next debt. Repeat
this process and before long, you will be making payments above
the minimum payments required and you will see your overall debt
decrease.
Halffe Gelder is a writer and the managing partner for YR Debt Company a leading website providing useful debt-related information. To read additional articles like this one, please visit:: http://www.yrdebts.com/
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Change Your Perspective:
Change Your Income By Randi Mohilner
It is estimated that one out of every three workers is an underearner -- most of them women. An underearner is not necessarily poorly paid, in fact, you can make decent money and still fall into this category. What distinguishes an underearner is that she could bring in more, and genuinely wants to, but, for whatever reason, she does not.
Author of the book, Earn What You Deserve, Jerold Mundis, defines underearning this way: "to repeatedly gain less income than you need, or than would be beneficial, usually for no apparent reason and despite your desire to do otherwise." Simply put, an underearner is anyone who earns below her potential.
Underearners actually have a lot in common with their affluent peers. Both are hard working, capable, talented and educated. Most are ambitious and all genuinely want to make money. So why don't they?
In her book, Secrets of Six Figure Women, Barbara Stanny describes attributes that account for why some women's earnings don't live up to their potential. These characteristics include:
1. High tolerance for low pay
Women consistently accept low-paying jobs or jobs that pay less than they need, usually for the "freedom" it gives them. Yet they tend to work as many, if not more, hours than women who receive higher pay. High earners make sure they are well compensated, but it rarely occurs to an underearner to set her sights on a higher rate or salary.
2. Underestimate their worth
Women have a tendency to undervalue themselves, which keeps many earning beneath their potential. They see the advantages given to men, but despite how unfair it may be, simply consider the situation a given.
3. Are willing to work for free
Underearners regularly work at no charge, giving away their time, knowledge and skills for nothing. Most of the time, it is so ingrained they are not even conscious they're doing it. High earners are adamant about putting a price on their work, knowing that if they give it away it says that they themselves do not value it.
4. Are lousy negotiators
They are reluctant to ask for more, whether it is to increase their fees or to request a raise. For some, it is due to fear; for others, it never even crosses their minds to ask. It is hard for most women to demand more, regardless of income bracket.
In contrast, high earners had four traits that their lower-paid peers consistently lacked.
1. A profit motive
Money is not their only motivation, but high earners simply expect to be well compensated for their work. They feel good about making money, and they carry no shame about the pursuit of profit.
2. Audacity
These women stepped outside their comfort zones and did something they weren't completely sure they could do. They may not have always liked it, and may not have always succeeded, but they worked up the guts to go for it.
3. Resilience
They all had the grit to get back up and keep going when they didn't succeed or when they encountered setbacks.
4. Encouragement
These women have very nurturing relationships with one or more people who believe in them, support them, continually root for them, and sometimes prod them along.
The difference between the two groups is that high earning women simply do what others are not willing to do - even when they don't want to - even when they're afraid. This, ladies, is their "secret."
In summary, the primary difference for some women earning less than others can be mostly attributed to the way they view the world, their work, and especially themselves. The good news is that changing your perspective will exponentially change your attitude, your earning potential, and most definitely, your life.
The world is your oyster!
Data sources: Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life.
- Barbara Stanny (author of "Prince Charming Isn't Coming")
- Harper Collins, NY 2002
About the Writer: Randi Mohilner is coordinator of exclusive, high-end events in New York City, formerly worked on the Dr. Phil Show in Los Angeles, and she holds a degree in Communications from the University of Southern California.
For comments and suggestions, Randi can be reached at: RandiM@LBconexion.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The ParentPreneur Club
Many of today's parents discover that working at home is the best way to raise a family and support them, too. Tips, tools and resources for busy moms and dads who work at home.
Work At Home Webpage
Work At Home Jobs & More.
Scam Free Jobs Scam Free Work At Home.
Home Based Business Opportunities Guide
Your Ultimate Home and Online Businesses Guide. Click here
Women Wanted!
Legitimate Home Based Business
A legitimate home based business opportunity in a well established company with the support systems and infrastructure necessary for an affiliate to build a good business over time.
SelfGrowth.com Self improvement and personal growth. Find a wealth of articles, message boards and much more!
MomsExpo has content that is updated daily. Find
resources for pregnancy, family, working from home, business ebooks, WAHM ideas, message boards, and our FREE MomsExpo
Magazine! Come visit us today.
www.MomsExpo.com
Dabbling Mum National publication for BUSY parents offers centers in party planning,
writing, building a home business, recipes, and parenting issues. Plus
book and video reviews and a free monthly essay contest with great
prizes.
Barrel-of-Monkeys.com - Multiregion / Multisystem Video Products: authoring, recording and multimedia presentation.
Home Work BureauFind out the ins and outs of working at home. Pre-screened job opportunities and scam alerts. Hundreds of pre-screened jobs available with little or no investment.
Baby Gifts from TakeAStroll.com - Unique Personalized, Keepsake, Handmade, Many One-of-a-Kind Baby Gifts!
Visit Take a Stroll today!
|
