Path of Purpose Coaching - Personal and Professional Development Strategies for Professional Women.

"Your work with me today revealed tremendous skill Helaine. My heart is filled with gratitude, not only for your ability to speak to both the depth and breadth of my experience, but to guide me through an issue that could have completely encumbered my progress. With you on belay, how could I not but dare, once again, to leap empty-handed into the Void? With many thanks. "

Rev. Cheryl D. Harrell LICSW, Vermont

"Helaine's coaching has been invaluable to me as a solo business owner looking to grow my financial planning practice. Whether I need a sounding board, some outside perspective, specific "how-to" advice, a little understanding, or perhaps even a kick in the pants, she always recognizes and provides exactly what is needed to help me get "unstuck" and back moving full speed ahead in the right direction."

Sherrill St Germain, Financial Planner, Hollis, NH

"Helaine provided me with a breadth of practical advice, including keeping and sticking to a schedule, prioritizing, creating a business plan, and maintaining a balance in my work and my personal life. She made special efforts to provide thoughtful, intelligent recommendations for my website to help me attract customers and establish a more effective business foundation. Perhaps most importantly, she helped me to see the importance of having financial goals...

Her encouragement, enthusiasm, and interest in my success and well-being was invaluable to me, especially in a time of real need. I continue to use the strategies I learned while working with her, and continue to rely on many of the pieces of advice she provided to me throughout our sessions."

Michelle Lewis, Free Lance Writer, Maine

"Helaine has taught me to look at the challenges in my life and learn what can be gained from them. How can a negative situation be turned around? When things don't go as I'd like in my life, I now try to find the positive or at least the lesson to be learned from that situation. I am a new and improved person with a new outlook on life thanks to Helaine. I am so grateful to have received this opportunity!"

Suerae Stein, Photo-Graphic Design, Spofford, NH

"Helaine, you are a gift!! You have truly brought evolution to every facet of my life. I am often overwhelmed with gratitude that you are in my life! Thank you for sharing your remarkable ability to see the positive attributes in absolutely any situation. Thank you for graciously accepting and working with me exactly the way I am at any given moment, without judgment. And thank you for the simple yet extraordinary tools you share throughout the Path of Purpose process. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!!!!!!"

Sigi Koko, Architect, Bethlehem, PA

Along the Purpose Path
The Newsletter of Path Of Purpose Coaching
Issue #86 - May 05, 2008
Helaine Iris, Certified Life Coach
http://www.pathofpurpose.com/

Welcome Message

Welcome! If you've received value from your subscription to Along the Purpose Path, please forward a copy (in its entirety) to your friends and family. If they enjoy it as much as you, suggest they request a complimentary subscription by sending a blank email to: pathofpurpose@getresponse.com. That's how we all grow and make the world a better place one person at a time! Enjoy!

Ready to make that change you've been dreaming about? Contact me today for a free, 30 minute coaching session. No hype, just results.

Three Steps To Financial Fitness: Are You Out of Shape or in the Zone?
By Helaine Iris
© 2008

Your financial fitness is probably the last thing you want to talk about - yet, most likely the biggest thing on your mind. Whether you've got enough in your bank account or you're struggling to make ends meet, becoming and staying financially fit is essential to feeling both peaceful, powerful and self realized. Notice - I didn't say "having money" was essential, I said being financially fit, in other words, being empowered and living in integrity around your finances is what will create the peaceful, yet powerful life you long for.

According to psychologist, Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you have to have your basic needs for safety, food, shelter, financial security, and health and wellbeing met before you can turn your attention to your higher pursuits such as: connection, purpose, and self actualization. So, if you're constantly out of breath, panting and struggling as you ascend the mountain toward financial security you are out of shape, and not likely to succeed at meeting your higher needs. Here are three steps that will help you cruise into the zone of financial fitness:

Step 1: Understand the Root of the Problem

Before you embark on a financial overhaul you need to discover and be honest with yourself about your relationship to money. There are many reasons people are disempowered about money and live their lives under the stressful weight of lack. Your relationship to money starts with a belief, often a belief that may be transparent to you handed down from the family you grew up in. Some common beliefs about money are: money is the root of all evil, you cannot be spiritual and have money, and money makes people compromise their values. Find out what you believe deep down and allow yourself to be curious about the truth instead. Shedding light on your limiting, source beliefs and replacing them truth is essential.

Denial is the other potent factor that will keep you asleep and not making financial progress. Do you believe that if you REALLY look honestly at your finances, you won't like what you see and be confronted with having to make a change you don't want to make? If this is you, all I can tell you is your strategy is not working. Staying in denial of reality, or flipping into magical thinking believing that the "law of attraction" alone will create abundance, I'm sorry to say, won't get you anywhere.

You have to make it a priority to explore the negative beliefs you hold, and your lack of honesty about reality in order to get to the root of your financial distress and turn it into financial success. Then, you have to develop the courage to face where you are in denial and take steps of corrective action.

Step 2: Become Financially Fluent

You have to build skills - practical skills that demonstrate your knowledge of how money works. Although money is just another form of energy, it has simple rules associated with it. For example, rule number one - you have to have more coming in than going out. And, the only way to know this is to keep impeccable track of how much you have and where it is going. As Suze Orman, the popular finance guru recommends; start by investigating what you spend on a monthly basis. This is where your courage comes in - most people are surprised by how much they spend. Or, you might learn that you are spending beyond your means - you don't have enough coming in. The power of this investigation is that it offers you knowledge and then, choice. Remember: knowledge is power.

Once you get a handle on the basics, you can then turn your attention to setting specific goals that will help you achieve your vision of financial fitness. It's not enough to say you want to be financially fit; you have to have tangible targets to reach for. Define how much you want to make, how much savings is realistic, how much debt is necessary, and what you want your retirement picture to look like in order to live free of worry. Then, when it's time to make decisions about what you can and can not afford, you decide based on facts, financial statements and whether the expense is in alignment with your values and vision. Finally, remember you don't have to do this alone. There are a lot of knowledgeable experts in the field of financial management who can help you.

Step 3: Let it Flow and Leverage Everything

Once you've taken care of steps one and two which are practical in nature you are well on your way to financial fitness. In order to stay there, and keep growing, you need to adopt, commit to and practice ongoing perspective shifts that will maximize your ability to enjoy your financial health as a lifestyle rather than a rote exercise you do once.

If you truly understand that money is a form of energy, you will accept its natural flow in and out of your possession. How you respond to that flow will determine how stressed or relaxed you are. Finding your personal balance between appropriate spending and saving, will allow you to enjoy your financial fitness giving you the space to live your dreams and not be afraid. Financially fit people understand the judicious use of credit and borrowing and can increase wealth with it. Financially fit people take measured risks - they know that risk is part of success. Finally, financially fit people are generous - they use their creativity to design ways to serve others and the world.

Learn to leverage everything - time, money, resources and relationships. Set up systems and technology to maximize your success, for example, do online banking that can save you time. Arrange for any savings or tax liability to be automatically deducted from your account. Don't rely on your own best intentions to save, make it a non-option every month to pay yourself first. Network; build your relationships so you can access support and resources easily.

And finally, educate yourself. Learning about money and how wealth grows is only boring if you haven't looked at your original, disempowering beliefs. After all this is about YOU and your choice to finally be free of financial stress so you can live and fully enjoy the kind of life you say you want.

It's YOUR life...imagine the possibilities!

Suggested Reading

Belong to Me by Marias de los Santos. This is the charming sequel to Love Walked In (my favorite book of 2007). This story stands on it's own, you don't have to have read Love Walked in first. The authors writing is solid and delightful as she navigates the complex interactions she creates between the main characters. She gracefully explores all the emotions the characters faces as they move through the real moments of life as they unfold culminating in a shocking secret. From the first page until the exhilarating end, I was totally engaged with the characters as they learn the powerful lesson of staying true to oneself and the ultimate teaching about what it means for one human being to belong to another.

Resources and Opportunities

Vibrant Nation, the first website for accomplished women over 50.
I like this social networking site. It's full of cool and interesting resources for women. Check it out.

The Last Lecture. If you haven't seen this video it's well worth 10 minutes of your time. Watch here.

Special Price Offer: Looking for an affordable, comprehensive workbook to coach you through building your business? Small Business Success For Women Eight Steps You Absolutely Must Know To Build The Business Of Your Dreams. Helaine's eBook, a Self Study Coaching Program for Women Ready to Bring Their Passion to Life. I Can Help You Build The Business Of Your Dreams!
For complete information and to order: Click Here (Men can benefit too!)

Web space for women. I encourage you to become a free member of My Life Compass. This is a great online community for women to hang out with like minded women. It's focus is life balance, self care, and business development (I'm their small business contributing expert) Visit here.

Experience the benefits of life coaching at a fraction of the cost of working with a coach one-on-one. Helaine's 12-week eCourse Complete Life Balance How To Reclaim Your Life In 90 Days. For complete program details http://www.pathofpurpose.com/coach-selfst udy.php

Anyone who publishes a newsletter and needs a program to automate, allow for flexibility as well as room for growth. Check out GetResponse.com. It's affordable and easy to use (and the customer service is great). http://www.GetResponse.com/index/64328

Looking for a host for your website? I use Powweb. It's great service and only $7 .77/mo .! - Web Hosting with a Community!

Closing Notes

About Helaine: Helaine is a Life and Business Coach, who has been featured in numerous publications, including "O" The Oprah Magazine. She helps entrepreneurs and professionals accelerate their professional success, while achieving a more complete and fulfilling personal life. She combines a broad range of professional experience in her work, including management positions in the education, training, retail and international non-profit sectors. She loves her life and awakens each day excited to make the world a better place, one person at a time.

Free Initial Consultation: For a solution-focused, initial consultation visit http://www.pathofpurpose.com, call Helaine at 603-363-4252 or email her helaine@pathofpurpose.com

Use of Material: For information about reproducing any material in this newsletter, contact Helaine via email: helaine@pathofpurpose.com

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