Monday Morning Motivation: Take Action

Over the past few days I have read post after post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram filled with anger, sadness, frustration and despair surrounding the Trayvon Martin case and the Zimmerman verdict. The posts that resonated with me the most were the ones that encouraged or challenged us to take action. So I gave it some thought..."What immediate action could I take?" I realized that there is certainly a need for motivation, inspiration and encouragement during this sad time, so as a result, I have made both of my motivational eBooks, "Monday Morning Motivation" and "Momentum" free. Please download them (by clicking on the titles), read them and share them with someone who you know that needs a lift. 

Complaining is easy and it often leads to very little if any change or results. This week I encourage you to identify a way that you can take action that will make a difference, no matter how large or small.

MOMENTUM Mondays

Good Morning! For years you have read my Monday Morning Motivational messages. It was because of you that many of them are now compiled into a book. I thank you for your constant support. Now as I am growing personally and professionally, I feel somewhat of a shift. The messages will still be motivational, and they will come out on Monday mornings, but I will be weaving in another theme…Momentum.

As many of you may know, I just released my 7th book. It is an eBook called, MOMENTUM: Daily Meditations from the Minds of Millionaires. This book is a synthesis of all of the wisdom that I have gathered from readings, events, classes, mentors and the like on my journey to financial freedom. What I found most interesting was that the habits that have been proven to lead to wealth, prosperity and financial freedom, are not what you might typically associate with money.

When we think about acquiring wealth, some of the first things that may come to mind are to work very hard, get a good job and save. What I found in my study to increase my financial literacy was that it doesn’t matter how much money you can get, if you don’t THINK, ACT and LIVE in ways that are aligned with wealth accumulation, you can lose that money faster that you got it.

So from this week on I want you to think of this as Momentum Monday. A day where that first step that

we take at the beginning of the week can lead to another and another and another toward the life that we desire. What one step can you take today to get things moving in the direction of your dreams?

Let the MOMENTUM begin!

MOMENTUM

One of the main areas in our lives that we often need inspiration is in the area of finances. For that reason, please allow me to introduce my NEW Book...

 MOMENTUM: Daily Meditations From the Minds of Millionaires.

MOMENTUM

Daily Meditations From the Minds of Millionaires

by Monica Marie Jones

Synopsis

Financial literacy is not a subject that we learn in school. If financial wisdom is not inherited from or taught by financially free family members or mentors, many often miss out on this very important skill. Even the most talented, creative or academically gifted individuals with multiple college degrees or in professional positions can be completely clueless when it comes to managing money.

The author of this book found herself in this very situation which led her on a personal quest for financial freedom that began with studying those who had achieved it, and resulted in the launch of a career as a successful real estate investor.

Instead of reading the thousands of books that are out there on how to become wealthy, why not read just one? One that synthesizes some of the most inspirational quotes, thoughts and points from several of those books and brilliant minds in one, small, manageable message per day, every day, for one month.

Science says that it takes one month to form a habit so let this book guide you on a momentous journey toward wealth, prosperity, financial literacy and ultimately, financial freedom. Let the MOMENTUM begin!

 

CLICK HERE to Download  and Join me on the journey to Financial Freedom!

Most Sincerely,

Monica Marie Jones, MSW
Author and Motivator
www.monicamariejones.com
www.literaryloft.com

Don't Let Your Sentences Become Your Sentences

How does it feel to be locked up? Something that you have been saying has you confined in a cell. Which

of your words are holding you back?

Perhaps you say things like "I'll never find a better job." "He or she is the best I can ever get." "I'm too fat." "This just the way it has always been."

Forming these thoughts are the crime. Speaking the words are your sentencing. Everything that follows is you doing time. You are the criminal, the judge and the jury, and now you are living a reality that you have created with your words. This all unfolded clearly for me when I was in my integrity class last week and I heard my friend Michelle say, "Your sentences will become your sentences." What type of time do you want to serve while you are here on this Earth? Do you want to punish yourself with hard time? Or will you speak words that create a life that you love?

This week I encourage you to examine your sentences. What do you want for your life? Are the sentences that you say in alignment with that?

You have the choice between prison or prosperity. Jail or joy. Lock down or love. Confinement or courage. What will you choose?

Freedom lies within your words.

Reside in Right Now

Where are you right now? Literally, you are probably sitting at a desk, looking at your computer or phone, in your home, office or a coffee shop. Even though that is where your physical body is, is the rest of you there too? 

You are probably watching the clock in anticipation of your next break, lunch or the end of the work day. You may be thinking about what happened yesterday, last month or ten years ago. You might be worrying about a bill that is due, an upcoming event, or dreading something that you’ve been putting off and you’re not looking forward to doing. One thing that I can almost guarantee that very few of you are doing right now is being present. 

We are often everywhere but here. The top three places that we tend to live are inside of our head, in the past or in the future.Unfortunately, spending the majority of our time in these places leads to discomfort and a lack of enjoyment which makes us miss out on the true experience and adventure that is life. I read the following quote the other day…

“When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future.When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past.” ~ Author Unknown

I know firsthand what anxiety and depression feels like and they are NOT fun feelings. So this week I encourage you to move out of those places and take residence in the present. Look around you. Take in what is there right now. If you are outside, look at the sky, the trees and the beautiful spring colors. Take a deep restorative breath. Have an actual conversation with the people around you instead of the people on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and in your phone.  

We often look to the future for our happiness and blame the past for our lack of it, but the secret is that true joy is only found in the right now.  Move in to this moment and finally find what you’ve been searching for.  Move out of the future and the past so that you can reside in right now.

Your TODAY List

For most of my life I’ve operated from a daily To-Do list.This is generally a long list of tasks that I’m not particularly excited about doing, but I know that these things must get done and I have to write them down to make sure that I don’t forget them.

I rarely get through the entire list in a day and the chores often carry over for days, weeks or even months depending on how unenthusiastic I am about the item to be accomplished. So the other day I thought, wouldn’t it be exciting to put things on the list that were fun and crazy. This led me to thinking about how we are really only promised this moment. We really only have today for sure. What if we lived as if each day was our last? How different would that To-Do list look?

For me, it would become a Today List and it would include adventurous activities such as taking a spontaneous road trip and having dinner in another state or country (Canada is right across the bridge from us here in Detroit), or visiting one of the amazing places right here in my city that I often take for granted, like the Motown Museum because it is so close that I figure I can just go any time…Perhaps making a call to say “I love you” to a Grandparent or someone who you rarely reach out to but you hold dear to your heart.

This week, I encourage you to spice up your regular list and make it a Today List, living each day to the max as if it is your last.

Enjoy!

Spring into Action!

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to be a speaker at the “Living By Design” Spring Social that was hosted by a really positive organization called EBG (Empowering Brilliant Generations). The theme and title of my speech was “Spring in to Action” so this morning I want to share that message with you…

I started off my presentation with a brand new copy of my book, “Monday Morning Motivation” in my hand. I then said, “This is free and it has some money in it. Come and get it.”  Only two people made a move. I gave it to the young lady who made it to me first and I asked her to open it up and tell us what was inside. She shared that there was a crisp $20 bill inside as well as an inscription that read, “When you believe you most certainly receive. ;)”  I then gauged the audience to see who thought that I was just joking, or that it was a trick, or that there really wasn’t any money in the book. Several people raised their hands.

How often do we miss opportunities because we do not believe?

How often do we miss opportunities because we fail to spring into action?

A year and a half ago I got into real estate investing because a friend told me that houses were selling in Detroit for $500. He didn’t have to tell me twice. As I saved money and prepared to make my investments I studied real estate, attended events and talked with people about my plan.Several people said that all of the houses would be crap. Many people did not believe. Others believed but did not take action. A little over a year later, I acquired eight properties with sixteen units among them, fixed several of them up and placed six tenants. Of course there were challenges, but I was able to realize a long term dream and goal that I had by simply believing and then springing into action.

At the end 2007 I sprang into action when I left my full time job. Just recently I learned that that period of time was probably the worst time ever to walk away from a job…

“The hemorrhaging of American jobs accelerated at a record pace at the end of 2008, bringing the year’s total job loses to 2.6 million or the highest level in more than six decades.” –CNNMoney.com New York

How dare I walk away from a job at a time when so many people who wanted their jobs were losing them?

I did that because I believe that sometimes you just have to commit and THEN figure the rest out. The action of commitment in itself often opens up many doors and opportunities that would not exist without first making that decision.  If we try to figure things out first, we will find a million excuses and reasons to get out of making that decision or taking that step toward our dreams and goals. This is why I encourage you to make the commitment first, and then allow things to fall into place.

In order to spring into action, I suggest a certain process.Let’s think about the season of Spring. Rain, gardens, plants, and flowers and new beginnings are often associated with this season. So let’s apply this to our life when it comes to the preparation for springing into action…

Picture a big lot or field of vacant land. It is more than likely over grown with weeds. People have dumped  trash and debris there. It is really not the ideal space for planting initially. Therefore the first step is to…

Clear the field

What do you need to clear out of your life before you can move forward? Is it a habit, a belief, a person, job, or a fear? Is there someone you need to forgive…yourself perhaps?

Next we must…

Plant the Seeds

What type of seeds do you need to plant in the field that is your life? Do you need to save, invest, write a book, apply for a job, or audition for something?

Finally we must…

Tend to the Field

If you clear the field and plant the seeds but don’t tend to it, what will happen? Eventually people, or bugs and rodents will eat your fruit, walk all over your flowers, throw in junk and trash…or weeds will grow and take over.

Taking into account what you cleared out and what you planted, what will you need to do to maintain and tend to your field?

During each of the phases of preparation for springing into action I had the people in the audience think about it, write it down and discuss it with a partner. After this I did something with them that I am going to do with you right now…

I have a request that may seem a little unreasonable, BUT in order to get something different, sometimes you have to take away all of the reasons why you can’t, won’t or don’t do things.

Now that you have this working plan, take the next 5 minutes to actually “Spring into Action.” RIGHT NOW I want you to call, email or text someone that you’ve wanted to do business with, someone you need to forgive,someone that you need to ask forgiveness of. If it is someone that has passed away, write them a letter. Take and action RIGHT NOW and be BOLD with it! Ready…Set…GO!

For those of you who actually did it, I want you to post a comment below and share what you did and what happened…

When you spring into action you will find more joy,prosperity and freedom than you can imagine.

Don’t let the action stop here. As you go throughout the rest of your day, week, month and year let the momentum lead you. The past and the future do not really exist because the past is gone and the future may never come…so all that you truly have is this moment…life is right now…and right now…and right now…

SPRING INTO ACTION!

Change Your Story

One day while watching motivational speaker Tony Robbins, I heard him mention a concept that sparked my interest. He talked about the stories that we tell ourselves. I found it interesting, but I wasn’t completely clear on it, so it didn’t really stick. Then, about a month ago I went to an intense personal development experience that took place over a weekend. We spent almost twelve hours each day really digging deep inside of our ourselves to identify what barriers were holding us back from where we truly wanted to be in our lives.

One of the main things that stood out to me in this seminar what that they brought up this concept about stories again. This time it stuck. The basic idea is that when something happens in our life, instead of looking at it for what it is…something that happened, we attach our interpretation or story to it. The problem occurs when that story that we created, which is not the truth, becomes our reality. 

Let me share my story with you….

Here is what happened: My mother and father got a divorce. My father moved away.

Here is the story that I created: If my father left, he must not love me.

Here is how that story affected my life when I allowed it to become my reality: If my father can leave me, anyone else can leave me, so when it comes to relationships let me leave them before they leave me, or hurt them before they hurt me.

All that actually happened was that my parents got a divorce and my father moved away. Everything else that I created was not the truth, yet I allowed it to become my reality and as a result my relationships and the quality of my life has suffered…until that weekend last month when I finally woke up and saw myself clearly for the first time. And finally…I was able to let that story go. I wrote my father a letter asking for his forgiveness and letting him know that I love him and that he is a great father. I’ve never told him that he was a great father before.

I wrote letters and had discussions with the last two men that I had a relationship with, taking responsibility for the role that I played in the challenges that occurred in those relationships. I also asked for their forgiveness.

And now…I am free.

Free to live, to love, to laugh, to enjoy and experience life to the fullest!

What is your story?

Let it go so you can live.

From Struggle Comes Strength

When I started yoga, I used to hate the downward facing dog position. It was uncomfortable. It hurt. We did it too much and we held it too long. This was back in December. As time passed I realized that it didn't hurt so much anymore, and it wasn't as uncomfortable...eventually, it actually felt really good...as a matter of fact, it became one if my favorite poses.

Something similar happened in the cardio kickboxing class that I attend. We had to do this exercise called a burpie which is when you squat down with hands your hands touching the floor, jump back into push up position, jump back to that same low squat and then stand up and repeat…down back and up…down back and up. When we were instructed to do burpies  I would suddenly feel the need to adjust my clothing or boxing gloves, or leave the room to get a drink of water. If I didn't do those things I would only do a few burpies taking lots of breaks in between or I would do then in super slow motion...

Then one day I realized that the burpies didn't feel so dreadful anymore. I didn't feel as tired or out of breath. Suddenly, I was able to complete the entire set of burpies without complaint or any of my aversion tactics.

Had the exercises changed? No. I had changed. I was not only able to endure but to master these things that I'd once thought or felt to be impossible....

I had become stronger.

This week I challenge you to examine an area of struggle in your life. I encourage you to go through it instead of trying to get around it and give it some time. Eventually, that struggle is the very thing that will make you stronger. ;)

The Carpenter

While facilitating a training the other day one of my participants shared a very powerful observation about her husband who is a carpenter. She said that the finished product of a beautiful and smooth piece of wood that we may see as furniture or a piece of artwork only got that way after being continuously rubbed by the rough friction of the sand paper.

Now let’s relate this beautiful analogy to our lives. You may be going through something that feels SO rough right now… and this thing or this situation may have been going on for a while…but know that this experience of friction is merely a necessary part of a process that is going to make you come out more smooth and beautiful in the end. So hang in there my friend and get ready to shine!

Fear Is A Force Field

Good Morning! Ok...here is ONE more sneak peek from my upcoming book, "MOMENTUM: Daily Meditations from the Minds of Millionaires".  After this you'll just have to wait until May 1st for the release of the rest of the book...

Chapter Two (Week Two)

Fear is the Force Field

Imagine the fortune that you desire sitting in a vast field right before your eyes. Picture your dream home, the educational opportunities for your children, your cars, gold bars, silver coins, your real estate investments, unlimited cash, vacations...or whatever a fortune looks like for you. Now imagine trying to walk toward it, but being forced back and unable to touch or enjoy any of it. That invisible barrier between you and your fortune is your fear. Fear is the force field around your fortune. Courage is the kryptonite that can deactivate the powers of that force field.

Millionaire Meditation Moment

“Courage is not the absence fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

Ambrose Redmoon

Day Eight

“What do you spend time worrying about? Are your concerns congruent with wealth accumulation? Or do you spend time thinking about issues that are impediments to becoming affluent?”

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D

Millionaire Meditation Moment

What we focus on will come to fruition, so why not focus on what we want instead of what we don’t want. Fear often causes us to worry about what is getting in the way instead of how to make a way. Shift your focus from fear to freedom. Instead of thinking “I can’t,” ask yourself, “How CAN I make this happen?”

MOMENTUM

Quite often our finances have lot to do with our motivation or our lack thereof. For the past two years I have been studying finances and trying to learn and practice my way to financial freedom. As a result I have compiled a lot of the nuggets of wisdom into an eBook that I plan to release later this year. It is called, “MOMENTUM: Daily Inspirations from the Minds of Millionaires”.  Please enjoy this excerpt and let me know what you think…

Introduction

One Million Starts With One

One day I looked up and realized that I was 32 years old and while I made good money, I had absolutely nothing to show for it. I didn’t own my home, I didn’t own my car, I didn’t have any investments or savings…I was pretty much just floating through life without a definite financial purpose or plan. Today I own eight investment properties, most of which are two or four family homes, so they have sixteen units between them, six of which are rented out at an average of $500 per month in rent. It took me ONE year to do this.

One Million can be a very daunting and intimidating number…especially when we are talking about one million dollars. But the important thing to remember is that it all begins with little old number ONE. ONE idea. ONE investment. One year. One month. One week. One day. One moment. One person…YOU.

For years I’ve collected books about how to become a millionaire, but I just let them sit on the shelf. When I finally decided to open them up, I realized that one book lead to another and another and eventually that momentum catapulted me into making some major changes in the way that I think, act and live.

I LOVE to read, but I realized that reading is not everyone’s thing, so instead of reading the thousands of books that are out there on how to become wealthy, why not read ONE that synthesizes some of the most inspirational quotes, thoughts and points from several of those books in ONE, small, manageable bite sized junk per day, every day, for ONE month.

Once I made the decision to write the book I had to come up with a plan. After discussing it with my accountability partner I decided that I needed to send this book to ONE million people. This meant that I would have to collect, ONE million email addresses. Daunted by the task, I became paralyzed and simply stared at my lap top.  But then I shook off that fear and realized that the path to getting one million email address starts by simply getting one. After I typed that one email address my mind opened wide to all of the possibilities and ideas began to pour in.

I could post the book on social networking sites where millions of people browse each day. I could use my existing mailing list of subscribers who love whatever I write…the possibilities were endless and suddenly, the task didn’t seem so scary, but in fact became an exciting challenge…and it all started with ONE.

How to Use This Book

I am a strong believer in the participatory learning approach so this eBook will be interactive. Each week, or chapter will have a theme. Within each chapter there will be will be a quote, thought, prompt or idea each day from a millionaire, a billionaire, a song or a book about financial literacy and freedom for each day in that week. At the end of each of these quotes, there will be a link to the corresponding eBook, song, or millionaire’s website that was referenced. That way, if it really speaks to you, then you can download the eBook to read for yourself instantly, study the millionaire by exploring their website, or listen to the audio book or song.

After the quote, you will find the Millionaire Meditation Moment. This is where I expand on the quote and give you something to think more deeply about. I encourage you to use the guidance of the Millionaire Meditation Moment to spend some time each day processing or reflecting upon the quote or message for that day. Allow the momentum to build in your mind and your heart and be open to the motivation to reach your millions.

Make the Millionaire Meditation Moment manageable for your schedule, patience, and personality. For you a moment may mean one minute, one hour, or an entire day…but invest some time into thinking about what each message means in the context of your life and how you can apply it to accelerate your journey to financial freedom.

This year, my goal is to make ONE million dollars in one year. Thus I have named this year, “One Year to One Million.” Time and time again we have heard that it takes thirty days to form a habit. Therefore, this book has been designed with thirty days of inspiration. My hope is that once you complete this book you will be infected and inspired with the momentum to keep your thoughts and actions in alignment with your financial goals throughout the rest of the year.

Let’s embark upon this journey of one year to one million together…one manageable moment at a time. Let the momentum begin!

Week One

One Year to One Million

          No matter when you begin reading this book, this marks the first week toward your journey to financial freedom. How you start determines how you continue which in turn determines how you will end, so start out strong, be consistent and make the commitment. All you have to do is commit to one moment per day.

Millionaire Meditation Moment

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

-          Martin Luther King Jr.

Day One

“The journey to financial freedom starts the MINUTE you decide that you were destined for prosperity, not scarcity – for abundance, not lack.”

The One Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealth by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen

Millionaire Meditation Moment

One thing that ALL of the books about financial freedom have in common is that they all say that it all comes down to how we think…particularly how and what we think about ourselves. What do you believe to be true about you? Make a decision. Will you continue to operate from a poverty mentality, or, will you believe that you are destined for great things? What decision will you make?