Christine Kloser

by Christine Kloser

When you stepped on this path of entrepreneurship, if you’re like me, you became a sponge for knowledge. If there was a new strategy you heard about, you found a resource to become skilled in learning that strategy. If there was an event you knew you needed to be at, you figured out how to get there. You were an “eager beaver” to learn, learn, learn and implement what you learned in your business.

But chances are, nobody ever suggested you stop with all the information gathering and ask yourself the deeper questions of, “Is this right for me? Is this aligned with who I am, what my business is and what’s important to me?” Many entrepreneurs I’ve spoken with are just now stepping back to ask themselves what they’ve been doing for the past several months (or years)… and if it’s really working for them.

What several of these entrepreneurs are discovering is that they’ve been going after what they “thought” they “should” be doing based on watching and modeling someone else. It’s an honest thing to do. You’re taught to model others. But, you’ve got to be mindful of knowing where the line is between modeling in a way that serves you and modeling in a way that pulls you further away from who you are.

On that note, I want to share with you the ABC’s of aligning with your business so no matter what stage you’re in; no matter how much knowledge you have; no matter your level of success (or frustration) these three tips will help you make sure you are on track to be in total alignment with your business as you head into 2010.

Assess
In order to get from “Point A” to “Point B” in terms of aligning with your business, you’ve first got to assess where you really are. Many entrepreneurs just keep going, keep plowing through their to-do list without taking time to step back and truly assess where they’re at and what direction they’re headed.

In this phase, you’ll allow yourself to see what’s working in your business and what isn’t working in your business, and more importantly what is and isn’t working for YOU! It may be that your greatest source of income is also coming from the service that causes you the most amount of stress. This is not in alignment. Your income ought to come from your greatest joy. So, these are the things to be looking for. Where does your business FEEL right and where doesn’t it?

Be Brave
The assessment phase may uncover some things that perhaps you’d prefer not to see. I know when I went through the assessment phase in my business, I saw I was doing things that I really shouldn’t have been doing. These were some of the things others had suggested I do, so they didn’t purely come from the intent in my heart, but by what someone else thought.

So, this next phase invites you to be brave in facing what you see. Yes, it might feel temporarily easier to pretend that what you see isn’t really there. It’s natural to want to avoid that kind of pain. However, if it’s there, it will always be there and it can’t really be avoided, it can only be postponed. So, allow yourself to face whatever you see straight-on and you will be one step closer to totally aligning your Self with your business.

Co-Create
Finally, the third phase is to embrace the concept of co-creation. Co-creation happens when you are fully awake, aware and conscious of the reality that everything created through you is created in partnership with Spirit. In order to truly be aligned with your Self and your business, it’s essential to not let your human will or your ego feel like it’s the creative force behind what you do.

Alignment happens when your ego is set aside, when your intent is pure, when comparison and competition (or what you think you “should” do) aren’t part of your process. This can be the greatest growth oppor^tunity of all… to allow yourself to “let go” enough to make room for grace. So, don’t feel like you have to do everything in your business (or your life) alone, be open to seeing that when you’re in alignment you’re opening to a world of infinite possibility.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

In each and every moment of your life (including this moment right now) you have an important choice to make. Will you choose to be scared, or choose to be free? In the events of the past few weeks, and the passing of my mother-in-law, I was acutely aware of the choices I had in each moment.

When my husband and I found out how suddenly the end was approaching, it was quite shocking (and untimely). There was a tiny voice in side of me that started going through all of the “what if’s.” What if she passed before David got there? What if I needed to close my business for the week… or cancel my retreat? What if I never got to say goodbye? What if…

As soon as I noticed the contractions around all of the “what if’s,” I realized they were all coming from a place of fear. They were making me feel like I was running scared. I’ve never gone through this before; I didn’t know how to BE or what to do. So, I asked myself, “is this how I want to be feeling right now?” Did I want to be feeling the fear, the frantic energy and the worry about “what if?” Well, the only answer to that question was no.

So, instead I chose to feel free within myself and make decisions from that space. Not surprisingly, grace joined me in that place and we easily got my husband on the next plane out of Baltimore with no problem. (While he didn’t make it to his mom before she passed, he made peace within himself around her passing.) I changed the date of my retreat to start one day later and the attendees adjusted to the change with such grace, as did the bed and breakfast I was holding it at… they had the exact number of rooms I needed for the new dates. My parents quickly adjusted their schedule to watch Janet while I was at the retreat so David could stay with his father in Sacramento for an extra week. And, on and on…

I stopped running scared that I wouldn’t have the time I had planned to prepare for the retreat, and chose to release my attachment to what I “thought” I “needed” to do… and the freedom within me allowed for more grace to unfold in a magical retreat. Instead of running scared about some commitment I had to break, I chose to be fr-ee within myself and not beat myself up about having to let some things go so I could be present with my husband and family.

There was so much happening in such a short period of time, each moment was a choice I had to make. Will I run “scared” or will I run “free?”

I invite you to ask yourself this same question right now with whatever is happening in your life. What are you choosing to be your experience? Are you running scared or running free?

Some of you may immediately go to a place in your mind that will quickly begin listing all of the “reasons” why you ought to be scared. Remember that this voice that causes you to feel contracted, fearful, scared, paralyzed, etc… is the voice of your ego. Simply allow yourself to acknowledge the voice. Let it feel heard.

But, as my spiritual teacher says… then turn UP the volume on the voice of your Higher Self. Listen to this voice more closely. Listen for the truth that resides deep within your soul. Your soul sings the song of freedom… no matter what circumstances may be occurring around you. It is YOU that can choose in any moment to allow fear or freedom to determine how you feel.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

By Christine Kloser

What does it mean to live a spiritual life… to really, truly, deeply live from the place of ease, grace, joy and love no matter what shows up in the world around you? This is a question I’ve been pondering for a few months now, and one that is getting answered as I face some challenges and changes in my life, business and family.

Living a spiritual life isn’t about skirting along the surface of understanding; rather it’s about being willing to look for deeper meaning, understanding, lessons and gifts in every moment of your life.

Like right now, for instance. Are you fully here, in this moment reading and absorbing this article (and giving yourself the focus and time you deserve to be fully present)? Or, are you reading this article with a dozen other things running through your mind feeling stressed about how much you have to do and how little time you have to do it in.

I’m simply asking you to notice what you’re doing right now. It’s only in stopping to notice what you’re doing that you can begin to uncover the gems that are waiting in each moment for you, including this one.

This consistent “noticing,” awareness and presence in each moment is what living the spiritual life is all about. Being spiritual doesn’t mean you have to retreat to a mountain top in India for a month of meditation. And, it isn’t something you do at your convenience when you feel you need it because the “going got tough.” Living a spiritual life is as simple as choosing to not get angry when someone cuts you off on the highway… and instead choosing to bless them with love and pray for that driver’s ease and safety. It means embracing a spiritual way of being in every moment of every day (or at least noticing when you have contracted into fear, doubt, anger, lack, etc. and doing something to shift into a higher state of being).

On the flip side, it’s also important to see that living a spiritual life isn’t about how peaceful, loving and connected you feel when you are alone with yourself. Yes, it includes that, but the spiritual “rubber hits the road” when you move into aligned and integrated action in the physical realm.

This is the most critical part of the journey of living a spiritual life… that you learn how to integrate what you’re experiencing in you inner world with how you show up in the outer world. This is part of why the outer world of my business will be transforming and shifting in the coming months… because I am transforming and shifting on the inside and I’m seeing things in my business (and my life) that no longer feel aligned with who I am today.

So, in closing, I’m going to recommend that you to take five minutes right now to ask yourself how you’re doing living your spiritual life and jot down whatever comes to you. If you have questions write them down; if you think I’m crazy write that down, too. If you’re resonating with this question and yearn to live a more aligned, expanded and spiritual life in every area, including your business… then write about what that might look like for you. Please give yourself the gift of a few minutes (right now) to reflect on this question. Your freedom may very well reside in what you’ll discover.

And, please don’t hesitate to email me what you wrote, or any further questions you have about Living a Spiritual Life. You can reach me at Christine@loveyourlife.com. I would love to know what you think of today’s article and how I can further serve you on this path of conscious entrepreneurship.

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Note: I hesitated to add what I’m going to share here, but then I realized that I may be doing a few of you a disservice if I didn’t share this. As of today, I have a few spaces remaining at my Freedom Retreat next month in Maryland. If you’re feeling like you need some time away from your day-to-day life to gain clarity and direction for your business, and your life (as you prepare for 2010) it would be an honor and a privilege to have you join me at the retreat. If you’re interested, please email me directly at Christine@loveyourlife.com so we can connect about the details.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

A few weeks ago I taught a private teleclass for my Freedom Circle Mastermind members. Usually, I know what I’m going to talk about a few months in advance, but for some reason last month I didn’t feel like any topic I came up with was the “right” topic for my clients with where they were on their entrepreneurial journey.

Contrary to my ego’s desire for me to have everything well thought out and planned far in advance, I allowed myself to let go and listen… to allow the perfect topic to reveal itself to me. Within hours of the time I was to give this talk, the topic revealed itself… it was supposed to be about energetic consistency. Energetic Consistency is about staying centered, steady, focused, faithful and aligned with your Highest self as you chart your course through life and business.

Why is energetic consistency so important? To begin with, energetic consistency will make the difference between success and struggle in each and every moment. If you are energetically consistent (as opposed to being up and down with your emotions and ego running all over the place) you experience much more ease, grace, and flow in your life all the time. Energetic consistency is about upleveling yourself on a spiritual level and shifting your mode of operation to be even more aligned with your Highest self.

It’s likely with all that’s going on in the world today you may be facing some challenges in being able to stay centered, grounded, peaceful and aligned. The challenges can come about because of the duality that we live in, the speed at which our current world is changing, and the radical realignment that is happening, especially for people (like you) who are already walking a path of consciousness in their business.

I want to share with you two of my favorite tools for helping my Self “stay the course” and remain energetically consistent. I’ll likely share more tools over the coming weeks, but here are two to get you started right now:

Expand, Expand, Expand
Whenever you feel yourself slipping into a contracted physical, emotional or spiritual state of being, remind yourself to E-X-P-A-N-D. When you feel these “symptoms” in your body… shortened breath, knots in your stomach, etc., they are signs your body is moving into a contracted state; and your mind, heart and soul are soon to follow.

When you feel contracted, allow yourself to take some deep breaths, remember that you are a child of God and the Universe is conspiring for your highest good in every moment. Let go of the feeling that you have to control, force or will things to happen in your life and ask to be shown the doors where things are easy, fluid and touched by grace.

A contracted state will keep the door of grace closed, whereas when you’re in a more expanded energetic space the door of grace easily opens, and you will see it in everything. So, right now, if you feel any contraction about anything in your life… breathe, remember who you truly are, let go, allow grace and ask for help. (Which brings me to the next tool.)

Reach Out Rather Than Isolate
One of the ways our ego tries to “take us out” and stay contracted is to isolate. Well, isolation is not the key to freedom. Connection is! Especially in times when you may feel like crawling under a rock and not facing what lies in front of you, reaching out and connecting with others will help you remember your Highest thoughts and help set you fr^ee.

In order to remain energetically consistent, no matter what’s happening around you, you simply cannot do it alone. Connection and community are your lifeline to continually moving forward… as long as you see any bumps along the way as opportunities to grow stronger in WHO you are. Reaching out rather than isolating helps you exercise your ability to stay energetically consistent which leads to you feeling more ease, more joy, more alignment, more grace, more on purpose, etc.

So, the next time you feel yourself being pulled off center by “something” that happens in the world around you (or to you directly), remember to expand rather than contract and reach out rather than isolate. These two tools alone can be the very difference between struggle and success… one moment at a time.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

It’s been just over a year that my book, The Freedom Formula, became an Amazon #1 best-seller. As I reflect on that great journey (and the success that’s come since then) I’m reminded of how drastically writing a book can change your business, and your life. The journey of the past year has been more transformational and expansive than I dreamed possible. This experience is making me even more excited as I prepare for my Fall Get Your Book Done program.

I know so many entrepreneurs whose businesses (and lives) have already been changed by writing their book, yet there are MANY more that haven’t yet fulfilled this dream.
Eight out of ten people have a book inside them, but most of them never get their book done. Perhaps you can relate… you KNOW you need a book to grow your business especially when you consider these benefits of becoming a published author:

Position yourself as an expert
Reach a larger audience
Get more speaking engagements and more publicity
Increase value by “bundling” books with other products/services
Give as bonus/promotional item for your business
Gain instant credibility
Increase revenue through book sales
Build relationships with “centers of influence”
Make a difference in your readers’ lives
A book is, by far, the BEST business card you can have; nobody throws away a book!
What you may not realize is this… there are a ton of HIDDEN benefits of writing your book. So, if you’ve been thinking of writing you book, I want to share the top three hidden benefits that myself and my clients have received through the experience of writing and publishing a “signature” book:

Clarity
Many new authors approach their book with unbridled enthusiasm and a TON of ideas. The truth is you could fill several books with your insight and information. But, tons of information in a huge book doesn’t make for a best-seller. That’s why the #1 hidden benefit of writing your book is clarity. Through the book preparation, research and writing process, you’ll quickly discover the core essence of your message and the simplest, most logical way to present your information.

You’ll also gain clarity on where the book fits into your “product funnel/service offerings” and what systems you ought to implement to maximize your exposure through the book. You’ll become clear on new products, new services and new ways to build your list (so you can stay connected to them over and over again). After all, you’re writing your book to reach more people and gain more customers, right? It’s amazing how easily you can put together a clear plan to turn readers into ideal customers. Most published authors will tell you this kind of clarity rarely comes from anything other than writing you own book.

Confidence
The second hidden benefit of writing your book is achieving a level of personal confidence most people only dream of. When you proudly introduce yourself as the Author of ___________, and show people your brand-new book, you’re confidence goes through the roof! There’s something that happens inside of you, when you finally put pen to paper and take a STAND for yourself by putting your valuable information in print. Not to mention WHO you have to “BE” to complete your book. You’ll discover an entirely new side to yourself when you step up the plate to write your book.

You’ll stretch and grow in surprising, challenging and fun ways as you go through the process of writing your book. You get to discover more and more of who YOU are and the value you offer to the world. With each page you write, you uncover more of your brilliance and at the end of the process, you’ll see (and value) yourself in an entirely new light.

Courage
Once you experience total clarity and confidence from writing your book, you’ll discover a newfound sense of courage. Many of my clients say it wasn’t until they became published that they had the courage to ask for more money, more speaking engagements, more referrals, more publicity… and know they DESERVED it 100%.

Just imagine there’s someone you want to meet (who can further your success) and you’ve never had the courage to contact them. Once you’re a published author it’s EASY to contact anyone, because you can introduce yourself as an Author and give them a signed copy of your book. The hidden benefit of courage can literally mean thousands of dollars in your pocket because you’re finally ready to ask for what you want.

If you’re thinking of writing a book, keep these “Three Cs” at the top of your mind (and heart) as you bring your brilliance out in the pages of your book. Yes, the expert status, credibility and new revenue from your book are valuable rewards, which will be maximized through the hidden benefits of Clarity, Confidence and Courage.

Note: Please join me and my partner, Lynne Klippel on Tuesday September 1 for a
F-R-E-E Teleclass on the “7 Strategies Every Entrepreneurial Author Needs to Know… Before Writing a Word.” We’ll be sharing tons of information and some incredible author success stories to help you get motivated to Get Your Book Done. Sign up now at www.gybdpreview.com.

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.