This morning I received a lovely e-mail from my friend Stacy and she shared  four ways to deal with her own personal challenges. These came from  Sally Conway.  I loved what she wrote and decided to share them with all of you. They can be used in any situation that challenges your sense of power and inner balance.

You’ve probably heard me say this before, “Owning a business is like a constant personal growth process.”

I remember attending an “est” training in the 1975. For those of you born later, it was an intense  personal transformation training offered by Werner H. Erhard,  It was all about learning personal empowerment in a very charged and challenged situation. It wasn’t fun, but growthful and I came out feeling I had been rung through a ringer.

Some weeks of being a business owner can feel just like this. Certainly, most of the time I love what I do and feel grateful for what I  have accomplished.

However, other times there are inner conflicts that come up and challenges that will stretch my own sense of inner power. There are times I want to just cry and other times I feel angry or hopeless as I have to stretch beyond my own comfort zone. One thing I learned way back in 1975 is that my comfort zone can transform if I allow it to.

Stacy’s 4 part Practice

1. Remain neutral (the space within you where emotion ceases).
2. Follow the thoughts that bring you peace.
3. Remain steadfast in your faith of the highest and best outcome.
4. Disregard any and all external distractions and fear based realities.

These 4 principles to follow can be a Practice all on their own. When things are going well, they are not really an issue, but when you are challenged it is a good time to practice these four ways and make them a part of your natural way of being. It is possible to overcome any obstacle as long as you have a plan, determination and support.

One of the things I love, love love about my job is seeing people move from being stuck  and discouraged  to feeling confident, on track and successful. It is so gratifying to watch this gradual transformation.

Kudos to those people who decide to get help rather than just quit. Karen was just like this. She approached me after a presentation I gave on how to overcome  inner obstacles.  Karen was smart, skilled and loved helping people but she lacked a marketing plan, instead she was pushing people away.

By month four of my  six month Success Program she is on track again and excited about how her business is growing. I love seeing this happen and I decided to analyze what she did that allowed for this change.  I realize there are seven essential elements.

1. She was willing to get help and take the financial risk to invest in her business.

2. She made the commitment to do whatever it takes. She was willing to try new strategies.

3. She was willing to let go of her self-doubt and operate from a place of empowerment. She was able to do that as long as she had support.

4. She admitted that her marketing wasn’t working and she needed a new plan.

5. She followed through on all of her goals and decisions.

6. She recognized it would take time to see the results but that she needed to to stay on track regardless.

7. She was willing to put some systems in place to insure she would stay on track into the future.

Running a business is hard work, but a labor of love as long as you are getting  the results you want. If you follow the 7 steps above you will be doing more than most small business owners! You will be clearing your focus and growing your business.