“Be a `tall poppy` and thrive in your business!”

by Julia Maria Lloyd

Are you familiar with the ‘tall poppy syndrome’, the metaphor origins of which can apparently be traced back many centuries?

Basically what it is referring to is the phenomenon, where the most notable, gifted and talented people in any group, or society are

“…attacked, cut down, or criticised because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers.”

No wonder most of us are afraid to step out and be different, whether we are familiar with the term ‘tall poppy syndrome’ or not! I have been wrestling with this fear for a while now, have made some strides, and would like to encourage you to do the same.

Because it is also a well-known fact that to be successful in the marketplace, in your business, you must somehow distinguish yourself from others, another words, become the ‘tall poppy’…there doesn’t seem to be an alternative.

And there is more to the subject…there always seems to be. Since I’m writing this article for you, and you are in my tribe, you’re more likely than not motivated by passion and purpose in your business, as well as making money, rather than just by sheer profits. Am I right? If this is the case, than your business is most likely also a part of your spiritual path, and is a vehicle for your personal development, as well as your income source.

What I’m getting at, is that stepping out of your comfort zone, shining your light, and becoming the ‘tall poppy’ is kind of built into the equation, and is not really optional. Not only that, but if you’re not coming from that place of full alignment, something is off energetically, and your potential clients can feel it as well, and they may not want to pay for your services. Would you agree?

So how to embrace your position as a tall poppy with ease and grace?

Here are three tips that will help you to move closer towards it, as they`ve helped me:

Tip #1: Keep taking action in your business, as if the fear of being ‘cut down’ were no longer important to you! This is very crucial, because nothing will happen until you start taking action. You cannot experience what you need to experience, and overcome any fears, until you’re doing something, no matter how small at first. Any action is better than no action. You can read as many books as you like, and attend as many teleseminars as you like, but until you actually take the action yourself, nothing will happen, and nothing will change. I know it might seem really obvious, and it might seem like I’m preaching to the choir, but I don’t think you can hear it too many times.

Tip #2: If you’re scared how other people will judge you, and what they will be saying about you, then know that people will always talk, no matter what, so you might as well just keep doing what you need to be doing! As the lovely Sage Lavine says: “if you don’t have people disliking you, criticizing you, and gossiping about you, then you’re not being brave enough, and not doing enough in your business”. I love that!

Tip #3: If you’re not going to stand tall, and be proud of who you are, then you’re most likely not going to succeed to the extent you’re dreaming of anyway, so you might as well just throw all the caution to the wind, and go for it! When I say ‘throw all caution to the wind’, I don’t mean be reckless, and deliberately offend people, I mean just say and do what your heart and soul dictate….follow your inspiration and your intuition, step out of your comfort zone daily…and you’re going to be fine!

I believe that we should create a Tall Poppy Day“, as a national holiday….anyone with me on that? LOL. In the meantime, go forth, stand tall and proud of who you are, and make a boatload of money in the process (ooops…I almost used the other word).

As always, I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts.

With love and bliss,

Julia

Good debt, bad debt…and how to tell the difference! 

Let’s face it, most of us will have debt at some point in our lives. As far as I’m concerned, there are two type of debt. One is what I’d call unconscious debt, and the other is….yes you’ve guessed it… conscious debt.

The unconscious debt is when we spend money on a whim, even if we don’t have it, and usually spend it on things that we don’t really need…but we want. The expense is usually unplanned, and we don’t really have a plan of how we’re going to pay it off. Does it ring a bell for you? Believe me, I’ve done it many times in the past. This is what I call ‘bad debt’, and generally not a good idea.

Then there is the conscious debt. That’s the debt we incur thoughtfully, and with a plan to pay it off. The best example of this kind of debt is investing in yourself and your business. Of course, in an ideal world, we would all have a year’s worth of expenses saved up, before we even started our businesses. But in reality, nobody would be in business if we waited to do that! Creating debt to grow your business is a strategy,  and can be a very smart one.

Whether you’ve created some bad debt, or have borrowed money to invest in your business, the important thing is to have a great debt payoff plan, and stick to it.

Here are my best three tips on how to handle debt.

Tip #1: Forgive yourself and those who owe you money.

Really? Yes, really. Because if you don’t, you not only create financial debt, but you also create psychic debt. So take a deep breath, and let it all go. You might need to take two or three breaths…and that’s OK too. Now don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean that you’re not going to pay off your debt, or ask for your money back. No, it’s just getting rid of that heavy and stuck energy of un-forgiveness, and allowing things to start flowing again.

Tip #2: Have a great debt payoff plan!

If you want to become debt free, you need to have a great plan to pay it off. It’s easy to go into denial under financial stress, and pretend that the debt doesn’t exist, or that it’ll somehow magically disappear. This ‘strategy’ just simply doesn’t work. You need to put yourself in control of the situation, and see the bigger picture. This will help you whether it’s a personal debt, or a business investment debt. The last thing you want to do is to contract, stop all investments and spending, and shrink in fear. This type of energy sends the wrong message to the Universe, and apart from everything else, is just no fun. There are ways of paying off your debt, while not feeling poor.

Tip #3: Keep investing wisely to create new income.

I want to bring back to your attention these three letters: ROI. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is all about your return on investment. So spend your money wisely, have a bigger vision, and follow your intuition. When you tune in and trust your own judgement, then you’ll know what to do to create much income in your business through strategic debt. Once you start making more money, direct a portion of that new income toward paying off your debt.

In conclusion, there is such a thing as bad debt, and needs to be avoided. If you are an emotional spender, then you can create a budget for it, so that you don’t have to feel bad every time you buy something you hadn’t planned for. We do need a good dollop of fun and pleasure in our lives.

Trust yourself, invest wisely…and have some fun!

As always, I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts, and looking forward to reading them in the comments section.

With love and bliss,

Julia