The Breathing Prosperity blog

I can see that ‘how to earn extra money’ is something many, many people are searching for lately, and it’s no surprise. With horrifying and depressing stories on every nightly news show, and sensationalism surrounding huge executive paydays even while these same executives take voraciously from their customers and clients, we find ourselves, more than ever, in a ‘look out for number one’ mindset.

Luckily, this is fantastic news! If you are looking for ways to earn extra money, this means you are finally willing and able to take your financial future and put its well-being where it belongs: in YOUR hands. We can talk about attracting money using the Law of Attraction all day long, but if you are relying on someone or something else to come through for you – whether it’s your spouse, your company, your parents or your government – you are putting the power in the wrong place. NO ONE has your best interests at heart like you do, so taking complete control of your financial situation is always a good idea, whatever the economy.

When you accept complete responsibility for your financial situation, something magical happens. You can turn the story in your head around completely, and begin producing new, positive results, which will in turn encourage  – shall we say, attract? – more of the same. Instead of focusing on how rotten things are, you can get creative and start making things happen. There is nothing like the feeling of finally taking control and seeing the financial freedom you dream of coming ever closer. It’s intoxicating!

On another note, earning extra money often seems impossible because people feel they do not have enough time for a second or third job. The stark reality is, however, that most of us do not use our time productively, and we don’t use it  in pursuit of our most important goals and objectives. As the venerable Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine tells us in his new book The Compound Effect (which I am thoroughly enjoying – thanks, Darren!) tells us, there are likely many hours per day or week which you are now spending doing something utterly unproductive, or perhaps even counterproductive. If you haven’t read this book, go get it – it’s a real eye-opener and gets straight to the point of what it takes to succeed in life. Darren says,

It’s time to WAKE UP and realize that the habits you indulge in could be compounding your life into repeated disaster. The slightest adjustments to your daily routines can dramatically alter the outcomes in your life.

If you think you don’t waste any time, I encourage you to take another look, because there is always room for improvement. This may require some introspection and a little bit of ‘getting honest with yourself’ about how you spend your days and evenings. Even if you can carve out a few hours a week by changing your unproductive habits, you can make extra money doing a variety of things.

You may be surprised that this post is not just a list of ideas, but the truth is that your ideas will be unique to your situation, and they will flood into your consciousness once you’ve opened the door for them. There are millions of ways to earn extra money. There is ALWAYS a way, and as you’ve seen in this post, the path sometimes involves asking ourselves uncomfortable questions. We need to be willing to change our habits to improve our outcomes, and once we are set on the path of being willing to do what it takes, opportunities and ideas for how to earn extra money will come naturally.

P.S. One last question: what kind of example are you showing your kids with your habits? Just asking…

Sometimes, when we set our sights on magnificent and inspiring goals, we place ourselves on the path of achieving them and then eventually find ourselves feeling…stuck. We have put in work, we’ve learned and changed, we’ve been doing all the ‘right’ things, and yet when we look up from our path the goal still seems so far away. Has this ever happened to you?

Fear not, it happens to all of us who have lofty goals and aspirations. As the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, yet somehow we expect our results to be more evident, more forthcoming. We forget that each of those thousand miles contains hundreds of individual steps, and that in each moment we can only ‘see’ the few steps behind us and in front of us. Because of this limited view, we tend to forget how far we’ve come, and it is this amnesia which brings about feelings of stuckness (that may not be a word…:) ).

The truth is that life is dynamic and ever-changing, so there is NEVER a time when things are exactly the same as they once were. Even if you wanted things to remain the same, they would not – it’s not possible. In order to feel better about the journey you are on, you need to look back and see how far you’ve come, and to realize that you and your life are truly evolving, whether your outer world shows evidence or not. Some tips for getting your perspective back include:

• Keep a journal or some other record of your goals and dreams, your plans to achieve them, and your feelings, accomplishments and adjustments along the way. By documenting your journey you are providing evidence of where you’ve been, and if you’ve really been learning and growing you will find there are some major differences between ‘then’ and ‘now’ when you read your journal entries from a year ago.
• As Abraham-Hicks tell us, sometimes what happens is we look around at our current situation and see ‘what is,’ and this becomes our focus (see next point as well). Instead, we need to continue looking into the future at what we wish to create, while at the same time doing those things in the now which will continue to lead us there. Hold your vision in your mind, and adjust it as you go. See it, feel it, treat yourself as if you were already living it, and then live into it!
• Remember that the Law of Attraction brings you more of whatever you focus on, so if you’re feeling stuck and uninspired, guess what? You’ll get more of the same, and who wants that? Bear this in mind always, and vow to do whatever it takes to reset your thought processes in order to keep your mind on how you want things to be, not what you don’t want. For difficult days or moments, try such tools as visualizing, meditation, EFT and creating and watching a personal vision video. You may also find that just improving your mood and emotional vibration puts you back on track; try our Inspiring Videos for an instant boost, and of course anything that makes you feel great – funny movies, a walk outdoors or other physical activity, etc. – will help.
• Almost every person who has defined and ultimately fulfilled their own vision of success says the same thing: it took lots of false starts, many wrong turns and much in the way of hard-earned wisdom to finally make it. Those who settle and never try for anything may know what’s coming tomorrow (same old thing!), but they will never know the joys of reaching cherished goals and living a life full of passion and joy. Part of that passion is the emotional roller coaster that comes with pursuing your dreams, so instead of resenting it, ride the roller coaster and enjoy, knowing it’s your own special amusement. Each hill and valley is getting you closer to your dreams, and without the learning and growing you are doing along the way, none of them would ever come true.
• One last note and that is to remember that life happens in cycles. We cannot always be ‘up’ and feel inspired, although with personal development those times can be more frequent and prolonged. Sometimes we just need to rest or spend some time incubating and contemplating, in order to bounce back refreshed and ready to go. One of my favourite quotes is “Resting is paying homage to the magnitude of your journey,” and I couldn’t agree more. Relax, have some fun and take the pressure off yourself. You don’t need to be moving forward at every moment…enjoy the wonderful adventure that is your life, and take it easy sometimes!

Some related articles that can help with this:

Personal Development: The Upward Spiral
Why Aren’t You Constantly Creating Your Life?
Law of Gestation: What is Headed in Your Direction?