If it doesn’t make you happy then why are you doing it

If It Doesn’t Make You Happy Then Why Are You Doing It?

I’m sure that you have often heard people complaining about their life and about all the things they have to do that they don’t like doing. Perhaps you have even been guilty of this yourself on occasions. Let’s have a look at how you can change those unwanted patterns for good.

Life is full of choices and possibilities. It is impossible to do everything and so we have to have some system for deciding what we do and what we don’t do. This seems like common sense but in reality most people don’t have any system for choosing.

If you don’t have a system for choosing what to do or what not to do then you will end up as the victim of someone else’s system. You have lost control of your life and you have lost control of your potential for happiness.

Notice that in any group of people, whether it is a family, a social group, a workplace, or some form of club or organization, you always find that a few people do most of the work and some people contribute nothing at all, and get away with it.

If you are one of the contributors you may feel that the others are being unfair or lazy. The reality is that you are allowing yourself to be a victim and you can choose to no longer do that.

Here is a 5 step process for regaining control over your quality of life and your own happiness.

Step 1: Establish a Basis for Choosing

If you are going to develop a system then you need to establish a basis on which to evaluate your choices. The basis you use will go a long way toward determining whether you make good choices or bad choices. For example if you choose on the basis of guilt or a sense of responsibility then you are choosing for reasons that don’t necessarily enhance your life and so your choices are unlikely to contribute to your sense of happiness.

A healthy basis for choice making is whether or not the option that you choose will enhance your life and make you happier. If it will then choose it and if it won’t then don’t choose it.

Step 2: Increase Your Options

Even though the world abounds with possibility most people end up making choices between a very limited set of options. Often this set does not include any options that you really want to do. The problem is not that you don’t have good options; the problem is that you are limiting the possible options and by doing that you are not including your good options.

Make a habit of looking outside the box. Make a habit of asking yourself what other possibilities exist. If you take the time to brainstorm options you will be surprised just how many possibilities there really are. Keep brainstorming until your options include a number of possibilities that you like.

Step 5: Make a conscious choice

Once you have established your basis for choosing and brainstormed for more possibilities it is time to actually make a decision and choose. This is where you have to draw on your strength of character and stick to your criteria for choosing.

Resist the temptation to say «yes» to something you don’t want to do just to keep the peace. You are not keeping the peace by doing that. You are severely damaging your own inner peace. When you want to say no then say no. It may take some practice but saying no is the way to get that practice.

Your responsibility is to yourself and your own happiness. That means that in the case of choosing what you do and what you don’t do, your responsibility is to consciously make your choice according to the criteria that you set in step 1.

Step 4: Evaluate the Outcome of Your Choice

No matter what you do in life you should always evaluate your outcome to see what you can learn about the system that you are using. In this case you are evaluating your outcomes to see if they are meeting the objective you set in step 1.

Step 5: Improve Your Choice Making System

If your choices aren’t producing the outcomes that you want then maybe you need to modify the way you are making those choices. Over time you will develop the criteria that work best for you.

A word of warning though. Never sacrifice your long term happiness for the promise of short term peace of mind. The price for that short term peace of mind may be that you fail to achieve true happiness and self fulfillment in your life.

Hottest lawn care small business franchises

Hottest Lawn Care Small Business Franchises

Grass; I always thought it was just that short green stuff I played football on and rolled around in when I was a kid, but as it turns out, grass is a bigger deal than I’ve ever given it credit for. There are magazines, books, websites, clubs, and innumerable businesses that specialize specifically in grass: knowing and teaching how to make a lawn as green, thick, and healthy as it possibly can be. In fact, in 2003, it was an $11.6bil industry, but this industry is more than just grass, it’s called lawn care. If you’re an entrepreneur interested in starting a home based business that will be profitable and enjoyable, entering the lawn care world as a professional may be a good way to go, and here are some great lawn care franchises to get you there.

Lawn Maintenance

There are a few different angles from which to approach lawn care as a business. The most obvious side of the industry is the actual work of maintaining the lawn itself, and there are three businesses I would recommend for their excellence in the market.

Spring-Green Lawn Care is a longtime powerhouse in the lawn care world, providing top-notch service to homeowners in 24 states for the last 30 years. Franchisees with this mobile franchise receive a week of initial training and a few days of on-the-job training before starting out as owner/operators; fertilizing clients’ lawns, controlling diseases and insects, aerating, and maintaining trees and hedges around the lawn as well. And that simple beginning can quickly turn into a more profitable operation with the franchisee overseeing a larger group of employees actually doing the work.

Home lawns aren’t the only option in the business, though; there are also small business opportunities in the field of commercial lawn care. U.S. Lawns is a company that has been franchising successfully since 1986. Their goal is to provide the corporate professionalism necessary in commercial landscaping with the personal touch of a small business. Franchisees need no previous experience to succeed with the business, and overhead is low, while business is very constant, as commercial clients tend to be repeat customers for a long time.

Since its inception in 1991, NaturaLawn of America has been the nation’s leader in organic lawn care. Unlike their competition, NaturaLawn of America refuses to use harsh chemical treatments to rid lawns of weeds and insects; instead, they fight disease and promote growth with only natural solutions. Increasingly, this is the preferred method of care for many consumers, and thus demand for this kind of business is growing.

Lawn Cleanup

Not all problems in a person’s yard are threats to the lawn, though; sometimes, the threat is to the people walking across the lawn instead of the lawn itself. It may not be a danger, per se, but dog waste in the yard is definitely an eyesore and an inconvenience, and there is a special class of lawn care businesses that concentrate on getting rid of it.

Doody Calls and Pet Butler are the big names in the pet waste management industry, each providing professional waste pick-up and removal to innumerable clients around the country. Their systems are incredibly well-planned and brilliantly functional, orchestrating numerous mobile units that run their circuits around town while tracked by GPS to check progress. Marketing plans are made available to all franchisees through central computer systems, and communication between franchises is encouraged to maximize effectiveness. It may not be the most glamorous work in the world, but it is certainly profitable, sometimes turning up to a 49% profit margin, and running in a $40bil-and-climbing pet market, the prospect of future business growth is a definite possibility.

Lawn Boundaries

Another opportunity for working in lawn care without having to worry about the maintenance of grass is with a franchise business called Kwik Kerb. Today, it has become incredibly popular to have artistic concrete boundaries between the lawn and planters in the yard, and that is precisely the product and service that this work from home business provides. Aesthetically, the product is pleasing to the eye, but it provides a very functional purpose as well, drawing a clear boundary between yard and planter that doubles as a barricade, keeping any weeds and diseases from the lawn out of the flower bed, and visa versa. There are many benefits to this business, aside from high profit margin in the world of landscaping, and one of those is that this particular brand of landscaping doesn’t require continued service, so once the franchisee finishes the work for a client, the project is complete. Some business owners like the consistency of repeat business, but for those who like to get a job done and move on to another, this is a good choice.

If getting your hands dirty at work is important to you, and you really find satisfaction in growing a deep, emerald green lawn, lawn care may be just the business for you to get into. With any of these franchises, it could easily be the road to success and financial freedom.

James zelasko receives directbuy’s achievement circle honors

James Zelasko receives DirectBuy’s Achievement Circle honors

DirectBuy’s Achievement Circle recognizes the top performing membership directors and phone room associates at the more than 160 DirectBuy clubs across North America for their performance on a monthly basis. As a membership director, Zelasko is responsible for presenting the DirectBuy opportunity to prospective members, conducting tours of the DirectBuy of Buffalo club and answering questions prospective members might have prior to making their decision.

“It’s no accident that James has earned Achievement Circle honors 12 times. He’s very good at working with prospective new members and is a valuable member of our marketing team,” said Mark Klinger, owner of DirectBuy of Buffalo, located at 4950 Genesee Street in Cheektowaga.

Zelasko began with DirectBuy of Buffalo in February 2006. Prior to that, he had spent 23 years in retail furniture and flooring sales.

“DirectBuy is the best job I’ve ever had for many reasons, but mostly because I truly believe in the product,” said Zelasko. “DirectBuy not only helps families stretch their dollars to buy the things they need but it helps them buy the things they want, too.”

Zelasko resides in Orchard Park with his wife Susan and their five children.

Since 1971, DirectBuy has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from the manufacturer. Conveniently located at 4950 Genesee Street in Cheektowaga, New York, DirectBuy offers members a comfortable setting, where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

For more information on a DirectBuy club membership, you can call 716-684-1400 or visit www.directbuy-buffalo.com.

About DirectBuy

Since 1971, DirectBuy has helped hundreds of thousands of families enjoy a better quality of life, enabling them to buy directly from more than 700 manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Buying direct makes members’ hard-earned money to go much further, while having the selection and choice not available at any retail store. DirectBuy has been serving the greater Buffalo area since 2005. Access to confidential prices, local suppliers, and unparalleled selection helps make members’ dream projects a reality. It’s a comfortable setting, where you finally have the financial control of buying direct. DirectBuy of Buffalo is one of more than 160 DirectBuy club locations throughout North America.

Consumers interested in becoming members may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by contacting DirectBuy at 716-684-1400, or visiting Directbuy-Buffalo.com

To learn more about the superior value and benefits of a DirectBuy club membership, visit www.directbuycares.com.

How to gather funds to become a volunteer overseas

How to Gather Funds to Become a Volunteer Overseas

There are a number of people who would love to volunteer overseas for a noble purpose. But most of them step back for financial reasons. As you have to pay from your own pocket to serve as a volunteer overseas, you need to depend great only on your finance to take up the opportunity. Here are some tips for all those who want to work as a volunteer overseas, yet are unable to join for financial purposes.

Use your own resources:

First check out if you can fund yourself at least to the minimum level. See if you can get some money from a credit card company to finance yourself in your endeavor to become a volunteer overseas. Do not forget, that credit card companies provide you with cash in the form of loan. It is not free money. So, keep in mind that you will have to pay it back.

Ask form your friends and family members:

While you are opting for a noble purpose and is receding back for financial constraints, feel free to share your problem with near and dear ones. Approach your friends, relatives, family members and all those whom you know. Ask for some fund.

Be clear and specific, about your purpose. It may be difficult for one single person to provide you with the entire amount so collect money according to each ones capacity. A group of them may agree to pay for your traveling allowance or your lodging. This way you will find that you have gathered the fund you will require.

Speak to your employer:

Approach your employer if you are working. He may agree to pay you for the noble cause.

Some other business men can also fund you. Make a list of such people who can pay you. Ask them if they can offer you with some amount. Frame a letter that will reflect a specific amount and provide it to them. Keep the amount low.

If you keep a lower amount you will have more chances of getting a donor. See how many potential donors you have gained.

Contact a club or a religious group:

If you are associated with a religious group, approach them. They may offer you some amount.

After you have approached different people and groups, check out how much you have collected. If you are still falling short of fund, check out if you can pay the extra from your own pocket. This way you can easily participate as a volunteer overseas.