Invoices For Blessings Already Received

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Manifesting, Mindfulness, Motivation, Self Care, Success, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

Invoices For Blessings Already Received!

They say it usually takes a small business at least 5 years before it can start to really see consistent growth and sustainable profit. I’m an entrepreneur and have been for the past 4+ yrs – I own my medical practice here in Nashville, TN. I faced many financial challenges in the first couple of years of my practice including a large majority of that time, not being able to pay myself a salary. Ask any entrepreneur you know and I’m almost certain that will tell you something very similar about their experience lol!

I have some great mentors, including my parents who are both entrepreneurs, and knew because of their advice to expect some financial strain in the beginning. However, at one point I started to get really aggravated by my bills….yes, aggravated! Every time I looked around there were unexpected bills popping up – state taxes, federal taxes, Professional Privilege Tax (yes – that really is a tax here in the state of Tennessee that taxes me for being a Doctor!).

The more the bills came in, the more I complained and complained…….and complained!

I always prayed that God would make a way for each and every bill to be paid and He always showed up and the bills would be paid. However, every time one would come, I would start fussing again lol!

One day in the course of the daily reading that I do on Twitter and Facebook, I started coming across article after article about money management that somehow encouraged me to start looking at money differently! Instead of complaining every time a bill came in the mail, I started being thankful that I’m doing something I want to do or have something I want to have that results in a bill coming in the mail for it as compensation!

I have a cable bill because I get to enjoy unlimited cable every month. I have business taxes to pay because I am blessed to own a business that creates income for myself and my future. I had (Thank God for the blessing of it being totally paid off!) a car payment to make because I am blessed to drive a nice, comfortable, reliable car!

You see, when I re-named my bills “Invoices for Blessings already received” things started changing in my life! My income started increasing and I had more money available to pay the bills – taking away the negativity I was associating with them in the first place!

Money is Spiritual. I know…you may have never thought of it that way! When I talk about money being spiritual with people for the first time I often get “You know, I never thought of it that way!” comments or the opposite, blank stares (lol) until I explain it further!

You block the flow of money when you approach it from a place of lack and scarcity. You increase the flow of money when you appreciate the money you already have (even if it’s not as much as you want or think you need) and become a good steward over it. You want to know why??? Check this out:

Because Little Becomes Much in God’s Hands!!!!

Starting today I want you to literally write on the top of every bill that you get and feel negatively about this phrase:

“This Bill is an Invoice for a BLESSING Already Received!”

Moreover, it’s not enough to just say it….you must really feel grateful for the blessing already received!

This practice has totally changed the way I deal with and handle money and I hope it does for you too!

Dr. Carmen April is an entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2014 Nashville Emerging Leader Award (NELA) Winner, a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is a 2014 Graduate of the New Leaders Council Institute – Nashville Chapter. She’s a Podiatrist and Owner of The Foot And Ankle Healthcare Center in the Nashville, TN area. She’s also the creator/owner of “Design Your Story Coaching & Consulting” and is available for speaking engagements on Small Business Entrepreneurship.

14Apr2015

And The Greatest of These is Love

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Manifesting, Mindfulness, Motivation, Success, Theme For 2015, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

…..And The Greatest of These is Love

Three things will last forever – Faith, Hope, and Love; and the Greatest of these is Love” –

1 Corinthians 13:13

My first blog post for 2015 discussed an activity that I’ve been doing the past couple of years which is to declare a particular word/theme for the year. Once I select the word/theme I meditate on it everyday throughout the year. I create a colorful poster with the word written in the center of it and have it hanging on my bathroom mirror, refrigerator and in my office.

At the end of 2014 I prayed over what my “Theme for 2015” would be and two words were revealed to me. Everywhere I looked, in things I read, conversations I had with people, things I saw on TV, and what continued to come up in my spirit during my prayer and meditation time, were these two words consistently! Because I was obviously on a positive frequency with these two words, I couldn’t just choose 1 word…..I had to go with both!

I didn’t reveal the words then, but I’m revealing the first one today and the other in a couple of months!!

LOVE

To say that the word LOVE continuously came up in my spirit during the time is a huge understatement lol! I even found this sweater during a “random” shopping trip to the mall (I put the word “random” in quotations because I don’t believe in coincidences……..everything happens for reason!)

We tend to focus so much on Romantic Love that we tend to forget about the many other dimensions of Love. God is Love, is the Creator of love, created us in love, to experience love and to share love.

Since I have begun to look at more of my daily interactions, “goings-on” and activities through a new lens of love, I am more acutely aware of the many miracles that occur in my life on a daily basis 🙂

I plan to feature a couple more posts on love here throughout the year as new revelations are coming to me everyday through mediation, prayer, and being Mindful of the many miracles that form the basis of my thriving existence here on earth.

We are called to Love!

I’ll end this post with an old Australian Proverb:

“We are just visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to LOVE…..and then we return home”.

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8Apr2015

Live Your Dreams

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Self Care, Success, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

Live Your Dreams

Life is too short to waste it living someone else’s dream or even worse, having amazing dreams of your own that you’re too afraid to go after. Holding on to dreams and being afraid to pursue them is like someone wrapping a $10 Million gift for you, placing it under the Christmas Tree and you deciding to leave it there, unopened, forever!

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Who would do that?”

Well, people do it all the time!

Just imagine: The giver of the gift would not be happy in that situation because the special gift that they picked out just for you is going unopened and unused & the receiver of the gift will never experience the joy of finding and having the precious gift! Analogy –>> God/Creator of the Universe is the gift-giver and you are the recipient.

There is a special gift that the world needs and only YOU have it! Don’t deprive the Universe of the special gifts it needs…those that reside within you and only you! Discover them, chase after them, share them, love them, use them to help other people and give Thanks to The Creator for them 🙂

Dr. Carmen April is an entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2014 Nashville Emerging Leader (NELA) Award Winner, a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is a 2014 Graduate of the New Leaders Council Institute – Nashville Chapter. She’s a Podiatrist and Owner of The Foot And Ankle Healthcare Center in the Nashville, TN area. She’s also the creator/owner of “Design Your Story Coaching & Consulting” and is available for speaking engagements on Small Business Entrepreneurship.

30Mar2015

On Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Service

Posted in Branding, Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by Dr. Carmen April

On Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Service

A couple of weeks ago my really great friend/College Roommate/Sorority Sister, Sirobe, featured me on her blog. I was tickled pink over this because she is one of the most creative people I’ve ever met in my life and am honored that she’s featured me! She interviewed me about everything from Entrepreneurship and Leadership to proper foot health and my annual sock drive. We talked for well over an hour and somehow she managed to whittle the interview down to the three features you can find here:

Enjoy!

Faith Is Like WiFi

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Manifesting, Mindfulness, Motivation, Success, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

Faith Is Like WiFi

Wi-Fi is Invisible, but it’s real and it works!

Gravity is invisible, but it’s real and it works!

The air we breath is invisible, but it’s real and it works!

Faith is invisible, but it’s real and it works!

Faith is like Wi-Fi: It’s invisible, but has the power to connect you to exactly what you need!

When we are plugged into the source of our existence and count on that source to guide our lives, we are guaranteed that we will receive exactly what we need, when we need it, to carry out our purposes here on earth!!

Remember this and carry it into every aspect of your life – personal, social, and professional! Your Faith is POWERFUL and will keep you connected to The Source!

26Feb2015

There is Power in What We Think About and Thank About

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Manifesting, Mindfulness, Motivation, Success, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

There is Power in What We Think About & Thank About!

Plainly stated, expressing Gratitude is one of the most important things you can do everyday to live a successful, victorious life!

When you are truly thankful for all the things that allow you to live and breathe and have your being each and every day, you allow less and less room for dissatisfaction and complaining to take root in your mind. God/Creator/Universe honors gratitude and sends more of those things you are appreciative of your way!

When you change your thinking, you change your life!

When you are appreciative, your life changes!

Sounds like a win-win to me 🙂

10Feb2015

“God is Within her. She will not fail”

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Manifesting, Motivation, Success by Dr. Carmen April

“God is Within Her. She will not fail” – Psalm 46:5

Today’s post is really simple. The verse featured as the title of this blog post was on my heart and I wanted to share it.

I set the intention of succeeding at everything I do, but honestly, some of the tasks that are before me initially appear to be overwhelming. However, I have to often remind myself that the Good Orderly Direction of the Universe, God, guides me day by day.

Taking a little time to sit down & meditate on all the blessings I experience and posses, reminds me that I can and WILL conquer the day victoriously!

5Feb2015

Start Before You’re Ready!

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

Start Before You’re Ready!

Truth is…….you may never feel 100% “ready” when it comes to major life events – choosing a college to attend, starting a business, deciding to get married and/or starting a family, moving to a new city, etc. However, often times we have to Pray & meditate and then take a leap of Faith when it comes to making these decisions. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will! Countless dreams and desires go unrealized because people doubt themselves too much to even take the first step.

So, make plans and, by all means, do your due diligence. Remember that you may not ever feel 100% “ready”, but start anyways! There’s always room for stuff to be smoothed out later 🙂

12Jan2015

Gratitude Unlocks Blessings

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success, Uncategorized by Dr. Carmen April

Gratitude Unlocks Blessings

When you fall in love with Life, limitations Disappear!

Gratitude is a special key for unlocking a floodgate of blessings!

Gratitude is an extremely strong energy!

Breath in your body and the fact that you woke up this morning is enough to be grateful for! There’s a reason you are still alive here on earth. You may not have everything you want at this present moment and may not be exactly where you want to be at this point in your life, but I can almost guarantee that if you are reading this right now…….you have more than enough!

If you are constantly complaining about what you don’t have and not having enough, the Universe will send you more things to complain about not having.

But, the more we are thankful for the things we DO have, the more the Universe will send us great things to be thankful for! Isn’t that awesome!

You give and your receive…..it’s the Law of Attraction! Put out negative energy = get negative energy back. Put out good energy = receive good energy back!

Being Grateful for what you have is an awesome spiritual key to opening up a flood gate of additional blessings!

Take a minute to just sit down with a piece of paper and start writing down things you are grateful for. I do this quite often and find that I really could write for hours and hours on end about the things I am thankful for. I encourage you to try it for yourself and see how amazing you feel during and afterward 🙂

Dr. Carmen April is an entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2014 Nashville Emerging Young Leader Award Winner, a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is a 2014 Graduate of the New Leaders Council Institute – Nashville Chapter. She’s a Podiatrist and Owner of The Foot And Ankle Healthcare Center in the Nashville, TN area. She’s also the creator/owner of “Design Your Story Coaching & Consulting” and is available for speaking engagements on Small Business Entrepreneurship.

1Jan2015

Happy New Year 2015!

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by Dr. Carmen April

Happy New Year 2015

Wow!!! We’ve made it to 2015 🙂 It’s such a blessing to be able to share my first post for the new year! I started this website and blog in January of 2014 and intended for it to be my “Grand Central Station” for all my websites, food blog, Leadership Blog, links to social media, etc and I’m so excited about carrying it into 2015 with new content and more encouragement for myself and all of you who come to visit my site!

I don’t believe that anything just happens by accident, even something as seemingly small as you landing on my website. Whether it be because we are friends in real life and you saw the link to this post on my social media outlets, you subscribe to this website/blog or you were doing a “random” internet search for something Leadership related, I’m glad you landed here at this very moment because I hope something I’ve shared on these web pages encourages you, inspires you and/or gives you some kind of clarity!

As a young entrepreneur who started my own medical practice (which continues to grow!), I started getting invitations to speak at various conferences, workshops and events. I loooove speaking to groups and encouraging others with things I know have been game changers for me in my career and life. I even delivered a couple of major Keynote Speeches in 2014! A couple of years ago I never thought that Leadership Speaking would be part of my way of impacting the world in a positive way but it is and I love it!

Dr. Carmen April Speaking at a Conference in 2014

The past couple of years I’ve focused mostly on teaching and speaking about Leadership for college students and young professionals. Throughout all of my countless hours of research over the past couple of years combined with a specific conviction that I have deep in my heart and soul, I’ve found a common thread among the vast majority of very successful people – those that I personally know and those whom I have studied.

Are you ready for me to tell you the common thread that just lights up my soul because I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it is a game-changer for most successful people??????

FAITH in a Power Bigger than ourselves!!!

FAITH in a power bigger than ourselves! FAITH that assures us that if we do our part, our Higher Power will do its part! FAITH that reminds us that if we faint not, it will carry us through every situation. FAITH that trusts that even when the money may be running low as an entrepreneur, college student, young adult just starting out or person whose been working all of their adult life and has to start over because of a company lay-off, the sun will shine tomorrow and things WILL work out as long as you believe!!

This Higher Power goes by many names – God, Spirit Guide, Higher Power, Father, Supreme Authority, Eternal Spirit, The Creator, etc. For me, it’s all of these names because no matter which one of these respected titles I call on at any given time during the day, it’s the same Spirit Guide who never leaves me or forsakes me. The same Spirit Guide who leads, guides and directs my steps every day. The same Spirit Guide who allows me to live, breathe and have my being each and every second of every day.

99% of the Most successful people I know and/or have studied about over the past couple of years acknowledges that their successes are not because of their own doing. They have Faith that The Creator is a guiding light for them in all of their accomplishments.

The closer you come to understanding the purpose for your life and allow this guiding light to lead, guide and direct you on a daily basis, the happier and more successful you’ll be!

SUCCESS means doing what you like to do and doing it well – well enough to make you happy, gives you a sense of belonging and purpose in life, and shares light and positivity with the world.

Over the past year, the term Life Leadership has had a strong vibration within me because I have come to the conclusion that the best Leaders in school, work, professional environments, etc are those who have a great sense of self and a great understanding of what really matters in life.

So, starting today – January 1st, 2015 – I plan to share more on my concept of Life Leadership. I hope my thoughts encourage you to become the best Leader you can be for your own life which will, in turn, make you a superb leader when it comes to leading others!

Last year, I did a little exercise for myself to serve as a guide for 2014. I’m not huge on New Year’s Resolutions because most people don’t stick with them beyond the end of January anyways lol! My exercise involved choosing a word, a theme, for the year. I posted this word on my bathroom mirror so that I could mediate on it morning and night. I also placed it in my office so that it was one of the first things I could see hanging on the wall as I walked in every morning!

I’m so happy I did this because it guided me everyday!

My phrase (As much as I tried to use just one word, I couldn’t narrow it down to just one LOL) for 2014 was:

“COUNT ON IT”!

I prayed for things to work out and improve in certain areas of my life and business at the end of 2013, start of 2014 and every day since. I declared that the phrase “COUNT ON IT” would be my theme for 2014. Let me tell you – Before the clock struck 12 Midnight into the new year of 2015, I already saw things I had been praying about coming to fruition in my life!!!! Situations, relationships, financial matters, personal growth and my faith all improved because everyday I reminded myself that I was counting on my blessings – COUNT ON IT. COUNT ON IT. COUNT ON IT.

This exercise is powerful because:

❐ We ARE what we THINK & FEEL!

❐ We BECOME what we THINK & FEEL!

❐ Our actions REFLECT what we THINK and FEEL!

❐ The more you think about and feel Happiness, the more Happiness you attract and the happier you’ll be.

❐ The more you think about Joy and being Joyful, the more Joy you will attract and the more Joyful you will be!

❐ The more you think positively about Money, they more Money you will attract.

❐ Vice versa, the more negative you are in situations, the more negative situations you will attract.

❐ The more negativity and complaining you share on social media, the more negative situations will come your way for you to complain about.

❐ Remember, the thoughts, feelings and words you speak all have POWER and what you send out comes back…….. It’s like a boomerang!!!!

❐ I encourage you in 2015 to be aware of the words you speak. Choose to speak Positive Words of Power over your life and your circumstances.

I’ve already chosen my “THEME”/word for 2015 and I encourage you do this for yourself! In fact, I’m going to help you along :-). I’ve created some jpeg and PDF images below that I want you to fill out with “Your Word” for 2015. You can print it out, fill it out, post on your bathroom mirror, fridge, office space, etc and let it serve as a reminder to you everyday to study, meditate upon, pray upon and share with others about it!

I’m not going to reveal my word for 2015 until later in the year, but I’ve given you an example of what I did for 2014.

Your word may be one of the following: Joy, Happiness, Peace, Serenity, Dedication, Forgiveness, Recovery, Excitement, Money, etc.

Whatever, your word may be, I want you to eat it, live it, breath it, and sleep it (you catch my drift lol) for the entire duration of 2015!! As you start to recognize breakthroughs and “Aha moments” in your life as it relates to your theme, please share them with me! You can share them with me here on the blog – on this post specifically.

Please feel free to print out as many of the images below as you would like and share them with your friends, family members, co-workers, etc. (*****Note: Click on the link highlighted in red beneath each jpeg image for the PDF version).