Phang Trading Co.

Come chill with us.

We are networking with local businesses every Wednesday. Come share your business with us!!

Come network with me THIS WEDNESDAY at 9am at United Bank on Emma in Springdale!

Come see what the Masterminds of Biz, NWA is about!

FREE snacks and coffee!

Feel free to tag anyone who you may think would be interested in some professional networking!

99% of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses. -- George Washington Carver

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. -- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Friend, have you heard that "most people spend more time planning for vacation than retirement"? There is nothing wrong with organizing for a great time, but vacation eventually comes to an end and daily life keeps going. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.

Here are a few questions and ideas that could guide us to plan for our future.

1. Envision Your Ideal Future:
What does your ideal life look like?What do you hope to have accomplished? What do you want your grandchildren to remember you by?

2. Reflect on Passions and Interests:
What activities make you lose track of time? What topics do you love to learn about? What issues are dear and near to your heart?

3. Set Goals and Take Action:
Set small, achievable goals that align with your interests and passions. Experiment with different activities to see what resonates with you.

4. Stay Open and Adaptable:
Be open to change and new experiences. Allow your purpose to evolve over time. Remember, change is the only constant in life.

5. Seek Feedback from Others:
Ask friends, family, and colleagues what they see as your strengths and passions. Seek out people who are in life where you want to be and ask questions.

Friend, ultimately you are the one responsible for your life. Planning for vacation is fun, and planning for your life will allow you to maximize the fun you could ever have. Let's get on with the planning phase so we could move on to the building phase and pursue this fun life we have designed for ourselves.

Book to read:
What to Say When You Talk to Yourself. By Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D.

Happiness is not about lying to ourselves, or turning a blind eye to the negative, but about adjusting our brain so that we see the ways to rise above our circumstances. --Shawn Achor

Our brain is truly an amazing machine! The Bible teaches us to "Rejoice always. In all things give thanks." Advancement in neuroscience has proven the tremendous advantage one holds if one keeps a positive mental attitude.

The Bible has stated "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Studies have proven what we believe could materialize in reality. I am going to share with you a couple of interesting experiments that proved this point.

*In Japan, researchers blindfolded a group of 13 students, who are highly allergic to poison ivy, and told them their right arms were being rubbed with a poison ivy plant. All 13 students reacted with the classic symptoms of poison ivy. But in reality, the plant used was not a poison ivy but a harmless shrub. Then the researchers rubbed actual poison ivy on the students' other arm, but told them it was a harmless plant. Only 2 out of the 13 students, who all are highly allergic to the plant, broke out into the rash.

*Ali Crum and Ellen Langer, researchers from Yale University conducted an experiment on the cleaning staff of seven different hotels. They told half of the employees their everyday work is helping them to exercise, the calories their daily activities burned, how similar vacuuming is to a cardio workout,cand so on. The other half of the cleaning staff was given no such good news.

Several weeks later, those who had been primed to think of their works as exercises had actually lost weight and their cholesterol had also dropped.

*These two experiments are taken from Shawn Achor's book "The Happiness Advantage".

When Dr Hill wrote "Think and Grow Rich" there was no scientific backing to his claims "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things." But friend, we are living in the day and age that it is proven beyond a shadow of any doubt Dr Hill's statement is true!! Our beliefs can change the concrete results of our efforts and works.

Friend, from today onwards, let's reimagine our daily activities and reimage them to get the most benefits out of them. What positive spin we could put on them to make our life easier and more productive? Please share with me your creative ideas.

Book to read:
Winning the War in Your Mind. By Craig Groeschel

It turns out that our brains are literally hardwired to perform at their best ... when they are positive. -- Shawn Achor

Friend, we have known for a while that everyone lives his life to the extent of his belief system. If you believe air travel is not safe, you will not fly. If you believe "stranger is danger", you won't have many new friends and most probably miss out on many opportunities. If you believe the system is biased, all you see is racism and injustice everywhere.

I am not saying racism and injustice do not exist, but do you want to live your whole life through that lens? Both negativities and positivisties are in front of us, I hope you choose positivisties; it is just a much happier and funnier way to live.

In the last couple of decades, neuroscience and positive psychology have made tremendous progress. Many studies have proven that positivity has profound effects on our brain and overall well-being.

1. Positive emotions stimulate the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which contribute to feelings of pleasure and happiness.

2. Positivity can alter the balance of chemicals in the brain, reducing stress hormones like cortisol and increasing endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood elevators.

3. Positive emotions are linked to enhanced neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. This can improve learning, memory, and cognitive function.

4. Positive thinking fosters resilience, helping individuals cope with challenges and bounce back from setbacks more effectively. It also promotes a more optimistic outlook on life.

5. Positivity is associated with better physical health outcomes, including lower blood pressure, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and a stronger immune system.

6. Positive emotions facilitate social connections and strengthen relationships, leading to greater social support and emotional well-being.

Friend, everyday living is tough enough all by itself, it doesn't need us to add more challenges and miseries to it. Instead, I propose we sprinkle some fun, joy, gratitude, serenity, amusement, hope, inspiration, awe, and love in our everyday living whenever and wherever we can. After all, memories are the only things we could leave behind, let's make sure they are happy memories.

Book to read:
The Happiness Advantage. By Shawn Achor

Word!

These gloves are a constant reminder of how tough life can get and how important it is to put in the work. I cherish hard work. Hard work is like strong medicine, tastes horrible going down, but it makes you feel better. Keep punching! 🥊

In Bentonville.

🏠 Open House, Sunday, May 5th 🏠

⏱️2-4:00pm

🛏️ 3 Bedrooms / 🛁 3.5 Bathrooms

📏 2743 Square Feet

🚲 4 min. ride to the square



MovingWithMichelleNWA.kw.com KW.com

Hmm....

Truth.

If we study merely what is average, we will remain merely average. -- Shawn Achor

Do you want to be average? Do you get excited about an average movie? Your favorite restaurant is an average restaurant? Your dream is to marry an average spouse and raise average children?No! Most, if not all, of us believe we are better than average, yet everything around us is telling us to settle for average. Average income is .... Average home price is .... The average life span is.... Do this, do that, because that's what average people do. Basically, live your life just like most people do. Translation, Average.

A few days ago I was hanging out with a friend who has a one year old boy. I observed that she is always encouraging her boy to do things; holding the bottle, trying to stand up, learning to say mama. Every single attempt is showered with praise and encouragement. It finally dawned on me that that's why most young kids believe they could be whatever and whoever they want to be. They are encouraged to do everything and try every move

Around 4, 5 years old is when we, the adults, start to tell them "don't do this, don't do that", "you are a big boy/girl now behave like so and so", "why are you still not doing this right ...". Instead of praise and encouragement, we set limits and start telling them to be "realistic", whatever that means.

Then we send them to school where more rules and regulations are imposed, and dreaming, doing things outside the norm are prohibited. After 10-20 years of formal schooling, we have young adults that are trained to follow orders. They fit perfectly as employees but have hard time making decisions for themselves.

Friend, our forefathers didn't come to this country to find a job, but to create opportunities for themselves . They weren't security seekers, but risk takers. Ya, sure time has changed, but opportunities still abound! The advancement in technology has thrown the opportunity's door wide open for anyone who is willing to step up. There are plenty of people who are willing to share their wealth of wisdom with us, if we only know what we are looking for and dare to ask for help.

You are not average so don't settle for average. How do I know you are not average? The moment you were conceived you beat out millions of competitors! Think about that; you are truly one in the millions. There is seed of greatness in every one of us. Find out what that is and shine your greatness to the world.

Book to read:
Life is Tremendous. By Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

Before we can stand out, we must first get clear on what we stand for. -- Simon Sinek

A successful entrepreneur is deeply rooted in self-awareness and consistency. He understands himself; his strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations. He also recognizes the importance of consistency in his actions, decisions, and mindset.

Self-awareness helps entrepreneurs identify opportunities that align with their skills, passions, and values. By knowing themselves well, they can make better decisions. They understand their risk tolerance, decision-making style, and how their biases may influence choices. When opportunities present themselves, they can identify the one that best serves them.

Self-aware entrepreneurs are adaptable. They acknowledge feedback, learn from failures, and adjust their strategies accordingly. Consistency in learning and adaptation enables them to navigate challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Self-awareness enhances interpersonal skills crucial for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs who understand their communication style, emotional intelligence, and how they impact others can build strong networks, partnerships, and customer relationships.

Last but not least, self-awareness fosters authentic leadership in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs who understand their values, strengths, and weaknesses can lead with integrity, inspire others, and build a culture of trust and collaboration.

No doubt entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Most people would rather put on a happy face than truly find out who they really are and what they really want. As always, with great risk comes great reward! But this is the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. If not us, who?

Book to read:
The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster. By Darren Hardy