You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face… You must do the thing you think you cannot do.   Eleanor Roosevelt

What fear is holding you back from living the life you have imagined?

• Fear of Change and the Unknown
• Fear of Making Wrong Decisions
• Fear of Not Being Accepted and Loved
• Fear of the Past
• Fear of the Future
• Fear of Failure
• Fear of Success

Most doubt and indecision comes from either living in the past or the future. But clarity brings action.

Trust provides clarity and direction. It is a peaceful place to be. The funny thing is, the more you trust you are where you need to be, the more confident you become.

So what will it be ~ Fear or Faith?

Faith is the substance of things not seen. Change and uncertainty will be your constant companions through life.  Cultivate confidence in your abilities by challenging your self-limited beliefs. Remind yourself of your past successes rather than dwell on decisions you wish you had made differently.

February is the month of love. Extend the love you share with others and begin loving yourself.

Join like-minded women on Leap Day at the life planning WOW Workshop February 29th and take a leap of faith. Success is just around the corner, waiting for you to claim it. Check it out at The Swan Network .If you’ve missed this workshop, please remember to sign up for our free newsletter to receive timely tips and notices about upcoming teleconferences, workshops and online meetings.

Brought to you by:

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark,
in the hopeless swamps of the approximate,
the not quite, the not yet, the not at all.

Do not let the hero in your soul perish,
in lonely frustration for the life you deserved,
but have never been able to reach.

Check your road and the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won.
It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.

Ayn Rand

Are you a woman on fire with passion for life?

Or are you just burned out?

Time to ignite your future with a compelling vision for the life you dream of living.  Time to pull out your boxed in dreams and bring them into the light. Re-examine them. Do these dreams of yours remain important? If so, why do these dreams remain in the caverns of your mind?

Just like an unlit candle, collecting dust, your dreams have wonderful potential for touching the senses and lighting up your life.

What small step can you take today that will bring you joy?

Stop thinking. Start doing. You will feel so much better.

Need a mental boost to get you going?  Join other savvy women at The Swan Network, a life planning resource center for savvy women who are ready to own their future. Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter to stay inspired and informed.

The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams. Og Mandino

What timeless principle of the Circle of Wisdom reinforces this guidance?

Believe in yourself and your goals. The choices you make today create tomorrow’s history.

• Set goals.
• Establish new habits so they become second nature.
• Trust in yourself. Know that each small step today, however difficult, is bringing you closer to fulfilling your dreams.

Persevere.

The new WOW workshops begin in January. Inspiration, motivation, and accountability to help you be Great in 08!

You’ll be blown away when you watch the video. Watch it anyway. I’ll meet you below.
Shift Happens Video

Did you have a lightbulb moment? A flash of clarity?

So, the US Department of Labor says that 1 in 4 workers has only been at their place of employment for less than a year, and 50% of all workers are working for a company where they have been for less than 5 years.

What does that tell you about retirement and pensions?

The US Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs before the age of 38. And, the top 10 jobs in 2010 didn’t even exist in 2004.

What does that tell you about change?

Life happens. Whether we are ready or not. The Prayer of Serenity asks that we learn to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and gain the wisdom to know the difference.

For today … just today … what is within your control?

A lot. What you choose to:

• Eat
• Spend
• Watch
• Read
• Think

Choose an attitude of success. It will transform your life. And the lives of those around you.

Remember to sign up for the Swan Journal for Women.  You don’t want to miss a single issue.

Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege.
Author Unknown

Anticipating the joy of starting their own family, Ellen and her husband purchased and moved into the home where she was raised. They were looking forward to the joy of watching their future children play in a home full of her childhood memories.  Ellen’s youthful handprints were still visible in the cement drive. Her playhouse was still in the backyard.

Then the unthinkable happened. Within a few months of moving into their new home, Ellen received crushing news. In her words:

On October 30, 2006, my life changed in the blink of an eye. After one visit with my dermatologist, we were given the horrible news that I had melanoma on my scalp. In an instant all our hopes and dreams for the upcoming years were shattered. It was surreal that our lives could be going in one direction and in a second it felt like it had crumbled to pieces and there was absolutely nothing we could do.

At age 29 and after a valiant year long fight with cancer, my young friend and neighbor, Ellen, passed away just a few weeks ago. Her short life impacted the lives of many. From community service to strong friendships, she touched lives with her strength and leadership. She will be missed.

Just the week before Ellen’s passing, my father-in-law also passed. Charlie was in his late 80’s and had spent his last years in a nursing home. Memory gone, he was pleasant but detached, not remembering our 23 year history of Christmas Eve dinners, birthday celebrations, fish fries, or my teaching him how to shop for groceries after his wife and my mother-in-law had passed. A big man, Charlie had lived a full life, was a World War II veteran, and family man. Although he is gone, his memory lingers.

I share these stories not to sadden or depress, but to help us all realize and understand the fragility of life. We are not promised another day of life or health, so fully live the life you have been given. Use your gifts. Connect with people. Don’t let fear rob you of your potential or hold you back from living your dreams. Dare to begin.

Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. John Henry Cardinal

NOTE: Wills and powers of attorney are not age-related documents. Estate planning is important for every adult. Financial documents ensure your wishes are carried out.

• Protect yourself and your family by having the correct life insurance in place.
• Have a central location to organize all your financial documents.
• Understand beneficiary designations and how they impact your planning.
• Make sure your assets are titled properly.

Look at this idea from two perspectives:

• You are the one left behind. You are the beneficiary, trustee or executor who will be left to pick up the pieces.
• You are organizing documents for your personal estate planning. How can you simplify and protect your loved ones?

Check out Wills and Estate Planning Information at NOLO.com

Nolo is a great place to start your research to understand the concepts of estate planning. Be cautious however. Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Please consult with a trusted advisor to ensure financial planning documents are properly prepared.  For yourself.  For your loved ones.

Is your ladder of success leaning on the right wall?

Stephen Covey, internationally respected leader and author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote,

“Many people are climbing the ladder of success every day, only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall!”

Unfortunately that “aha” moment often arrives when the ladder has just been pulled out from under you in a blinding moment of clarity. You are exchanging your life’s energy for a life you don’t want to live.

Overwhelmed and living a life of quiet desperation, you realize you have spent years building a life that doesn’t work. Getting out of bed to go to work each day has become a chore.  Exhaustion has transformed previous pleasures into another item on the dreaded to-do-list. You would rather just cocoon at home, licking your wounds from the previous week. It doesn’t have to be this way!

Life is too precious and too short to waste another minute. You can take control today and create a life you love. It begins with the awareness and understanding of your personal definition of success.

Imagine … You are living a life that feeds your soul. If you had all the money, time and energy to create a life you love, what would success look like for you? Who would you spend time with? What would you be doing? Where would you live?  Describe your perfect work environment. Don’t underestimate the power of this exercise. Make this description come alive and be so real you can feel it.

Reach for the Stars

Climbing your personal ladder of success is an exercise in empowerment and brings you closer to what really matters. Don’t wait until the ladder is pulled out from under you by circumstances you cannot control.  Small choices, made daily, will shape your future. Align your values to your life.

You have the power of choice. Your future begins today.

Resources:

Blink audio book: Blink is an eye-opening book about how we think without really thinking … about choices that seem to be made in an instant – in the blink of an eye – that aren’t as simple as they seem.

Remove the Masks of Perfection

Understand one very important concept and it will set you free.

We are all afraid ~ of something.

We fear rejection, embarrassment, disappointment, or not being accepted.

We are afraid of change and what the future holds. We are afraid of making the wrong decision.

Maybe we are afraid someone will find out who we actually are. An imposter. Hiding behind a mask of perfection protects us from the vulnerability of being rejected and hurt. Or does it?

There is a high price to pay for not being honest with others.

It is the lack of intimacy. If we aren’t truthful with ourselves or others as to who we really are, what we stand for, and what we believe in, we are not free to live authentically. Fraudulent relationships are created. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a community of women who, having learned to accept and trust themselves, can reach out to help other women? And ask for help when we need it?

Supportive relationships create an environment where each of us can come out from behind the mask. Share hopes, dreams, progress and success. And the valleys, the self-doubt, the pain of transitions? True wealth from the inside out.

A poem written in 1966 by Charles Finn expresses it well. Click here to read Please Hear What I’m Not Saying Click below to listen. The poem expresses a universal self-limiting belief system that stands between the life we are living and life we dream of.

MP3 File

MP3 File

The Second Wedding - Financial Planning

Bob and Karen, both having both been married before, were thrilled to find one another, full of hope for a promising future together. In spite of the love they shared, Karen was a smart and practical woman in her early 40’s who had seen the mistakes her girlfriends had made. She was determined that wouldn’t happen to her.

Bob and Karen wisely discussed money long before they ever married to make sure they shared common beliefs about how they would handle money. Karen made sure she and her new husband went to an attorney to draw up a will naming each other as beneficiaries of their estates. Bob and Karen specifically planned for Bob’s children by setting up a trust and funding it with life insurance.

After fifteen years of marriage, Bob unexpectedly died.

And Karen was shocked by what she learned.
After his first marriage ended, Bob had changed the beneficiary on his $250,000 life insurance policy to his mother. It made sense at the time. He had minor children and wanted his mother to have the money to take care of them and their education. Bob just never got around to changing the beneficiary to Karen.

But it got worse. Before meeting Karen, Bob had rolled over a 401k from a previous employer into an IRA. Guess who he named as his beneficiaries? Right. His children. The IRA had grown to over $700,000. Bob and Karen had made big plans to retire early next year and use the IRA as income to help fund their travels.

Luckily, Bob did have a 401k with his newest employer which named Karen as his beneficiary. Unfortunately, because of the downturn in the recent bear market, there was only $78,000 in the account. A far cry from the $700,000 in his IRA.

Karen did automatically become the sole owner of her home. The title was held as “joint tenants with rights of survivorship.” She also inherited the $98,000 mortgage.

But wait … Bob had a will! Doesn’t that change things?

Karen got the car, Bob’s train collection, and his personal savings account held at the local bank. Value $36,000. Every other asset had an overriding beneficiary designation.

Not only was Karen grieving for the loss of her husband, she now had limited assets to rely on for her future. Correctly titling assets to reflect what Bob and Karen had talked about would have changed everything!

Common Misconceptions about Wills

Although having a Will is a very important, often people are confused in what a will actually does. Your Last Will and Testament is a legal document which helps transfer property at your death. Your named Executor (Executrix if a woman) is the representative who will carry out your wishes.

A will has no jurisdiction over assets that are titled to pass to someone else at death.

If you do not have a will, any assets without a named beneficiary will be distributed by the will your State has already prepared for you, called the Statute of Descent and Distribution. This may very well be how Anna Nicole Smith’s estate is settled.

Some states, ex. Ohio, have great charts outlining exactly how your estate will be distributed. Other states, ex. Florida, make it somewhat confusing. You have to do a lot of reading. But each state has its own Statute.

What assets avoid probate?

It all depends on how they are titled. Property held jointly, with a named beneficiary, or titled “transfer on death” or “payable on death” is not subject to the provisions of your will and therefore avoids probate. Assets held within a trust are not probatable assets.

Many times it is our most valuable assets that do NOT pass through a will due to the way they are titled or because of named beneficiaries.

Bank Accounts.
Trust assets.
Retirement accounts, like an IRA, SEP, 401(k), 403(b). or PSP.
Life insurance.
Savings Bonds.
Your home.
Even a car!
Jointly held property*

It also may depend on the state you live in. Community property states have adopted a different conception of the relationship of husband and wife. These nine states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin) consider all property acquired during a marriage, except by gift or inheritance, to be community property. Each spouse owns half of the community property.

*NOTE: Not all jointly owned property has survivorship options. Even then, “Joint and Survivorship” property ownership is generally recommended for small estates and for transfers between spouses, not parent and child. Also, it is not normally recommended for large estates because of tax reasons.

Why is this important for every woman to know?

Even if you and your partner have wills, if you have not properly designated beneficiaries on your assets, you could be left out in the cold. With no options. It’s too late.

Bob and Karen entered into their second marriage full of love and a hope of a promising future together. They truly thought they had taken the right action by preparing wills.

Why should you have a will?

Probate is not a terrible thing and can actually have great benefits.

• If you have minor children, a will allows you to name a guardian.
• A well planned estate can avoid estate taxes. This may involve use of a trust. (This is an issue beyond the scope of this article. Please consult with an attorney.)
• You can choose someone to help make the administration of your estate run smoothly.
• You may own joint property without rights of survivorship.
• A will makes sure assets are distributed as you direct. It is not a good idea to name one child as the beneficiary of your accounts and then expect them to equally distribute assets according to your wishes.

One of our roles is to help you become aware of the issues so you can find answers to questions you didn’t think to ask. If you are single, there are additional considerations. An attorney can help you decide on the best titling option for you. What is the right option for someone else may not be the best option for you. Your situation and options are not the same as another family member or your girlfriend.

Understand your options and consult with a professional who can help you make the right decision.

After all, that is what love is all about. Taking care of ourselves and our loved ones.

Want to continue to learn about issues such as these?

Make sure you sign up for your free Swan Journal subscription at the top right corner of the page.

Valentine - Month of Love

Before we continue Part II of our discussion about love and money, here is a short article I thought you might enjoy about the origin of Valentine’s Day, compliments of an email I received from The System Seminar Founder, Ken McCarthy.

Valentine’s Day: “In a time long ago and a land far away, in the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II, things were not going well for the empire. Claudius had launched so many bloody wars that he was running out of soldiers and no one wanted to volunteer for his latest adventurers. In a stroke of madness, Claudius decided that the solution to his problem was to ban all engagements and marriages. This way, he reasoned, young men would not be ‘tied down’ to their families and would be more inclined to sign up and ship out. Obviously, folks who wanted to get married were not happy with the new law.

Valentine to the Rescue. One clergyman, a man named VALENTINE, thought the law was nuts and unjust and took to secretly marrying couples. It worked great…until he was caught. While in jail waiting for execution – it was a capital offense to oppose the Emperor – young people threw flowers and notes of appreciation to the man who stood up to a power-mad government on their behalf. Valentine knew he had done the right thing and, thanks to the support and love and received from so many, kept his spirits high to the very end. For the ‘crime’ of marrying people who loved each other, Valentine was executed on February 14. And thus the origin of today’s holiday. ” Legend also says that a jailed St. Valentine sent a letter to his beloved, the jailor’s daughter, signed “Your Valentine.” Now you know!

Straight from the Heart So St. Valentine’s Day is really all about honoring someone for doing what he knew in his heart was right … for others! Valentine’s Day is the third most celebrated holiday, surpassed only by Christmas and Easter. The average Valentine’s Day consumer is spending $113. We spend $2.3 Billion (with a “B”) on greeting cards and $1.7 Billion (another “B”) on candy! $4 BILLION in one day. To tell someone we love them.

I can think of a better way.

Words of Love

In the true spirit of of St. Valentine, let’s continue our discussion from Part I: the written, meaningful words of love that are true gifts to the people who mean the most to us.

Words of Love that Make a Difference

The two most important estate planning documents you can have are:

• Power of Attorney, which helps you manage your property during your lifetime in the event you are unable to do so; and a
• Will, which helps distribute your assets after death.

Powers of Attorney:

A Power of Attorney gives someone else the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf. This document, in my opinion, can actually be just as important as a will. Whomever you name as your attorney-in-fact is required to make decisions in your best interests, just as you would have made for yourself if you were able.

You can have a business/financial power of attorney as well as a Health Care Power of Attorney. Each document is very important for different reasons.

The Power of Attorney (POA) can be put into place immediately (Example: As in the case of a husband and wife who are separated through military service or business travel) or “spring” into action in the event you are unable to make decisions for yourself.

If your Power of Attorney is not a “Durable Power of Attorney” the authority granted will immediately end when you become incapacitated. The simple definition of incapacitated is that you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Incapacity can be a result of an accident, stroke, or come on slowly like Alzheimer’s.

Whatever the reason, if you do not have a Durable Power of Attorney in place, it will be necessary to appoint a guardian through a Court proceeding. Lesson? Check your documents. Make sure the language specifically says “DURABLE!”

A common misconception is that a Power of Attorney will allow you to transfer property at death. The Power of Attorney, even if it is Durable, automatically ends at death. Why? Because by its very nature, a Power of Attorney gives someone else to make the decisions for you that you would make for yourself, if you were able. If you have died, obviously you wouldn’t be making any choices!

Authority will also end when you revoke it, get divorced*, a court revokes it (rarely happens) or the person you gave authority to is not available to serve. Lesson? A Power of Attorney does not take the place of a Will.

(*If your spouse is your attorney-in-fact and you get divorced, your ex-spouse’s authority is automatically terminated in only the following thirteen states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. In every other state you must terminate the authority yourself.)

Will

Your will is a legal document which helps transfer property at your death. A will only covers property which goes through Probate. In other words, any assets that you own that name a beneficiary such as insurance, IRAs, 401(k)s, savings bonds, and POD accounts at a bank or TOD accounts at a brokerage, do NOT pass via Will.

Also assets titled jointly, such as bank accounts, brokerage accounts, or your home also do NOT pass through your will.

Medical Directives

Medical directives can include a health care proxy, durable power of attorney for health care, a living will, and instructions directly to your doctor. According to Elder Law Answers, both a health care proxy and a durable power of attorney for health care designate someone you choose to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to do so yourself.

A living will instructs your health care provider to withdraw life support if you are terminally ill or in a vegetative state.

Want to learn more? Here is a great resource.

Valentine - Month of Love

February is the month for celebrating love. So it is with a heartfelt celebration of my father’s life that I share his legacy of love. Love of family. Love of knowledge.

I’d like to share some ideas that will provide you with answers to questions you may not have even thought to ask. I hope these tips help you as you make plans to pass on your personal legacy of love.

There are many forms of wealth, only one of which is financial.

However, money is a powerful and emotionally complex tool which impacts every facet of our life. Money provides us with a sense of power and control; security and independence. How we spend, save, and exchange our life energy for money reflects how we value ourselves and others.

So why don’t we talk about money? Money is the last taboo.

We are secretive about money because we don’t know who or what to trust. Indifference and not taking control of our finances destroys true inner wealth. When you are on an emotional roller-coaster, you can’t possibly learn all you need to know about money. Often times, it’s even too late.

The one thing constant in life is change.

None of us has a crystal ball to know when a life-changing event will transform our lives. Transitions are often accompanied by feelings of overwhelm and the fear of what ifs. Decisions must be made and action steps taken. Wouldn’t it be great if you knew you were making the right choices? For you? By anticipating and preparing for the unthinkable … our own mortality … we are telling our loved ones that we care; that we have purposely chosen to simplify their lives. Thousands of dollars and our most precious asset, time, can be saved just by becoming aware of the issues.

Understand Six Simple Steps to Security

Awareness:

Know what you own, how it is titled, and what happens in the event of death. Know who the named beneficiary is on your life insurance, 401(k), IRA’s , and bank accounts. This is especially important in the event of second marriages. There have been many occasions when an ex-spouse or parent remains listed as the named beneficiary on an account just because of an oversight.

Acceptance:

None of us is immortal. We are all a part of the circle of life. Properly titling assets and preparing documents to protect your loved ones is a gift. Trust me. There is no truth to the rumor that preparing a will hastens your death! Really!

Accountability:

You are the person responsible for opening the conversation with your husband, parent, sister, child, or friend. You cannot afford to wait for someone else to bring up legacy planning and having the proper documents and beneficiaries in place. This is your future we are talking about. And theirs.

Action:

Set a time for discussion with your partner. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you don’t know what to do and don’t want a confrontation. Educate yourself. But please remember this: Information is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom. Information is gathering facts. Knowledge is understanding. Wisdom is knowing how those facts apply to you! Reading something that “sounds good” may not fit the big picture of what is right for you or your family. Once you have done your research, get professional advice from your attorney, tax acccountant and/or financial planner about what is appropriate for you.

Achievement:

Congratulate yourself for baby steps. Did you talk with your loved ones? Good. Did you go over all of your assets and debts? Good. Have you set an appointment with a trusted professional to help you? Good! Don’t feel you have to do everything at once. But get started. This is too important a matter to put off.

Assessment:

Once all your documents are in place and beneficiaries named, you can relax. For awhile. Remember, however, to review your plan at least once a year. Life transitions may make it necessary to change plans that seem just perfect right now. Planning is not an issue that needs to be taken care of when we reach a certain age, retire, or have “substantial” assets. These are the documents every adult needs, regardless of age:

Durable Power of Attorney – Durable Health Care Power of Attorney – Will – Living Will

Now, change your perspective

Imagine. You are the loved one who is left to pick up the pieces. What would you have wanted your loved one to have done to prepare for you? We’ll discuss these ideas in our next issue.

In the meantime, here is a legal resource to visit for solid information. Visit for the education it provides.

Please remember, information is not knowledge. And knowledge is not wisdom. Consult with a professional about your situation.