Posts Tagged ‘midlife millionaires’

I have been following precious metals expert, Mike Maloney, for a while now and want to share this video he created on how precious metals, real estate and the stock market have related to each other historically. If you have been wanting to learn more about how to value gold vs. other investments, this is a pretty educational video. His charts are pretty easy to understand, so I thought I would share this video with you.

I purchased my first gold and silver 15 years ago when gold was about $400/oz. It then went down to about $225/oz. and is currently over $1400/oz. You might think that it is over valued at this price and it could be. I believe though, based on the state of the economy, the way the Federal Reserve is printing money, our current national debt and global instability it makes sense to have some precious metals and commodities in my portfolio.

Although I am still a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, I no longer sell or manage investments for clients, so be sure to check with your financial professional for advise. You will want to discuss your individual needs, goals, and risk tolerances with your advisor, so this may be a good time to schedule that meeting to review your goals and your asset allocation.

Popular options for purchasing precious metals:

• Purchase the actual metals in coins or bars (can actually be done through the internet and delivered to your home).
• Purchase mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETF) so you may be able to do this right inside your brokerage account or IRA.

Free Gift for you: I have created a new financial organizer planner system for helping you get organized, find your stuff and begin to think about your financial planning. If you are interested in learning how to create your millionaire lifestyle by following your passion, then sign up for my Midlife Millionaire Success System in the top right corner and you will automatically receive your copy!

Do you have questions about how to retire to something rather than from something? Feel free to contact me at katana@katanaabbott.com or schedule a complementary strategy session with me at www.talkwithkatana.com

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Midlife Millionaire Coach

About to leave for Panama…where it will be 12 hours and day and 12 hours of night because it’s right on the equator. We are just entering the Spring Equinox here in Michigan so we too have these experience of 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Now enjoy as that days begin to lengthen.

Watch for the moon tonight which will be not only full, but closer to the earth than it’s been for 18 years. Take some time to become very present in nature and allow your mind to just wander. Even if you cannot take off for a vacation to rejuvenate, you can take little time outs all during the day!

I will see you in just a few hours and will post again this evening from the Bocas Del Toro, Panama! Pura Vida!

Katana

Imagine almost 6 million views of this lovely little boy conducting his imaginary orchestra! My husband is a French Horn player in the Detroit Symphony, and he says this 3 year old Johnathan does pretty well as a conductor. He’s a natural! Enjoy and take some time to follow your bliss today!

Watch for us in Panama as we send back videos from our retreat March 19-26th~

Katana

In just one week, I will be leaving for my first Pura Vida (meaning The Pure Life) Retreat in Paradise with three fabulous women.

Our theme this time is Reinventing and Rejuvenating and during our trip will be working through my brand new Get Clarity Now – Your 5 Step Road Map to Purpose and Passion with Prosperity program, including several hot seat mastermind sessions on the veranda overlooking the amazing ocean.

Rejuvenating Itinerary:

• In addition to Reinventing, we will be zip lining, snorkeling in the azure Caribbean Sea, and enjoying the pristine beaches and jungle spa for massage and yoga.

• We will take a boat into town one evening for a fun dinner at Guari Guari plus I’ve arranged for a private chef to prepare dinner for us at the villa on two different nights.

• On our last day, we will be taken on a guided tour back in Panama City of the Panama Canal and a river/jungle tour before we fly back home.

Be sure to sign up for my RSS feed (top right corner) or friend me on Facebook, so you can receive my updates from Panama over the next week! If you are interested in joining us on our next Panama Retreat which will be at the end of January 2012, be sure to send me a quick note to be added to my priority notice list at katana@katanaabbott.com

Even though you cannot join us this time, I hope you can join us some time in the future! In the meantime, I have created all kinds of wonderful free programs to help you create your Midlife Millionaire Lifestyle by Retiring to Something not From Something. Just sign up for me free Midlife Millionaire Success System right here!

BTW…in September, I am hosting a 10 day Adventures and Awakening Pura Vida Retreat for men and women in Costa Rica where we will experience the Rain Forest, Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean and the amazing national treasures of Costa Rica, so mark you calendars and be sure to watch for your invitation through my Smart Women, Smart Choices ezine!

I’ll be in touch soon from Panama!

With blessings and gratitude,

Katana

If you would like a lesson in following your passion and living authentically, then you have to watch this video with violinest, Nigel Kennedy, playing Purple Haze.  About 6 1/2 mintutes it goes a bit crazy.  Watch how he engages the audience and the orchestra. 

My husband, Mark, is in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, so I have had the pleasure of watching/hearing Nigel Kennedy perform live here in Detroit and he alway surprises us with something totally unexpected.

How can you express yourself more authentically in your work and in your personal life, so you are fully engaged and expressing yourself fully?  When was the last time you were feeling really powerful, joyful and authentically you?  What were you doing and what was that experience like?  Share you comments here.

How many of us go through life on what I call, “on robot”, or like the commercials use to say, “gotta make the donuts”.  I remember actually saying this myself before I found my Purpose and Passion in life.

There was a point in my life around 45 years old, when I realized that there was something missing in my life.  It was almost like an itch…something I could not put my finger on…yet I knew it was there.  There was this nagging feeling or calling that was inviting me to do or be something different and it scared the hell out of me.

I actually kept shoving it down because my life was actually on auto pilot and it was easy.  I was at the top of my game — in the top 1% of money managers in my company — attending fabulous conferences and making lots of money.

Then one day, things began to happen to me physically.  My knees gave out, and ultimately, I ended up taking one full year off work to think things through…I know this is something that most folks could never do…I am so grateful for that opportunity because it gave me the time to figure out what I really wanted to be doing with my life.  What that is, is helping others experience their own Awakening so they too can live with more purpose, passion and prosperity.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do yourself.   Imagine that you just won the lottery and money was no longer an issue in your life. 

• What would you be doing with your time? 
• What would change in your life? 
• Would you still be doing the work you are doing? 
• Would you still be living where you are living today?
• Would you still be in the relationship you are today?

Now look at your answers and ask yourself why or why not to each of these questions.  If your Perfect Life is totally different than how you are living today, what is one thing you can do today to bring more purpose, passion and prosperity into your life today:

• Take up an old hobby like oil painting
• Join a health club or yoga class and schedule time to show up
• Call or visit an old friend you almost forgot about
• Start a blog to get your story and ideas out to the world
• Volunteer or start your own foundation (I did this…it’s not that hard…just ask me)
• Hire a coach, find a mentor, take a class
• Just take that first step

Yes, taking that first step can be so powerful.  Take some time to journal about this or leave a comment on this blog telling us what is the one thing that you could do today that would have the biggest positive effect in your life immediately.  Thank you!

Visit www.midlifemillionaires.com for your free audio on Creating Your Midlife Millionaire Lifestyle and article on Creating Your Perfect Life.  You will also become part of our free community!  You can email me at katana@katanaabbott.com   Live with Purpose, Passion and Prosperity!

Morning View from My Home

Life can be very complicated with lots of unexpected twists and turns that can upturn even the best laid plans. I have found a wonderful solution to help create balance in my life and it only takes a few minutes a day. I call this process the Perfect Life Pause. Any time during the day that I feel overwhelmed, stressed, tired or angry, I follow this process to refocus my energy and intention.

Many of us are actually on an adrenaline rush much of the time during the day. I’ve found if we don’t slow down and allow things to flow, the Universe finds a way to do it for us…often to get our attention.

I suggest doing your first Perfect Life Pause when you first wake up.

Step 1:  Start with your eyes closed. Listen to the sounds in the room, your breathing…notice your body and relax. Then focus on a place, time or experience when you were really relaxed and in a state of pure joy.

• My place is lying in my hammock next to the river with my daughter, Kirsten lying next to me when she was just a little girl. The hammock is swaying in the breeze and we can hear the water from the lake beating gently against the shore.

Step 2:  Now spend the next several minutes in this wonderful state of mind.

Step 3:  Be sure to express gratitude for this moment of joy. Trust that everything is perfect and the the right people and opportunities will flow into your life effortlessly.

All you have is the present moment and by doing this exercise three times a day, you will actually be meditating and focusing your intentions on your perfect life almost 10 minutes daily.  The Law of Attraction states that our outer world is a reflection of our inner world, so this simple exercise may have very profound affects. Try it for a week, and let me know what happens!

Katana is a Certified Financial Planner and Midlife Millionaire Coach who teaches entrepreneurs to Leverage Their Expertise and Create a Midlife Millionaire Lifestyle.   You can contact Katana personally at katana@katanaabbott.com

Ladies, it’s time to put ourselves on the list.  With everyone pulling us in every direction and all wanting a part of us, it’s so easy to keep moving our own needs down to the bottom of the list, but let’s think again.   

Recent Trip to Brazil

A few years ago, I was told that I needed both knees replaced.  The doctors wouldn’t do the surgery until I was older (after 50) and quite frankly, I am putting it off as long as possible.  In fact, I hope to avoid it.  I tend to be a workaholic, because I love what I do.  The problem I run into, is that I can put self care on the back burner and that’s probably part of the knee problem.  

When I turned 50, I realize that unless I take action now, having lots of money and poor health is a terrible scenario.  Besides, my husband is five years younger than I am and when he retires, we have plans for lots of travel and golf. 

Over the last two months, I have implented three new smart choices in my life and I’d like to share them with you.  My goal is to lose weight, feel more focused and calm today…and then ensure a more vibrant lifestyle later in my life with Mark.

• I joined a yoga class and am attending classes about three times a week.  I notice that I feel much calmer, more focused and feel lighter on my feet.
• I have created a bedtime ritual(inspired by Contributing Expert, Marci Shimoff’s 10:30 Angel Train) where I journal before bed to clear my mind, listen to music, read and stay away from the TV and computer after 9 pm at night.  I am sleeping so much better and waking up a lot earlier.
• I am drinking lots of filtered water with lemon during the day.  Here is the formula for how much water you should drink:  weight divided by two and add a zero.  TIP:  If you weigh 150#, then you want to drink 70 oz of water daily!  Many times when we feel hungry, it could just be dehydration. 

When we get ready to retire some day, having all the money in the world won’t mean a thing if we don’t have our health, right?  By taking these three simple actions, I find I am more affective at work, and happier and more active at home with my family at night.  Plus the yoga class is amazing…my goal is to go five times week. 

What steps are you taking today to live happy, wealthy and healthy?  I’d like to know!  Thanks!

As you may know, I was in Brazil for the last three weeks on an education retreat.  It was a wonderful experience and I have created new friends from all over the world:  Dubai, Hamburg, Belgium, Sweden.  It was amazing to me how many of these individuals were heading off to more time off trekking in other parts of South America for another 30 days or so.  We Americans really dont take enough time off.  Do you know that it is mandatory to take time off regularly in many European countries?  Their employees are encouraged to talk multiple weeks off at a time too.

All I can say is that it was wonderful having time off for almost 3 weeks in August.  How many of us never make time for ourselves to really rest and rejuvenate?

What did I learn in Brazil?

I really learned how to relax and to be a person¦to really have conversations on non work related topics, to sit an contemplate nature for hours at a time, to eat three sit-down meals with stimulating conversations, to eat really healthy and take long, long walks in the woods, beaches and quaint, resort fishing towns.  Today, before starting my day, I am going for a long bike ride where I can be in nature and get the blood flowing to my brain.  My goal is to stay in the state of rejuvenation.  I will also be joining a yoga class two mornings a week.  What simple actions can you take to create more balance and joy in your life?

Update on our event:

I returned home with just one day to prepare for a fundraiser for the HAVEN.  It was interesting; I just trusted my team and my husband to make sure everything would work out perfect, and guess what¦it did!

Last Saturday at 5 pm, our home began to fill up with wonderful supporters.  As our guests entered our home, they were welcomed by the sound of soft live jazz with DSO trumpet, Bill Lucas and some of the top jazz players in the country.

Thanks to Jill Jordan and Barb Kopacs we had a very successful silent auction.  I had decided to cater myself, and between my husbands awesome shopping, some generous food and wine donations and our terrific kitchen staff, not only did we have a wonderful concert on the lake, but we were able to raise some nice funds for both HAVEN and our foundation—The Smart Womens Empowerment Program.

In addition, we are giving $1000 in cash to the HAVEN, plus awarding four women who have come through HAVEN a $1,500 scholarship each along with the support of a personal mentor/coach.  Next week, we will announce the four mentor/coaches who have volunteered for this wonderful project.

Take Time to Dance! By the way last night, just as the sun was setting, my husband, Mark and I  were picking up the yard from the event while listening to Bill Lucas promo CD with some of the   music from Saturday’s concert.  It was so beautiful, that we decided to take just one more dance as   the sunset.  Remember…take some time to enjoy the music!  Life is too short and it’s meant to be enjoyed and savored!

Thank you to all who supported us!  Again, we want to thank our sponsors Bill Fox Chevrolet, Flemings Steak House and the Seed Foundation for their generous support as well as our support team; Agatha Wolkowicz and Megan Russett who helped make the event happen.  If you are interested in learning more about supporting Smart Womens Empowerment or the HAVEN, please feel free to email me at katana@smartwomenscoaching.com

Ever worry about losing your luggage when travelling abroad? Well, part of planning your trip should include these few simple tips:

Pack enough basics in a carry on — so you can survive just in case your main baggage doesn’t arrive.

Purchase baggage delay insurance — I suggest American Express so you can spend $500 on necessities until your luggage arrives.

Keep an inventory of what you originally packed in your main luggage.

Update to my trip to Brazil:

It’s day 10 and my luggage still has not arrived.  In fact, Delta has no idea where it is, so I have asked them to send it to my home when they do find it.

The night before I left for Brazil, I purchased Baggage Delay insursurnce with my American Express Platiunum Card.  This was reassuring, because as soon as I arrived and found that my suitcase was missing, I stopped in town on the way to my Pousada (bed and breakfast) and purchased several clothing and personal items that I needed for my trip.  I made a quick trip to the local mall and picked up jeans, walking shoes, socks, toiletries, sweaters, etc. 

My next task will be to file a claim with Delta, and then American Express to be reimbursed for the items in my main suitcase.

Due to smart packing and planning for the unexpected, my vaction is turning out wonderful! 

Could you still enjoy yourself if your luggage never arrived for your three week vacation?  Visit me in our new online community and create your free profile at www.smartwomenscafe.com   or email me at katana@smartwomenscafe.com