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This week: Take Control of Your Financial Life

*Welcome to our 51 new subscribers since the last newsletter! There
are now thousands of subscribers on five continents. You inspire me
to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank
you for sharing this column with your friends around the world.

IN THE NEWS:

* I interviewed Rene' Syler, co-host of The Early Show on CBS, on her inspiring example of "listening to your life" on BlackAmericaWeb.com this week. Check it out at http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/Praise/challenge.

* Upcoming conferences:

October 9, 2004 - Detroit, Michigan - Christian Tabernacle Church Women's Retreat

October 16, 2004 - Savannah, Georgia -2004 Heart to Heart Women's Conference, hosted by New Birth Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta (Bishop Eddie L. Long)

Visit http://www.valorieburton.com/vevents.html for details.

* To inquire about a speaking engagement for your conference or event, email Angie Steele at angie@valorieburton.com.
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This week's topic:
Take Control of Your Financial Life

Dear Friends,

Congratulations to all of you who made a small, but meaningful change in the last week! I appreciate all of the emails letting me know the changes you are making. Keep it up! This week, I want to share a message that will help you strengthen your finances. It is an excerpt from my first book, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards:

Not too long ago, I heard someone say that prosperity begins with the decision to prosper. The statement is so simple, but so very true. People speak in such general terms about 'someday' being comfortable, even wealthy. Yet their day-to-day actions indicate that the accumulation of wealth is at the bottom of their priority list. Although mired in debt, they continue to spend money that they don't have while making minimum payments on credit card bills that represent items that have been used up or long forgotten about. They don't maximize their investments, if indeed their money is invested at all. Worst of all, they live paycheck to paycheck, unable to handle financial emergencies or to go for any period of time without income from a job. Can you identify with any of these situations? If so, consider the following ideas for taking control of your financial life.

1. Make a decision to prosper. Commit to practicing behavior that will help you create a life of financial abundance. Make prosperity and the creation of wealth a priority in your life that governs the financial decisions you make. Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and learn to spot and create wealth-building opportunities.

2. Believe that you are worthy of a financially abundant life. Do not allow your current circumstances or previous negative financial circumstances to trick you into believing that you do not deserve any more than you have right now. You deserve more and you can have more, if you practice and work at it.

3. Live below your means. One of the keys to living a financially prosperous life is to live below your means. Do not spend more than you can afford. Practice doing without things that you believe that you "just have to have" for a while before buying them. Then if you feel that you still "just have to have it," and you can afford it, buy it. Make a habit of spending less than you can actually afford. Don't purchase the maximum-priced home that you can qualify for. Give yourself some margin. That is what living below your means is all about. Focus less on looking like you have money by displaying material possessions and focus more on actually having money.

4. Eliminate Your Debt. Practice living without debt. Develop a mindset of cash-based spending rather than credit-based spending. I know from experience that debt is easy to accumulate and can be very difficult to eliminate. In order to create prosperity, you must begin to live on what you have and eliminate the burden of needing to dedicate your financial resources to paying back debt that you probably could have done without in the first place. If you have debt, make debt elimination your number one financial priority.

5. Save and Invest. Make it your goal, if you are not already, to save 20 percent of your net income. Invest it wisely and watch it grow. Save three to six months living expenses as an emergency fund and hold the money in a conservative account that you can access easily. Consider enlisting the services of a trustworthy advisor to help you develop a personal financial plan and investment strategy.

6. Educate yourself about money. Particularly if you did not grow up learning about money or haven't been the greatest at handling money as an adult, spend some time reading and learning about how to create financial prosperity in your life. There are many great books and articles out there. Spend some time reading them.

7. Give. Feeling powerful helps us develop and maintain a prosperity consciousness that attracts money to us. Few things make you feel more financially powerful than knowing that you have enough to give to others. No matter how little you have, God has blessed you with enough that you can give some of it to help others. Tithe where you worship. Give to a charity or worthy cause that you support. Share what you have with someone you know is in need. Be willing to give of your financial resources, your skills and your time to further good works.

Until next time,

Warm wishes,
Valorie

Valorie Burton is a bestselling author, life coach and regular media guest on topics of living a more fulfilling, less stressful life. Her latest book, Listen to Your Life (Waterbrook Press/Random House, $13.99), identifies seven principles to hear what your life is saying to you and fulfill your purpose in your career, finances, relationships, health and spiritual life. Purchase a signed copy online at www.valorieburton.com.

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