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Entrepreneurs are blessed with the incredible gift of being to choose their own destiny. The question is what will you choose? I believe that the secret to living an abundant life is to start from a place of abundance and give generously to the world. As W.H. Auden once said, "We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know."

Why should we seek to live for something greater than ourselves? It's the right thing to do, the secret to true happiness, and it's good for BUSINESS. You heard it right! When we live for a higher purpose, it will help you succeed in EVERY endeavor from your business to your personal life.

So how can the average business person reach out to make a contribution to the greater good? Here are a few ideas to help you to be more socially conscious in your small business. 1. GIVE: Regularly give a percentage of your time, service, or profits to make a difference. Donate your time to promoting a social cause. Hold a fundraiser. Give the gift of your wisdom and encouragement to mentor someone. Reach out to others less fortunate. Offer your help to a fellow business person. Set a good example. Help others to lead better lives. Share your time and your love. Offer kind words to others, words of encouragement. The law of abundance says that those who give abundantly shall receive abundantly. Tis better to give then to receive. By giving the first part of yourself, your time, your efforts, the universe will fill your hearts and wallets to overflow! Some highly successful business men took this philosophy to heart and it led them to a life of great prosperity. The founders of Colgate, Quaker Oats, Procter and Gamble, Holiday Inns, Welch's, Standard Oil, Kraft, and J.C. Penny department stores let their higher power guide their business. They practiced tithing and gave the first 10 percent of their income back to the church and charities around the world. They discovered, the more they gave, the greater their blessings were. Want to succeed in business? Commit your work to your higher power. Share your profits, gifts, and time to make the world a better place. START NOW - IT'S EASY: You can help us end hunger with a click of the mouse. Simply visit the Hunger Site and click on the donation button to donate food for free. Click here to donate now. http://www.thehungersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites 2. ETHICS: Run your business with unquestionable ethics. Ethics and character are about what you do when no one is looking. Do you always offer your very best to your customers? When you offer unwavering excellent and complete focus on your customers, your customer base will grow. Offer friends, family and strangers your best. By acting with integrity and giving richly of yourself, you will experience greater love, richness, and personal abundance. What do you do when you are unsure? Trust your intuition. A good test is to ask yourself what your mother would say about it if SHE knew. Strive to run your business and your life with integrity and you will prosper. 3. FIND YOUR TRUE PATH AND PASSIONS: Operate on a plan delegated from a higher power rather than your own. When we lead a life of meaning and purpose, not only are we rewarded personally, but it helps us make a greater contribution to the world. They say, "Do what you love and the money will follow. When we discover our true path and calling in life, we will live richer fuller lives. We all have unique gifts and talents. Ralph Emerson put it best when he said "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters in comparison to what lies within us." There are treasures stored inside each one of us. We are all special and unique. It's our duty to uncover and use the gifts we were bestowed with. We are all created for a purpose. Pursue your personal purpose and live from that plan. Personal coach Cheryl Richardson once said "Your commitment to become someone even greater than your present self will give you the courage and confidence to leave a legacy that makes this world a much better place for those who follow." What's your mission? It can be as close as your backyard: be a better parent, make your community a greater place, set a good example in the workplace. Or your mission could be as large as ending world hunger and poverty or to create world peace. Whatever your purpose, seek to discover it and translate it into action. When we have clarity about our gifts and the plan for our lives, a magical thing occurs. There is a synergy that takes place. Things line up effortlessly. You experience complete happiness. It's very evident that you are doing what you were born to do. It's the path to true happiness and success. Not sure what your path or mission is? Here are some great books to help you discover it.

- The Path by Laurie Beth Jones. - Finding and Following an Authentic Life by Greg Levoy. - Your Mythic Journey: Finding Meaning in Your Life Through Writing and Storytelling by Sam Keen, Anne Valley-Fox - On Becoming a Servant-Leader by Robert K. Greenleaf, Don T. Frick (Editor), Larry C. Spears (Editor), Jossey-Bass - Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life by Greg Levoy

4. BLOSSOM: Dedicate yourself to a life of learning and growth. We are all flowers in the garden of life. When one flower doesn't bloom, the garden is not quite as beautiful because of it. Your one unique fragrance and beauty is missing and the world is not quite the same because of it. To give our best, we need to be our best. This means refusing to settle for good enough. It means reading books, staying updated on what's new, it means using fresh thinking, being inventive. Being wise, will help you to create greater opportunity for yourself and achieve far more. A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. -- Francis Bacon What do you want to learn next? What are you curious about? What skills could you enhance? Who could you learn from? Actively seek out new growth and learning. Here are some great books on the importance of learning to success:

- Learning As A Way of Being: Strategies for Survival in a World of Permanent White Water by Peter B. Vail; 1996 - Spirited Leading and Learning: Process Wisdom for a New Age by Peter B. Vail; 1998

5. PRACTICE SELF-CARE: Shakespeare had it right when he said "Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are our gardeners." Take good care of what you have been given be it your body, your finances, your environment. Practice extreme care. Eliminate stress. Don't accept tolerations. Take a break, rest, eat right, sleep, exercise, and practice good boundaries. Part of self-care means taking care of your family and business finances. Monitor your spending. Watch your expenses. Care for greatly the gifts you have been given. Practice gratitude. By being thankful and managing what we have been given carefully, we can abundantly give back to world. SUMMARY: The secret to success lies not in working harder or having luck. Rather, it lies in BEING who you are for yourself and it in your business. Being true to yourself and walking the path that has been set before you will not only make your life complete, but help you to change the world, one person at a time. 9/11 has awakened a new consciousness in us all. Many are starting to take a look at their lives and making changes to live more according to their values. Will you take a look at what you are doing and why you are doing it? Dare to live differently. Be inspired. Live for a higher purpose. I challenge you to find one small way you can grow and better the world.

Kristie Tamsevicius, is the author of "I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working from Home"! Thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs have used her step-by-step home business system to earn money working from home. Get a free ecourse Home Business Success Secrets at http://www.webmomz.com/ilovemylife1.htm