In October of 2010 I was given a book called "The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity" by Edwene Gaines. I did a video blog post about the book last year that many of you saw. I wanted to take a quick moment and update you on the impact this book has had on my life and business. It's been pretty profound. The book outlines four practices that lead to unlimited abundance. They are:

• Tithing
• Goal Setting
• Forgiveness
• Divine Purpose

The author shares these simple laws through her own humorous and relatable anecdotes about how she has applied them in her own life. All four laws are life changing, but the one that's impacted me the most is tithing. This was something I'd never done before and she challenged me to take on the practice of giving away no less than 10% of every penny I received to whatever or whomever inspired me for six months. I'm sure she picked that length of time because she knew that it would take that long to truly experience all I was supposed to learn based on this concept. I'd heard the platitude "You can't out give God" before and never really took it seriously (or believed it). What I learned was that tithing is the ultimate act of faith. It was difficult at first, especially since I was struggling financially and personally. I wasn't sure where to go with my business. It seemed to be stalled and the second month of my tithing agreement with myself was the single worst month I ever had in my business. I didn't even make enough to cover my business expenses, let alone my personal ones. I actually took more than I made that month out of savings to make ends meet. Worst of all, it was December, so the stress of Christmas spending was an added burden. If I'm totally honest, I was actually angry when I wrote my tithing check that month. But I did it anyhow. A deal was a deal. As the months went on and I continued to tithe, I noticed something amazing. I looked for inspiration all around me so I'd know where to actually give. In Edwene's version of tithing, you're constantly looking for what's inspiring you spiritually and you become a magnet for inspiration. I was getting inspiration from so many different places it started to feel like a game. I began thinking about where I would give next and how much fun it would be to make that gift, not how much it was going to take out of my bank account. And as the year went on, my giving increased significantly because the flood gates opened and I started to experience the type of abundance I'd really only dreamed of up to that point. As it turned out, 2011 was by far the best year I've ever had in my life, and certainly since I started Julie Anne Jones, Inc. Needless to say, my 6 month commitment has turned into a lifelong one, and everyone with whom I've shared the book shares the same sentiment. If you only read one book this entire year, this is the one (in my never to be humble opinion). I'm re-reading the book now and plan to read it at the beginning of every single year. It's not a cheap book, but it's a priceless gift you can give yourself or someone else.

  WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN PRINT OR ONLINE? You may, as long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate)   Julie Anne Jones is a direct sales corporate consultant, coach, and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific systems, language, and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read her weekly blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.