WHAT WOULD YOU REALLY DO?

(image courtesy of red cheeks factory)

So it's the New Year and most people have made at least some mental resolutions regarding things they want to see happen in the New Year. There are a few things people shy away from resolving; like being more awesome, creating a larger legacy, effecting major change because just telling someone that is your resolution sounds larger than life and often overwhelming.


 But let's face it. Everyone of us has a major dream or goal we would love to eventually see come to pass. Maybe it's to retire at an early age, become a household name or find our soul mate. Some dreams and goals aren't shared because the dreamer knows  telling someone what they really want to accomplish when their current situation seems anything but headed in that direction can be like taking a walk; naked... everyone has an opinion about something that is personal to you.          

But for just this moment, imagine all your ducks were in line, all your resources were in place. It was the right time and you were with the right people. There was no obvious risk and everything you needed to achieve your dream was within reach...

WHAT WOULD YOU REALLY DO?

I'd love you to share your answers here, but if you don't, I hope you at least write it down somewhere for your personal archives and regularly assess if you are headed in the direction to reach that dream.

If you believe you will never have the resources or circumstances to make your dream come true, you are probably right, but if you are a BIG DREAMER and if you see the BIG PICTURE and not just the little pixels that make up each step, you are well on your way to  going in the direction of your dream.

Steven Spielberg (Photo credit: rvthomas67)

Steven Spielberg was convinced he was a director, despite the fact that he had never attended any prestigious film school and actually was rejected from both UCLA and USC. He literally walked into the lot at Universal by looking like the other execs that came through. Dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase, often filled with only candy bars or a sandwich, Spielberg found an empty office and set up shop and the rest was hi
story. Spielberg saw himself as a successful director. He believed despite his circumstances.

So how about you? How do you see yourself and what would you really do if all the stars aligned and you got your BIG SHOT?

Are You The Believer You Need To Be To Live Your Dream?

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Looking for some great direction and support for getting your ideas off and running. Register for the CALLED WOMAN conference before February 1 for the best deal on a conference that will help you launch your dreams farther than you can imagine.

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All I Want For Christmas

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We've had Black Friday, Cyber Monday and there will be a lot more days of wild saving and spending before we get to Christmas. People may have already begun asking you what you would like. This year, think smart. Think about what really might make a difference in getting your dreams off the ground.

Maybe you'd like a few subscriptions to some magazinees you know could help you better budget your money, reach your goals or keep you in the loop about business and career development.

If you are thinking about changing careers, maybe a few sessions with career coach would make a great gift.

Maybe you are almost ready to have a website and might like several domain names or even a few hours of web designer time purchased by someone who really wants to get you something you truly need.

Let's face it, sometimes the best sales are after Christmas and you can get the boots you must have or the sweater you will only wear one season then. Don't ask for the things you can easily get yourself, request something you have been telling yourself you really wish you could afford. I don't mean tickets to that concert you could see on video one hour after it ends, but maybe a chance to go to one or two of those great conferences you have always wanted to attend. Instead of a membership to the book of the month or a wine club, why not suggest your loved ones contribute towards membership dues in a professional  organization where you can network and meet the right people and learn the ropes to help you go after your dreams?

Maybe you need to think about requesting payment for a few classes that will sharpen your skills or give you a better idea of how to get your dream off the ground. Go for upgrading your resume instead of your wardrobe. You can't buy tomorrow's dreams with yesterday's know how.

From emergingleader.com

Most people really want to purchase a gift that is meaningful and will be well used. Think outside of the box this year when someone asks what you would like and while we are on the subject, here are two wonderful ideas for Christmas for yourself or to purchase for a friend who needs that little push to get started:

From now until December 24, for every paperback copy of FINDING YOUR FIRE sold, 20% will go to helping victims of domestic trafficking be rehabilitated and take a rightful place back into society. Purchase your copy of FINDING YOUR FIRE and help yourself or someone who needs to discover what their passion really is and help another at the same time. Promise yourself you will be one of the trailblazers sharing their story someday.

Buy your ticket now for the CALLED WOMAN CONFERENCE in March while there is still a substantial discount. Buy one for yourself and your friend, mom, sister, niece, cousin or daughter. This year's theme is Let's Do Launch and if you or anyone you know is ready to really get their passion off the ground, spend a day learning all the nuts and bolts you need to get an idea, business or product off the ground. Hear amazing people share how they did it and fire up your resolution not to waste another year wondering what might have been had you only got your idea started.

Don't be shy...Make this the Christmas you stopped getting items that really didn't get you anywhere and instead ask for what you truly need to help you get your passion from a dream to a reality.

What do you really need for Christmas to get you closer to making your passion, happen?

ROCK THE BOAT!

Boat reflection (Photo credit: Jesper Hauge)

I can't swim well but I'm darn good at floating. I don't think I was ever supposed to be a great swimmer. My parents signed me up for swimming lessons when I was around 9, but I ended up with ringworm and the lessons ended before I was permitted back in the pool. I had taken two lessons and learned to float and paddle in some shallow water.

Then in college I was required to take swimming lessons to graduate, but the semester I was to have swimming, the pool needed repaired after the first class and still wasn't fixed nearly 6 weeks later. The University decided to make it a non -requirement for anyone scheduled for swimming that semester because it seemed ridiculous to hold up someone being able to graduate on the basis of not being able to swim. Again, the first week was doggie paddles and floating!
Sometimes I do wonder how I would fare in an emergency because I always am the one who has to know where the life preservers are. 

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often we don't realize what we can or can't do well in life because we have only ever been "safe" in a routine situation. We wonder how we might do as a consultant, business owner, leader. We decide before we even try that we wouldn't be able to survive as an entrepreneur. We can't fathom what living without someone else signing a paycheck might be like or even test  the waters to see how we react. We never rock the boat so we really don't know what kind of swimmer we might be in an emergency. Maybe we assume we would need more support than we really would or be totally convinced our less than stellar skills will surely mean we'll drown. On the other hand, we might be so confident we never consider that even a great swimmer has some trouble in shark infested waters! There really is no way to know how you might perform if you don't rock the boat, tip it over and see if you float, swim, survive or drown. While it may not be a pretty picture; it most certainly is the blatant truth. You must experience the situation before you know for sure.

Considering I know I'm much better at floating than swimming, I have decided I need  to be sure I can survive in a pinch and have signed up for lessons at a local center. After all, I doubt many people in an emergency float their way to the shore and I have wondered too long how I would do when it really counts. So even if I thought I was never meant to be a swimmer, I need to know for sure it was not because I hadn't tried.

Swimming (Photo credit: MarkHaertl)

This weekend I participated in the CALLED WOMAN 2012 conference. Several people shared stories of how they learned to swim in life's less than predictable waters; some learned out of necessity, some out of choice but now they know they have what it takes to be successful even when waters are choppy and the boat tips over.

Sometimes it was messy floundering around trying to get their bearings, but I am sure they are not the least bit worried about "going under" no matter what. They know they can keep their head above water because they know what they are capable of doing when their boat tips.

Do you have something in your life you'd like to try but wonder if you would just sink or drown?

Does fear or lack of skill, resources or commitment stand in your way of finding out what you might be quite successful at? 

Do you need to rock your boat and tip it over and determine what you can do when you really have to?

ROCK YOUR BOAT...and stop wondering if you have what it takes.

UPDATE ON THE "BABY" STATUS...It's on the way. I doubt it will need to be induced. Bag is packed and waiting on "baby" to just arrive.(hopefully in less than 2 weeks)

How To Be Your Own Best Zen

zen (Photo credit: mkebbe)

"Zen" is a type of philosophy in the Eastern Hemisphere that believes that enlightenment can occur from meditation, self contemplation and intuition. I don't necessarily subscribe to all  Zen supports however I do think we can discover a great deal about ourselves by reflecting (self-contemplation) on our behavior and determining whether we need to make changes or not as well as from looking at what we intuitively know.


I am a perfect example of needing to use my intuition and self-contemplation to change a behavior. You see, I often have had to go dumpster diving when I have tried to multitask something rather than attend to one thing at a time. It seems I always misplace something while multitasking, especially when I try to clean up while I am doing other things. I would be trying to clean up from unpacking groceries or while trying to feed the dog and later realize I couldn't locate a gift card I purchased or a can of peas or most recently, a light bulb. Years ago, I would be trying to clear off my desk after a busy day at the office so I could get home quickly for my children's activities and I would need to return to the office later in the evening to rescue checks I had been given from the trash! Concert tickets, once thought lost, were discovered in the wastebasket near my desk after I remembered was filing away papers and clearing off my desk while talking on the phone.


Recently, I received a coupon from a jeweler I use. The coupon offered to clean and repair any damaged posts on rings for a reduced rate. I had just been thinking about taking my wedding rings in to be checked whenever I came across the coupon and decided to use it. My rings require a combination of dish detergent and extra effort to remove and so I made sure I had already taken them off and put them in a container before I even got to the jeweler's.


But, the day was much more busy than I planned and everything did not go as expected, it was nearly time for the jeweler to close when I arrived at the store. Not being able to locate the coupon was a minor problem, as I realized the container with my rings was no where to be found. I turned the car upside down trying to locate it while I watched the jeweler hang his "Closed" sign on the door. Then, I remembered I had put all the incidental odds and ends I didn't need anymore  in a bag in my car and dumped it promptly in the trash can at the post office where  I had stopped previously.


"My ring is in the trash at the post office!" I frantically thought. But it was far too late to go back as they had closed as well. In my mind I thought of how I was going to tell my husband I had lost the rings. I felt clammy and distracted the entire way home and was nearly in tears when I reached my house. As I started to unload the groceries into the kitchen, I saw the small pill container I had dropped my rings into still on the kitchen counter. I had forgotten to take them with me as I went to complete all my errands. Needless to say, the rings are back on my finger and not coming off until I am standing in front of the jeweler.

Image via Wikipedia

When my husband arrived home and asked me how my day was, I quickly said, "Well I learned something I should always remember, today!.....Stop cleaning up!"


Obviously, my Zen was not to stop cleaning up but to pay more attention to each individual task than to try and knock off several at a time. I can't help but think that is how we often go about deciding how to pursue something important in our lives. We don't take the time for the internal contemplation. We don't assess our our style and behavior to make sure we are going about it in a way that is complimentary to our personality and allows the best to be brought out in the process and we sometimes don't look at what didn't work in the past and allow it to be a teaching experience. We are so busy with everything instead of what really needs our undivided attention. Sometimes we are far from our own best zen.

Do you ever feel like you have great ideas but don't know how to get them started or that you are in a rut but have no clue how to break the cycle? Do you ever think you make the same mistakes over and over again or simply go after your dream with the same formula that didn't work in the past?  Take it from a girl who spends more time than she should looking through what she throws away, everyone of us has a behavior that interferes with our accomplishments and needs addressed. Everyone of us has a passion that sometimes needs a little more fuel to get it going.

If you want to take your passion to the next level, if you want to get your dreams off the ground the right way, if you want to quit spinning your wheels and going nowhere, register for CALLED WOMAN 2012 and make the rest of your life the best of your life.


I'll be there...as soon as I can find my car keys which I hope are not in the .....!