September 2019

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the middle of the road and you are not sure which way to go? You become caught between what your heart desires and what you have to do. Maybe it’s that steady job you have been at for 10 years that’s not bringing you any peace, but it’s safe. Well, rest assured this happens probably more often than not.

Yesterday I was telling someone my journey has been enduring for almost 20 years. I am not sure that I have always realized the significance of all the struggles, but I now know their importance and the role they have played in my success. Next month will be the anniversary of my entrepreneurship. I opened my doors as a small business owner in network marketing 19 years and 11 months ago. That’s how long I have been building teams and selling products to consumers.

I have learned much over these years in network marketing. If I have to sum it up on a blog, I would say I gained knowledge on everything and anything about how to create, own, finance, destroy, and win at business. There have been so many great lessons along the way, and they have given me strength and courage to pursue many different projects in both personal and business life.

But here I find myself taking on new endeavors. My heart is pulling me in different directions. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that these experiences will all be new to me. I have been coaching people for many years. It’s been part of my job as a leader developing teams. What is unique about my situation is that I am taking a different approach with my coaching.

The last 18 months have been a journey of exponential growth for me. I received my life coaching certification in 3/18, I am wrapping up the finishing touches of my book due to be released in the next couple of weeks, and I have a podcast due to air on 10/15. When I think of these exciting things playing out my life, I recognize that I am moving towards my big vision. That is to help people on a large scale become winners at their craft.

I enjoy seeing people succeed because I know the importance of a healthy mindset. I also know when you are not healthy in both body and mind, neither are the people around you. Take my nerve condition, for example. When I suffered in that crisis, it affected everyone around me negatively. You ask how? When you suffer from chronic pain, it affects your mental capacity, and when that happens, it can also play a role in those closest to you. When I resolved my condition, it changed everyone around me, for the better. By helping people be healthy, I can help them improve their lives and that in turn, equips them to help others.

I write all this to say, that it hasn’t been this straight forward path. It’s consisted of bumps, falls, crashes, and wins over and over. I have met people that have hurt me, rejected me, and loved me. I have witnessed both proud and exciting moments. And I am not going to lie, there are times that I am confused and experiencing self-doubt. All of these situations can wreak havoc on my decisions. Do I stay true to my course or go with what I know? If I don’t pursue my desires, then I follow the path of least resistance.

Here is what I have learned going through this journey:

• If there is a pull for something, don’t fight it. As long as it supports your vision and helps others, go for it.
• Quit worrying about what others think. The only opinion that matters most is yours.
• Be patient with the process. You are going to wander for a while.
• Be willing to be criticized. If people are not talking about you, then you are playing safe.
• You can do anything you want if you want it bad enough.
• You are stronger than you think.

I am continuing my journey with network marketing, but I am also expanding my reach. I am going to put that life coaching certification to work. My colleague and I will be taking our knowledge to the air with our upcoming podcast, and I will be growing my coaching business. I plan to get some speaking engagements on the books and share my story with others that are open to receive it.

The pieces of the puzzle are slowly coming together. Both the struggles and victories have prepared me for what is about to happen. I now know without a doubt that I am traveling in the right direction. I hope that if you ever find yourself in that position where you have a dream, but you are afraid to pursue it, that you do it anyway. You were put here to make a difference. And, if you need a few more reasons why should jump on the dream train, check out 11 Reasons Why its Important to Follow Your Dreams.

It’s a beautiful thing when people are happy and succeeding.

This is my life, my career, and my happiness!

Earlier this week, as I was thinking of topics for my social media feed, I found myself hitting some roadblocks. Nothing was coming to mind. No inspiration, no ideas, not a single thought, was racing in my head. I seem to encounter this problem when I am not reading near enough, and it often forces me to open a book and start doing some brainstorming. I have mentioned on several occasions that reading for me is like exercising. I need it to function.

After searching page by page, through a book I purchased some time ago, I found my topic. This book isn’t an ordinary book, but it is a simple read. This one has writing prompts and is meant to serve as a journal. I have used it several times for inspiration, and this week it would serve as my tool. On Sunday, I asked the question to my viewers whether or not they want to be successful or happy in life.

What do you want? Do you want to be successful or happy?

I want both, but can we honestly have both? I want to think so. Until recently, I never really understood how the two could be tied together. Ask yourself. If you are successful, does it necessarily mean you are happy? Chances are if you are not successful, you are more than likely, not delighted, but if you are happy, wouldn’t you say that you are successful? I think the latter is true. I believe to be successful; one must be content.

This past week I connected with two separate ladies on two different occasions. One of those gals works at a thriving insurance agency. They opened their doors in May, and when I met with her last week, she mentioned that they had already hired nine employees. They have been in business just shy of four months, and they are rocking that agency. I was impressed and intrigued by their rapid success. The second lady I connected with revolved around her 80th birthday party. Although I met her some time ago in a networking group, we have remained in contact ever since. I attended that birthday party last Saturday and was amazed by how many people came out to celebrate this monumental event.

In my eyes, these ladies appear successful, not only because they are doing things right in life, and they both are successful businesswomen, but more importantly, because they are genuinely happy and happy for others. Yes, my 80-year-old friend is an entrepreneur. She is amazing!

Both of them celebrate the people around them. The insurance lady told me she created this team within her agency to build camaraderie. The day we met for lunch, she mentioned to me how she owed a gal lunch for achieving a goal. My recently turned 80-year-old friend had a fantastic group of supportive friends and family attend her party. I could see the bond between her and some of her long-time friends that I later said reminded me of the Golden Girls. They have this fantastic, joyful spirit about them as if they have been celebrating each other for years.

I have spoken to both of the ladies at length about their lives. Both of them have dealt with adversity on some level, and some of that adversity is reasonably significant. However, the one thing they share in common despite their different backgrounds, demographics, career, and age, is their ability to think about possibilities and have a great attitude living out their life. They can recognize the silver lining and therefore expect to win. There can delight in other’s victories and praise others. It’s as though they are creating their life, helping others in the process, and they are happy doing it. It’s a perfect combination.

This subject leads to my final thoughts about what you put into the universe. I have often said that wherever you focus your energy, whether positive or negative, is precisely the type of energy you will receive. If you are always looking for negative results in a situation, you will find negative consequences. Isn’t funny how some people can find a flaw with everything? The opposite is exact for the person that can recognize the silver lining. It doesn’t mean you always look through rose-colored glasses. It merely means you chose to find the win in the situation. What can be learned? What can be taught? What can we share with others from our adversity? These are the silver linings.

When you put positive vibes out there, you raise your frequency. Similar energy attracts like energy. If you don’t believe me, try going on a date where the conversation doesn’t flow. You will be reminded quickly. My point is this; if you expect great things to happen, great things will happen. You will consciously and subconsciously do behaviors that support your thoughts. You will have people and opportunities present themselves, but it will be a result of your outlook. Therefore, if you want to win at your race, you must guard your vision and expect to win that race. Put all of your positive energy into that and let go of the negative. All of a sudden, you will begin to notice small changes occurring.

Maybe you have this goal to run a marathon. You are not entirely sure how you are going to make it happen, but you have the vision in your head of you crossing that finish line. So all of a sudden you get up a tad earlier, and it adds an extra 30 minutes to your day. You can get your work out in. So you feel better. You start making that getting up a tad earlier a habit and you put in more mileage. You are feeling great. Your distance is increasing, and you are building your confidence. So one day you say hi to someone. That someone goes home and treats their spouse a little more positively. That results in a conversation about them going to a counselor. Their marriage is saved. You complete the race, and you helped change a life. In return, your life is changed. That result, my friends is a success!

They win! You win!

You have talent. Why aren’t you winning?

There is a phrase that states, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” If you are in any environment where you are competing on some level, you can probably relate to this. We all know that person that can walk in the room and effortlessly talk or sell anything while the rest of us are struggling to utter a word. Perhaps we have children that are playing sports, and we can spot that one child that can cross the field like a gazelle with such great finesse. Our child, on the other hand, may have to work tirelessly to get better.

When I think of my three children, I recognize they all have their unique talents. My oldest is gifted in music. She can listen to a song on the radio and transfer that tune to a piano with ease. I remember hearing her play a Lincoln Park song for the first time on the piano. She is an amazing artist. My middle is a great runner and athlete. She played soccer for years as a defender and did very well. When she was fifteen, she decided to take up cross country running. She ran her first marathon on her 16th birthday and continues to run today in college. My youngest is exceptionally creative and industrious. He can take an idea and bring it to life. We have seen some interesting projects over the years including most recently a rainwater harvester.

We all have these amazing talents that make us unique, special, or gifted in an area. The problem is that having skills doesn’t always equate to a win. Just because we have exceptional talents, we are not always going to excel. It probably comes to no surprise, but talent without preparation, discipline, and hard work can only take you so far. There will always be someone better than you, more talented than you, or someone willing to work harder than you. If you think about some of the most successful people, you will probably find out their success came from discipline, persistence, and a whole lot of determination. They just worked persistently to create their success.

Grant Cardone, whether you like him or not, has written several books. In a podcast I was listening to today, he mentioned someone was critiquing one of his books because of grammatical issues, spelling to be exact. From the way he described it, it sounded as if the critic went on and on about it. With conviction, Grant reminded the critic that the book is a best seller. You can’t help but think, who cares. Grant’s talent probably isn’t writing grammatically correct papers, but he is clearly successful at writing books. It is a best-seller after all. In that same podcast, he later described himself as having tenacity.

Successful people have to have tenacity. They have to have grit to weather through when they hit mile 22 in a marathon, and they think they can run no further. They need to persist when they continue to talk to people about their vision, and people repeatedly shut them down, criticize them, or refuse to show support. They have to get up another day to plug in another hour, do the uncomfortable, and play another scene in their head of what victory will look like when they finish. Talent may get you inspired and be the motivation to start something, but its what you do going forward that will make the difference.

When we learn to pair our talents with determination, tenacity, and grit, we can create a successful machine. This combination is a perfect match. Think about the marathon runner. Perhaps he is six-minute miler on a short distance run, but if he puts in the work and practices, he may able to carry that six-minute pace for the 26.2 that is required to complete a marathon. Maybe you have a great big vision for your business. If you stay persistent on meeting people, eventually you will make the right connection. It takes one connection to make a difference. Your success relies on you staying the course.

Whatever your talent is and wherever your greatness lies, remember you have the ability to determine your success. Talent will never beat hard work in the long haul. You persisting, on the other hand, will make a difference. That middle child of mine that I referenced earlier earned a full scholarship to college in both academics and athletics. I was thinking yesterday about how incredibly blessed we are. She is attending college for free. She is not the most gifted child that was in my house when it came to schooling. She hates school and still does to this day. Just yesterday, she was telling me about how she despises school. I remember while she was a sophomore in high school, taking an American Sign Language class, she was taking tutoring. She was nowhere near failing, but she didn’t feel as though she was mastering the course. So during her lunch period, several days a week, she would go to tutoring. Before she left for college, she was worried because she hadn’t taken math her senior year in high school, and because she enrolled in calculus. Days before she left, she was reviewing algebra two and some of the notes in previous math classes. My point is that she put in the work. Her education didn’t come easy for her. She studied, did the uncomfortable, and in the end, it awarded her a scholarship. Her tenacity has continued to serve her well.

Always remember you are special. You possess many gifts and talents that are unique to you. If you can learn to partner that with an unshakeable and unwavering belief in your ability to conquer anything, you too can be a master of your craft. Stay persistent, have incredible tenacity, and never give up on the goal that is important to you. You can win and you deserve to win. Be the best version of you that you can be!