Originally posted 11/30/2012

Just yesterday I had the opportunity to give a seminar on “Finding Your Purpose” to an amazing group of women. Whenever I do programs, I am so grateful for the opportunity to connect with these wonderful women and we all end up learning from each other.

During the seminar, I asked the group, “What brings you joy?”  One women said it was walking with her dog on the beach looking for sea glass, and being rewarded many times with these hidden treasures.  All you had to do was to focus and be aware of what you were looking for, she said.

Another woman then said she loved to do this also, and for her, it was a chance to tune everything else out. It is just you and your quest.  It may be hidden but you catch a glimpse and then can find just what you are looking for.

I thought this was so perfect and it struck a cord because it is a wonderful metaphor for searching for your purpose.  If we concentrate and tune out our daily distractions we can hear that hidden voice within us which is trying to guide us to our ‘quest’ for purpose. 

Realize the gifts that are all around you. Start to be conscious of what brings you joy and know that there are hidden treasure in our lives every day. All we need to do is look, and listen and accept these gifts with grace. 

What is your “sea glass” today? 

Originally posted 11/16/2012

With the devastation that Hurricane Sandy has brought, millions of people are without power and are struggling to find gasoline and the basic essentials such as food or heat. I am part of that group – grateful to have been spared damage to our home, but displaced for an unknown period of time.

So in these days without electricity or other distractions of TV or the internet, it surely gives one time to think a bit differently about life (that was my Point #2 from the last blog– little did I know I would be challenged so quickly!)

I am thinking differently about how something over which we have no control can totally change the landscape of the earth and of our thoughts. One thing that I am now focusing on is that we still retain our power over how we react and what we feel. In the midst of total chaos around us, we can be still inside (just be aware of what we are feeling and, with just a little bit of effort, we can then pull ourselves out of our funk.) Our reactions are still in our control.

Our East coast shoreline has been changed forever yet it remains essentially the sand and ocean. These disasters in our lives also change us forever, and we can choose to make that change positive – how we think and act towards others, and how we value what gifts we have been given.

Our transformation can be huge or subtle – it can spur us to use our energy to help others in ways we never have done so before, or it can be a small but real change inside – a feeling of acceptance and even gratitude in knowing this challenge has been presented to us to learn something important in this life.

And remember, although underneath we have been transformed somehow, we still retain who we are- just a little bit better, stronger, and more prepared on this journey.
Our prayers and good energy go out to all who are still struggling with the losses of the hurricane.

Originally posted 10/24/2012

One thing I have found that has brought joy and important change into my life is to share my experiences with others – as my mentors, teachers, and friends have done with me.  Through others’ experiences, we have a chance to see our own lives in a different way and discover options we hadn’t realized on our own.

Today I have been thinking a lot about how I arrived where I am at this moment, and I wanted to share some important things I’ve recently realized.  I don’t mean “where I am” as in where I live or what I have — I am talking about the work that I am doing now.

 

I got to this point because I allowed myself to do the following:  

1. Take a risk
2. Think differently
3. Take account of my strengths and weaknesses
4. Understand what I love to do (and don’t!)
5. Seek out and leverage outside expertise
6. Build a network of support
7. Try something different while using my experience and skills to help others.

Putting all of these things together over time brought me tremendous satisfaction and for the first time in my life, I do feel I am here doing what I am supposed to do.

More ideas on how this happened in the next blog, but for today, start your On Purpose journey by taking a risk and reaching out to help or ask for help.  It is so much easier to connect and share than to struggle alone!

Originally posted 9/4/2012

The end of summer is full of goodbyes.

For many it is a time to say goodbye to children going back to school — with the polar reactions being either “Finally!” or a sense of sadness as our children grow up much too fast and leave the nest.

For others it is a time to say goodbye to this glorious season – goodbye to warm breezes, an abundance of flowers, flip flops, outdoor meals and summer drinks.  I have frequently referred to Fall as the ‘f’ word, as I am at my peak of joy in the summer.  So each autumn is a challenge to let go of what I love and what I am most comfortable with in order to be open to the possibilities of the next season (the beautiful fall leaves, the chilly air of a quiet walk on the beach at dusk…)

The same is true as we hold onto our work – the job or careers that we have chosen, or have just fallen into over the years. Even though we know there are important benefits to saying goodbye to the “old” work, we are comfortable on some level.   Many of us just stay where we are because it is the known, and this sense of ‘comfort’ is perhaps the most compelling thing that drives our decisions and feelings (I’ll be writing more on that in a later blog).
We often stay where we are because we are afraid to jump into the unknown (which we equate with scary). We may tell ourselves it is too hard, we don’t have the energy, or a million other reasons and excuses do avoid making the change.

So at this time of letting go of summer and stepping into a new season, I would like to challenge each of us to embrace something a bit unknown.  

Just take a few baby steps (for me, I’ll even buy some Mum plants and pumpkins).  On a deeper level, as you are thinking about what you might love to do with your life, start a journal online or in a new notebook, and write down what it is you have always loved to do – what brings you happiness and joy.  Write about what you loved as a child, and what drives your energy now.

You will be surprised at the patterns you start to see, giving you hints about what you might want to do next in your life.   And you will know that you have made a fresh start towards letting go of what no longer works for you, by taking the first steps of moving to a new season in your life.

There are many more ideas and a process for you to use to make this change happen.  Go to our Discovery Programs page for information on my teleseminars and to sign up for the newsletter to get even more information and inspiration to keep moving forward – on purpose.