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.

Originally posted 8/31/2012

A few years ago, there was a restaurant across the street from our little boardwalk and beach in the town where I live.  It was sold, then torn down and a beautiful new house was built there.  The owners had a small bronze plaque put out front that said  “Why Not?”

I love that plaque! What a wonderful way to live your life, instead of always asking “why?” to start asking (and answering with) “Why not?”!

Too many times in our lives we allow outside forces, or often ourselves, to stop us from doing what we love to do and to ignore that little-inspired feeling of “Why not?” inside.  Sometimes it’s because significant people in our lives have other expectations for us. Sometimes we are just fearful, or tired, or one of a hundred other ‘reasons’.

But if we keep doing this, think of all the truly satisfying moments we have thrown away!

This time in our lives is the perfect time to stop and trust that little voice or feeling inside that urges us to do something different – to go ahead and say “Why Not?”

Are you ready to do what you really truly want to do in your life, your career?   I say, “Why not??” 

Get started by signing up for our NO CHARGE  On Purpose Teleseminar here (look for the orange box!).

Originally posted 7/16/2012

In a recent blog post, I wrote about the importance of searching for our purpose so we can be happy and be doing that which brings us joy. So let’s say you have decided it’s time to start your exploration… now what??

There are two things that can help us to move forward: our intention and our attention. Webster defines the words as follows:

Intention: “A determination to act in a certain way.”
Attention: “The act or state of applying the mind to something.”

Putting those two words together, you get something like “applying the mind to a determination to act in a certain way” or “a determination to apply the mind to a particular something.” You can see how putting these two words into practice is a powerful combination!

Here’s an example from my own life. Long story short (read the longer version here), my husband recently had very serious, life-threatening health issues and my life became a 24/7 vigil of worry, fear, and exhaustion. I was putting all my attention on the worst that might happen, and constantly feeling “woe is me” for having to deal with so much all at once, all the time.

One day, a conversation I had with my life coach finally woke me up to where I was putting my attention, and I realized I needed to change that to keep my health and to get my happiness back.

I decided right then and there to put my attention on the positive parts of my life, and I changed my intention from “get through the awfulness of today” to “move forward and change my life, taking action each day to re-find my joy.” That intention is strong… I am sticking to it relentlessly… and IT IS WORKING!

I couldn’t have made that change without support, which is why I am so committed to providing support and resources through the International Center for Women on Purpose. Here you can get support and help on honing your intention, creating your action plan, and focusing your attention on your purposeful journey.

The first step begins with you, so why not start by signing up for our NO CHARGE teleseminar?  Send me an email here to be notified when registration opens.

There is no complicated formula… just allow the change to flow through you, and reach out for help and guidance today.

Originally posted 7/1/2012

 

How can I be happier?
What do I need to do to feel more fulfilled?
Why am I here in this lifetime?
What is missing?

Many of us (including me!) keep hearing these questions — that little voice in the back of our heads that won’t go away.

These questions and the feelings about them pop up continuously. Sometimes something specific happens to triggers the questions, or sometimes they just seem more insistent for no reason at all. Those questions and feelings may be with us for days, months, even years.

The truth is that unless we deal with these questions, they will keep coming back; they will not go away until we have taken action to find answers to what it is that truly makes us happy, fulfilled and “on purpose!”

These life questions get bigger each time they come up. And if we don’t deal with them, what happens? One of two things:

1. We do nothing and waste important years of our lives.

We keep ignoring the questions and feelings, hoping they will go away because if we have to deal with them, we will need to change some things, and who wants to do that?!

We tell ourselves we have a good life, we should just be happy and not ask for more, that it could be worse out there, etc. We indulge in Gremlin thoughts (negative self-talk) that dis-empower us so we do nothing.

Before we know it, years may have passed (as in my case – I was into my 50’s) before we decide our lives are moving on without us and realize that one day it will be too late to find our true joy. What a waste — to deprive ourselves of our meaningful life’s work and to deprive others of benefitting from our gifts!

2. We get miserable enough take action.

The other thing that happens if we ignore the life questions is that the nagging of that little voice in our heads gets so intense that it results in real unhappiness. We become short-tempered, we hate the work we do, we take it out on others, and we become miserable to others and ourselves!
When we get this unhappy, it sometimes makes us take a bold step to get out of our rut and take action… but by then we are so tired that it’s hard to move forward.

I believe there is an easier and more enjoyable way to find our purpose and the fulfillment that goes with it, and I’m offering a NO CHARGE teleseminar to get you started on that path.  Contact us to be notified when registration opens!

If you’re hearing those life questions more and more often, please don’t ignore them. Discovering your purpose can be a powerful experience, and we’re here to support you!