Prioritize Your Priorities!

If you ask women how they manage to keep balance in their lives and business, one of  the common threads in all their answers seems to be prioritizing.  We seem to have found that making sure we use our time on things that matter is key.  Beyond that, though, we have to select which items we spend time on and when we spend time on them.  That's what I like to think of as prioritizing our priorities.

One entrepreneur responded, when asked about how she keeps balance, by saying she is proactive in her planning. She actually "axes" or gets rid of anything in her plan that distracts her from her goal.  That response really resonated with me.

Staying balanced and prioritizing means keeping your eye on the prize.  We have to constantly ask ourselves, what really matters?  What are we trying to accomplish?  The answers will help us plan and stay on course each day.

One other thing women seem agree on is taking time for reflection.  Some take time for quiet meditation or prayer.  Others go for a meditative walk to start the day.  Or maybe you take yours at the end of the day, with a soak in the tub by candlelight.  Whatever we choose, we need to find a way to go inward to recharge.

Getting our priorities in order depends on how well we understand what is important and how we set our goals.  Once we know that, our goals practically set themselves.  In other words, know yourself and what you want. Then you can plan how to make it happen in a way that works best for you and those around you.

Fear of Failure, I'm doing it again!

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” Paulo Coelho, The AlchemistI have a confession to make the last two weeks I’ve been procrastinating.  The major culprit is I have this underlying fear of failure.  The other culprit is my unrealistic expectations of success.  Lastly I said Yes to many unimportant events.  Now I’m faced with delaying a project that I want to share with my tribe to help them.   It’s not a comfortable feeling.  So here are some of my thoughts that I have learned the hard way and hopefully this time I learned a valuable lesson.
1.  Be Aware – I was listening to this awesome Tele-summit called "Superwomen Syndrome,Take off the Cape and find your true power" hosted by Michelle Weimer and one of the speakers was talking about fears and that a symptom of it was procrastination. This project I'm working on kept on being pushed to the next day, this should have been my clue that I was procrastinating.  The funny thing is I knew it as soon as it popped up on the call.  The bottom line was I was procrastinating because I  was afraid!  So that awareness is that uncomfortable feeling that you have that pushes you one way or another.  Either you are going to ignore it or work on it.  The cool thing is when I became aware of it, I actually wrote my coach and saids let's work on it.
2.  Find out the why – I knew there was a reason for my procrastination but I didn't want face it.  For me this time it was the fear of failure.  It was rearing it's ugly head.  So I tried to ignore it and do other things that didn't really matter. The bottom line is I was working on this project and I was afraid to put out there because I was afraid it wouldn't be good enough. That it would be a failure.
  3.  Tackle it -So I talked it through with my coach and I came to the conclusion if I didn't put my project out there  I was failing!  Also I came to the conclusion that not putting it out there would cause regret in me.
I know now that every once in a while fear is going to creep into my life and try to prevent me from realizing my dreams. My coach has often told me to feel the fear and do it anyway.  So that is what I'm going to do.  Stay tuned for some announcements coming from me in the next few weeks and a really cool training series.  In the meantime think about these questions.  Is fear causing you to put off that needs to be done?  Is there an underlying reason you are procrastinating? Drop me a line and tell me some things you do to crush fear!  Don't let fear crush your dreams!

Saying Goodbye!

Usually I write about using social media in my business in my weekly blog posts, but not today!  Since I use social media to make a living and I help businesses with their social media marketing I want to share something on a personal side.  After all this seems like a perfect time for me to send a personal note.
This week is about goodbyes for me.  I just finished my short trip to South Carolina moving my daughter and grandson.  It was fun to be with them as they start their new life in a new place and a new school and a new job.  Saying goodbye is difficult but exciting too.
Fast forward, as you are reading this I’m now in VA moving my son into his first year of college.  Saying goodbye once again but it’s all good.
The funny thing is I will be miles away from two of my four children and there is an excitement stirring in me.  I’m so proud of my all grown up children and the decisions they have made.  I am confident they will continue to live life like they mean it.  Not being afraid of saying goodbyes when they need too.  I’m also excited that I have been instrumental in their lives up to now.
Now you know I have to tie social media into this some how so here goes.  Facebook will help me glance in and see what they’re doing at a distance.  Occasional emails and texts will keep me up to date.  I will rejoice when they rejoice and I will be sad for them when they are sad.  I will see them at family gatherings, holidays and breaks and more pictures and memories will happen.
So as the new chapter begins in 2 if my children’s lives, mine begins too.  You see it isn’t really saying goodbye it’s turning the page to a great, new adventure.  Life is good! What or who have you had to say goodbye to lately?  Drop me a line and let me know how it’s going!

Today we celebrate here in the States the of 4th July.  We celebrated the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  What an amazing day that must have been for the Men who fought so hard for freedom.  Today I am thankful that I have that freedom that was given to me by men who had the dream to be free.
oday we celebrate here in the States the 4
There is another freedom I have experienced that I want to write about today.  The freedom I have in being an Entrepreneur.   Unlike the battles that took place in the 1770’s, my battle was silent.  There was the fear, the naysayers and the ego and I won!  Now I am free!  Here are couple tangible things that this newfound freedom has brought me.
1.  I have the freedom in doing what I love to do.  I am doing what I’m passionate about.  Plus as a real number one bonus I am helping others.  That is really what I love doing.  In working in the social media field I get to do what I love and establish relationships.  I believe you can’t be free unless you are truly doing what you love!  How about you are you doing what you love?
2.  I have the freedom of flexibility!  This is great because I’m not locked into a 9 to 5 job.  Now I want you hear what I’m not say here. This does not mean that you don’t work hard and play all day!  It means you have the flexibility to work however you choose to and where ever you choose to.  You are not locked in!  You can go to tradeshows and networking events whenever because you don’t have to ask for time off.  Wouldn’t you like to have that flexibility in your life?
3.  I have freedom over my life and job!  Flexibility is great but control over your life and job is what really matters.  Now I know that this does not mean we can control everything that happens in life and in our jobs but as an entrepreneur we can control some things like where we go, who we do it with, what hours are we working today, all the decisions in creativity, sales, fun and who we work with.  We cannot control the outcome but we can control the activity that has an outcome. Wouldn’t you like to have that kind of control in your life?
4. Lastly, a bit of ego satisfaction, because there is nothing like walking into a room of my peers and sharing what I do.  There is nothing like belonging to a BNI and getting a referral.  There is nothing like speaking at a networking event.  See sometimes that ego keeps you from freedom.  When you are doing what you want to do and moving forward, the ego adapts and you satisfy it.  How about you, how do you feel about what you do?  Are you satisfied?

Most of you who read this are already entrepreneurs, so I would love to hear from you about what other freedoms you have discovered in your business.   Make a comment below!

I am now a proud owner of a business that has life and is vibrant!  I love it!  As I sit here and soak this in I realize that along the way I had to make a lot of choices as an Entrepreneur.  I want to share these choices because there is a major lesson in all this that I have learned along the way.
Choice number one is to move forward.  Don’t get stuck in the cant’s the wont’s and the what if’s.  Just move one baby step at a time.  At first there is such resistance but then it gets easier.  Trust me on this one, I could have been best friends with resistance.
Choice number two is not live in the old story.  It’s that old story that tells you that you will fail, that you are not enough.  It’s that old story that tells you that you can’t do it.  It’s that old story that tells you what if you fail.  You know that voice, the one that constantly brings you back to the past.  That was then and this now.  You are a new person with a new story created to do amazing things.  We are created to do amazing things In this world. Stop trying to live that old story,it does not do us any good! In fact it hinders us in being the person that God created us to be.
Choice number three is don’t look back.  Sometimes we have to make tough decisions especially in business.  We can get stuck in the “I should haves”.  Which does not do us any good.  We tend to forget we have no control over the outcome of that decision sometimes and so if we look back  it keeps us there in that moment.  If we look forward it keeps us positively in the future.
Choice number four is we have to choose our attitude daily.  I can choose to be grumpy or happy!  I can choose to be mad or glad!  You get the picture.  We can choose our feelings and how we are going to act.  And believe me how we choose to act affects everything!
Choice number five we can choose to be intentional in how we live, where we live, with whom we live, and with all other details.  We can choose what we want to be when we grow up!    How cool is that!  You see choosing is about living and living free.  Choosing is about not getting stuck!  Choosing is believing that you are enough.  Choosing is believing that you are not a failure.  Choosing to be an Entrepreneur is about sharing your unique abilities to helps someone else.  What about you?  What are you choosing lately?  I would love to hear what you have to say!  Write your feeling below!

Social Media and Paul McCartney

Sir Paul the Liverpool genius will be turning 71 in June.  He is my favorite Beatle.  Most of the Internet Kids today don’t even know who this cool dude is! I do!  Heck my kids don’t even know what a record is.   I have to say he would have rocked the world of Social Media in his day if it existed.  When I think of the Beatles and Paul McCartney I think about all the comments out there in the musical world that said the Beatles were way ahead of their time.  Paul McCartney came out of nowhere and became the star of the group.  His style would have rocked the world of Social Media Marketing and Strategy.  I want to share some insights Sir Paul has given me in his songs that lead me to believe, that he would have got the social media world.
Most of you by now know I’m huge on engaging with my audience.  I’m huge on listening to my audience.  So I find it interesting how McCartney engaged his audience.  So here are the songs he wrote that I feel were cutting edge Social Media material. If you’re a cynic you would disagree with me maybe, but I will try to win you over.
1.  I Want To Tell You:  LOL our world today is loaded with people who want to tell us something.  It seems like today I even know when someone is taking a shower.  We Facebook it, Tweet it and even blog about it.  Someone out there is listening.
2. Love Me Do: Heck if it isn’t about love what is it about.  Seriously. A lot of online engagement is about feeling the love. When we write a post we sometimes say we’re hoping for some comment about love. Or it’s about being loved.  We thank people sometimes for the RT love. And there’s that little detail that people we engage with on Twitter are called followers. On Facebook – “fans.”
3. No Words:  Sometimes it really is all about pictures!  Just saying!  Go Pinterest!
4. The Fool on the Hill:  "Well on his way his head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him, Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice, But the fool on the hill . . . "  Need I say more Facebook is full of them.  You know those obnoxious types.
5.  Let It Be:  “Speaking Words of Wisdom” Let it Be.  So many times I will be on line and I have a moment of learning through a quote or phrase posted by someone.  Paul seemed to have this one right.  The Let it Be Album for me was the record I listened to most.  Awesome music.  Too bad it was the end of the Beatles.  They did get to record from the rooftop how cool is that.  Talk about getting out there in a big way!
6.  The Long and Winding Road:  Somehow, Paul knew that the commitment to life was going to be a long and winding road. This song perfectly describes the Social Media experience. Anyway, to build your online community it is a long and winding road but you must go down it!
What’s most amazing is Sir Paul from fifty years ago still has the ability to Rock Me.  McCartney was prolific with the Beatles.   He was way more than a band member, he was an influencer with his words.  Paul and the Beatles created trends in music in which the masses eagerly followed.  I know I would certainly want to be the influencer in Social Media.
Social Media allows us to reach more people then we ever could before.  The first step to being a trendsetter is to make sure the quality of what you do is something to be proud of.  Paul didn’t write songs by thinking about what the fans would like, Paul wrote songs that his fans liked.
I really had fun thinking about this.  I told you Paul was all about engagement and way ahead of his time.   The Beatles wrote a lot about online engagement.  Just think of John Lennon’s song “Eight Days A Week”.  Social Media is really more than a 7 day commitment to your marketing.   How did they know all of this? I have no idea. I always knew they were geniuses.  Just saying!
Now, maybe by now you’ve uncovered other Paul McCartney songs or Beatles songs that also reveal this expertise of theirs. If you have, would you share them below for the rest of us?

Death & Tragedy

On a week I should be writing about my inspiring trip to Africa, I find myself in deep thought about the tragic injuries and deaths that transpired at the finish line at the Boston Marathon.  No words can express how much this affects me.  As one who has crossed finish lines many times, I can’t imagine what trauma must be going through the heads of the runners and bystanders.  My deepest sympathies go out to those who lost someone or know someone who was lost or injured.
Facebook & Twitter & YouTube and Linkedin have been plastered with pictures and comments of this tragedy and many others.  It’s hard not to become desensitized by all the media coming at you.  I almost have this feeling that this should not happen this way.  So I want to explain why I think this that putting tragedy and death all over Facebook and the other social media is just crazy wrong.
Last night while on Facebook a newsfeed came through that shocked me and put me to tears.  I found out through Facebook that my friend, my pastor who performed my marriage ceremony, dedicated all 4 of my children passed away.  Friends this is no way to find out someone close to you died.  What in the world is anybody thinking posting this.  Immediately I made calls to those who were close and after I was sure that everyone knew I posted my tribute on Facebook.
So I find myself raw and uneasy about what is posted on the social platforms.  I find it a bit impersonal to say the least.  I myself apologize if I have ever posted something inappropriate.  I find myself back in tragedy mode that is still lingering from the Newtown tragedy.  When will all this nonsense stop and lives stop being torn apart?  Not sure, but maybe a first step is to stop reporting it.  Is it really newsworthy?  Today, I have posted for the picture of my blog, my running sneakers as a statement that I will still run!  Hopefully all my friends that do marathons will still run too.

Are You Out Of Your Comfort Zone!

I'm going to Africa!  This is way out of my Comfort Zone!  So I thought I would share
this poem I found to encourage you!

My Comfort Zone – A Poem
Author Unknown
I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.

I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.

~

Hope you enjoyed this poem.  When have you stepped out of your comfort zone?
Make sure you tune in next week to a great post by a guest blogger on steps you can
take to overcome obstacles to see opportunities.   Drop me line below and let me know
some steps you take to step out of your comfort zone.

Keep On, Keeping on!

Consistency will pay off in the Business of Social Media Marketing. One Step at a Time!

Do you struggle with consistency with Social Media?   Do you find that you make using Social Media for your business hard?  We all sometimes struggle to keep the marketing funnel continuously flowing.  I’m trying to keep the Social media marketing going so I can continue to reach out and touch people while I serve clients.  I find myself wondering how long will it take to build my list to where I expect it to be.  Will I ever arrive?   I find myself 60 days into the new year and I am already treading water.  Can someone throw me a floating device now!  Better yet, can I just go to the beach and lie in the sun!
Here’s the thing, here I am the one who helps other people with their social media and I confess I find it to be daunting sometimes.  I wonder if all the effort that I put in will ever pay off.  Will I be able to serve many?   I began to realize that the expectations I had were making it harder than it was.   Then I had one of my "aha" moments that changed my way of thinking.   I was reading this awesome book by Danielle Laporte called "The Fire Starter Sessions".   In the book she asked this question; "What would your life be like if you did only what was easy?  That one question changed my perspective.  It made me think about how I sometimes choose all the hard things to do first instead of the easy things or the easy steps.  I had this false belief that easy is bad.   Guess what it's not true.   She gave this illustration in her book that went like this.   "There's a charming cartoon sketch that shows this little guy at the base of Mount Everest.  He's staring in awe at a secret, hidden stairway that's been built into the backside of the mountain.  It leads straight up to the peak.  The sign says LITTLE-KNOWN ENTRANCE."  So my big what if is:  "What if "Keep on, Keeping on" is easy?"  It is one step at a time to the top!

So  these four words continue to whisper in my head, “Keep on! Keeping on!"  I’m here to tell you that I understand how the very actions of posting a blog or newsletter, or writing more can be done one step at a time.   Attending business events can get to be overwhelming but do it one step at a time.  I understand that sometimes there are obstacles in moving forward, but you can't move forward without a first step!  I really get that we each have to take it one step at a time because it’s a journey, not a destination!
I believe the best way to “Keep On, Keeping on” is by staying consistent, even when it’s a struggle.  For instance the mere fact that it’s 11:28 pm on Thursday night and I'm writing this shows that I’m dedicated to being consistent. Mostly, I took the first step to type on my laptop.  Very Easy!  I’m dedicated to growing my business and doing what it takes one step at a time.   Mostly, I want to continue to be myself by being real in my business one step at a time.  How I do that is by “Keeping on" one step at a time!  How about you?
Do you struggle sometimes with the everyday tasks growing your business with Social Media?  What steps do you take to have a system in place that keeps you moving?  What do you find to be overwhelming?  What are you doing to keep on, keeping on?   Better yet how can I help you to keep on, keeping on?   Drop me a line below and let me know what your biggest need is when it comes to Social Media?

Relationships Matter!

I’m observing some very disturbing trends lately in the Social Media platforms that worry me.  There is a huge amount of people spending way too much time online.

Permit me to share some of my thoughts on Social Media and building relationships. My first thought is developing relationships with live people, face to face really matters.  Now this is kind of ironic coming from a business coach that specializes in Social Media Marketing.  I happen to be online, plugged in a lot.  So I’m really preaching to the choir here because in my business I spend a lot of time online.  I also happen to think you can have relationships with people online but it’s not the same as in person.  So when I feel like I have not talked to a real live person in a while this disturbs me.  If I’m feeling this, there have to be others that feel the same way.

Now don’t get me wrong I think being plugged in is awesome but I want to address spending too much time on Social Media can actually really hinder your progress in your business.   Why?  One reason is because in live conversation you can’t delete, once you say it, it’s a done deal.  You have to be out there to learn when to listen and talk.   I feel you really need to get out there and meet people.  I know I need that one on one connection.  I need to laugh with people.  I need to chill with people.  I need to share my frustrations with people.  I need to be there for people.  Relationships really do matter to me.  I really love hearing face to face what is happening in your life.

I want to share a story that I still laugh about to this day.  Late in 2012 we had tropical storm  Sandy that hit us where I live on the coast!  We lost power for about 7 days.  When I was without power I ran to Starbucks so I could be online.  Starbucks is usually a place I go to have a Cinnamon Dolce Latte with a good friend but I chose to go there to get online.  At the time that seemed more important.  What was funny is if you didn’t get there early enough there was not a plug that was open.  I was one of the lucky ones.   This story is so typical of life now.  Here I was in the same room with many people and I couldn’t put my phone or computer down to have a conversation.  What’s even worse, I could have been home sitting near the fireplace enjoying conversation with my family. VERY SAD!  I could have been spending quality time with my family instead I chose to isolate myself at Starbucks.

One other story that I want to share is one of being in a restaurant.   In July of 2012 I went into the city for a long weekend to celebrate with my husband our 30^th anniversary and there was this couple at the next table.  While we were enjoying the evening spending time with each other exchanging great, deep intimate conversation, this couple spent their entire dinner texting on their phones.  How odd!

I want to get really honest here and give you the biggest nugget that will help you in your business.  It has helped me and that’s why I’m sharing it.  Relationships Matter!  So what helps me in this quest to make relationships matter more than sitting on Facebook , Twitter and Linkedin all day?  The biggest thing that has helped me is having set times now when I go online.  This way I’m spending the other time either working on my business, in person with someone or I’m meeting potential clients or potential JV partners.  I also like spending time with people who encourage me in my business.

One other thing that I have incorporated into my schedule is a Lorraine Unplugged Day.  This forces me not to be so isolated and it forces me not to hide behind my computer.

Relationships matter because it’s important in your business and personal life to be always cultivating relationships.

Some of you use Social Media in your business, I’m not saying to stop, I’m just saying do something different.  This is how I work on making my relationships matter online.  If I’m talking to people online, I listen again to the pulse!  I answer everyone who tweets me, chats me, and emails me, etc.  I make sure I’m the same person online and offline.

This is a bit of my soapbox for the week.  What are you doing to kindle the relationships in your life online and offline?  What are you doing to forge new relationships?  Make a comment below and I would love to read your thoughts.

Boxes (That was then, this is now!)

Last year around this time, a friend and I were discussing some boxes we still have over our parent’s houses.  Well she took one home over her Christmas holiday.   She told me as she was browsing through it she couldn’t believe some of the stuff she saved.  It got me thinking about how cool this was that as she went through this box.  Also that she is not the same person that she was back then.  Transformation has happened!  I’m wondering if you went through some of the boxes that you have saved what would you find?   Would you find that you are different?  I hope so!

I’m continually going through some of the boxes in my life.  I’m glad that the cover is on the past boxes and I am in a new box now.  The box I’m creating now is my own personal box.  Things that I’m starting to gather are books and journals and ideas.  The receipts are calculated and recorded.   The things that are not there are my pains and failures from the past, because that’s the old story.   My life is so dramatically changing every day.   Mostly my new box is about the new me.  What about you what new box are you creating?

More importantly why I mention this whole box thing.  I would venture to say that most of us, including myself have come a long way in our lives.  Over the past year I had many adventures.  I stated last year I’m of belief that on January 2013 that I will be so much different than my box of January 2012.  I am not disappointed.  My box is awesome.  I’m right where I’m supposed to be.    So I find myself in a new box again, which is mostly unwritten.   I’m excited about the new things that I will be packing into my box.  I know it will be vibrant and it will have great impact on life and encourage more change for the year to follow.

Some thoughts I am pondering as I realized  this transformation happens and how I will again be evolving into a person with a new box.  I am no longer holding on to the old boxes!  What about you?  What boxes are you holding on to?   What really needs to be saved from the past?   What will I continue to add to the new box?  What will you continue to add?  What will I look like after the box is closed and tucked away in some attic?  I would love to hear your thoughts on this.  Please drop me a few lines in response to this!

Tough Week In Connecticut!

This is probably the hardest blogpost I have ever written.  I write it with a heavy heart.  As most of you know, a little place in Newtown, Connecticut called Sandy Hook Elementary School was wrecked last Friday with a senseless act of violence.  There has not been a day that has gone by since where I have not cried or cried with someone.  I want to take some time in this blog post to reach out for all those who  know anyone or have been personally affected by this tragedy.  I send tons of Love, Hugs and Prayers to you.  I can’t imagine what you are going through.

This tragic day hit me hard when I got a call from my 24 year old daughter who lives in Newtown.  She was at work when she called me very upset and said the school down the road from where she lives had a shooting.  This was the school that she had tried to get her son Tyler into Kindergarten but there was age restrictions and he did not make the cutoff.   We are so very thankful he was not there for this horrible day!   I am thankful that I have a grandson still alive.  Many Grandma’s and Grandpa’s can’t say that today, they are grieving beyond anything that I could ever imagine.  Love, Hugs and Prayers to them!

As a mother of 3 sons and 1 daughter there is this huge lump in my throat and sadness and tears for these families that lost their children.  Again I can even begin to imagine something so sad and hard to even comprehend what they are going through.  My prayers go out to each of these families!  Love, Hugs and Prayers to you all.

Living with in a 1/2 hour on a good day, 45 min. on a bad day traveling time to Newtown, the pain is everywhere.  One of my sons goes to a private school in Trumbull and there is a sign at the firehouse paying tribute to the victims.  Some of the area churches in Trumbull have tributes written on their changeable signs.  People I bump into all seem to have a story or some pain surrounding December 14th.  The bottom line is most of us are hurting so much because of this horrid day.   Love, Hugs and Prayers to all of us.

Today at my church we had a women’s prayer service to pray for each family by name.  We prayed for each parent and each brother and sister.  We lit 26 candles for these 20 children and 6 adults that were taken a way from their loved ones on December 14th.   Tears for shed, my eyes are red from crying.  Love, Hugs and Prayers to those that are attending services this week.

There is this song that I was humming all day Monday it’s  called  ”Grown-up Christmas List” sung by Amy Grant.  The chorus goes something like this!

“No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end

This is my grown-up Christmas list”

On Tuesday I went to my sons high school Candlelight program.  This was one of the songs chosen.  How fitting because this is my Christmas list this year and for years to come.
Every line in this chorus I mean from the bottom of my heart.  You see I really do pray that lives would stop being torn apart by such senseless acts.  The big line here is “And time would heal all hearts”,  oh I so pray for healing hearts in Newtown.  My next favorite line is, “And love would never end”.   I want to end this brief post on “Love”.  I’m hoping in light of the tragic events that unfolded on  Friday, December 14th that we would remember to love one another!  That we would remember that every person out there is an important human being that need to be loved and listened to and hugged.  Take time this Christmas season to do that!  Love, Hugs and Prayer to the Newtown Community!  God Bless!

THANKFUL NOVEMBER

We are well into November and next week is Thanksgiving.  I decided to do something a bit different for November and dub it “Thankful November”!  Each day on my Facebook page I have been posting something that I am thankful for.   It’s funny how once you start focusing on being thankful.  It changes everything.   For the most part, I’ve been thankful for personal things.  So for today I want to focus on how I’m thankful for my business?  How do you find ways to be thankful for in your business?   How do you find ways to be thankful for all the landmarks you have reached?  Do you have a daily way of expressing thankfulness?   These are the things I’m thankful for this season!

First, I am thankful to God for giving me the gifts and talents that I have.  I thank Him for giving me the ideas that I have to move forward in my business and be successful.

I’m thankful for my family and friends who have been so supportive in all my endeavors in this season of life that I am in.  I’m thankful for the support they give me in my business.  I’m thankful that they believe in me enough to help me in whatever way they can.

I’m thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me to move my business to the next level.  I’m thankful for my colleagues who have inspired me to move forward in business.

I’m thankful for my mentors/coaches who have helped me see the big picture and the process through the journey that I am on.  I’m thankful that they prodded and poked me when it needed to be done.  I’m thankful that they challenged me where I needed to be challenged.

I’m thankful that I have my own office and desk to work at.  I’m thankful for the computer that I work on and the stuff on my desk I have.  I’m thankful for all other objects I have in my office that I sometimes take for granted.

I’m thankful for the networks that I belong to and the friendships and business relationships that I have made from these groups.  I’m thankful for the business referred and business given.

I’m thankful for the clients I have that have been so faithful in our partnership together.  I’m thankful for their willingness to change and move forward in their lives.  I’m thankful for them letting me share in the process.

I’m thankful for this attitude of gratitude that I have that gives me great perspective in my business.  It helps me get better and do my best work.

I’m thankful that here in America I live where we have the resources to make it in our own businesses.  So many people live in countries where they don’t have the same opportunity that I have.

Mostly I’m thankful for the opportunities to make a difference in another individual life!   What are you most thankful in your business for?  Do you express your thankfulness daily?   It will make a difference in your life and in your business!

"LIGHTS OUT"

As Hurricane Sandy blew her way in, all of us on the East Coast were making preparations.  The funny thing is you can never be too prepared. Well, I thought at least I have a fireplace.  I hurried to get some water and wood and made sure we had the essentials to survive a couple of days without power.  I’m on Day 4 with out power and I’m still surviving and very thankful. I'm thankful that the Sandy is gone!  I’m thankful that all my family is safe and our homes are intact.

I was thinking of this term “lights out” lately.  I remember when I was younger and in Girl Scouts, “lights out” meant turn the lights off and no more talking.  I still remember all of us in our sleeping bags giggling the night away thinking that our leaders never heard us.

As I became a parent, “lights out” was very meaningful to my sanity.  It meant it was time for my children to go to bed.   Wow, I have come a long way.

Recently, because of Storming Sandy, “lights out” has meant no power!  For some of us that have our main business online, it has meant finding very creative ways to find WIFI.  So in a sense “lights out” for me has meant very little online presence.  What is funny about this is I do Social Media.  That’s a big LOL!

I sometimes wonder if “lights out” doesn’t hit us in other ways.  I was thinking about the “lights out” that we put on ourselves that doesn’t have anything to do with power, but a stoppage of moving forward.  In the day of no power, people still moved forward they didn’t stop because they had no light.  In the same way just because a glitch of no power happens doesn’t mean we stop working.  We just have to learn to be creative and continue on.

This week has taught me a lot about what is important.  Yes I have certain business goals, but the ones I couldn’t fulfill because of  “lights out” I will continue with them when I get power back.  My week has been full with serving, helping others and being social, even sharing my plug with a stranger at the same table at Starbucks.    Today, “lights out” means doing things differently and being creative.  Mostly it means it’s okay!  How about you what does “lights out “ mean to you? 

CHAOS HAPPENS!

I’m not sure when I realized this but I did and now I have to write about it.  Have you ever noticed that when things in your business are running smoothly that all of a sudden chaos happens?  What is chaos?  How do you pull it together during these times of chaos?  How do you find the calm amidst chaos?  Where does chaos come from?

Chaos is one of those funny words because it has different meanings to the individual.  The definition of chaos is complete disorder and confusion, behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions.   For instance, I can relate to the randomness and unpredictability of chaos, and I usually find chaos at least once a day as it rears its ugly head in my business.  And it always blasts its way in like a bad storm trashing my daily schedule and plans.

Yesterday was the most blatant intrusion by chaos.   My day was set for some serious implementation and I was on fire!  I had a mission.  I’m rebranding, doing a lot of writing and then I had some clients.  Then I had set some time for some marketing.  I’m all excited because I’m really crushing it in my business.  Then I get side tracked with the tyranny of the urgent.  I’m fielding calls, helping people that need it and getting ready for guests that will be spending the weekend.  And then I had this clarity moment while rushing around like a crazy women. I laughed to myself inside!   So with this is newfound clarity I took a deep breath and made the most of the chaos.  And it was so much easier to swallow and do the do.  What I discovered is sometimes you can’t avoid chaos you simply have to go with the flow.   And yes because I remained calm and grabbed my Ipad, I was even able to complete some of my work in the calm moments!  How cool is that!  How do you remain calm during chaos?

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway!

“Behind every flinch is a fear or an anxiety – sometimes rational, sometimes not. Without the fear, there is no flinch. But wiping out the fear isn’t what’s important – facing it is.”  - Julien Smith, The Flinch

I’m wondering if some of you have ever been like me venturing through the dark forest much like the cast of characters in the Wizard of Oz.  I always think about this particular song in the movie “Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My”, when doing something new in my business because there are some scary roads in business we must take. Before the cast starts singing “Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my” Dorothy says, “I don’t like this forest it’s dark and creepy”.  I find myself saying, I don’t like doing this in my business, because it’s scary and creepy and mostly very uncomfortable.

 So you are probably wondering where on earth am I going with this.  Hang in there because I have learned a positive lesson about this same fear that got the cast all tangled up in this movie.  This is my lesson learned  on feeling fear and doing it anyway!

One of the things lately that I needed to do is write a free offer with a set of auto-responders because I did not like the ones currently on my website.   Now I had the good intentions of doing this and I even put this on my goals list but it wasn’t getting done. It reminds me of another song line that says “the road I’ve traveled on is paved with good intentions”.  Good intentions are one thing, doing the intentions is a whole other thing.  Recently, I guess I was feeling much like Dorothy and the Scarecrow and the Tin Man and poor unsuspecting Toto!  The cast took Dorothy’s line of, “this forest is dark and creepy”  and conjured up all these fears of Lions and Tigers and Bears!  What do you conjure up in your head on the road to getting important things done in your business?  I know that I always tend to conjure up in my head, “What if I fail”?  ”What if it’s not good enough”?  I could go on in on with the “what ifs” that haunt me but I will spare you!

So what happens next is this lion jumps out and scares them but it turns out he was not such a scary lion because he had no courage.  But the real turning point was as the cast kept moving forward to meet the wizard, Dorothy stood up to the lion among other obstacles.   My lesson was around doing the writing for this free offer with auto-responders and standing up to my worst fears I had around failing miserably and not being good enough.  I stood up to all the gremlins in my head and with the prompting of my coach, I  pushed through it.  And I have to say it felt good.

We all know that eventually they get to the wizard.  So the most positive part of that whole movie is that they didn’t turn back screaming.  They moved forward.  I also moved forward with getting it done and now it’s on my website better than ever.  In that same way, we must continue down the road to making every effort to push forward through the fear even if we do encounter, “Lions and Tigers, and Bears!

I write this now because it’s fresh on my mind.  I’m struggling with “Lions and Tigers and Bears right now but I’m determined to move forward and do it anyway.  What are some fears that have prevented you from moving forward? 

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself  in any direction you  choose.  You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.  You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”    Dr. Seuss

I once was at a seminar where the speaker said that; “confidence affects everything”.  I believe that to be true in my own life.  When I lack the self-confidence it affects my whole day, but when I have self-confidence I’m on the top of the world. So here are just 3 tips that have helped me to be more confident!

Tip # 1   Know!  I think Dr. Seuss put it well in the above quote.  “And you know what you know.”  If you are comfortable in what you do and the goods you deliver and the value you give as an entrepreneur this will make you a more confident person in your business and in your life.  As my business has evolved and I know what I do I have become more confident in my business!  I can say with confidence that: ” I am a business coach that specializes in Social Media Managment and I can help you manage your Social Media so you can do what you are passionate about in your business.”

Tip # 2   Being comfortable in your own skin!  Be yourself.  My mentor always tells me “to just show up” that’s really all I have control of, the rest is out of my hands.  When I put my self in situations that I’m not comfortable and I lack confidence in, I become a mess.  But if I just show up, and be the best me, that works so well for my confidence.  I really just got this recently, like today!   I put that in practice today in a session with a client, I showed up, listening and being myself and it was fun and it was great session.

Tip # 3 Have Direction!  When you know where you are going and what you are doing you will have confidence that will bring you to success each and every day.  Dr. Seuss has it right when he says, “You’re on your own.”  “You are the guy/gal who’ll decide where to go.”  You see if you know where you’re going with every step you take you will gain more confidence.  And that is success in my book everyday.

I’m about to share something that most of you reading this probably don’t know about me!  Are you ready?  Are you listening?  Can you hear me?  Seriously, I like Pink Floyd.  I love their music.  The bands guitar player David Gilmore is amazing.  Every time I hear them, I think of the time when I was at the Wall concert and David is up on the Wall playing this amazing guitar solo.  I get the warm fuzzies and my creative juices again are flowing.

Are you wondering? So why in the world are you sharing this!  What does all this have to do with the title?  What does this have to do with Social Media or my Business!  How can this help me?   EVERYTHING and I will explain!

The Band has a song called “Comfortably Numb”  and although I’m taking song way out of context.  There is a message here for us to learn.  It is are you listening to your clients and potential prospects!  Are you listening to people who are writing on your wall, who are talking to you in the common places?  Are you listening to everyone who talks to you or are you more anxious to get your own thoughts and words out.

Here is the beginning of the song that I want to point you to.

Hello? Hello? Hello?

Is there anybody in there?

Just nod if you can hear me.

Is there anyone at home?

Come on now

I hear you're feeling down.

Well I can ease your pain

Get you on your feet again.

Relax.

I'll need some information first.

Just the basic facts.

Can you show me where it hurts?

So here are my tips from the song of Pink Floyd that I believe will help you in your business.

1.  Hello, when was the last time you said Hello to someone.  More importantly was it a passing hello or a friendly hello.  Was it personal or impersonal?   Did you mean it?  Did you hear if they said hello back?  Did you make eye contact?  I believe all these questions say a lot.  Especially when it comes to doing business with people.  It’s about relationships.   Sometimes the simple art of saying hello to someone becomes routine and we miss the fact that the word hello can be the beginning of a relationship or the continuation of a relationship.

2.  Just nod if you can hear me!  Have you ever been in conversation with someone and they just stare at you?  Maybe you get an uh huh, yes, or nod and it instantly brings you into the last conversation with your teenager that you had the other day.  We all have expressions and say things during conversation, we use these expressions to show others we are listening.  Are we really listening?  I want to challenge you to nod like you mean it!  Ask questions so people know you care.  Just nod like you mean it!

3. I hear you’re feeling down!  I hear you!  Maybe it’s something A person said that you need to repeat back so they know you get them.  In the song it’s:  “I hear you're feeling down.”   In business it might be, “I hear you’re slow.” or “I hear you’re struggling.”  Do you hear them?  Maybe it’s, “I hear you had a fantastic week”.   The point is to hear them!  Are you listening?

4.  I'll need some information first, just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts?   Part of listening is getting the facts so you can share with them and help them if you can.   So are you listening for the facts?  Are you getting the information down?  Are you listening!

My life is really all about helping people and I believe if I follow these tips of listening that I can really know how to help someone.   Share your thoughts below on what are some tips you use for listening.

After spending a week in Africa teaching at a Women’s Conference, I spent the next week on a personal and spiritual high.  I was soaring.  Then on this Tuesday morning I woke up in the state of being in a funk.  Has that ever happened to you?  Mr. Funk was not invited, and I didn’t have him scheduled in my calendar at all.  He just appeared.  Unfortunately, I made the choice to hang with him!

I want to share with you some tips on how I eventually freed myself from his evil clutches.  I want to tell you how I fought the funk so I could be free to be me!

The first thing I did is become aware of his presence.  That was the easy part to notice.  I had no motivation.  I was looking for a reason to quit.  I became a prisoner of my mind and my emotions.  I had negative self -talk going on.  I felt like a failure.  I was also telling myself the wrong story!  So the bottom line is I knew I was experiencing the presence of Mr. Funk!  Knowing this is half the battle.

The next thing was I tried to justify Mr. Funk.  I did that by trying to invite others to my pity party with Mr. Funk.  I even engaged in a conversation about it with my Life Coach.  Guess what it didn’t work.  I was grappling at trying to find the source from where Mr. Funk came from and it did not make me feel any better.  The bottom line is as I became more and more aware of Funks presence I realized that I didn’t have to dwell on the source.  Dwelling on it would keep me from enjoying life and moving forward in my business.  I’ve been with Mr. Funk before and he has not made it easy, I knew if continued to listen to his stories he was telling me, I would never progress.

The biggest thing I did when Mr. Funk arrived on my doorstep and intruded into my personal space is I worked through him, around him and over him.  I refused to listen to his whispers and shouts.  I didn’t allow him to take a seat in my home or in my heart.  I didn’t waste time wondering anymore if I’m good enough, motivated enough to do what I needed to do.  I just did it and moved forward in a big way.

I could end my story here but I won’t because I had an AHA moment while removing Mr. Funk out of my life.  I realized that he came knocking but I made the choice to let him in the back door.   What I realized is that by that single choice of allowing him to harass me that in the same way I could make a better choice and ignore his knocks and voices all together.  I realized I could choose to accomplish what need to be done.  I pushed through it until I felt him no more.   I realized that staying faithful to the things I believe in and am passionate about and the God I serve, quickly rids me of Mr. Funk!  I’m motivated now and have my energy back, Mr. Funk is gone for now, and I’m sure he will try to sneak his way back into my life.  The good news now is he is gone and I feel free at last.  Free of funk and my life and free to do what I need to do and free to make better choices!  Free to not choose to wine and dine Mr. Funk!  What about you?  What are the things you do to get rid of Mr. Funk!