Winning Strategies

Life's Everyday Moments

A plane zooms over my head leaving a long tail in its wake. Three geese fly above me, heading east. The wind blows the leaves of the giant oak tree in front of me.

I'm walking the dog. Well, I was walking the dog until he got too tired and needed to rest. Now I'm sitting in a patch of very green grass, leaning back with my eyes to the sky. The sun is slowly setting and I am sitting quietly, absorbing the world around me. Was all this here a moment ago? And me rushing around, missing the moments and not observing the world.

A bird sings me a song and three others join in on the chorus. It is a beautiful rhythm, each sound lands on different notes and patterns. I can hear a loud car engine roaring off into the distance. I am outside, when there are those in hospitals and nursing homes that cannot go outside.

I am blessed. I am content and at this moment, I stand in awe of the world around me.

Stop. Listen. Look. Absorb and be thankful for this very moment. This moment is the fabric of your life.

"I See You, I Hear You and What You Say Matters to Me"

I sit in wonder watching the taped episode of Oprah's last show. She reveals life lessons that she has learned across the 25 years, the thousands of shows and multiple thousands of guests.

She challenged each of us to find our passion and our purpose, to identify what we were put on the earth to do. She talked about accepting life's blessings and to know and accept that each of us is indeed worthy. She asked us to accept that we are enough, just as we are.

She said that each person she has ever met wants to be validated. They want to hear us say,""I See You, I Hear You, and What You Say Matters to Me". I believe that with every fiber of my being.

She gives the credit of the amazing success of the show to Jesus, to God, and to listening when He speaks.

So- on this day of the last episode and the last show- I want to say that I owe many thanks both personally and professionally to Oprah. I learned to accept myself just the way that I am, with all of my differences (and those that know me know that list is long). I learned to embrace the passion
that God has given me to coach others and help others learn from my mistakes. I felt validated when I was invited to Chicago to be interviewed as a 'Woman of Influence', and even more so when I was considered for 2 separate episodes and a spot in the O magazine. Thank you for that
encouragement and blessing. I will always carry it with me.

I am new, I am different, I am a better person today. I am 45 pounds lighter, more forgiving, more accepting, and I recognize and enjoy my God given strengths partly due to Oprah and Team! I speak, I write books, I give of myself because Oprah encouraged me to live my passion. I have been blessed beyond belief. Thank you. It is indeed a blessing that I can
never repay.

We will miss you dearly Oprah.

Weather Forecast- Sunny and Bright

Today was a beautiful day.  The sun shone brightly and it felt a bit like summertime in California.  I bought some wedding magazines to help plan my sweet daughter's wedding.  Time is flying by and there is so much to do.  The kids are out of school in a little over a week (wow, that came fast) and the days are rushing past like a movie on fast forward.

Sometimes I sit and wonder how the world could spin by so fast.  Why is it that it seems to move so slowly when something terrible is happening (like when you are getting your tooth drilled at the dentist) and it rushes by quickly when something amazing is happening?  That seems so unfair.  Laugh

Enjoy this beautiful day.

 

If Today Were Your Last

Jeff died when I was still quite young.  He was my highschool sweetheart and the father of my baby girl.  I thought he'd be around to see many of her birthdays and celebrate her wedding.  As we plan her wedding now, I often find a giant lump in my throat, remembering that young girl that had so many hopes and dreams, many of which faded for many years.  We had dreamed of retirement, travel, and we had made plans that were never kept.  On the day that his motorcycle veered off the road and hit a wall, all of the plans changed.

If you were to ask me what I would think if today was my last day on earth, I would say that every day since I have tried to live each day as a special gift.  Each day is a gift that we have been blessed with.  We are not promised to live to a certain age, and we don't know the length of our days.

We live life like there are unlimited tomorrows.  I read a book recently that said that if you are in your forties, you have probably only 1500 Saturdays left to live.  In the book, they filled a jar with 1500 marbles.  Each Saturday, remove a marble from the jar, you've just spent one of your precious Saturdays.  Did you spend it well?

I am amazed to watch people talking about 'tomorrow'.  Think of all the times we tell our families that we will get to them 'next week', or we will travel to see our relatives 'next year'.   I remember all the tomorrows, next weeks, and next years that we had planned. 

I know that if today were my last, I wouldn't be worried about that guy or gal that is giving me a hard time at the office, I wouldn't care about that unimportant squabble that I had with my friend, I wouldn't be losing sleep over the dishes not being done, I'd be spending quality time with the people in my life that I hold most dear, my husband and my kids.

So, on this day, I wish for you a knowing perspective.  I hope to grant you permission to let the dishes go, forget about that television show, making room in your life to tuck your children into bed tight and kiss your spouse goodnight.  You do have today, and it is a gift to savor with all the breath in your lungs, and appreciate the special gift that you've been given.  Life. 

Who Are YOU and What are YOU Known For?

It is becoming more and more clear as time passes that it is critical to understand what your business thinks of 'Who YOU are and What YOU are known for'.  Personal branding is becoming an important step in moving your career forward whether you stay at the same company or move into another company.

Your skillsets must be easily distinguished from the skillsets of those that you compete against, your ROI and value must be clearly understood and documented.

Who are you?  What are you known for?  What do you do great?  Think about the components that make YOU special.  Process specifics in your mind.  If your company were having a large layoff, whta would the executives say about you behind closed doors?  These are good things to know.

Begin forming ideas about Who YOU are.  Begin to form a brand idea for yourself.  More to come....stay tuned.

Happy Mothers Day 2011

I wrote this in 2003- I still feel the same, although the ages of my children have changed.  They are now 24, 16, and 12.

A Mother's Joy

My children are sixteen, eight and four
To me they are precious
I couldn't ask for more

Heather is caring, sweet and polite
Brandon is growing and oh so bright
Caleb is full of vigor and might

Together they combine to make my life whole
Their smiles delight me
They burn brightness into my soul

The sun shine, the deep blue sea
Nothing can compare to
The love that i have for these three

I love you my darling children- - and I always will

Your Mother

 
 
 

Life's Failures

Failure can be a good thing.  Failure allows us to find a better way of doing things.  We learn from our failures.  It is imperative that we accept our failures, figure out the lessons to learn from them and to move forward with a new direction and focus. 

The bigger my failures, the more I’ve learned.  Early on in my career, I was hesitant to trust my instincts and judgment.  I made decisions that were ‘safe’ and sometimes followed the advice of others rather than moving forward on the decision that I felt would be best.  I allowed corporate pressure to determine what decisions I made.  Often the business objective failed.  That drove me to not wanting to fail again.  The second time around, I would trust my judgment and instincts and make decisions that made a difference for the organization.  I learned to be bold and confident and lead with gusto, trusting that I would make a sound decision that would move the organization forward.  I also learned to be 'me'.  You cannot change who you are.  Always be true to yourself.

Every successful person that you will meet has exeperienced some type of failures.  It has defined them.  They have learned from them.  They have moved forward and achieved beyond that one focal point in their careers.  Don't let a bump in the road define you.  Don't let it 'stick' you.  Rise above and find the lessons learned in the process.  Go dream, create results, persevere, achieve and succeed.  Action and tactical steps can help you move forward. You can achieve and move past this.  I know you can.

 

Life's Adventures

Life is an adventure. It is a culmination of people, activities and events that make your experience individual and distinct. Life is yours to design. When life sends me upsetting events, I think of all the amazing experiences that life has given me, all the incredible people I've met along the way, and the interesting places I've visited, worked and lived.

You are creating the adventure that is your life. We sometimes forget that we have but one chance at it. We forget that life is not all about our work only- but a balance of 6 areas of our life:

•Family/Home
•Spiritual Life
•Work
•Hobbies/Special interests
•Fitness
•Relationships and Friendships

Go create an adventure that you are proud of.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT

Living a Life of No Regrets

My advice to you is to live a life of no regrets.  Things can change in an instant.  Are the decisions you've made, the things you've sacrificed, the time you've spent with your family, and  the time you've taken to do the things you love- - - -would those decisions still be the ones that you would make for yourself if you suddenly were faced with a life altering diagnosis or a limited time to live?

I challenge you to live a life that leaves you satisfied.  Live the life that measures success in YOUR eyes, not the eyes of others.  Don't be a slave to other people's expectations of you or others' perspectives.  YOU own your destiny.  YOU own your future.  You owe it to yourself.

Ever Present Blessings

I awoke early to make breakfast for my children. They are growing fast. As my oldest is already off on her own, I can appreciate the brevity of the journey that we have with them.

We get caught up in politics at work and lose touch with the meaning of life, the blessings that surround us, and our families. Try to focus your attention on the positive today. People can pressure you, bully you, and all around cause you grief, but God is in control and He has richly blessed you.

Count your blessings.