You can’t go for a dream carefully

“You can’t go for a dream carefully. You can’t say to the Universe: Give this to me sort of. It’s like a confusing direction from a director!”

think and dream bigThis is one of many golden nuggets to be found in Dee Wallace’s new book, Bright Light. I think what Dee is trying to tell us is that we have to be crystal clear about what we want and then move boldly forward, unswayed by failures along the way or the negative chatter of our inner Saboteur.

In my own work, I see beautiful examples of big dreams and bold action every day! Recently, a client called to tell me that he had just landed his dream job, after a months long search that many times seemed to be going nowhere. Ah, but he knew exactly where he was going!

Even though he was forced to leave a long-held coveted job when his company closed its doors, even though he took a job at a much lower pay grade with much less prestige, even though he was blind sided when his wife informed him that she wanted a divorce, and even though the economy looked bleak, he never gave up on himself.

He never gave up and he never settled for less.

When he called he said, “I did everything you told me to from the focus exercises, to the resume re-write, to the interview preparations. It worked!”

Yes, it did, but with all due respect, in the end, it was his belief in himself. That’s something no coach, counselor, friend, or family member can do for you. On the days when his “bright light” began to dim and doubts began to swirl around him, he pulled himself up by thinking about some event that made him giddy with joy like his daughter’s hand-drawn “I love you Daddy” card that made his heart melt. That’s when his energy would come back, his heart would open up, and he was back in the game.

Big dreams. Bold action. Clear vision. That’s my wish for you!

Thank you so much for your support! As always, I leave you with this beautiful quote by Rumi, “Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do!”

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Why the Surgeon Refused to Operate

“My sixth sense, which I rely on as a surgeon, is telling me that I cannot be certain that surgery will help you. Therefore, I don’t want to do it.”

That’s what the doctor told my husband regarding a persistent, long-time leg pain.

As a wife, I was disappointed that the cure we thought was in hand, was not to be. As a business owner and someone who studies the habits and thinking processes of our most successful executives, I was thrilled, intrigued, and grateful.

Grateful because the doctor combined science with the wisest part of his being— his intuition. Intrigued because I had never heard a doctor refer to his “sixth sense.” Thrilled because this was yet another piece of evidence that intuitive based decision-making is the mark of an effective, enlightened leader, in business and in life.

“There are times in all of our lives when a reliance on gut or intuition just seems more appropriate. I’ve discovered that it is in facing life’s most important decisions that intuition seems the most indispensable to getting it right,” ~ Tim Cook, COO, Apple

Tim Cook is only one of hundreds and hundreds of successful business leaders who openly acknowledge the important role that intuition, also known as inner guidance, plays in their day-to-day business life.

If you consider Einstein’s famous quote—-

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”

then we have to do something different. That is the value of intuitive thinking.

How do you know if that inner voice is your intuition or your intellect?

Sonia Choquette, a world renowned expert on intuition and advisor to high profile corporate leaders, answered that question with one word—relief.

If it is intuitive guidance that you are hearing, you will feel a sense of relief, even if it is a message that you do not want to hear.

There is a reason that everyone has this wonderful, absolutely free inner guiding light. Stay alert. Stay tuned. Be ready to act when you hear or feel the guidance. It will never steer you wrong.

(photo credit: Callt_o)

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I want to work for Tony Hsieh!

I really do!

I just finished his book, “Delivering Happiness, A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose,” and I couldn’t put it down. From the beginning, Tony Hsieh and his partners were determined to build a profitable company— Zappos.com— on old fashioned values that today seem almost “out of fashion.”

Imagine founding a company whose core values include:

  • Deliver WOW through service
  • Create Fun and a Little Weirdness
  • Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication
  • Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

I love this and it’s exactly how I think about building my business.

Here are a few more gems:

“We believe that inside every employee is more potential than even the employee himself/herself realizes.”

“The role of a manager is to remove obstacles and enable his/her direct reports to succeed. This means the best leaders are servant-leaders. They serve those they lead.”

In response to Amazon forming a partnership (July, 2009) with Zappos, Hseih said:

“Getting married to Amazon will allow us to fulfill our vision of delivering happiness to the world that much faster.”

Imagine that! A company whose vision is to deliver happiness to the world! Wow!

What is truly impressive is that Zappos is now one of the most financially successful companies on the planet and CEO Tony Hsieh is a billionaire. Integrity and keeping an eye on the greater good for all concerned has been their ticket to building their dream company.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Because I think it is absolutely possible to do work (and making money doing it) that is meaningful, fun, and helps to make our world just a little bit better. I hope that this describes your current situation. (If it doesn’t, I’d love to speak with you!)

Do you know of a company or business whose path to “passion, profits, and purpose” is to do great work by placing a supreme value on its staff and customers combined with innovative business strategies? Are you an entrepreneur or business owner who has chosen this path? If so, please share your story here and indicate if I may share it elsewhere.

Thank you!

(photo credit: Businessweek)

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Managing Career Transitions in a Spiritual and Practical Way

I was recently interviewed by Cherise Greski for the Chicago Practical Spirituality Examiner. I wanted to share her article with you. Enjoy!

How can we be practical and spiritual in the current economic times? Many people are struggling financially and spiritually because they have a strong desire to do meaningful work but wonder about the practicality of that path and paying the mortgage.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Linda Cassell, Executive Coach and founder of Quantum Leap Coaching, who uses a number of spiritual approaches to finding a career that makes your heart sing and also supports the practical aspects of living in the physical world.

Linda, How did you start in your coaching business? I spent the first 20 years of my career heading up non-profits and always used my leadership positions to coach. Often I would coach colleagues, board members and sometimes those I directly reported to. For several years, I conducted workshops for individuals who wanted to create their ideal work situation.

One day, while talking to my own coach, I asked about her about her practice. She talked about coaching as a business and then asked a powerful question: “Why aren’t you doing this? “

It was like a light bulb went off – that is the power of a coach – just having someone outside of yourself ask you a specific question in context to what you are talking about. And, in that asking, she gave me the impetus to pursue coaching and to do this wonderful work.

How long have you been coaching? Informally… all my career. But let me answer it this way… If my parents were still on this earth, they would tell you that I’ve been coaching since fourth grade! Formally, though, I’ve been an executive coach for the last four years.

How has your business evolved over that period of time? It has evolved as I have become more skilled as a coach. I went through the training at the Coaches Training Institute and the more training I had, the better I became at coaching. I started out as a ‘life’ coach, but my real passion was working with executives who wanted to improve their professional lives by combining customized personal development techniques with concrete business strategies.

As the economy has changed over the past two years, have you found that there have been different issues that your clients on work with you? That is a great question. Certainly, I am dealing with many people who fear they will be downsized or have been downsized. I find that the economy plays a role in most of my coaching relationships. It’s challenging to listen to mainstream media, whether employed or unemployed, day after day, to resist internalizing the doom and gloom economic predictions. I help people avoid “internalizing” the recession. We can’t deny that there is a recession and many people are suffering. But, you don’t have to “internalize” the recession. You don’t have to take on that energy. If you do, it will shrink your thinking and, consequently, it will adversely affect your ability to see new possibilities and to create new opportunities for yourself.

Of course, it is particularly challenging if you are currently unemployed. It’s natural to worry but worry is our enemy. You must stay focused on what you want, not what you fear. If you focus on the bright, new future you want to create, chances are that’s what you will get.

Have you developed any special tools/techniques to help your clients during these challenges? I am such a proponent that external changes are an internal process. My work always begins with - What is happening on the inside? What is really going on? What do we feel is really possible in this situation?

It is interesting because many times, especially in Corporate America, we move so fast. There is no time for introspection. Anywhere from 60-80% of the work I do has to do with what goes on inside of ourselves. Once we clarify that and combine it with concrete business strategies, that is when I really see the changes.

Who is your typical client? My typical client is usually an executive who has made the determination that s/he wants something better for their work life. There is something so purely beautiful when a person decides that I am NOT going to spend the rest of my life doing “HAVE TO” kind of work. They have decided that they want to do work that they love, work that is meaningful to them.

Money is important, it is necessary, but it can make us feel that we don’t have any choices in life. In other words, I have to stay in this job because it pays xxxx dollars and I need xxxxx dollars to take care of my family. So, no matter how miserable I am, I have to stay here. Many studies have shown that over 50% of the population is unhappy in their work. How sad is that? I just find it thrilling when someone decides that they are not going to take it anymore. I’m going to find a way to make a wonderful income with work that is meaningful. There may be steps I have to take to get there, but, absolutely, it is possible.

Many people plan for retirement. As I discovered last year with my husband’s death, retirement doesn’t always come. Can you speak to that? I have people who have been recently downsized. They hated, really hated their jobs but when they were downsized, it was traumatic. All of a sudden the job they hated, became the object of their desires! Why? It wasn’t the work they missed, it’s the income. And, that is understandable. Most people aren’t prepared, they don’t have the 6-9 months of savings they need to sustain themselves. They panic. The easiest thing to do is to focus on finding a position like the one they had – even though they really hated it.

I help them see that they can do something that they love that will bring in money. Once their belief system shifts, the whole world opens up to them. One of the things about being alive now is that there are so many more opportunities to do meaningful work that can sustain one financially. And, you are no longer penalized for looking.

If you are out of work, and you are experiencing money pressures, I encourage clients to look for or to create consulting opportunities. I call this, taking the edge off, get some money coming in the door. You can continue looking for a full-time staff position while you are generating an income. Alleviating the financial pressure while finding something that makes your heart sing is a key to being happy. When you take the requirement of making your dream (work) pay your mortgage, it allows you to free yourself to experiment.

That is where people get into trouble because they expect the dream to immediately pay the bills. And, when people do that, they don’t give themselves the opportunity to bring that joy into their lives.

How do you help people get out of that negative space? I like to help people develop a crystal clear vision of what they want. If failure and money were not an issue, what would you like to do? Asking that question opens them up to the possibilities. Then we capture that vision on an index card or post it note that they keep with them. That becomes the focus and the fuel to drive them towards their goal– especially when things begin to get rocky. Having a very positive vision is important.

Sounds like affirmations, positive mental attitude, the Law of Attraction (LOA). Are you familiar with those techniques? It is very interesting. When I made the transition from Life Coaching to Executive Coaching, I was very, very careful about my vocabulary because I made the assumption that Corporate America would not be interested in things like the Law of Attraction. I feared that clients might think I was some “new age”, way out in the clouds “counselor.” However, I found out that by filtering myself, I was actually limiting my effectiveness to be a powerful coach. I know these personal development techniques work. They have worked for me and they have worked for my clients. So, if I am not being authentic how am I really going to help someone else? How can I ask my clients to be true to themselves if I am not true to myself?

Yes, I absolutely talk about LOA and a variety of spiritual and personal development practices. I am a passionate student of the mind. I have studied the subconscious. I know how to replace limiting believes with positive ones that will get us where we want to go. I am very open about that now.

And, guess what… Corporate America is a lot smarter about these topics than I was giving them credit for. They are not running away!

When talking about the spiritual aspects or tools, is there a specific one or two that you have found most helpful? I would say that mastering the nuances of our minds is critical. Our minds and feelings are so very powerful. We have this wonderful thing called the subconscious. If you really want to learn how to use the subconscious as a tool for change, read The Power of Your Subconscious – by Dr. Joseph Murphy. When I found out how easy it was, if I change my thinking, I change how I feel. If I’m feeling positive, confident about what I want and not burdened by thoughts and worries, I will notice opportunities that might have been before me but I just didn’t see them. Suddenly the right people show up, I’m suddenly in the right place. It may seem like magic but it isn’t. Rather, it’s that we are functioning at a level that gets us what we want. It’s the whole like attracts like idea.

You sound so positive, did you ever face any challenges in your career? I was unemployed several years ago and my greatest challenge was in learning to appreciate my former employer. Once I was able to do that and let go of the residual anger, within 30 days, I got, what was for me at that time, my dream job making $10,000 more than my previous position. I will NEVER forget that. It was such a powerful lesson for me.

So, now, regardless of what my client’s employment situation is, I stress appreciation. Some people will object. They will say, “you are asking me to appreciate the guy who just fired me?”. My response is that as long as you are focused on the anger you feel, you are not going to have any psychic energy to get what you want, which means your attention is on the past and not on creating a bright, new, wonderful future. There is always at least ONE thing you can appreciate about the guy who fired you or the person who did whatever it was that has caused you pain. That doesn’t mean that bad things don’t happen, it just means that at some point, we have to choose to let it go. We don’t want to hang out in that negative space. We work through that and that is when the real magic starts.

It is fascinating that you use the word appreciation. It appears that you work with your clients in learning to appreciate what they have so they can move forward. Yes, I’ve written about my experiences with appreciation. Readers can go to my website and receive the free report about how I used appreciation to increase my income by $10,000 but that wasn’t the real gift. The real gift is what happened to me internally as I went through this experience – letting go of the resentment and the anger. Realizing what a powerful place it is to create from a place of appreciation and that I have to take responsibility for everything that happens ‘to’ me— the great things that happen and the not so great things that happen. I can’t necessarily blame my boss for what happens, for example. I have to look at the role that I played as well. I find that very empowering. I can create great things and I can create not so great things. So, why not use the tools and techniques that I know will create great things in my life?

Of course, I appreciate Linda for sharing her time in this interview. So, readers, if you are ready to really embrace a career that makes your heart sing AND pays the mortgage, Linda has the following special offer:

For the first five readers who contact Linda and mention this article, you have the terrific opportunity to receive a free “jump start your career” coaching session. This is an extremely valuable offer – especially if you long to move into work that is joyful and fun. Yes, even in *this* economy, you can create the ideal work you want. I know Linda can help you discover work that will make your soul sing.

You can listen to the interview: Click Here

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Madame Executive, you are the Switch!

My client had a wonderful senior management position at a large, prestigious corporation. Great work, great compensation, great colleagues, great relationship with the boss. When the boss retired, however, her world changed. New CEO, new ideas, new staff wanted.

Suddenly, her dream job was gone. What to do?

After working through the normal grieving process (yes, it is like losing a loved one) she began to regain her focus on creating her next career opportunity. She began to believe that she could actually make this happen.

First, she identified what she did not want. Then, she wrote out what was most important to her: meaningful work, an entrepreneurial culture, great colleagues, great compensation package, flexible schedule, short commute.

Wow! Could she really get all of that in this economy?

We worked on her resume, honed her interviewing techniques, and she began to make the rounds.

Nothing was happening. Depression set in.

How many resumes did she have to submit? How many interviews did she have to “suffer through?” Why wasn’t anyone seeing her brilliance? Where were her former colleagues who were now happily re-employed elsewhere? Why weren’t they helping her more? How about her former CEO who had given her all of those glowing performance evaluations? Why wasn’t he doing more?

When would she see the light at the end of this very long, dark tunnel?

Then it hit her.

She was waiting for someone else “to turn on the switch” so she could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

She realized that she had to take control of her job search. No one else was going to do it for her. With renewed energy and a single minded focus on creating her ideal work situation, opportunities began to appear.

“Linda, you know that this job search has been a crazy journey of ups and downs, mood swings, and hopes and doubts. What I want to share with others is that they are not alone. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to turn on the switch, and you are the switch!”

And so, my client who now has had two terrific job offers and is deciding her next steps, has a lesson for all of us……

We are the switch and it’s up to us to turn on the switch!

– Linda Cassell

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Don Hewitt Loved His Job!

Do You Love Yours?

Well, yes, I do love my job. I help executives jump start their careers so they can generate new opportunities for themselves. Each time I complete a coaching session, I am literally on a high. It’s a beautiful thing to see a human being want something better and then create it by taking the action steps that unlock the door to a whole new world of professional possibilities.

Don Hewitt, Producer: CBS Sixty MinutesDon Hewitt, the legendary producer of CBS’ award winning Sixty Minutes, never stopped reaching for new heights. When he died on August 20th, he was lauded as one of the best in the business.

What was his secret?

His colleagues at CBS said:

  • He was madly in love with broadcast journalism
  • He talked constantly about work because it excited him so much
  • He devised a job for himself where he only did the things he wanted to do.

Hmmm. An executive who was “ madly in love” with his work, “excited” about it. Imagine that!

And, imagine only do the things that you want to do!

Seem implausible? Not at all! Believe it or not, professionals do this every day, even in this economy.

I am working with many executives who have been downsized or fear that day is coming. Some have been unhappy in their jobs yet, when we talk about their “ideal work situation,” what their next steps could be, they continue to focus on the very kind of work that has given them little pleasure.

Why? If you are going to make a change, why not go for the gold?! Why continue to box yourself into a work life that is at best boring?

Imagine what it would be like if you could make a great living doing what you love. What would that look like? Spend a few minutes writing down a crystal clear vision of your ideal work situation. Include as much detail as you can. Who are you working with? What kind of work? How much money are you making? What is the impact of your work? How much flexibility do you have? Are you working at home or in an office? Where is it located? What does it look like? What kind of benefits do you have? How do you feel at the end of the day? How has your work impacted your life?

Keep that crystal clear vision close at hand. Look at it several times throughout the day. Put yourself in that picture. How does it make you feel? Chances are you will feel inspired. When you do, you just might come up with some inspired action steps that will move you closer to your ideal.

According to Steve Kroft, CBS correspondent, Don Hewitt “ran 60 Minutes with a nearly insane enthusiasm, sprinting down hallways and into offices trying out his latest brainstorm.”

When is the last time you sprinted to work or performed your job with a “nearly insane enthusiasm?”

Can’t remember? Better start focusing on creating your ideal work situation. You deserve it.

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Michael Jackson and the Power of Focus!!

Want to know how to jumpstart your business, reach your quarterly sales figures, attract more clients, create your next big career opportunity?

Look to Michael Jackson.

By all accounts, Michael Jackson was not only an incredible artist but also a shrewd businessman. When it came to his career, Jackson made several wise choices that will continue to yield income far surpassing what is reported to be a sizeable personal indebtedness.

How did he do it?

The Power of Focus

Michael Jackson understood the power of focus. When he was producing his block-buster album, “Thriller,” his brother Germaine said that Jackson’s intention was to make the biggest selling album of all time. The story goes that he wrote his intention on his bathroom mirror and on cards that he carried wherever he went. First thing in the morning and the last thing in the evening, Jackson focused on creating the best selling album of all time. Every decision was made with that over-all goal in mind and nothing could distract him.

In just over a year, Thriller became—and currently remains—the best selling album in the history of the recording industry.

No doubt, Jackson’s considerable song writing skills, his unique dancing style, and overall creative approach to his work played a huge role in his success.

But Michael Jackson had another tool in his victory arsenal: the ability to focus. From concept to market, Jackson was single mindedly focused on his very specific definition of success. He ate, slept, walked, sang, and wrote with a goal of producing the biggest artistic and commercial recording masterpiece of all time.

Best selling author, Brian Tracy, says that “your ability to focus is the most important success skill you can ever develop.” Apparently, Michael Jackson’s power of focus was off the charts, in more ways than one!

You’ve heard the saying, “Successful people have successful habits?” Do you know that successful people consciously develop the power of focus? They work at it!

As an entrepreneur, executive, or business owner, how do you “work” at developing the power of focus?

Meditation

Begin with meditation.

Meditation is no longer considered a “new age” gimmick. It has found its way into corporate America.

Learn it, do it, and be consistent.

There are many kinds of meditation. You might choose an “active” meditation process which involves creating a mental picture of your heart’s desire and seeing it in your mind’s eye. How long can you “see” it before another thought gets in the way?

Try a “sitting” meditation. Literally quiet your mind by focusing on the sound of your breath, birds singing, water running. How long can you focus on the sound before thoughts come rushing in?

The most important thing is to develop the discipline of consistency. Practice, practice, and practice.

Michael Jackson learned meditation from Deepak Chopra. Most of us don’t have access to such a master; however, hundreds of books have been written on the subject. Check out Wayne Dyer, Jon Kabat-Zinn, or your local meditation center.

And, if you want to read about the power of focus, one of the best books on the subject is, “The Power of Focus,” by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt.

“Success isn’t magic or hocus-pocus. It’s simply learning how to focus.” Michael Jackson did it. You can, too!

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It’s Just the Way it Is!

I have a wonderful friend who has a crystal clear vision of being a successful senior executive or entrepreneur with the power and influence to create family friendly work cultures. She thinks about it day and night. It is her passion. You might even say she is “obsessed.”

What’s her current job like?

She works 10 and 12 hour days with no flexibility to tend to a sick child; take a real lunch hour to eat a healthy meal; leave work early enough to get to the dry cleaners before it closes; or attend her husband’s surprise “joining another company” going away party, planned by his office mates.

Does she really have to work like this or is this self-imposed pressure?

She doesn’t know. Her colleagues never seem to take time off and her boss has never hinted that he would be amenable to such a request, so this must be an unspoken rule.

Would she ask?

Never!

Why?

She says  “that’s not how I operate. I’ve always had jobs likes this. It’s not my nature to question the upper ranks. I think you have to go along to get along.”

One day, she says, when she owns her own business or has reached the upper ranks of corporate America, she will develop rules that will reflect “the way things should be. For now, it’s just the way it is.”

How often do you accept something because “it’s just the way it is?” What are you willing to risk to create what you want? What would it be like if you lived in an “It’s just the way I want it” kind of world?

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It will be Difficult….Really? Are you sure? What if it were Easy?

That is excuse number one, according to Dr. Wayne Dyer, whose latest book, “Excuses Begone,” has already become a best seller.

How often have you thought it, said it, and lived it until, finally, what you wanted to achieve became just that….difficult?

But what if it were easy?

The “but what if it were easy” approach is the kind of BIG thinking that successful executives, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and out of work professionals who create their next great career opportunity practice as a matter of habit.

But what if it were easy?

It’s amazing how this one little phrase can change everything.

It’s going to be difficult to start your new business, make a career transition, lose weight, stop drinking, make money by doing what you love, write a book, make healthy food choices…..

It’s going to be difficult to break that habit! 

Is it? Do you know that for a fact? Are you absolutely sure?

Dyer writes, “The belief that they (habits) are going to be hard to change is only a belief. Making something difficult in your mind before you even undertake the effort is an excuse.”

Achieving your fondest dreams with ease doesn’t mean you won’t work hard. Of course you will! It simply means that you will work hard without the “struggle.” In fact, you might even experience joy as you travel your path to personal success.

So, what are your beliefs about that new business you want to create? Securing your ideal position? Creating your next great career opportunity? Achieving financial security?

What if it were all easy?

To learn more about Dr. Wayne Dyer and his amazing work, visit: www.hayhouse.com.

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Do I Find The Economy Challenging?

Yes. But I don’t worry about it.

That’s what I told my client when she recently asked me:  Do I find the economy challenging?

For a moment, I hesitated. My ego took over. I’m the executive coach. I’m not supposed to find the economy challenging, right?

Fortunately, my “authentic” self found its voice.

I, too, am an entrepreneur. I do many things:  executive coaching; business consulting; fundraising; recruiting. Each one has its place in my business model and, most importantly, in my heart. I have had to make adjustments in my plans, for sure, yet each adjustment has led to a new adventure or relationship that I could not possibly have imagined.

So how can I not worry about the economy if I find it challenging?

I simply don’t believe the current conditions are predictors of my professional success. In fact, I have proven that to myself over and over.  Besides, challenging is not necessarily  “bad.” It can lead to better planning, more creative thinking, and a better strategic decision-making process.

I am absolutely aware of the pain and suffering that so many are experiencing as a result of jobs lost, businesses closed, and retirement plans interrupted. That is part of what drives me as an executive coach. I know without a doubt that it is possible to rebuild your life in a way that will be more meaningful than anything you could have imagined if you take control.

I work with so many people who have beautiful dreams for their future and simply want the chance to pursue them.  I tell my clients that I cannot control results, nor can they. But together, we can control the effort and that can have an influence on the results.

If you have a clear vision of what you want, develop an inspired action plan, take consistent steps to implement it, function from the “healthiest” parts of your being, and monitor the negative self-talk that can undermine your self-confidence, you will look back at this part of your life as your “golden moment.”

Golden moment?! Yes, because it moved you in the direction of your greatest dreams.

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