Tag Archives: inspiration

Being Inspired by the Phases of Life

As I am leaving my youngest to attend University on the other side of the planet, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic and have been reflecting over my five decades and how there are so many different phases we go through in life.

I see my young daughters entering their twenties filled with hope, dreams, and goals for the future. They have their whole lives ahead of them and are filled with confidence but also a sense of trepidation of heading into the unknown. I remember those times very well and felt the same way. I’ve read that our brains are fully developed at 25 and after that age is when we tend to get our stuff together and become mature adults. And your relationship to your children will change at that time.

Recalling my thirties, it was all about having babies and raising young children. There wasn’t much free time for myself as I was focused on providing a good life for my family. I often talk to young moms and tell them to enjoy their babies and young children while they can because it goes by so fast!

In my forties, my life was about balancing career, getting “ahead,” and still very much focused on my family, but dealing with different problems that come along with the teenage years. It has been a pretty turbulent time with lots of ups and downs, twists and turns.

As I’m heading into my fifth decade now, with children leaving home to venture out into the world, I suddenly find I have much more time for myself. Running a women’s executive network has also shown me that many women at this age actually step into their power. They no longer have all their focus on their children and have a lot of energy to use all their experience to make a positive impact in the world.

And I am watching and learning from friends in their sixties as they are witnessing their young adult children finding their way, make their marks in the world, and especially the miracle of grandchildren. They are so enjoying this stage of life!

The one thing I’ve learned is that you must enjoy each phase of life as it comes. Be aware that it will change eventually so be as present as you can now in each stage.

I am so grateful I was able to take the time to help get my daughter settled into her new home far away from home. I’m so proud of both of my daughters and how they are venturing out into adulthood. And I see the cycle about to repeat as well with them. From my perspective now, it’s time to be there in the background supporting them if they need it and also cheering them on to find their brilliance in their own way.

Life is truly what we make of it. Yes, there are immense challenges at times but when we can see how we grow and learn from these, it gives us a sense of accomplishment to know we can handle whatever is thrown our way. Enjoy each phase of your life! Because once it’s gone, it’s gone. Be inspired by where you are now…and make the most of it while you can!

The BEST Revenge Ever!

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Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before. And most likely experienced it yourself, wondering why this horrible thing was happening to you. We’ve all been there. We’ve been angry, frustrated, sad, annoyed, depressed. It is a part of the human experience.

I recently saw a Jay Shetty video (can highly recommend his videos for inspiration!!) and he shared how the heart machines show a flat line when we are dead. And when our hearts are beating strong, the line goes up and down consistently. That up and down movement shows that we are ALIVE! And it so corresponds to our lives.

Those tough times are often where we grow the most, where we tap into strength and resources we have within us that we didn’t even know existed. It’s where we find our courage, our tears, and our love. Those times give us a natural contrast to truly appreciate the good times that we have.

I have a friend who hasn’t really ever experienced anything “bad” in her life. No one close to her has died or been sick, she’s got a good job, loves what she does, her kids are all doing great, her husband loves her. And guess what? She’s shared with me once….she’s bored!! She’s bored with her life!

I’ll be honest, I just looked at her and thought to myself, gosh I’d be happy to trade. I thought that for about a second. And then I realized, no I wouldn’t want to trade. My life has been filled with the extremes on both the high and the low side. And I consider myself lucky actually! Because I love so much about my experiences in life, and I love the people it has brought into my life.

The funny thing I’ve learned is that the BEST revenge is keeping your frequency high.

This means being grateful, appreciating all the small moments, sending love out into the world, laughing those gut wrenching belly laughs that make you cry, enjoying great food, having those deep human connections with your friends and loved ones, reading a good book, continually learning, and always finding a way to trust in yourself and in your life. It means actively choosing love over fear. Every day.

I don’t like to talk about “dark energy” very much. But I can tell you it is definitely there. I have felt “attacked” several times just before I was to do something really big—something that would positively impact a lot of people. I used to think there was something wrong with me. But then I realized that I have this bigger purpose—of bringing joy to the world and to the workplace—and that people need what I have to offer. I can show people the way to find more joy.

And it is because of my resolve, that when I get hit with yet another “bad” event, I focus on love, on genuinely connecting to people, sharing my message, looking for the lessons, and staying committed to making a positive difference in the world.

So I pick myself back up, shake it off. Sometimes even get really pissed and say “No! I’m not going to let this stop me!”….and then I move on forward. And guess what? It does make a difference! So then I know I’m on the right path because it gets confirmed in so many ways.

I have a great tool that I developed called the Joyometer (you can download here and get a recording to the backstory of it). I call this a “mood management system” because it makes you aware of the feelings you are experiencing. We often say “I am mad,” “I am sad,” etc. But that is not who we are. We are just experiencing that particular emotion for a certain amount of time. When you can become fully aware of your emotional state, you step into your power. You are back in the driver’s seat of your life and can start to create and manifest things you truly want to experience.

Our world is going through a HUGE transformation right now. Even our Earth is feeling this energetic shift. Our job—ALL of us!—is to keep our frequency on a high level as we transition into a New Earth. Yes, we are going to experience (and are!) a lot of chaos. Just know this is a part of this process.

We are coming together as ONE, we are one in our humanity and we have this lovely planet barreling through space. So let’s come together in love, joy, peace and abundance. Let’s create new systems that are good for the planet and good for each other. It’s truly one of the most exciting times to be alive!

Why is Knowing Your Purpose So Important?

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The two most important days in your life are the day you were born…and the day you find out why. ~Mark Twain

It is essential to know why you do what you do. This is your purpose. And when the purpose is clear and communicated to everyone in a way that is understood, everyone is on the same boat, so to speak and can move forward in the right direction.

Like building a house and putting down a strong foundation, this is the first foundation block to creating an Amazing Company.

A company is a system, just as an individual, a family, and even the Universe. When you know how to optimize the system, you bring the best into your world. A big part of this is in knowing why you exist. In the business world, it is the reason why the company exists.

Here are a few examples of great purposes from our model companies that we feature in our book, Engage!:

– TOMS Shoes—it is a “One For One” movement; not a shoe.

– MindValley—it is about “Pushing Humanity Forward” and optimizing human potential through personal development products and education.

– HCL Technologies—putting “Employees First, Customers Second” has taken this global technology company to $4 billion in revenues in 3 years—and the primary focus has shifted to their people.

– Southwest—giving their customers the “Freedom to Fly” drives their business forward and give clarity to all business decisions.

– Achievers—they are “Changing The Way The World Works” through recognition.

The clear purpose is one of the key foundational elements that you can build your company on… and your life too. When a company is not in touch with its purpose, it will be lost.

Why do you do what you do? Let’s say you’re an executive of a company. You want to make a good living.

Why is that? Because you want to live a good life and take care of your family.
Why is that? Because you want to make them happy.
Why is that? Because it’ll make you feel good.

Why is that? Because you want to be happy too.

When anyone does this exercise on a personal level, eventually we end up with just a few core reasons: love, happiness, and peace.

It’s a simple exercise and it shows that even though we all come from different walks of life, we all have the same core desires within us…which doesn’t make us so different from each other after all.

A purpose statement is like a compass—guiding you on the path to reach your destination. A company may have a purpose well defined, but the important question to ask is this:

Is it a purpose that will inspire others to take action?

If not, it is probably not the bigger purpose. We can lift a company’s purpose to a much higher level just by asking “and why do we do that?” several times until you discover that higher purpose for being. Knowing the purpose then becomes the guiding light for smooth sailing. The same is true on a personal level.

After going through so many difficult years, I now know my purpose is “Bringing Joy To The World” by teaching all that I have learned along the way through my books, courses, programs, etc. Even Jim Carrey, one of the funniest people alive, has his own personal purpose defined very clearly—“Free People From Concern”.

A clearly defined purpose statement is the foundation to building a purpose driven life and a purpose driven company.

11 Easy Steps to an Inspiring Life

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Inspiration comes in many forms and from many sources. Let’s keep it simple. When you choose to be on a quest to find inspiring information, you can really change the way you look at the world.

I’ve learned on my journey that we need to be discerning about the information we take in, especially the visual images and what we read. It’s a concept I call “Feed Your Brain,” because like all things, we must nuture to grow and be the best versions of ourselves.

If you are constantly bombarded by negative news, images, and information, it brings you down. It’s hard not to be depressed by that. And our mainstream media thrives on bad news. As they say, if it “bleeds, it leads”. Defaulting to our fear based instincts worked back in the cave days when our lives depended on paying attention to the threats of our environment. It was our survival instincts that kicked in and kept us alive.

Our societies have moved on from this. However, our automatic reactions haven’t—unless you actively work on it. When you become aware that most things are not a threat to your survival, you can choose to respond from an entirely different perspective. You can recondition your brain to look at what’s going well, instead of always looking at what is going wrong or could go wrong.

This brings me back to our quest for inspiration and joy. Here are 11 easy tips to change your mindset and start to recondition your brain so that you can have an inspiring life:

1) Stop watching the news. Read the paper or news online. It’s easier to skim headlines and choose to take in what is of interest to you. Choose to read good news instead. Imagine that any information you take in is like food for your brain. Feed your brain inspiring and positive things and you will feel so much better!

2) Spend time in nature. Get connected to the natural beauty that is abundant in our world. Walk barefoot whenever you can, this is called “earthing” and studies show that just a few minutes a day connecting to the earth this way helps reduce stress and lowers blood pressure. It actually helps get your electromagnetic resonance in tune with the earth.

3) Pay full attention when having a conversation. Often we listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. We are thinking about the next thing we are going to say instead of truly listening and understanding what the person is saying to us. Practice conscious listening and you’ll feel a difference in the connection and relationship.

4) Know what inspires you – and then act on it. If reading books makes you feel good, do it. Going to conferences, do it. Listening to good music and dancing like a manic in the privacy of your home, then DO IT! Whatever you love to do, put these things into your daily life.

5) Laugh, laugh, and laugh more. Laughter is the best medicine. It raises your energy, makes you feel good, and releases endorphins, helps you deal with stress, breaks up the tension…the list of benefits goes on forever with this one. Watching babies laughing on youtube is one of my favorites here. Just don’t take life so seriously anymore. It’s all going to work out for the highest good for you.

6) Be aware of how you are feeling. Using the Joyometer (www.Joyometer.com) is a great tool to help you check in on a regular basis to monitor your feelings throughout the day. If you can stay in the positive emotions coming from love 51% of the time on a minimum, you’ll be bringing your dreams and goals into your life.

7) Choose love over fear. All of us have a choice in how we respond to circumstances and situations. Instead of allowing our survival instincts to drive our lives, we can pause and ask, how can this situation serve me? What can I learn here? What would be the best response? You may never have control over circumstances, but when you understand that always have control over how you respond, you become very empowered. You become the creator of your life instead of the “victim” of circumstances.

8) Surround yourself with supporters. It is said that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Often times, we have some of our toughest relationships that serve to bring us the greatest lessons. Be aware of who you spend time with most—are they living the life you desire to experience? Are they giving you energy, or do you feel drained just by spending time with them? You can minimize the time spent with those energy drainers (I call them energy vampires because they suck your energy out of you) and make an effort to find those who make you feel happy, inspired, and joyful.

9) Do what you love to do. The great equalizer in life is time—we all only have 24 hours in a day. If you aren’t doing work you love, you are not living fully. Figure out your passions. Know your values. Discover your true purpose. And then find work that allows you to express that. Our work is an extension of ourselves, it is our opportunity to create and bring into this world our talents and gifts that no one else has.

10) Be playful and imaginative. As children, we have wonderful imaginations and know how to play. As we grow up, we lose that sense of playfulness. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Richard Branson is willing to dress up as a flight attendant on a dare. What can you do to bring more playfulness into your life? And spending time day dreaming is a great use of your time. Every man made object in this world first started as a thought in someone’s mind. Dream about the life you want to have and the experiences you desire. Before you know it, you’ll be living it!

11) Practice gratitude. All successful people have a high degree of appreciation for life. They are able to take the challenges and see the opportunities that lie within them. When you focus on what is going well by using gratitude, you can shift your mindset and get yourself to a positive frame of mind. For every complaint, come up with 3 good things to counter balance the situation. All situations serve us on some level so look for the lessons and move on.

You have the power and everything you need within yourself to be the best that you can be. Get inspired and you’ll inspire others too. So what is your next step?