Archive for August 2011
Who did your essence come from?
August 30, 2011 | 
Author Happy Birthday, Mom! Today is my mom’s 82nd birthday. For some reason this morning, I started thinking about what I’ve learned from her way of being. Of course there were lots of things that she told me to do or not do, even still in midlife. But that’s not what I was thinking about today. I was thinking more of her essence. Who is she when she walks into a room? What does she give off of herself when she’s just there?
She’s nice. That sounds a bit simple but she really is nice to everyone. She talks to everyone. As kids, we used to roll our eyes or walk away because she was so chatty with the world. She’ll start up a conversation with anyone, especially when walking her Springer Spaniel, Molly – the 5th daughter in our family – or as Molly believes, the 1st daughter, moving me aside. Or when standing in line no matter where she is. But now I think – why not? We’re all bored in line and why not make a friendly comment. And especially to the service people who are at the cash register all day. Have a little empathy. And you never know who you’ll meet. It’s her way of networking.
She keeps moving forward. At times, a little Pollyannish but mostly just a very positive outlook pushing her through. It certainly keeps her going forward through my dad’s illnesses and anything else not-so-great happening in her world. She’s not blind to reality but she has to be the most optimistic person I know. It’s been proven that your attitude has a lot to do with how much happiness is in your life and even how long you’ll live. The way she’s going, my mom will live forever.
She is very creative. If you walked into their house you’d see the most amazing needlepoint pillows and needlepoint framed on the wall. She wouldn’t call herself an artist but I do. She truly is extremely creative and an expert fiber artist. She used to teach needlepoint – but not the basics. She taught how to use silk and metallic threads to create texture using a variety of stitches. She can just picture which ones to use to create a look that’s just right. She’s a specialist.
This just captures a little of my mom. I always wanted to be more like her. I know some of these traits rubbed off on me – just from being around her. And I certainly came to appreciate them as I got older. Although my creative outlets are different – I garden and cook while she hates weeding and is what my dad calls an indifferent cook – I have learned to be more outgoing and find myself talking to more people I don’t know. I’ve especially taken to telling someone when they do a good job. And I appreciate that my optimism comes directly from her.
It felt good to focus on my mom a little more than usual today. It also made me think of my own essence and how I portray myself to others.
Action: Think of your own mom or someone of influence in your life. What of you came from them? And then let them know.
Although my sisters keep trying, my mom is still not quite on the internet but one of my sisters is visiting for the week so I’m hoping she’ll show her this. Happy Birthday Mom, and thank you for making me who I am!
Posted in Creativity, Personal Branding, Simple Pleasures | 
Tags: essence, midlife, networking | 
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Midsummer Midlife Dream
Hard to believe but it’s heading toward summer’s end. Have you taken your vacation yet? Can’t afford a big vacation? No problem. My favorite dream vacation costs nothing. It’s not a big, expensive trip to an exotic place.
I literally mean a vacation where you can dream. All you need is a quiet and peaceful place and time – away from everyday life for a few days or a week. For me it has to be outside enjoying nature – could be as simple as gardening
or walking along a beach. Most important of all – it’s a place where you can let your midlife dreams flow.
At midlife we need to remember our dreams or make new ones. We no longer want to or can afford to chase someone else’s dream. This is the time when we still have energy to design our own life, to change directions or at least fine tune our direction and live our own dreams – in our career and our life – the kind that accompanies authentic living.
Here’s how to plan your dream vacation:
1. Find places that you enjoy that will allow quiet time with no distractions. Leave your phone and computer and other disruptive technologies home. Try a museum or park or nature preserve or something from your summer bucket list.
2. Once there, empty out your everyday thoughts and to-do lists. Allow your mind and imagination to open up. Think big. What have you always wanted to be? Where would you be living? What would your life be like? Imagine what wild success would look like. Think about your life and career 3 – 5 years in the future and imagine that you’ve had your best years. What are they like? What would your finances and relationships look like?
3. Take the time to continue dreaming for several days, maybe in different locations. Just let your dreams flow.
4. Now, here’s the bad news. There is a problem with this dream vacation – you have to return to reality. You don’t want to lose all this wonderfulness, so you can’t stop here. You need to make them come alive and live them.
The Law of Attraction says that you will receive the type of energy you send out. So you need to lock in your dream by surrounding it with positive emotions and enthusiasm. A great way to do that is by creating a Vision Board and Vision Statement. Keep your dreams in front of you as a daily motivator.
Just focusing is not enough either, you need to start living your dream. Let’s say one of your dreams is to be an executive in your firm within 5 years. Today, you need to act as if you already achieved your dream and be that executive – in how you dress and how you act.
Action: Plan your dream vacation. Then build a plan to reach your dreams. All that positive energy will help your dream come true. By daily focus you’ll build momentum. Let your dreams come true.
Creating a vision board and vision statement are part of my CLEAR PATH process to help you clarify your career goals and make the transition to your next chapter with clarity and confidence. See more at http://www.YourNextChapterNOW.com