Empowering Women Articles

“Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” (Rumi) One of the most common sources of conflict among people is in the way we communicate. Oftentimes, conflicts do not arise because of the diversity of opinions and beliefs. Diversity is necessary for thought exchange and ultimate growth.

In the international bestseller, Blink, Malcolm Gladwell explains how researchers who study mind-reading using body language and facial expressions found that the old clichéd advice to smile when you're feeling down really works.Just moving those facial muscles into a happier position can ...

This is the age of the Quick Fix - the magic bullets that claim to take away our sorrows, our tiredness, our sadness. You need look no farther than your mailbox to see the range of remedies - prescription drugs and supplements - being plugged for everything from stress to low energy. In the ...

Working moms are pushing themselves harder than ever to be the best in all realms of their life, aiming for perfection in all that they do, taking on the brunt of the familial responsibilities, while not accepting help OR seeking reprieve. They are like a hamster caught in a wheel, going round and round and getting nowhere fast. This pace is absolutely exhausting and unrealistic to maintain for the long-term. There is likely a breakdown lurking right around the corner.

Here is a shocking fact. I didn’t always like women. In fact I couldn’t stand most of them. But eventually I realized that their seemingly perfect lives were not so different from mine and not perfect either. We had similar problems in a different shade of grey. Here is an example: I was a single working mother, searching for my perfect fit and upset at how difficult that was. The flipside of this was a woman who dedicated herself to her family and two kids who now felt trapped because she gave up so much.

After all the hours of therapy and self-help, self-discoveries, self-realizations, and self-improvements I’ve made, I just identified yet another layer of unresolved issues that I need to deal with. Can you relate? When will we finally be done evolving and growing into the person who we want to be and arrive “there”—at the life we always wanted?

Success Is Your Right, Claim It! By: Paulet Biedermannr

By Beate Chelette The recent Atlantic cover story on whether or not women can “have it all” has certainly hit a national nerve. The week after the article came out it had received more than 1.1 million online views. Women and men all around the country are registering their objection or approval of author, mother of two and former State Department official Anne-Marie Slaughter’s premise that the 70s feminist mantra of “having it all” is, in reality, not so easy—and maybe not even possible unless women push for changes in society.

Do you sometimes feel like you are sleeping next to a roommate that you hardly know anymore rather than the love of your life? Did you know that 66% of working moms say that their marriage has taken a backseat after their baby was born? Do you find that to be true for you? If so, you are not alone. Many of my coaching clients express to me that since baby, their marriage is suffering.

Let’s say you really wanted something: a house, a new suit for that big interview or to pay for college for one of your kids. Maybe you wanted to (ahem) invest in a coaching program. You set your sights on it. You wrote intentions. You were sure you were going to find the money to do what you wanted. But it didn’t show up. What the heck is that all about? I’ll tell you–and this can change your life. (It changed mine!)

Surprisingly, luck is not a matter of chance! It has been scientifically proven that we create our own luck—good or bad—and that we can change our luck, too! Last Saturday I took part in a local Toronto conference entitled Discover Your Personal Branding. I was offered a free pass, and I have to admit that initially I was reluctant to accept it. For one, I am choosy about how I spend my free time in our all-to-short summers—even though that day turned out to be cool and grey

There are some traits you may hope to pass along to your daughters. Your long, feminine fingers. Your curly hair. Your musical talent. Your great memory. However, in all the years I’ve worked with Pleaseaholics, I’ve never heard a woman hope to pass along her People Pleasing tendencies to her litter girl.

If you are some who looks back on their past with amazingly fond memories and never experienced any regret, shame, or sadness regarding choices you've made, then this article is so not for you. This article is for the rest of us. The ones who are either trying vigorously to forget the past ever happened, or those that are harboring so much pain regarding the past that it feels close to unbearable. We've all heard the cliche's Forget and Forgive. Time heals all wounds. The

The first pillar in the Ten Faces of She paradigm, EVOLVING, the act of developing , progressing and maturing to live the life that you are destined to live. EVOLVING speaks to your growth, expansion and adaptation of your life. Throughout your evolutionary process, you are altering who you are. You are welcoming change and transforming into your authentic self. The First Partnership

Are you a member of the ‘Not enough money’ brigade? By this I mean do you find yourself thinking or saying on a regular basis ‘I can’t afford that’, ‘I don’t have enough money’ or ‘I can’t justify that’? This could be in relation to that fabulous new pair of shoes, that fantastic new dress or that night out with friends. Or maybe in relation to a special holiday or new kitchen you’ve been dreaming of? Or, in your business it might be in relation to that support or training you really want? If so, you’re not alone, and the way to tackle this is to get very clear on how much is enough.

Transitions tend to be a time when we are very emotional. Part of the problem, then, is that we're not staying present if we're stuck in our emotional roller coaster. I hesitate to use the phrase "staying present" because it is so overused and people tend to glaze over when they hear that. But, it is so important.

Resting on the slopes of the Himalayas, the kingdom of Bhutan emerges as the happiest place on earth. Isolated from the world until the late sixties, this relatively small country has found the recipe for a happy and meaningful life, and it is precisely its happiness levels what measures their personal and collective success. How could this be possible in a country with one of the smallest economies in the world? What could we learn from these people to achieve their state of bliss?

Motherhood, or to be more precise, single motherhood, is the greatest job in the world, the biggest challenge, and the most incredible growth opportunity, especially when you have to push through your fears and personal limitations because you have no choice.

The concept of yin and yang is used a lot in contemporary language, but the beauty and breadth of this concept is not always fully understood. Yin and yang can serve to guide and give us a framework for virtually anything life serves up. It's especially useful when approaching the inescapability of life's transitions, to create transformation in our lives.

Purveyors of home based businesses often see themselves as visionaries; after all, it takes insight and foresight to build something from nothing. The entrepreneurial spirit guides our thoughts and provides motivation to move forward.

Tragic events related to the lack of emotion or emotional control has been making the news, very bad news, in our schools for years. Who doesn’t remember Columbine or Virginia Tech? However, many of the struggles educators deal with on a daily basis, rarely reach the headlines. Behavior problems are so normal that they have been included in the curriculum; the hidden, silent curriculum of write ups, in-school and out of school suspensions, and “severe” administrative consequences.

I remember my grandmother’s kitchen cabinet, stacked with a lineup of white coffee cups. She would say something like, “there’s no room for colored cups there; all need to be the same, everything needs to match.” By age 12, I brought my favorite cup, a round deep blue with sunflowers designs on it. It was destined to be moved to a separate shelve because it didn't match, didn't belong with the rest.

How I Met the Wizard of Oz! Before I joined the Empower Network, I had lost all confidence in myself. The reason why? Life had rained down on me extremely hard and in the process, like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, my brain became rusty and simply stopped working! I stopped being able to figure things out. I'm telling you that I became mentally crippled!

(Or How to Stay Motivated in Your Network Marketing Business) Copyright © 2003 Priya Shahn Is it possible to motivate yourself to do something youndon't enjoy doing? n Let me illustrate with my own example. n I'm not a natural networker. I'm no good at schmoozing nand talking people into ...

Boundaries let people know that you respect yourself. By Beate Chelette "Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have."rn -- Anonymousrnr

Pain may sometimes be the reason why people change. Flunking grades make us realize that we need to study. Debts remind us we need to earn more money. Being humiliated gives us the ‘push’ to speak up and fight for ourselves to save our face from the next embarrassments. It may be a bitter experience, a friend’s tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help us get up and get just the right amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves. With the countless negativity the world brings about, how do we keep motivated?

Here’s a quick and easy quiz, based on my own experiences of leading – myself, my family, team members and others, as well as working with hundreds of other business leaders and managers over recent years. Leadership is particularly appropriate in the current climate, when so many people are actually abdicating responsibility for themselves and many political and business leaders are not trusted!

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In previous articles I explored passion and leadership. I want to continue this theme today to answer the questions I received from some of you who are struggling in this area and from some who find that passion is something that you display some but not most of the time. As you read through these tips, pick 1 or 2 that appeal most and start to implement them.

I feel this time of year is paradoxical. It should be the quiet time of the year due to shorter daylight hours. The long evenings should give us more time to relax with family and friends, or even get more sleep. I believe November and December is the ideal time to reflect on the year that has almost ended and to start making plans for the year ahead. This is when we should focus on getting our house in order, both physically and mentally.

There's a moment when negative thoughts arise in your head, unbidden. In that moment, you need to decide how you are going to think about a given situation or person. You know what I'm talking about. It's that moment where you feel the urge to indulge in a negative thought or say a negative comment, just as you would to scratch an itchy scab. You don't really want to go there, but it feels kind of good to indulge that kind of thinking.

The more specific your goals are, the better chance you have of achieving them. By Beate Chelette One of the best arguments I know for setting goals could be an ad for a Global Positioning System (or GPS). Unless you know where you want to go, you can’t figure out a way to get there. It’s true for all aspects of our lives, personal, family and career. Even so, just having goals without defining them, in very specific terms, is a useless exercise.

Follow your bliss, and doors will open where there were no doors before. ~ Joseph Campbell Timing is everything. It just helps to know where you are at what time – and many of us don’t. That’s where the problem lies. When I began to conceptualize the idea of what I now call ego-RHYTHM™ I was driven by one thought: I had grown tired of waiting for things to be great.

We all find ourselves dealing with self-doubt at some point in our entrepreneurial lives. If you let it get the best of you by feeding in to it and actually believing the lies you’re telling yourself, it can destroy even the best of intentions for success. Self-doubt can creep into your psyche without you even suspecting it’s there until the first niggling thought makes itself clear. Doubts can run wild in your mind, making you question your abilities about anything new or different.

“So how are things going?” My dad asked. Oh, that familiar question that makes my stomach go into knots and makes me want to run for the hills! rn“Good”, I said, trying to hide any emotions that may make him think otherwise. rn“How long will you keep this business going?” I knew he would go there. I began to squirm uncomfortably, noticing the signs of discomfort my body was giving me. “Run! Shout! Say it’s none of your business!” I heard my mind scream! But

We all lead busy lives. No doubt. The problem with living busy lives is that we forget, sometimes, about the living part. Part of living is in the everyday interaction. It’s seeing the person whose eyes you avoid as you walk down the street, or the waitress who served you, the person who refilled your water glass. It’s going to a networking meeting expecting to give rather than get. It’s telling someone you love them, just because.

Do You Own Your Own Business or Does Your Business Own You? This is a critical question to ask if you are just starting a venture or a seasoned entrepreneur. I hope this article finds you at a junction in your business that you can re-examine your positioning even if it is not one of business ownership. I hope it will move you into working smarter and not harder in order to allow your creative genius to create an extraordinary organization.

Add more water and our brain will fill up with more oxygen. More oxygen will keep us alert. This applies to all human beings but if you are an educator you really need to keep this in mind. Alertness is not the only aspect of human behavior teachers should keep an eye on.

Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you have chosen it.rn~ Eckhart Tolle

I spent 15 years of my life in the corporate world and used to define my human worth through my profession and the social status on my business card. At the time, building a successful career meant the world to me. I was keeping myself busy all the time, always in a rush, wanting to do more and achieve more, and nothing I was doing felt good enough. I was a perfectionist, and that used to give me a sense of pride as if my need for perfection were a strength or some sign of virtue.

Ten essentials for running a successful business. By Beate Chelette The question came up recently during a private coaching session with a client. What’s the right way to set up a business, she asked. And what will make it the most efficient? I happen to love questions like this because business is in my blood and helping people become successful is my passion and profession. My answers to my client—and to you--are based on my own personal and professional experiences in setting up companies, and what has worked for me.

I work in acute addiction with clients who have lost everything to the perils of drugs and alcohol. I work with people who have surrendered their families, their dreams, and their sanities- all for a short rush of serotonin and dopamine. While motivation undoubtedly matters in one's success, it isn't always fixed. It waxes and wanes, like any other state, and it's one that deserves our focus and attention. Losing your motivation from time to time is normal. We're all human,

It’s not a good sign when the first news of the day means dealing with death. But it got me thinking about the huge impact forgiveness can have in our lives. My father’s brother passed away the other night while I was out celebrating the 4th of July with friends. The two brothers were opinionated men. Both charming, forceful, very smart, and they took on life with maximum force. One went into politics, becoming the mayor of a big city in Germany while I was still living there, and the other, my father, was the CEO of a dairy company in another city.

The period of time betwee Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is always magical. Even during the most stressful times, we somehow manage to see joy in simple pleasures during this time of year. So the question becomes, how can we stretch the magic of the season, that special joy we feel, into our every day lives? Why is it that we allow that warm glow of the holiday spirit to subside as the days go by? Is it really as simple as we just stop focusing on creating memorable experiences? Do we just forget to make finding moments of joy a priority in our lives?

Have you ever wondered what successful people have thatnmakes them successful? Ever wonder how those champion recruiters in your companynmanage, month after month, to get the most new recruits,nthe biggest bonuses, the largest paychecks? Well let me tell you a secret. No one starts out as ...

When I talk about transitions, I am speaking about the major milestones in one's life. The saying that "the only constant in life is change" is true. But there is something a little different which occurs when we are facing one of life's major milestones - divorce, empty nesting, career change, moving out of a home, starting a new business - that is pure energy able to be put in motion and directed, and ripe with opportunity. It is big.

Working mommy guilt can be one of the biggest drawbacks to working outside of the home. However, I want to assure you that this does NOT have to be the case! In fact, guilt is completely unnecessary and a waste or your precious (and very limited) energy.

Women can be big bullies, too, but only if people accept their behavior. By Beate Chelette The phenomenon of bullying is a big topic in the news these days and it is having a devastating impact on kids at school, as well as women (and men) in the workplace.

Do you ever notice how negative some people are? Lately I’ve heard professionals make snide remarks about another or the industry they’re in and I feel as if I’m on a mission to get rid of negative thoughts. They don’t serve or help us in anyway and they interfere with achieving success and seeing and appreciating all the positive things in our lives.

Recently, a client of mine called very upset about some bad news. A lucrative new government work project she believed was set to begin had just fallen through. It wasn’t her fault, the directors in Washington D.C. decided to put the project on hold. Convinced she would not have the cash flow to meet her kids’ tuition, she went into a hole filled with fear and a persistent loop of doomsday thoughts. I know what that’s like. I’ve been there, so for close to an hour, I talked to her about the importance of finding acceptance and disconnecting from her negative, dire thoughts.