Empowering Women Articles

In order to create the best year of your life, you must know the course you want to chart and the life you wish to live. Goal setting is an excellent way to start the path of life transformation. Unfortunately, however, the majority of people quit before successfully attaining their goals! Though they have the best of intentions they either fail to embrace to the right mindset or are simply unaware of how to correctly go about setting goals that will ensure successful completion.

A few years ago, I had a dream about someone I haven’t met yet. In the dream, he and I shared a look that required no words to convey the depth of our love for each other and our acceptance of the other. We shared a soulful connection that took my breath away, a connection that was so powerful I woke up from the dream feeling so fulfilled and hopeful that this dream could become reality. In this dream, neither of us needed to act or to pretend to be someone we weren’t. We di

It’s a simple question. And you probably know the answer. But you don’t want to go there. But first, what does it mean to “tolerate” something? By definition, if you are tolerating something, it is a negative in your life. You are “putting up with it,” and there is no positive feedback loop. We don’t have to tolerate things we love, things that are good for us, positive interactions and actions – we enjoy them, they feed us, and we get back from them. Okay, so what are you tolerating? Sometimes this question opens up a big can of angry worms. That is not the goal here!

The doing part of leadership is the ‘form’ leadership takes: setting goals, accomplishing, taking action, communicating, etc. It is the answer to the ‘How?’ question. The being part of leadership is the ‘essence’ that leadership is: Holding the space for open conversations, insightful, self aware, not afraid to fail, transforming, etc. It is the answer to the ‘Why?’ question. It’s my experience that the more grounded and spacious one is within their being, t

Is there a certain area of your life that you are dissatisfied with but lack the motivation to change? Perhaps you SHOULD (that dirty word) stop smoking? You know it’s time to lose those 50Lbs you’ve been carrying ( I know about that one) Maybe you SHOULD cut back on your drinking You have contemplated changing your situation for a long while now, lately you’ve been giving it a lot of thought but once again lack of motivation shows it’s ugly head.

And the top strategies to change that and get ahead. [Part One] As a career coach and longtime entrepreneur I have been able to watch how men and women work and advance (or not) in their careers. Here are some of the top reasons why women don’t get promoted at a higher rate and Part Two of this article offers strategies to change that: Getting sidetrackedrnr

During the holidays it's go-go-go! We easily become stressed, short-tempered and overwhelmed. I have a very simple suggestion for you that might seem obvious, but I don't see a lot of people (outside of my clients!) doing it! Take time for self-care! Seriously. I'm listing some ideas here to help you fill your oil lamp, put the oxygen mask on yourself first - however you want to see it. Taking care of you is vital to your, um, vitality! As well as your sanity.

I am thinking abut the meaning of “Success” today perhaps because I am turning 52 in March and pondering how I want to spend my energy in the next final third of my life. “Being Successful” I will not lie has mattered to me too much at times. I have spun my own wheels in the muddy morass of my misconceptions of what “Success” meant to me earlier on in my life. Today I am grasping it differently and share my latest level of understanding here as my offering to help you better understand what “Being in Success” is for YOU!

In todays global economy it is good business sense for services, businesses and organizations to be reflective of the customers they serve. More than ever, strong managers and leaders are required to have a comprehensive set of skills that allows them to be adept at managing a vast array of people with multiple differences. This can be both challenging and rewarding for the successful Manager, providing multiple opportunities to learn and grow. Here are 5 key reflective questions that managers can use to review their leadership effectiveness in working with cultural diversity.

Somewhere along the way, we learn to avoid things that are uncomfortable. “Hey look at this,” we think. “If I just stay here in the middle – away from the sharp edges – then I don’t get too banged up.” Slowly, our passions and goals cease being about what we want to create or who we dream of becoming. Slowly, our passions and goals become more about how to avoid the edges. When the edges sneak up on us anyway – as they tend to do – then we find ways to soften them. Conveni

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.

Here's a challenge: Find inspiration in someone who bugs you. Yes, seriously. Find what it is this annoying person gives to the world. Look for why this person is special. You want to know why? Because when you do that, you realize that we are all beautiful, special individuals. We all come from the same creation. When you can see with new eyes that even those people in your life who annoy the heck out of you bring light to the world, you will begin to realize how special you are! And how much your light is needed. Because we are all connected; we are all made of the same stuff.

Most people we get to know in our business and personal lives aren’t meant to travelrnthe whole road with us. We forget that sometimes, especially when there’s been a goodrnconnection, yet endings and new beginnings are the natural flow of life. Every year I ask myself: What does my business and personal life look like? Where amr I stuck? What worked and what didn’t and who do I want in my life and who doesn’trnfit anymore? For me, I realized I wasn’t getting the support and results I needed andrnexpected from my assistant and the marketing consultants I’d worked with for the pastr

What do horses know of business? Turn’s out quite a bit and this is just the tip of the iceberg! 1. Be present In each moment, with every client, with every colleague and collaborator, and with all of our business matters. Even your ideas. Here's me as a child learning future business tips! Here’s me as a child learning future business tips! Show up in your business like the professional you are – ready to take what the moment provides. 2. Be Authentic

"If only I had more time!" seems to be the cry of many busy moms today. Our days seem to fill up, speed up, and pass us by before we are really able to accomplish what we had planned, or to spend as much quality time with our families as we had hoped! I am writing this article on what happens to be an "extra" day....the rare and fabulous February 29th! I started to get excited about the concept of an extra day and wanted to share my thoughts with other moms.

So, I might get on a soapbox here. Since when is self-care selfish? Why is investing in yourself so that you are whole, happy, and in love with your life self-centered? The idea that it is both good and admirable to suffer so that you can give to others is martyrdom. And useless, in my opinion. We see it everywhere - in men and women - but women tend to do the heavy lifting of nurturing and giving to others, often to the exclusion of self.

“I wish I could just get that lucky break!” “I hope tomorrow will be a better day.” How many times have you heard this? You may even say it yourself, a time or two! Unfortunately, what most people don’t seem to understand is that nothing “just happens” in your life. You've got to do what you've got to do yourself to make something happen.

It is so easy to get caught up in the nostalgia and hype of Christmas. This time of year we are bombarded with movies promoting happy family experiences. Whatever struggle our movie protagonist seems to have endured, they always seem to resolve their conflict and make it home for Christmas. Fade out to Silent Night – we see the happy family seated around the table enjoying their turkey dinner.

I heard a quote from the CEO of E-Women's Network, Sandra Yancey, recently that really jumped out at me. She said: "Until you know what's important to you, you'll never be able to tell what's necessary and what's a distraction." This made me think of two crucial tools I've seen help people get clarity needed to get unstuck...The Big 3 & Top 10. These foundational tools have proven to quickly help my clients move forward on the way to a more balanced life with less stress. They're so simple, yet so powerful! The BIG 3r

In a previous article I explored the myth that all you need to succeed is the strategy and know how. The myth I’m exploring today is that of the Lone Ranger woman in business – thinking you should be able to do everything yourself; that the way to succeed is to rely on no-one but yourself. Now this is understandable in the sense that many of us are brought up to be independent women, but it can leave us feeling inadequate.

“Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. “ – Mario Quintana Looking back on my life, I can recall there were two days I was looking for every year: my birthday and March 8th. In my home country, Romania, that’s not only a Mother’s day celebration but, similar to many other nations, it is the International Women’s Day. Getting flowers and gifts from family, friends, and colleagues made me feel valued, cherished and loved.

Do you feel you’re so busy being busy you don’t have time to get yourself feeling energetic and full of life? You hope a good night’s sleep will do it, or a session at the gym, or maybe a luxurious bath once in a while? Now I’m not saying these aren’t good things and that they won’t help in the short-term, but what I am saying is that that’s exactly what they are – short-term fixes.

The vision of "Living an Organic and Orgasmic Life" is about the transformative natural healing that happens when you live your life going with the flow (organically) and squeezing the juice (orgasmically) from every moment.

Have you wanted to change the tiles in your house? There are no miracle solutions, apart from gathering the necessary tools: manual tile cutter, electric cutter, water cut, radial saw ... This article will make you an expert. WaterMelon Slicer What tools to use to cut tiles?rnThe tool you use depends on the size and layout of your workplace, the type of tile you are going to act on, and the placement method (right or diagonal).rnWe found three types of tile cutters that allow

Problems sometimes turn out to be unexpected gifts, so look for them. By Beate Chelette Can’t all this move faster, I asked my herbalist the other day as I sat impatiently on the treatment table? I am smack in the middle of being rewired by nature and Steve is helping me through the symptoms of perimenopause, a biological stage that can’t be avoided—or rushed—despite my insistence. With the utmost patience, Steve reminded me that my pace is probably exactly the pace it needs to be.

How do you tend to make decisions? From your head? Or from your gut? If right now you’re thinking I usually avoid making decisions altogether, or my strategy tends to be to wait and see what others do first, then you’re fooling yourself, because deferring a decision is a decision in itself! When you make decisions from your head you weigh up the pros and cons, you evaluate all sides, the different aspects, as well as the impact and consequences of your options and possible choices.

My recent experiences of vendors selling in the streets of Egypt has inspired me to write today’s article. Because the approach taken by these market traders is very different to the more traditional western business approach.

Such situations are manifesting the world which connotes that 21st century will be led by women. This we are saying because within world trends and activities hard heartedness and selfishness are about to be uprooted and in its place goodwill, cooperation and generosity will get reinstated. These sacred glories are naturally present in the soul of women. In past time regarding women it was thought that she is weak and lacks enterprise. This is to the extent that she is incapa

I traveled to London a few years ago to participate in a three-day workshop called “The Bigger Game.” I didn’t have any great revelations during that weekend, nor did I see a clear path for what I was to do and who I was becoming. But, it did give me some juicy material to think over and reflect on. And I knew something had shifted in the way I thought about myself, those in my life, and even humanity at large. I also knew something had shifted in the way I wanted to in

Our need to create special spaces to retreat to for solace is an instinct we all share and a necessity to our happiness and well being. Beginning in childhood we built forts, hideaways, and worlds of make believe where hours passed unnoticed. Besides fostering our curiosity and creativity, those earliest Go-To Spaces gave us refuge from the adult world that was inevitably closing in around us. Now as adults most of us no longer build forts in our living rooms or create hideaways in the attic eaves yet our wish to get away from the complexities of grown up life is ever present!

Guilt is an emotion you feel because you believe you’ve caused (or will cause) harm. Aside from objective evidence that you caused true (not perceived) harm to someone, I suggest you question the logic of your guilt. How did you come to the conclusion that you should feel guilty for wanting more? Let’s examine that. How could your wanting more be bad for the universe? How could it be guilt-worthy to desire to be more authentically you?

As a success coach I often get asked variations on the theme Is there a recipe for success? Are there sure-fire strategies to get me there? Are there certain steps that will guarantee my success? A simple key? And my answer to all of these is yes – there most certainly are. However knowing the right ones for you can often be difficult! Because when you do what everyone else does, when you look at what appears to work for a particular expert or business and operate on the assumption that it will automatically work for you too, then you can be left sorely disappointed.

The well-known evangelists of our internet world keep preaching a simple formula: Design your brand Identify your message Get your message out Amplify your message As business professionals, we follow this call to action religiously. We write and share articles or post inspirational quotes that will resonate with our online communities. We follow others who are aligned with our own goals, and then we repost and re-tweet their messages to our followers. According to the social networking guidebook, we are doing everything right.

“A good question is better that a brilliant answer…” Richard Saul Wurman – Creator of TED Why do adults stop asking questions? Children ask amazing questions all the time. Their innate sense of curiosity is astounding. Yet somehow, as we move towards adulthood, that natural sense of childhood curiosity seems to disappear. Why is it that we encourage students to ask questions but as adults we seem to stop doing this ourselves? Isn’t that the most powerful way to learn? Where would we be today if Newton and Einstein had never stopped to ask questions?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do what we love and money would flow automatically? It actually can do this and it will, but not entirely by itself. An extra step is needed. Money comes around when it is actively pursued and it doesn’t when you neglect to do so. Let’s take a closer look at how making money fits into the day to day planning by the example of the average entrepreneurial business owner. Most of you have figured it out, but there is still a difference between getting something done and generating income. Let’s look at why that is.

There are many reasons why at some points in your life you feel sad, depressed, faithless, and trapped. Most of these situations are self-created. Most of these feelings are self-inflicted. Do you remember that first scary ride on your brand new bike? How many times did you fall? How many bruises witnessed your uncountable tries? What did you do then? You got back up, grabbed the wheel, and kept trying until one bright morning you became the master. Where is the spirit of that child now?

As a career coach, the most commonly asked questions I get are: what is the effectiveness of marketing, should I do more and how do I measure the success of my campaigns? Marketing is an important aspect for any business. Dan Kennedy, one of the most recognized and established marketing gurus of our time, tells a simple story to get a basic point across.

How is it that some working moms are happy regardless of their life circumstances while others are incessantly miserable though they appear to "have it all"? How you feel and the results you attain are attributable to the intentionality of your thoughts and your actions. Your level of joy, contentment, and well-being is the reality that you control and create by the thoughts you choose to embrace. In this article I will share 4 strategies that, if implemented, will have a profound impact on your level of happiness and will change your life for good.

Are you an Entrepreneur who is starting up a new business? Do you struggle with a persistent sense of self-doubt that you can’t or won’t succeed? You know you have the knowledge; you know you have the experience; you know you have the ability; yet, on some level you still question your skills and worry about your potential to succeed in a loud and busy entrepreneurial world. Although these doubts can be confused with low self-esteem, they’re very different in how they factor in to results.

This is the time we have been waiting for; a new year filled with hope and high expectations. 2011 represents beginnings, a time to build, to establish solid foundations. It is the time to shine, find your purpose, and follow your heart’s desires. What would you do to transform your life? What steps would you follow to become the real person you were born to be? Try this: 1. Learn how to take control of your life. Let no outer forces decide the path you will follow. Your life, now more than ever, is in your hands.

This might seem like a strange title for a business success article, particularly for women entrepreneurs. But it’s actually very appropriate. Indeed a woman just this week described to me how she felt like she’s “being going 10 rounds with Mike Tyson!” And I know she’s not alone, because other women have described their business like a marathon. Some say it just feels like a hard slog, others that they’ve hit the pain barrier, and they’re trying to push through and keep going, but they’re wondering whether it’s worth it? This highlights a number of things to me

I just returned from two weeks hiking and touring in Southwestern Ireland. Some places I visited: Ring of Kerry, Skellig Michael, Cork, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Mohr, Connemara National Park and the Cliffs of Mohr just to name a few places. As I traveled, I carried a journal and forced myself to stop along the way to capture any thoughts that I wanted to save as I hiked, walked, read, ate, drank, rode, danced, shopped, etc. I found that this get-a-way was causing me to be

How to make your website a successful marketing tool. Last month a business owner called me to inquire about my coaching services. I took a look at his company website and immediately saw a problem. His visual presentation was a mess, disorganized and confusing with a variety of links to other sites and it was difficult to figure out what his specialty was. I could tell he was surprised by my assessment and he told me he expected his clients to “figure it out.” Besides, he went on, all those linked sites were helping him get business. “Then why are you calling me?” I asked.

Forever is composed of nows. — Emily Dickinson We all wish to live a life filled with love, joy, and freedom. For some, this way of life is a given and comes naturally. For many others, it is something that needs to be learned—or relea ed; often the way is buried and forgotten under years of conditioning and programming that teaches it is “normal” to think instead of to feel, and to do instead of to be. There are many ways in which we can connect with the love within us an

FUN FACTS about Living an Organic and Orgasmic Lifer September 2011 One of my very favorite ways to explain what I mean by "Living an Organic and Orgasmic Life" is this...to understand the wisdom of living in the flow of nature and embracing all of life's experiences. Organic is nature's flow, and orgasmic is the ...

Before we explore your readiness to leap I want to ensure you understand what I mean by the words ‘step’ and ‘leap’. The difference between a step and a leap. A step is a small change where you’re fairly certain of the outcome, and as a consequence it holds little risk. It’s a decision that comes from your head. A leap on the other hand is a large shift with more risk because the outcome’s unknown or at least not guaranteed. Deciding to leap comes from deep inside you – from your heart and soul – your true and highest self. How they each make you feel.

It’s true. Although I’ve worked with lots of men as well as women over the years and although everyone suffers from self-doubt to some degree, it’s definitely women who ‘take the biscuit’ (come out on top) when it comes to worrying about whether you’re doing the right thing, whether you really can do it, and what others will think of you if and when you do ‘do your thing’! And I want to say loud and clear girls – IT’S TIME TO STOP!!

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Dreams Deferredr

Oh the joys of finding new clients. Most business owners, and many of the creative entrepreneurs I work with–decide to look for their new clients, by licensing mailing lists. And then they start to fire off emails and blog posts to people they don’t know. At first look this beats the option of painstakingly doing the background research of each recipient one by one, but be clear that you are basically communicating with people you don’t know, about whom you know nothing, and you are sending them things they didn’t ask for.

I have some serious girl crushes. This morning I sat in the butter-yellow leather chair downstairs with my feet in a tub of hot water and read Penelope Trunk. I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Penelope Trunk (something she said once pissed me off), but today it is all love because this morning, with my feet in hot water, I recognized myself in her writing. And, for the first time, seeing and knowing myself felt good.