Your brand has a story. You are a part of that story. The days of hiding behind the corporate ladder are no longer. Everyone is watching.

Even if you are an employee, an intern, or just a temp. You represent the company you work for. With your LinkedIn profile, and your name tag, and your smile. Every single person in the organization makes up the whole.

The sum of all parts, is in fact greater than its whole.

Because it’s not just what your PR campaign says you do.

What matters is what your actions say about you.

Your actions say you care about quality, or you don’t. Or you care about getting it right, or you don’t. They say you respect people from all walks of life, or you don’t. They say you value the local economy and keep your business local, or you don’t.

So, while you might really invest a lot of time in a quality experience, or the best quality of products or service, or a marketing campaign that paints a beautiful picture about who you “are,” you need to think about a few more things before you can depend on your brand to be enough to get the job done.

Things like who you hire, how they feel about their jobs — how they reflect the experience of working for you, says more about your brand than your words or actions would.

Taking care of the little details that most people won’t notice, and that, to you might seem silly — like the garbage in the bathroom, or actually purchasing the name brand ketchup instead of using the name brand bottles with the fake stuff. Things like making an option for purchasing online. And, realizing that your customers don’t really need to be the ones thinking about how much the credit card fees are.

Running a business isn’t for the faint of heart. But no one is forcing you to choose this option. So, if you want your brand to mean something, make sure you make the decisions that will reflect a brand that is worth following.

And then, keep doing it.

Building a brand worth following is just the beginning. You can’t count on the launch, or a good start to sustain you. The businesses that make it, are the ones who invest in the work it requires to provide the quality, for the long term.

If you are thinking it’s your customers that don’t get it, think again. If people aren’t buying from you, what are you going to do about it?

We live in a world of edges. An unexamined life, is worth examining. The edges are here for us to explore. Not for us to avoid.

Right — Left
Good — Evil
Easy — Difficult
Give — Take
Real — Fake
New — Traditional
Fast — Slow
Cheap — Expensive
Pleasant — Offensive
Innovative — Proven
Risky — Safe

However, exploring these edges is not recommended if we’re looking for approval. We’re not encouraged to explore beyond what we’re served as “reality.”

It’s not your job, you’re too young, you’re not smart enough, you’re not rich enough, you’re not connected enough, you’re too old, it’s too risky, you won’t get the promotion, it’s not possible, it’s against regulation.

Don’t rock the boat. Trust us. We know what we’re doing. Toe this line. It’s safe. Don’t go over there, it’s dangerous. Stay here.

So, we take what we’re given. We buy in. It’s easier. It’s what we’re told we need to do to “make it” in this world.

And yet…

What happens when someone like you finally gets fed up, restless, unsettled, curious? What will you find on the other side of your belief? If you venture to explore the edges of your beliefs, you’ll probably find that it’s not so cut and dried. There are layers, and layers, and more layers. The answer isn’t as simple as they’d have you believe.

No, you actually have to do your own work to discover what you believe. Trust, but verify. Begin to peel the layers, and discover what your truth is.

This reveals one of the most important edges:

The distinction between rights — responsibilities.

To be protected is our right, and it is also our responsibility to protect ourselves. We cannot hand that responsibility blindly to others.

The answers we’re all seeking live between the edges, which requires that we consider both what we believe as well as the opposite of what we believe — or we risk abdicating responsibility to someone who is only capable of believing their version of the truth, only seen through their lens.

Don’t believe me? Good. We’re getting somewhere.

You want to know how to attract the best talent? Here’s a newsflash:

Millennials are no different than the Baby Boomers, Gen X or Gen Y’s youth of yesterday.

 

No, the difference is in the world they are living in — the world we created for them. We all wanted to matter, but we were just cogs in the wheel, and we detested it. We couldn’t stand the BS that we were required to do to get somewhere. We didn’t like it, but we didn’t have any choices. Today’s youth understands that they have choices. And, they should.

They deserve to be:

respected
seen
valued
invested in
cared for
listened to
encouraged

They deserve this, because that is how we create a future of leaders that will:

respect
see
value
invest in others
care
listen
encourage

Today’s workforce is seeking something more because they can see what is possible — we made this happen, and now, we need to realize that the job is only half done. We need to lean in and cultivate this generation of leaders and not leave them stranded, like we’ve been feeling with the state of our society that has been handed down to us. The most talented applicants are not looking for a job. They are looking for an organization that will provide them a platform for making a difference.

Your Job is a Platform for Generosity

Today, “a job” is way to make your dent in the universe. To do the things you were put on this Earth to do. Finding a job that makes someone capable of being more than a cog in the wheel is what it is all about — for people who want to be awesome.

The skills aren’t what makes someone awesome. No, it’s more than that. If she is going to bring her best self to the job you are offering, you are going to need to see beyond her resume. You are going to need to see her as a human being, with the gifts that can make a difference within your company. If you can’t or won’t see this, she won’t stick around very long. But I hope you’ll begin to see that it’s not her — it’s you that needs to change.

When I was a kid, I wanted something awesome too. I settled for the status quo and, I was miserable, contributed very little to the community, and, depending on how you look at it, I wasted all that time being mediocre. I choose to see it as my path. But that’s because I am an optimist, and looking backwards isn’t going to take me forward. I didn’t know any better and there weren’t many other options. I didn’t have YouTube, GitHub, or TED Talks to inspire me.

Today’s candidates see beyond this. They know what is possible. They know you can do and be more. They want you to see them. If you can’t, or won’t, they won’t settle. They may take the job today, just long enough to find the next place that might see them, value them, appreciate their contribution. You might see this as disloyal, entitled, but they see it as necessary for their survival. Didn’t we all at one point in our lives? We gave that up along the way. But I hope they won’t. I hope they keep challenging you, (and me) to be better, to build our companies for people first.

Status quo, hourly wages, and a job that just requires them to “show up” isn’t going to help the most talented candidates achieve their dreams. But taking this job now is a part of the process. You are a stepping stone, unless you choose to be awesome. The game has shifted, and, I for one am glad to see this happen.

Awesome organizations recognize talent, and invest the time and the energy in seeing — that not only their employees, but also their customers and vendors are people. Not just an expense, investment or cost of doing business. “Awesome” is in every action, iteration and correction — the human-ness in a business allows people to enjoy coming to work.

And, isn’t that something worth working toward?

Awesome isn’t for Everyone?

Someone might argue that not everyone wants to be awesome. Some people just want to show up. They want to clock in, clock out, and stop thinking at 5:00pm. They don’t want you to rely on them to think. They don’t want to solve problems or stay late, or do anything more than they are told. There’s still a market for employees who aren’t awesome, but are these the kind of employees that awesome organizations hire? No.

The number of mind-numbing jobs that are sought after by talented, brilliant, passionate employees is shrinking. Talented candidates of today don’t need to settle, but if your business isn’t making adjustments to attract and retain these candidates, they might need to move away from your town — and, in 10 years when you’ve exported all of the talent from your city, who will be left?

If you’re afraid of the young kid with ideas, maybe you aren’t ready to be awesome. Don’t expect to have a line of talented, brilliant, passionate people lining up to work for you any time soon either. No, those candidates are looking beyond you, possibly with more than mild annoyance. They don’t need you. They know you don’t “get it.” It’s clear to them that you aren’t going to appreciate them —so why would they bring you their best? They’ll save that for their side job — they’ll go home and log on to their online network and they will build their future — a way for them to feel good about the work they do — a way to make an impact and leave their mark on the world.

There’s a world of opportunities out there — the companies that have embraced this new economy are growing in numbers, and stealing your talented graduates, and creative thinkers. Local community leaders are noticing this: Businesses in small towns who don’t recognize that the connection economy is not shrinking the world, it is expanding the horizons for all future leaders. Eventually, there will only be room for what the people want — and the people want Awesome, Remarkable, Special, Unique — and more than the status quo. Because, at the end of our lives, we will look back and ask ourselves:

did I respect? was I respected?
did I see? was I seen?
did I value? was I valued?
did I invest in others? did others invest in me?
did I care for others? did others care for me?
did I listen? was I listened to?
did I encourage? did others encourage me?

 

I originally heard this from Marie Forleo. It wasn’t something that I questioned, as much as I felt a connection to the message. Intuitively, I have always believed that if someone wants to figure something out, she can. When I was listening to Marie share this belief, I found myself thinking:

Yes. I absolutely agree. Everything is Figureoutable.

The only thing stopping you from taking action isn’t that you lack the skill, or the resources. It really just comes down to mindset. This doesn’t mean that you “get” whatever you want. There is no easy button, but it can be figured out.

I recently spoke at a board meeting for a local non-profit organization. They were struggling to take their efforts to the next level — make more money, serve more people, make a bigger difference. There was a sense of disconnect that they couldn’t seem to figure out. Suggestion after suggestion that I made was met with,

“Yeah, but how? How do we do that? How do we find the right people? How do we connect with people who would want to join our board? How do we keep the connection between the students we serve and the future of our organization?”

I didn’t have the answers, and I found myself feeling frustrated that I couldn’t help them. And, then, I realized, they aren’t trying to figure it out. They are stuck in the problem, with no belief that they can do it. They thought I should be able to help them, but unless they decide they can figure it out, there’s not much of a chance that they will do anything about the problem they are scratching their heads about. I hope they can take that first, necessary step and begin to solve the problem with the attitude that they are capable of figuring it out.

How do you figure out the answers to the deepest rooted issues facing your life, business, organization? You decide you will figure it out, and then you set about to do what needs to be done to figure it out.

You start with the attitude that everything is figureoutable, and then you figure it out.

One thing is certain. You won’t figure it out thinking you don’t know how to figure it out. You have to move, iterate, test, and try some thing(s) differently. Whatever you try that doesn’t work gets you one step closer to finding something that will.

First, decide it is figureoutable. If you want to blog, figure it out. If you want to grow your business with social media, figure it out. If you want to run successful Facebook ads, figure it out. If you want to lose weight, figure it out. If you want to learn how to do something new, figure it out.

Sure, there are a lot of things that you won’t need to figure out, because you aren’t the person who should be doing the figuring out. Sometimes, it makes more sense to figure out who the best person to figure it out would be — not you. Does it make sense for you to figure out how to change the oil, or replace the brakes on your car? Does it make sense for you to figure out how to build a website, or learn graphic design? It still needs to be done, and someone is going to need to figure it out in order for the goals to be met.

Hiring someone to figure it is figuring it out!

When we look at the future — figuring it out means being smart, and making the best use of our time. Just because you can’t figure it out yourself doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be done — it simply means you need to figure out a way to get it done.

You get to choose, but whichever choice you make, remember this:

Everything is figureoutable. As soon as you decide.

What if the notion that we must “Fake it till we make it” is just God’s way of allowing us to look in the mirror and see who we really are?

We “fake’ our way out of the unpleasant holes, the old programming from the earlier part of our lives, and the bad habits that have sadly become our customary and accepted definitions of ourselves, because we have bought into that definition, so anything different, we tell ourselves, is “fake.”

So we start “faking” it for awhile, and almost miraculously, things start to move, circumstances improve, the hole becomes distant, and the “making it” starts to happen in ways we never believed were possible.

And, then like clockwork, as soon as we’re “making it,” a flood of doubts starts to threaten everything we’ve done to get here because, afterall, we were merely faking, right?

It’s when we get to this important turning point, that we need to really pay attention to our inner dialogue, listen carefully and decide whether or not we are finally ready to shed the past. Because it’s then that we’ll understand what was really happening while we were “faking.” And the results might allow us to see God smiling at us and saying:

“I’ve known who you were all this time. I’m so glad you’ve finally been able to see the beautiful person I have created you to be. You are a remarkable human being. I am proud of who you are.”

Since reading Icarus Deception, by Seth Godin in 2012, I have been forcing myself to stop dancing with the Lizard Brain (aka the Resistance) and to look for ways to make myself stronger, more resilient, and willing to do the work required to get outside of my comfort zone.

In March of this year (2017), I made a decision to leap. I sent in my application to altMBA with a desire to force a change in myself. I was feeling stuck, looking for more, and uncertain how to level-up.

5 years of moving forward, and forcing the edges of my own personal growth proved to me that I was capable of more than I’d ever imagined. I hadn’t done anything alone, but it was time for me to finally claim responsibility for getting myself this far. I was owning my gifts, but I just didn’t know how to take the next step, and I was somewhat paralyzed with the success I had managed to find along the way. What if this is it? I was asking myself. And altMBA proved to me that “this” is just the beginning.

I had a phone conversation with a kindred spirit this week, to discuss some potential marketing for his company. He contacted me after his daughter, Zoe had encouraged him to reach out because, having worked for my agency as an intern this year, she felt that we shared some common values — and believed it would be worth having a conversation. As we talked, it was plainly clear to me that there were indeed some very common values, and we shared visions for ourselves and our futures.

Our conversation led to my recent graduation from altMBA. I suggested he consider it himself for this next phase of his business’s development. He said he would consider it, and a few hours later, he messaged me with this request:

“Would you be willing to share with me the 2–3 things that were most valuable to you that did or will have the biggest impact on you as a human being and in your business — and why?”

That is the purpose of this post. To share how altMBA has changed me and how others reading this might benefit from taking advantage of the opportunity to lean in and find the value of shipping — and shipping often.

Before this course, I was clear on one thing — that I needed to gain clarity. I was stuck, exploring a lot of possible directions, and unsure which one would be the “right one” for me. Through the work I completed and the conference calls I attended, I discovered what I can do when I am intentional and focused. I cannot say it provided me with every answer and that today, I have it all figured out — but that was not the point.

I can say, however that I have learned to ship. The person I was before was holding back, waiting for something — but today, I am charging forward with the understanding that the work is in the doing, not in the perfecting. Perfecting comes from doing, not the other way around. altMBA has given me permission to leap more bravely and intentionally than before.

Since altMBA ended:

  1. I have continued to build on the momentum that the altMBA experience has provided me. I have tools in my tool chest that I didn’t have before.
  2. Enrolling in altMBA gave me a reason to “excuse myself” from my regular schedule, and to learn that life goes on without me — such a liberating realization.
  3. I have shifted my priorities, because I learned what should be delegated, and what needed my attention the most. (Still working on this).
  4. I have accepted the fluid nature of goals, and forgiven myself for the “thrashing” that takes place when trying to find the path to achieve those goals.
  5. I have started to acknowledge the advantage of having other people on the team — and the importance of establishing a clearly defined vision that they can too follow.
  6. Fine-tuning the team is necessary — not everyone will “get it” and that’s ok. Shedding is healthy.
  7. I have connected with the alumni, and discovered the wonder land — a community of people who think like me, who value the importance and significance of the work we are all doing and a place for me to continue to nurture and grow.

I am no longer putting my work on the back burner. I have launched BeAwesomeDaily.com and even invited my inner circle to follow my journey (big win for me), updated the branding, and started a 30 day blog challenge (this is day 7) — and I am continuing to develop that program daily — through my daily blog AND integrating the experience from altMBA into providing a platform for others to embark on their own 30 Day Blog Challenge, complete with encouragement, tools for getting started, staying motivated and including a step-by-step guide for the best practices of the art of blogging using the worlds most ubiquitous blogging platform — WordPress.

I think, prior to altMBA, I was not looking at the work I have already done as valuable, not giving myself credit for what was working, and only demoralizing myself because I wasn’t further along the journey already. At the same time, I was stuck looking at this as a problem that I needed to overcome. It was like I kept running into the wall, hoping to find a door instead. Since, then this blindness has been replaced with a pivot in the short term plan, as a means to get closer to the long-term plan. The final goal has not pivoted, only my openness to a new path to get there.

Moving forward, this energy will stay alive by taking positive risks, daily. Incorporating my new network of alumni to allow myself a place to thrash, experiment, share and explore partnerships and opportunities that were not available to me prior to altMBA. I think anyone who has committed to the process will find an incredible world of fresh perspectives and welcoming mindsets within the “walls” of this experience. There is always something new to learn. I will continue to level up and hopefully, along the way, I will inspire someone else — maybe my new friend Chris, who asked me to share this experience — to take the leap, do the work, and see the world new again. But the most important outcome has been — I am no longer stuck where I was.

And, I can do anything for 30 Days.

I was thinking about the things I want to accomplish in the next 5 years. Growing my business, and developing my skills so that I can begin to spread my message to a wider audience. I believe I have the ability, I know I have the passion,

but there is one thing holding me back.

I have never written about it, but as I have been exploring the challenges other people have about blogging — something I feel very comfortable with, and doesn’t create much anxiety for me, when I make the time to do it — I have started thinking about the things that hold me back, and how I am overcoming them. It’s easy to tell someone how easy something is when you don’t have any challenges with that thing. So, when I asked myself what it was that was standing between me and my dreams, I realized how paralyzing it feels.

It’s not really fear, it’s more like a dialogue in my head. It’s the resistance, and it has a strong hold on me. I like to feel confident, I like to avoid looking stupid, I like being in control of how my message is being delivered. Writing gives me the satisfaction that I will be able to polish the message before it is delivered. It’s not the same with video.

Video is not in my control.

I am completely comfortable with public speaking. I don’t even mind when my presentations are recorded live. No, the thing holding me back is the dialogue in my head when I am thinking about promoting myself with video.

Everyone has “The Thing” that is holding them back, and this is mine. I decided to share this here, because I want others to know I struggle with this, and by writing it down, I know I will be able to call it out and start defeating the resistance by holding myself accountable to you, my reader.

The Resistance vs the Lightbringer

I have recently begun to learn how to overcome things that hold me back, things that were once hard have become easier, I have practiced, I have leaned into the resistance, and I now know that I have full control of what I do and don’t do. There’s nothing holding me back that isn’t inside of me — there’s no one to blame but me. Yet, the voice in my head is loud, deafening. When I think about video, the voice chides me with this:

“You’re goofy. Your eyes get buggy, you talk too fast, you use your hands too much, you are too excitable, you don’t have a polished, calm delivery like the pros do. You’ll never be someone people hire for a keynote. Don’t let yourself believe that shit about being a nationally recognized speaker, coach and trainer on community building. It’s not possible. You’re not good enough.” — The Resistance.

I buy this. I agree, I stall. “It’s true, every single word is true.” I tell myself. So, I do nothing, and I remain safe.

But when I argue with the resistance, the argument is also true. Which truth do I want to believe? The safe truth, or the truth that challenges me to do more?

On the days I am feeling like pushing back at the resistance, my voice responds with:

That’s what makes you Chrissanne. You have a story to tell, and this is part of it — overcoming this is your work. If you don’t overcome this noise, you’ll always be stuck, and no one wants to listen to that story. Do you think those who have gone before you didn’t have challenges to overcome? Are you going to stay here forever? The cavalry ain’t coming. You are responsible for creating your future. You are not weak. You will do whatever it takes, even if it feels uncomfortable. You are enough — get on with it . — The Lightbringer

I think we all have this duality in our lives. We tend to focus on resistance, because that is the voice we are listening to. We fail to identify the other voice, likely because we are taking action based on the voice of the resistance. We’re letting it have control of our future and allowing its words to drown out the voice of possibility and hope. We so easily identify the resistance, it’s a familiar dance for all of us, and for some reason, we’re not even giving the voice of the light a chance to be heard. We don’t give her a name, but we should, just like we have a name for the resistance, the lizard brain, depression, guilt, shame. Today, I have given the voice of hope and possibility a name.

She is the LightBringer.

I believe if we call out the resistance, we can start the process of understanding, but that alone is not enough. We have to do something about it — I think most of us would agree that when we are aligned with the light, we begin to do the work, more productively and proactively. We begin to win, we begin to shine our light. We begin to do the work.

This is who I want to be. Someone who recognizes the challenges in front of me, who refuses to dance with the resistance, to defy the voice that holds her back from achieving more. To have the ability to shine a bright light into the world, and allow others to do the same.

My hope, is that you will start to listen to your Lightbringer, and help others (including me) do the same as well. Hold yourself accountable, and then let’s hold up the mirror for each other. But don’t ask anyone to listen to the Lightbringer for you. That is something only you can do. In my case, it’s my job now to do the work. To pick up the camera, and point it at myself. What is the Lightbringer telling you in response to the resistance? And what are you going to do about it? Are you going to listen to the resistance? Or are you going to listen to the Lightbringer? I hope you choose the light.

My Aunt, Elena.

Anyone who knows her has learned something from her — that love is the most endearing gift ever given to man (and woman).

When I was a teenager, I got into trouble. I was sent to live with Elena and my uncle Willy, who is also another loving soul. They are both so blessed, and filled with love. Not to take anything away from my Tio, but when I considered who the happiest person I know might be, it was Elena whose face appeared. Sorry, Unc!

When I arrived in Miami, angry, and rejected, there was no judgement, only love. It was not a punishment, although initially, it certainly felt like it would be.

No, this was God’s divine intervention.

When I think about the life she has lived, it’s surely not going to be fair to try and assume that this post can dare to tell her story. I know there was anguish, fear, pain, anger, frustration, worry, doubt, wavering faith. Elena isn’t perfect — but she’s humble, and strong, and so very devout in her faith. And this, I think qualifies as a very close possible second.

The pain that I felt at that time, was embraced, and accepted. Here was this 17-year old child of her husband’s oldest sister, struggling to find herself, in the hateful, spiteful world of adolescence, and yet, she willingly invited me into her home. I am not sure what the conversation was like, when my mom called and shared the painful sadness she felt at my willful rebellion. But I would be willing to bet that inviting me into her home was Elena’s idea. She had two young children at that time, and so many perfect reasons that this would not be a good idea. Most people, wouldn’t be able to do it. Of that, I am convinced.

But she did.

Why? Because it was love that she felt for me, for my family — and that love was the only hope we had at that time. It was her love that provided me a home during the most difficult year of my life.

Through it all, through her leadership, through her love, she showed me what happiness looked like. Her kind eyes, her stubborn prayers, her laugh, and her generous desire to help me, all were part of her happiness. She had enough to give, and she knew it was her calling, for whatever reason, to give that love to me. It was a risk. It made her vulnerable. It might have even seemed crazy to her family. “Elena, what if she steals from you? What if she hurts your kids?” “Are you sure this is safe?” And, her answer could only have been “No.” I didn’t want to hurt anyone — I wasn’t dangerous to anyone but myself, but then again, how would anyone have been able to guarantee that?

We can’t guarantee anything but the fact that love requires risk. And, I choose to believe that it is in this decision — to love anyway — that real happiness exists.

Now, over 20 years later, I look back and realize that her example can teach us all to find happiness in in the action of loving. We’re all seeking it. And we’re all striving to be the best versions of ourselves. We think that happiness exists in success, or in money, or things. We think we can find it in a bottle, or food. We seek it in others. And, then when we fail to “find happiness,” we blame — our jobs, our spouses, our children, our friends, God.

And, God is Love

So, today, as I felt a feeling of uncertainty and doubt come to me as sometimes happens, a vision of Elena, and the example of her love and her happiness appeared in my heart. And, I knew I needed to tell this story.

If I am able to give, just a fraction of the love that I have experienced from Elena, and all of my family, then it is my quest to find a way to give that love back. I could never repay Elena for the gift of her love at that time in my life. Nor would she ever allow me to try.

Happiness, my friends, lives in love.

Thank you Elena, for this incredible gift and your generous outpouring of love, when I needed it the most.

Invite Yourself

When you are considering the work others are doing, you may find yourself feeling left out. I remember that feeling well. Early on in my entrepreneurial career, I saw myself as “on the outside, looking in.” And feeling a little left out. I never considered that this was my choice, until one day, I found this:

Source: Seth Godin
(Thanks again, Seth).

It literally made me laugh at myself! Who says I am not invited? Who says I can’t share my voice? All of the mundane messages that exist in the world are shared by people that aren’t asking for permission! They are merely refusing to believe that their ideas aren’t good enough. And, who’s to say their ideas aren’t good enough? Good enough for what, for whom?

At this point, it was like I gave myself permission to look inside for the first time and see who I really am. I realized that my gifts — shining light, and caring more than the average person (which isn’t that hard, unfortunately), makes it possible for anyone to make a place for themselves. If you’re looking for a way to get your foot in the door, I suggest you turn that idea on its end and just start contributing as if you belong there — because as long as you have something valuable (aka the gifts you’ve been given from up above) — you do. All it takes is the willingness to step forward, and pick yourself.

Here are some of my favorite ways to invite myself.

  1. Providing a thoughtful comment on a blog post of a friend, community contact.
  2. Applauding the efforts of organizations and individuals who are doing something good.
  3. Volunteering to show up at an event when it seems like not many other people are going.
  4. Sharing someone’s post on Facebook or Twitter, to help them reach more people.
  5. Saying you’re going to be there, and then, being there.
  6. Serving on a board for a local non-profit.
  7. Buying a ticket to an event that you cannot attend, but want to support or that someone else might not be able to purchase, but would be a good opportunity for them to attend.
  8. Sending a thank you note, or a private message to someone who took the time to support something you were involved in.
  9. Posting a “shout out” to a community partner, or vendor talking about the great work they do.
  10. Writing a review on Google, or other channels that will help others discover a business doing excellent work.

What are some ways you have found that make a meaningful contribution and allow you to start getting stronger at inviting yourself to the conversation? I would love to hear some ideas from you that I can add to my list!

Because, if you can begin to see what we see, you’ll begin to understand how much we need you!

“Time” is Stealing your Dreams

The thing about time is that we make time — for a drink here, an extra hour of sleep there, a Netflix binge and all of the other things we enjoy…

Being disciplined about what is important to me has not always been a strength of mine, but in recent years, it has become obvious to me that if I am going to want the outcome to change, I have to change the input. There’s just no other way around it.

So, here I am writing this post — because I want to achieve something important enough to me that I am willing to write on a Sunday. This is day 5 of my 30 Day Challenge

I am making time because I know what happens if I don’t — Absolutely Nothing.

In the last 5 years, I have changed many habits, and created new ones. All of them have an element of time. Time is what I told myself I didn’t have, so I wasn’t going to be able to do the thing. Time was my excuse, and it was killing my dreams.

Here’s a list of my 3 most recent and important “wins” and how I feel anyone reading this might also begin to shift their thinking to start getting “more” from their lives, and their businesses. And, as you read, I hope you’ll realize that I am still fighting the inner battle every single day.

  1. Wake up one hour earlier.
    This is a recent win of mine, but I realized after many months that I felt I didn’t have enough time to get everything I wanted done done. I fought this — hard. I argued that it was my right to sleep, and I deserved it, after the day of hard work I had put in. Why should I get up early? But, when I started looking at the things that I was neglecting — the things that mattered more to me personally, that were not business related, I realized I was selling myself out for an hour’s worth of sleep. And, I was getting the short end of the stick, because the things that get shoved to the back burner are always my personal things — blogging for myself, exercising, reading, things that bring me pleasure, things that require nothing but me being able to have (make) the time to enjoy them.
  2. Lose Weight
    By the time 2016 rolled around, I was finally ready. For months before, I listened to my thoughts and the reality of the message they were revealing — I was making the choice every day to be fat. I didn’t have anyone else to blame. And, when the fact became clear that I was responsible for the fact that I was now trying to assure myself that shopping in the “Womans” department wasn’t all bad, I realized only I could do something.
    In the past, I always tried to blame someone else. My mom, my ex husband, time… And when I stopped letting myself believe that B.S, I realized that being a size 16 was my choice. This was the beginning of “getting ready.” For the remaining part of 2015, I actually gave myself permission to be fat. I allowed myself to feel ok with my choices, because, after all, they were my choices. I stopped criticizing myself, and I just let where I was be ok. And, every time I thought about the challenges I was facing with the clothes I was wearing, with the person I saw in the mirror, I owned it. And, then I decided to do something about it. I made the time for 10 solid months to show up at the local weight loss clinic [every single week], weigh in, be accountable, and face the music for my actions. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and, a lot more powerful than any other time I had tried to do something for someone else. This was my decision, and these were results that truly mattered to me. I lost 60 pounds in 2016, because I made the damn time to do it. It wasn’t the perfect time, it wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t easy, but it was necessary — because I deserved it. This is the first time I have written about my weight loss. I never posted before and after photos online, I just did what had to be done.
  3. Invest in My Community
    One of Seth Godin’s most recent books came out in 2014. It’s called What to do When it’s Your Turn (And it’s Always Your Turn). As you know, I am a student of his work, and credit his words for much of the turnaround I have created in my life. When I read this, I was challenged, as I often am by the messages of Seth’s words. What I walked away thinking was this:

Once I overcame my fear, I discovered that I now had an obligation to help others overcome theirs. It’s not explicitly written, but it’s part of the beauty of the work Seth does — he doesn’t tell you what to think, he just offers a new way for you to think. Something I believe we all need to explore, so that we can stop listening to the BS that we’re handed down by the coma-inducing-fear-based-indoctrination we’ve been served for the better part of a century. My decision to serve, and to “show up” comes from this awareness and, the fact is that these decisions take up a lot of my time, and there’s not a clear ROI for any of the work I do.

But, I do the work anyway, because I believe it’s my responsibility to refuse to blame the clock for my lack of interest, or unwillingness to make others a priority. Yes, that’s what time is all about. And, that’s why I take the time to show up and support the other initiatives in our community, because It’s My Turn.

When will you decide that it’s your turn?
Choosing the work we need to do to make our lives — and the lives of our families, customers, employees — better. It’s hard work, but it’s necessary work, and it is the only work that really matters.

So, you can tell me you don’t have time. And, I will totally understand. You’ll get no judgement from me — I have been there, done that and today, I simply refuse to keep buying that line of t-shirts.

But, I hope you’ll at least start thinking about the fact that the choice is always yours to make. The time isn’t going to make itself available to you, and no one is going to blame you for being too busy.