Musings from the Independence Day Holiday …

As I write this, I am gazing out my window, looking out over my attempts at a little vegetable/fruit/flower garden, and I have to wonder… did I really just get lucky with my Indianapolis garden…Is Florida too hot for lettuce…who or what is eating the tomato flowers…same question for the baby blue, straw and raspberries…what is the deal with me and watermelon plants… will I ever run into that big black snake that slithered from the garage into the garden…okay..Enough!  On with the Newsletter…

I was flipping around the TV channels and saw a contestant vying for attention, dressed up as a Rubik’s Cube.  Wow!  Blast from the past!  But then I got to thinking…That Cube is like our Life Choices… Each twist and turn leads to a different path.  It’s easy to see how we can get way off track.  So many of us just give up in frustration and never make it to completion or fruition.  So what helps us when we get so twisted and off track that we want to give up?  I think it is remembering your “Why” and finding a way to work back to that “Why”.  So what if you don’t have a “Why”…uh,oh…no – don’t worry.  You have a “Why” but you just haven’t fully realized it yet…

D and I took our annual Mecca back to Indianapolis at the end of June.  We were able to connect with friends and family.  I was particularly excited to witness the dreams of Brenda G. and her beautiful and unique gift shop (she doesn’t have a website yet but she is on Facebook).  Her shop is called Sassy Butterflies and is one of the coolest, wackiest, colorful, happy places I’ve been to.   Very unusual stuff (you should see her Shoe-delier – on FB) and very reasonable prices!   The point is, talking to Brenda and taking the tour, you could see the light shine from her soul as she explained her various rooms and purposes.  Now you know opening a shop takes a bunch of courage and I highly commend her for it! It is evident she knows her “Why” – In fact, writing this makes me realize I can share her dream by helping her on my own FB page – so feel free to look up my coaching page for the Shoe-delier!  Second point – we can all help each other with our dreams.

Independence Day – America’s Independence from the Tyranny of British Rule… Independence Day can also be maybe our own personal independence, right?  Independence doesn’t mean you have to be alone or without help – it means – at least to me – that you have the right or really the obligation to do what is right for you…to be independent from the slings and slights of “Others” opinions and to conquer our own inner Tyranny that holds us back.  Our right to our own “In-Power-Meant”!  Figuring out your “Why” or why you do the work that you do or maybe you could call that “Your Purpose” makes the strength against internal and external tyranny that much stronger – thus easier to “battle.”  (Every time I use the word “Battle” I picture and hear John Travolta as the Angel Micheal…”Ba-Tul!”)

As a reminder, we have started Your SuCCess Circle (Monthly Membership for Success), which includes a monthly call and more… And this month the call will be at 10:30 am ET – which is 9:30 am CT – on Saturday,  July 16th.  We will run the two for one special again this month, which means – you can sign up with a friend.  We are keeping the sessions small and intimate so if we need to, we will open a second session.  So this is the time for you to explore your “Why” or maybe even your “What”…safely with the support of other like-minded folks.  For more details – see below.

One more thing… one of the neat things that came from visiting Brenda’s Sassy Butterflies is the fact that one of her rooms may be used as a “get-away” or a type of sanctuary for people to come relax, hide-out, whatever… I have also had that dream to have a place for folks to be able to escape to – complete with nourishing books and treats… What that says to me is that so many of us have some great ideas and dreams that we hide inside ourselves.  Maybe if we just work up a bit of courage to share, we may find others that have the same dreams and we may be able to help each other achieve them!  What do you think?  Amazing things can happen when we connect!

See you down the trail!

Are you in need of support on your journey to success? We have two low-cost ways to get started!

Learn about the SuCCess Producing Planner System here, designed to help you keep moving forward with confidence and compassion – by reminding you to be grateful for what you have and to celebrate and be inspired each day, as you record your wins and challenges, your task list, your goals and more.

Check out our monthly membership for success here, Your SuCCess Circle … a low-cost way to experience the benefits of coaching – support and accountability to help you achieve your goals!

Don’t Quit!

It’s mid June – which means it is almost mid- year – which means it is the first part of Hurricane Season in Florida and hot!  And that is a good thing!  What!?  Have you gone nuts, Janus?  Well, maybe, but Hurricane Season and the Sometimes Oppressive Heat in Florida are just metaphors for Challenges that we meet when we are going for something wonderful and worthwhile.  As I see it, if we didn’t have hurricanes and heat in Florida – then everyone would live in this tropic paradise and it would no longer be as special as it is for some of us.  Just like our goals and dreams… If challenges did not crop up – whether in the form of toxic people or circumstantial hardship – then anyone and everyone would pursue the high road or take on the great journeys.  Or in other words – if it was easy – everyone would do it and the “specialness” would be lost…

I was given a very special gift of a wonderful day in which I was able to visit a dear friend, Connie, whom I haven’t seen in 12 or 13 years.  She is one of those people who came into my life and into my heart and has never left since – even though so much time and distance came between us.  To top it off, I was allowed to re-connect with my friend in the beautiful, “resort-like” home of her friend, now my friend, and was treated to meeting another wonderful woman (and two great dogs!) in the process.  Now maybe I was in danger of complete bliss so to temper the extreme euphoria, I was blindsided by receiving  a really nasty email from someone I love and thought loved me – I was shocked and crushed and desperately trying to not show it as my beloved friend was in the process of introducing me to the newest member of our little quartet for the evening.  I quickly slipped into the guest bathroom to try to get a hold of myself.  As the tears fell into the pedestal sink, my mind whirled with disbelief and pain.  I wanted to lash out and I wanted to give up.  I really wanted to run and just release myself from the commitment and course that I had accepted with excitement and love.  I felt unfairly attacked and obviously unappreciated for my efforts and really considered taking the easy way out by giving up on my course and settling as so many others end up doing and then looking back with regret.  Then I remembered where I was and who I was with and could hear her famous words that still ring true…”Janus, Well, they can just get over it!”  And I knew I had to, too.

Also, while I was on my one-day vacation, I received a call from a special person who has become a rock and inspiration in my life recently.   He called to let me know that he would be a lot more available to help with my own venture as he was just laid-off from his day job.  Now, a lot of folks would have been freaking out, shaking their fists at the clouds and crying, “Why me?!” – but my friend was calm and collected and had realized the opportunity he was just given was just that – an opportunity to really be of service to others and to have the time to devote to his real work.  It actually reaffirmed my own resolve to devote more attention to our common goal of helping as many worthwhile non-profit organizations as we could reach.

During this same day of rejuvenation (did I tell you about my beloved Connie’s friend’s – now my friend – beautiful home complete with pool and floaty rafts under an artfully landscaped lanai?  Yeah….) – Connie showed me the x-rays of her leg.  Now, Miss Connie is a Horsewoman and is in the process of obtaining several levels of certification through a fantastic training system called Parelli.  It has been a goal and dream for her to be able to make humane horse training a major part of her life.  During her journey – she was riding one of her horses and circumstances took place that landed Connie on the creek bed with her leg broken in two places and no way to get back home without getting back on a horse.  Thank goodness she was riding with a friend and the two women stayed calm and as luck would have it (Luck? Or God or the Universe…you decide) the perfect splint sticks and walking cane wood were laying close by and the two friends stabilized Connie’s leg enough to allow her to drag herself up onto the walking cane to give her the support to drag herself up into the saddle of her friend’s horse and the two riders and their horses made it back to Connie’s place so then she could allow herself to feel the pain and let her husband take her to the hospital.  Of course, Connie planned on having the Doc slap on a cast and walk back out with her hubby that day – but instead, she had to endure four days in the hospital and major leg surgery with a rod and many pins to piece her leg back together.  But do you think she got mad and upset with that horse for being squirrely that day?  And do you think she had given up on her dreams of horse training?  If so, then you don’t know my Connie.  What an inspiration!

So my point of today’s rant is to expect challenges – and embrace them – for they can be the gifts that you may need to light your fire or to make you appreciate the good people in your life so you can go forward and make a real difference.

Do not quit!  Do not settle!  Do not give up on your dreams!

It may be a lot easier to just stop your journey and take that low-paying hourly position – to cuss bad luck, economics or to listen to the toxic voices that rip at your heart and dreams – but if at all possible, please reconsider.  Do what you need to do but keep Budge-It-ing it forward – even with the tiniest of steps.  Because if you dare to dream and have the courage to pursue what others “poo-poo” and try to make you feel selfish or stupid for – if your dream is worthy and is for the greater good such as building your businesses to help others help themselves or to be able to take care of the ones you love so they don’t have to work – then do not allow the mojo bandits and the toxic trash to rob you.  Yes it may hurt – yes, it can be tough – yes, people will disappoint you – but remember your “why” and after taking a moment to grieve – get back on your horse and RIDE with your head held high.  (And know, we are here to help!  Remember, we have the very economical “Your Success Circle” starting this month!) So instead of following this “rant” with my own words this week, I will leave you with a piece that was also given to me on my vacation day with Connie – by Connie.  She went to pull out her x-ray pictures and this fell out – hummmmmm…

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low
And the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a person turns about
When they might have won had they stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

- Mr. Harry Knowles, Sr. (1904-1979)

So please stay strong, my friends!  Love you All!  And I’ll See Ya’ on Down the Trail!

Are you in need of support on your journey to success? We have two low-cost ways to get started!

Learn about the SuCCess Producing Planner System here, designed to help you keep moving forward with confidence and compassion – by reminding you to be grateful for what you have and to celebrate and be inspired each day, as you record your wins and challenges, your task list, your goals and more.

Check out our monthly membership for success here, Your SuCCess Circle … a low-cost way to experience the benefits of coaching – support and accountability to help you achieve your goals!

Are You “In-Power-Meant?”

So many of us fall into our daily lives – meaning – we just latch onto something we think we should do rather than have the courage to pursue something we really want to do.  Just because you have talents or skills for a particular job – doesn’t mean you must toil at that or that you will be successful at that.  You must also have “heart” or passion for it as well. (Remember Neil Diamond’s “Heart-Light”).

To be truly great at something, you must proceed with passion.

We hear so much about power – coming into one’s power- being powerful – empowerment – particularly when it comes to women.  Hilary Clinton was said to use “soft-power” in her political persuasions. To me – it is a taking of control or command of our lives (In-Power) to do the things we were really (Meant) to do – the things we have passion for.  I think of empowerment as “In-Power-Meant.”

What you are meant to do is something only you really know.

Again, you can have all the talent and skill in the world to be an attorney, an accountant, or whatever, but if your heart is yearning for something different or your gut pulls you toward something else, you will never be truly happy until you at least try your “thing.”  Once you try it and take ownership of it – the feeling of sheer joy and exhilaration will signal your “In-Power-Meant.”

So how do you find what you are Meant to do?  Some folks are tuned into it from a very early age.  Those are the folks that you hear talk about always knowing – and I envy them.  Many folks take various personality and aptitude tests in school to let them know what careers they are most “well-suited” for.  Many of us have a vague idea what type of vocations resonate with us but aren’t convinced or aren’t sure how to get there.   Most of us need to start out on our journeys toward where we think we want to go but also utilize flex-power to allow for detours or direction changes as we investigate interesting trails along the way.

We need to let ourselves explore, discover, and research our options to find our true trail path.

That’s okay.  Life isn’t a sprint – it’s a wonderful journey.  Part of what makes us ultimately successful and happy is the lessons we conquer along the way that may guide us through those challenges or situations that we really Do Not want to face. One of the best ways to figure out your In-Power-Meant is to take time to “listen” to your own Heart-Light.  Your best guide is deep inside you.  Other people, personality tests, assessment tests, all can give you ideas and options, but the one who truly knows you – is you.  You just have to have the courage to trust yourself and to seek the support and guidance that can help you get where you want to go.

So when we are on our journey and find ourselves having to force our way through a dense thicket or find ourselves really struggling with a major challenge – stop and do a gut-check – turn on your Heart-Light.  Is this challenge something worth conquering?  Do I really want what is on the other side or is this a tired old horse better let out to pasture while I switch out to a new fresh mount that intrigues me (a great example is my own career in real estate)… Only you really know and only you can do what it takes to come into your In-Power-Meant.

It may be a bit scary and take some courage – but the ride is worth it!

Are you in need of support on your journey to success? We have two low-cost ways to get started!

Learn about the SuCCess Producing Planner System here, designed to help you keep moving forward with confidence and compassion – by reminding you to be grateful for what you have and to celebrate and be inspired each day, as you record your wins and challenges, your task list, your goals and more.

Check out our monthly membership for success here, Your SuCCess Circle … a low-cost way to experience the benefits of coaching – support and accountability to help you achieve your goals!

Getting Out of the Gunk: Become Unstuck!

There are times in our lives when the world seems to buck us off and knock the wind out of us.  Things happen that blindside us and leave us gasping for breath.  Even if we know a change is coming or a major transition must happen, it is easy to become overwhelmed and to feel defeated. Sometimes, we face situations that force us to re-evaluate everything we believe in and test our commitment to ourselves and our dreams.   This is the proverbial “where the rubber hits the road”  or “where the horseshoes hit the trail” – you know that place.  It is a crossroads – the breaking point – where the goin’ gets tough and the tough get goin’.   It is the place where the Mojo Bandits ambush your confidence and the Fear Fences seem way too high to jump over.  It is that scary place that makes us shake in our boots and want to dive back under the covers to hide until it passes.  But it doesn’t pass…it requires YOU to make a Decision – to Choose.  This is it!  Do I give up or press on?

Before you make that Decision or Choose – STOP!!

Don’t make a rash or emotional decision from a gunk-filled head.  Before taking action or possibly creating irrevocable damage to your dreams, take a few minutes to breathe and figure out what is REALLY going on.  Convene a meeting with yourself and ask these questions…

Why do I think I want to give up?

Is it because it is not what I really need to do with my life?  Is there something else that I know I should be doing because my passion and soul keep telling me so?  Is it time to make that change?

Am I really just taking on too many projects and allowing the projects to take priority instead of my own work? Am I trying to be too much for too many people?  Is the Superwoman Suit just a bit too unrealistic?

Or am I really afraid?  Am I attempting to navigate unfamiliar trails for me?  Am I feeling unsure and unconfident because I am less experienced with the new tasks at hand? Am I fearful of failing?

Be honest with yourself.  Pay attention to what comes up. And focus on what is best for you – not what you should or think you should do for everyone else – just YOU.  The course of Action to take – or Commencement – will depend on the answers that come to you.

Being honest and real with yourself is the first step in taking good care of yourself.

Taking good care of yourself is crucial for being able to take care of your dreams and/or anybody else!  Remember, during your own board meeting, there are no wrong answers – just honest ones.  So whatever the outcome of your meeting – there is support and accountability that can help you commit to whatever it is that you choose to do.   You can choose to work totally alone and see how far that gets you, or you can engage your own Board of Directors or Success Posse – or Coach – and ride farther – faster.   It’s like the old saying – Two heads are better than one!  Or the whole is greater than the sum of the parts….you get the picture.

So we are extending an offer to show our own commitment to helping as many people become successful as possible in whatever they wish to do by designing and facilitating a monthly membership Success Group called Your SuCCess Circle, which will start in June.  The membership is inexpensive but super powerful to help you get on track and stay on track with your goals and dreams.  Check out the program here http://www.theco-creativecoach.com/your-success-circle/. You will receive the SuCCess Producing Planner System as a wonder tool for your saddlebags!

Getting Back Up on Your Horse is easiest with Collaboration and Co-Creating – You Don’t have to Do it All Alone!  Remember, the Lone Ranger had Tonto.  You have us!

Taking Control of Your Life: Making Successful Changes: “Budge-It-ing” vs. Cold Turkey

Ever feel like your life is like a Runaway Horse?  You are helplessly just barely clinging onto the horse’s neck as he charges in whatever direction he wants to take you?  You close your eyes and hope for the best, as you are too afraid to see the obstacles coming up in your path. All the yelling and shrieking in the world won’t help as you have dropped the reins and your horse has the bit in his mouth!  You pray you can just avoid the major branches and thicket of thorns as your horse races along, uncontrollably, with his own agenda in mind. Your own plans have been thrown aside.   It feels like the best you can hope for is to eventually stop or fall off in one piece.

Yeah, some days are like that.  We get caught up in all the things other folks need from us and we put our own dreams on hold – until time opens up for us and we can easily and comfortably take all the time in the world to do what we want to do….really?  Think that will happen anytime soon?  Well, now you will understand that you don’t have to wait any longer!

Successful Change can seem unattainable and overwhelming when we are facing a major transition or daunting task.  The first step is always “Make a Decision”!  But that doesn’t mean you have to go “Cold Turkey” – All or Nothing …

Taking lots of small steps is much easier to digest than biting off more than you can chew literally and figuratively.  For example – if you want to lose weight, a complete lifestyle change all in one day is not likely to work.  Working to make smaller changes as you progress toward your ultimate outcome will be much easier to live with thus be more sustainable in the long run.  Adding little new ways or goals as you go along, such as weaning yourself off sugar pop, then making lunch your largest meal of the day, then not opening the refrigerator or cupboards after 8 pm, will be more manageable than to follow a whole big set of rules from day one.  I like to call it “Budge-It-ing.”  Budge-It (move forward at least a little bit) everyday.  Now, I understand that to many folks, Budget is a harsh or unpleasant word.  But if you think ‘reframe and refocus’ – budget helps one “Budge-It” – whatever needs to be moved forward towards positive change. Some days you may not feel like you “Budge-It-ed” very much, but if you still stuck to your ways and goals for the day, then you achieved another day of progress.  Sometimes, successful “Budge-It-ing” is just the success of staying on “Budge-It”!

Budge-It-ing can work for so many projects and tasks.  Is there something you have wanted to do but just can’t seem to get it done?  Do you have a book you want to write or a business you want to start?  Maybe you want to pull out an old hobby you used to enjoy?  It all begins with the smallest of steps.  If you want to write, maybe you can stop by an office supply place to pick up a shiny new notebook and the perfect pen, or maybe you start carrying a pen and write on restaurant napkins wherever you go, or maybe you just set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier so you can go sit in front of your computer for just a few moments before you start your day.  The point is, it is the littlest of steps that can get the momentum started.  Change your Inertia – you know – what is at rest tends to stay at rest and what is set into motion tends to stay in motion.

In addition to taking many small steps and adding additional goals as we go along, we can get there faster if we also are “Budge-It-ing” our resources – time and money.  The sooner we can focus all of our energy toward positive outcomes, the sooner we can make forward progress, the sooner we can start seeing real results. And it starts with that little “Budge-It”.

So once you decide you’ve had enough and are ready to get off of the runaway horse, think of just one small step that could help you “Budge-It” and do it.  You will have done the hardest part – the start- and you will be on your way toward success!

Here are 2 great ways to change your inertia and start “Budge-It-ing”:

•  Take advantage of a free confidential coaching session (Contact Janus)

•  Join the Your SuCCess Circle Monthly Membership for SuCCess Program.  It’s so inexpensive and can make such a huge difference in your life!

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