Devote Yourself to creating something that gives you purpose . . .

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

Tuesdays with Morrie, author Mitch Albom

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Our Next Event - February 23, 2011

Why do we not achieve our goals?
In our first event of 2010, we focused on setting SMART goals.  Mitzi Taylor of Not so Basic Training showed us the formula we should use to create Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-based Goals.  This focus was assuming that most of us knew what we were aiming for.  I heard it said:  "You will be 1000 times more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down".  Does this mean if we apply pen to paper that we will succeed?

What's Happened to Last Year's Goals?
Many of us may be uncertain of what last years goals really were.  We may not have taken time to evaluate our progress.  We may have stopped short by never beginning to make progress.  Maybe it is because we lacked the motivation, but more than likely it was because we didn't know where to start.  In the words of Dr. Phil "How's that working for you?"
Seriously, Now is not the time to be sarcastic about our progress, but to dig a little deeper and find out what we can do to change the outcome.
Be Unstoppable . . . and Find Your Passion will be the focus for this event.

Presented by:  Rhonda Geneva, President of 3 Degrees Connected, and Barb VerCande, Life Coach of  Create a New Story.
This event is free, space is limited to the first 40 registered members or guests.

We hope we can help you find your greatness in 2011.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Defining Moments

This morning as I sat in my car I was listening to the audio version of Kody Bateman's book Promptings, I found myself paying particular attention to the wording "Defining Moment" he spoke of in chapter one.   Kody talks openly about one very significant "defining moment" that prompted him to start his Multimillion dollar Send Out Cards business.  This defining moment came in 1989 with the death of his brother Chris.  Although I've listened to this story at least two dozen times, this morning I thought about how this moment created the momentum necessary to understand his life's purpose.



Kody talks about
  • Inner Promptings - those things that define who you are, and
  • Outer Promptings - those things that define what you will do with who you are. 
It is very easy to let life happen without recognizing the significant events in our lives that may change the way we think or move us in a new direction.  I don't believe that "defining moment" is a single event as I have experienced many things in life that have changed the direction that I was heading. 

The definition of "Defining" according to Merrimam-Webster's dictionary

1.  to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of (whatever defines us as human), to discover and set forth the meaning of (as a word), or to create on a computer (define a window or procedure)


2.  to fix or mark the limits of demarcate (rigidly defined property line), to make distinct, clear, or detailed especially in outline (the issues aren't too well defined).

3.  to characterize or distinguish (you define yourself by the choices you make)

As I thought about Kody's message and the significance of understanding not only who we are, but what we do with who we are, I realized that it would be an excellent exercise for me to look back over time and recognize the significance of such moments in my own life. 

One of my first defining moments came in 1994 when I made the decision that my life was more important than the possession I had accumulated and I walked away from nearly everything to start my life anew.  This was a defining moment that helped me to realize that one is never stuck in a bad marriage, in a bad job, or in bad circumstances.  That defining moment resulted in a tremendous advances in my career, and finding out more about the person I wished to be.  Within less than four years I had increased my income 250% and I was enjoying life again.

Another defining moment came in 1998 when I made the decision to take a vacation and attend a seminar that taught me about the origin of beliefs.  This study helped me to recognize the significance of transparent beliefs.  Transparent beliefs are beliefs that we attach to so closely that they become part of our identity.  They go unnoticed and when unchecked they create patterns or repeated experiences.  The stories we tell ourselves about who we are often will reveal transparent beliefs.  One seminar led to another and I cleared up a lot of beliefs that I had held on to tightly and didn't realize the impact that they had on my life and my direction.  Then using the techniques that I had learned through these studies I came to the realization that there were beliefs I held on to that led me in the direction of being an employee rather than a business owner.  Answering some very specific questions helped me realize that I no longer had to be caught in the corporate environment trying to break the glass ceiling.

The next defining moment came in 2004 when my husband and I began the first journey to become adoptive parents to a child born internationally.  This adoption led me to study life and culture as it relates to women in other parts of the world.  As a result of becoming a parent now to two children born overseas, my vision of the world has significantly changed and I do not believe that I will ever take my birthplace for granted nor my interest in being of service to others lightly.


I would encourage you to look within your own life and see what defining moments have shaped the person that you are and determined the direction you should head.

This article was written by Rhonda W. Geneva a SendOutCards Distributor and owner of Geneva Girls Designs.