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.

The Four "IF's" by Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn is one of my all time favorite speakers who not only knew how to communicate, but how to communicate well. The Four "If's" shares some insight that he has about making life worthwhile.

Over the years, as I’ve sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life’s challenges, I’ve come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.

First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don’t know will hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences—negative or positive.

We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and negative. I’ve always said that it is too bad failures don’t give seminars. Obviously, we don’t want to pay them, so they aren’t usually touring around giving seminars. But that information would be very valuable. We would learn how someone who had it all, messed it up. Learning from other people’s experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.

We learn by what we see, so pay attention. We learn by what we hear, so be a good listener. Now, I do suggest that you should be a selective listener. Don’t just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read, so learn from every source. Learn from lectures. Learn from songs. Learn from sermons. Learn from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.

Second, life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can’t just learn. Now you have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference. Try to make some progress. Try to learn a new skill. Try to learn a new sport. It doesn’t mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?

Third, life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project, see it through. Sometimes calamity comes; then it is worth wrapping it up and that’s the end. But just don’t end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.

And lastly, life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all, you will get some results. If you care enough, you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.

Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?

Step by Step - Achieving One's Goals

If you've ever set a big goal and took the steps necessary to achieve it, you will find the excel oration in sharing your accomplishments with others and the interest in helping others to do the same. Early in June I was attending a camp with my daughter and volunteered to work in a marketplace. A gentleman walked up to look at items that were for sale and he was wearing a tee-shirt which read "Million Step Club". I was intrigued by what he had accomplished so I asked him about his shirt. He was more than happy to explain that he and his son had set a goal to walk 1 million steps. After he achieved this goal, he got a tee-shirt. I didn't learn all the details to see if this was an official club, or just a recognition of his accomplishments. That evening I resolved to become part of the 1 Million Step Club.

Knowing that it is recommended that one walk 10,000 steps a day I figured that I could accomplish this goal in about 100 days. Deciding to be generous with myself I resolved to walk 1,000,000 in four months or 120 days.

The first week I found myself chanting "Winners never Quit" and "Quitters never win" as I put on my walking shoes at the end of the day to finish up the last 3,000 to 5,000 steps that I needed in order to meet my daily goal of 10,000. At least a half dozen times I got those last two to three thousand steps by my bedside during the evening news as the mosquitoes were to hungry, or the weather was not desirable to finish my steps. One evening my pedometer wasn't working so I actually walked an hour and a half bedside to get the remaining 4,000 steps I needed. The next morning my electronic devise decided to tell me the truth about the steps that it didn't register the night before. I had actually walked 15,000 steps. No wonder I slept so well!

Now it is day 82 and I started the day with the realization that I have less than 25,000 steps to go. It is remarkable what you can accomplish when you stick whole-heartily to achieving your goals. Remembering the story "Around the World in 80 Days", I started pondering what I had actually accomplished in a little over 80 days myself. On average I walked about 5 miles a day x 80 days; I've actually walked 400 plus miles. My weight has changed by more than 2 pounds since I started this process, but my legs, waist, and face all show signs that I've been up to something good.

This post is to share my accomplishment (two days to go for my million steps), and also to encourage you to take on at least one new goal before the end of September. Write down what you want to accomplish and what will be required of you in order to meet the challenge. I am now formulating my next million steps and setting an additional goal of keeping a journal. Having an account of obstacles and accomplishments will give me more insight to achieving success.

For my next million steps, I'm actually going to see if there is an official million step club that I can join.

Stats: Day with the most steps 18,451, Day with the least steps 9,000. Average steps over the 82 day journey 11,795, Self-esteem - PRICELESS!

Money - What is Your Relation to It?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a society that did not use money as a means for livelihood?  There are countries in the world where reciprocal arrangements are made to care for the needs of those within a community.  Knowledge of how money works is not a concept that they are familiar with.

In Lynn Twists book, The Soul of Money, she describes a situation where a member of such community moved into our realm and had to learn from scratch how to survive.  In her words,  He began to see how it is in America:  that virtually everything in our lives and every choice we make-the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the houses we live in, the schools we attend, the work we do, the futures we dream, whether we marry or not, or have children or not, even matters of love-everything is influenced by this thing called money.

As foreign as a concept of money is to such a community, it is also a topic that many of us do not question or think twice about . . . money is just money and remains a way of life.  Gaining better insight to the purpose of money and the value we place on it is something we should endeavor to understand.  Lynn says:  We all have an identifiable through largely unconscious and unexamined, relationship with money that shapes our experience of life and our deepest feelings about ourselves and others.  She goes on to say Money has become a playing field where we measure our competence and worth as people. 

Lynn’s books provides great insights on how our society has come to not question the relevance of money and how it drives our lives, our decision, and our self-esteem.  If you would like to question your own ideas of money, I think you will find this book very insightful.  We challenge assumptions about every other facet of life:  race, religion, politics, education, sex, family, and society.  But when it comes to money, we accept it not only as a measure of economic value, but also as a way of assigning importance and worth to everyone and everything else in the world.  

Often times we use the term success to mean wealth, maybe success is a concept that we should also evaluate?   

The Lesson of Two Wolfes

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
 "The other is God - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Women's Support

There was a time where women stood together in a bond of sisterhood, women supporting women . . .

This article was submitted by Bonnie Braun, and has a lot of relevance to the mission of 3 Degrees Connected.  Thank you Bonnie for passing this on to us.

http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2010/22959.html

So You Want To Start Your Own Business

Brain Tracy has written an insightful article in Success that I have shared below:

In this age of rapid economic expansion, it’s currently easier than ever to start your own successful business. People from different backgrounds, with varying degrees of limitations, have all started and built thriving businesses. And they’ve enjoyed varying levels of success by focusing on three key components.

First, you must find the right business for you. Next, you need to be passionate about the business you choose. And lastly, you must be willing to dedicate time and effort to the business before realizing any fruits from your labor. Follow these basic principles, and you, too, can be an entrepreneurial success story.

To read the rest of the article, click the link below:
   So-You-Want-to-Start-Your-Own-Business

How to Focus on Personal Success

Recently I was reading the book "When Money Isn't Enough:  How Women are Finding the Soul for Sucess" written by Connie Glaser.  In this book Connie tells of relevant stories where women learned to redefine their business success not by staying the course, but my expanding themselves beyond what they previous knew. 

A story about Debra Esparza talked she was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by her high school classmates, and then shortly after her ten year reunion she realized that she had been living up to other expectations of her, rather than forging her own sense of what she would like to accomplish in life.  When the money she earned produced less satisfaction by the things it would buy, she decided it was time to re-evaluate her direction.

If any of you have asked "what am I here for?" or "what difference does my life make on those around me?", it might be time to re-evaluate your direction too. 

Esparza found her niche first by helping kids in a Young Entrepreneurs program helping kids form their own small businesses (similar to Junior Achievement, but probably more on an individual basis.)  As time went on she found herself working less with children, but more with small business entrepeneurs and the mission grew to help businesses grow and prosper.  This resulted in the development of the Business Expansion Network at USC in 1991.  From this basis, Esparza again refocused her energies and decided that working with kids had more of her heart and after being instrumental in building a program at USC, she returned to her passion to help kids.

Just because you head in one direction doesn't mean you have to remain the course.  Listen to your heart, listen to your calling, and respond to what is best for you.  This is the way to become a true success!

If you've written a business plan for your business endeavors, please read this informational article from Debra Esparza to see if you have developed a plan that focuses on all aspects of your business, not just the financial side.

Inspiring Quotes

Here is a three minute slideshow containing inspirational quotes, enjoy and begin to dream big.

Where Do You Get Your Motivation and Drive for Success?

Where do you get your motivation and drive to create success for your business? 

If you are a small business entrepreneur quite often you are needing to find ways to be self-motivated to strive for the level of success that you have defined for yourself.  That is, if you've defined your goals and you know where you're heading.  It is all to easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities that we fail to see where this will lead us.  Not only do we get caught up in these activities, we aren't really thinking about "how" what we are doing is going to help us achieve our goals.  In 2010, if you want to change where your business is heading, start steering the ship. 

Some businesses have built in programs to help motivate the success of their entrepreneurs.  That is the beauty of home consulting businesses.  So if you are a home consultant selling products or services, please share so of your organizations success strategies with us.  I know for one, MaryKay Cosmetics, Longerberger Baskets, and Amway all have wonderful conferences where they share success stories and help to motivate their consultants to achieve greater levels of success.  They've even define the goals that one must achieve in order to reach the next level. 

As a startup company without an organized structure with predefined goals, one must learn early on to set goals, and create a strategy for success.  There is no reason that we cannot use the same resources that larger companies have drawn up using the Internet, reading books, and exchanging ideas with one another.  I've embedded a video in this post which is an interview with Tori Johnson, ABC News whose program is called "Home Work".  She interviews successful women with whom we can draw inspiration and provides great tips on how to achieve success.  The embedded video is about "Gloria Mayfield Banks" a name that really means something within the MaryKay Industry.  It doesn't matter what industry she has gained her success; as a motivational speaker, her message is universal.  To be success, she says . . .

1. Focus on the "Yes"
2. Focus on developing your skills, and
3. Set expectations for your goals.

This is a five minute video, but you will see the above laid out in the last minute and a half, so don't stop watching too early.

Setting Goals for Success

Goal setting may seem like an abstract idea, but according to Mary Kay Ash, the founder of MaryKay Cosmetics, it is essential:

"People with goals succeed and those without goals fail.  It's as easy as that.  You must first choose your goals and then write them down.  Set a time limit.  Don't be a dreamer; be a doer.  Once you have set your goals, I suggest that you break your goals into workable parts.  To protect your goal, tell everybody what it is and what your deadline is." 


Aaron W. Smith, motivational speaker and author of "In the Black, live faithfully, prosper financially", provides the following guidance:  

• Ask God for support.  Progress can be divinely inspired through prayer and discernment.  Talk to God about your goals and ask for guidance. 

• Break down goals.  Once you've identified your goals, write down starting and continuing points.  Plan around your goals.

• Visualize what you want.  Cut out photographs that provide an array of beauty.  Find images of family, home, car, whatever fits within the context of your goals.  Paste pictures on a poster or attach with magnets to your refrigerator so that you can continue to visualize where you're heading.

• DREAM BIG

• Change your belief system.  Write affirmations that empower you in your pursuit of your goals.  Keep words positive and direct.  Repeat your affirmations aloud several times a day.

• Make success feel real.  Write a letter congratulating yourself for achieving your goal.  Mail it to yourself.  When you reach the goal, open it and the letter aloud.

• Party!  Host an inexpensive potluck or picnic to celebrate reaching your goal.

• Let music inspire you.  Listen to an inspirational song or belt it out during difficult times.  Record songs that boost your spirits.

• Practice gratitude.  Thank God for every success and every new day.  Study your plan regularly.

Goals can serve as crucial psychological triggers that will help spur you into action.  The past is the past.  You cannot turn back the clock, but you can start again.  Write down your plan, you have already increased your likelihood of following through.

This post was provided by Yvonne K. Viera,  MaryKay Cosmetics.

A Home Based Business Success Story

Whether you are an entrepreneur who owns their own retail store, hair salon, travel agency, childcare facility, or a woman who runs a home-based consulting business.  We all need to make connections to get our businesses to grow.  Educating ourselves and seeking opportunities to grow our businesses is what makes our businesses successful. 


Women in business have varying degrees of experience which supports their business goals; some have Harvard degrees, some community college, and some just old fashion hard work and dedication to making themselves a success. 


The video I'm sharing below is a home-based business success in the beauty consulting industry.  This woman had a Harvard degree and decided to create more flexibility in her life she would use her skills to build a business for herself and boy did she.  As you view this video, I hope it inspires you to follow your dreams . . . you never know how big they can become with dedication, determination, and drive . . .

Promoting Women's Business

Kim Lavine (a.k.a. Mommy Millionaire) is out promoting Women-owned businesses. I'm currently taking her lead by incorporating my business into her new online venue called "Buy Mom".

Why am I hanging on to the coat-tails of another very successful woman as she promotes her newest book "Mommy Manifesto"? Well it is because she is on a crusade to promote and encourage women to take advantage of these economic times, set aside fear and go with all your might toward your goals.

I have attached one her latest interviews with Tory Johnson of ABC's Good Morning American both talking about business in general and offering support to women who are trying to get their business message out. Her message is "networking" is the answer to getting the word out about you! Sounds like the mission of 3 Degrees-Connected?

Click here to see one of her interviews.http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8530393

Fearless

Are we teaching our children or are they teaching us?

Today women-owned businesses are on the rise and the fastest growing demographic in the United States. One reason that I started my business was to be an example to my children. I wanted my passion for my business to teach my daughters to follow their dreams in this land of opportunity. Unlike many of you, my daughters came to the U.S. via international adoption so they were not born in a country known for providing opportunities for them. Let's hope that changes in the years ahead.

Being in business means we need to be fearless when it comes to stepping outside of our comfort zones to market our products or services. I'm drawn to organization and logic with a little creative talent running through my circuits, but not a dose of marketing savvy in my jeans. Getting the word out about my products has been more difficult than I had imagined only because I find myself getting in my own way.

Turning to my daughter, we've given her exposure to many new and different things since arriving on American soil in 2005. After twelve months living in less than ideal circumstances, she braved the adventure of traveling half way around the world and coming into a world that smell different, sounded different, and looked different. Even with a 12 hour time difference day is night and night is day. She has survived, she has thrived, and she of course is the apple of my eye.

Lesson:

Last fall, we signed her up for ice skating lessons and she was unbelievably talented, so much so that she was elevated 3 classes in no time and skating with girls who were 3 to 4 years older and twice her height. Whatever the coach requested, she did. They were amazed and told us we really should look into private lessons for her. We talked with her about it and she told me, Mom I've got a secret. Then she shared with me that skating backwards really scared her. You wouldn't have known it to look at her, each week when it was time to skate backwards, she just did it without hesitation.

This week we started gymnastics, her coach chalked up her small hands, and said "climb this rope to the ceiling and ring the bell. When you do, you'll get a prize." She was fearless, I watched as she jumped up grabbed the rope and with all her might, she scaled the rope to the top and rung the bell. I, standing on the ground, looked up and thought "my 5 year old should not be 14 foot off the ground without a harness or safety net." She shimmed down, and started jumping up and down "I did it, I did it", she cried! Her prize, a lollipop, she was happy. I was ecstatic. I need to learn not to hold her back by my example . . .

Here we go into a new world, I will not be afraid!

New Beginnings

September always reminds me of a fresh start and a new beginning. This season does more to refresh my spirit than January 1st.

Setting New Years Resolutions doesn't have to wait until January. Think about it. If you set New Year's Resolutions along with your children at the beginning of a new school year, by the time you reach January 1st you will be well on your way to accomplishing those goals.

The most effective goals are those that are written down. Better yet, share the goals you've set with some one else. Accountability always increases the odds of accomplishment. Make sure the goals you set are measurable; and begin to measure your progress by making a chart or graph. Post your goals on your refrigerator so your family can see them. That way they can help you celebrate your accomplishments.

Are there any goals you would like to share? Please add your comments to this post. You never know when someone might read your goals and offer to help you accomplish them.

Happy first of September . . .

Setting Goals

I received a valuable post through email the other day by a gal in our network that reminded me of the importance of setting goals. In her email she indicated that she had set a goal to give 100 facials in 100 days. I decided that because she was so motivated to write down her goals and share them with others that I would ask for a facial. I was in need of replacing my foundation and blush and thought why not support a local women's business which is one of my favorite pastimes lately.

When she arrived, we started to talk about goals as I had been following her on facebook and realized that the 100 facials was only one of her many goals. I found this to be very inspiring.

I am a list maker, each week I write down what I hope to accomplish during the week such as . . .

 1.  Update Quickbooks,
 2.  Reconcile our Bank Accounts,
 3.  Setup Appointment with . . .,
 4.  Follow-up with . . .

What I realized after spending time with Yvonne, is that she is a motivated individual that looks beyond the short-term. She has established goals in several areas of her life. With her permission I will share a few with you.

Goals by the End of August . . .
1. 30 faces by August 31 . . 20 to go . . .100 by October 31, 2009
2. Share my business opportunity with women
3. Add 5 new team members . . have 3 new this month so far
4. Bike 25 miles in 1.5 hours, have made 20 miles in 1.5 hours thus far
5. Eat healthy, love life, and share my spiritual awareness with others

She had laid out the same type of goals for September (but looking for greater accomplishments), and she has also laid out her Long Term goals.

Yvonne, thank you for the facial, but also thank you for the inspiration. It is women like you who have an a positive impact on the world around you.  At the bottom of her email messages she also share words of inspiration.

To quote only one . . .

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"

 (Eleanor Roosevelt)


Yvonne Viera is a Mary Kay consultant with hopes to regain her directorship within the Mary Kay consulting business. Even in her signature she indicates a goal which is National Sales Director by 2014. I believe she will make it well in advance of that date. She can be reached at www.marykay.com/ykviera. I hope that you will help her reach her goals of 100 faces in 100 days.


Yvonne will be joining me on the Board of Directors for 3 Degrees-Connected™ so you will be hearing more from her.


If you have been busy setting goals, please leave comments to share some of your goals with others. I believe that women supporting women means learning more about one another. By sharing your goals, you might just make the needed connection to accomplish them.

Vacations Over getting Back to Work

Summer is a great time of year, but often a time that is difficult to stay motivated in terms of our business growth. We all need vacations and time to relax and spend time with friends and family. Especially with the short season of sunshine here in Michigan, we all need that extra dose of vitamin D.


Taking extra time to enjoy the weather brings its own level of stress though as we may see our hard work begin to crumble as business orders dwindle or hits on our websites begin to fade.


Don't get discouraged . . . it is just like working out at the gym. When we work our muscles on a regular basis they function better, working our business muscle works the same way. A recent article by Ladies Who Launch talks specifically about building our Launch Muscle. I've included a link to this article hoping that it will encourage us to keep working toward your goals.