Masterful Mindsets

"You must have control of the authorship of your own destiny. The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand." - Irene C. Kassorla

Everyone has a story. For some it might feel like a mystery, a fairy tale, a drama, a love story, fiction, or fact. But perhaps what's most important...Is it holding you back?

I repeatedly hear "stories" from people about why they are like they are and why it has kept them stuck. They refer to all this as the "reasons" why they are stuck or struggling, why they haven't made changes or haven’t succeeded at their life’s dreams. But basically, what they really are - are the excuses that they've become comfortable with so that they don't have to step out of their comfort zone and change.

So I ask you, do you often find yourself saying things like: 

"Oh that's just the way I am.”  
"That's how I was raised." 
"My parents were this way, therefore, I'm..." 

Do you find yourself launching into a big "story" when something doesn't work out ...

“Comfort is the enemy of progress.” ~ PT Barnum

I was in a yoga class recently and the instructor asked us to ponder the question, “Will you choose courage or comfort today?” She left it open ended… and since it was the beginning of the class, it would be easy to assume she was just talking about our physical effort for the class. But of course, you know me… I took it much farther than that. Because the truth is, you could literally ask that question for every instance, decision or action in your life.

As class continued, my thoughts went inward, and I had an aha moment that led to a shift for me, which reignited my desire and passion for progress. So, I wanted to share it with you, just in case you need a little nudge to push you out of your comfort zone too.   

Now first, let me just say that being comfortable isn’t always a bad thing. We as humans are usually striving for comfort in some way. But it’s when being comfortable gets uncomfortable that we must recognize we are stu...

“Do something every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

When was the last time you tried something new for the first time? I posed this question to my Tuff Chicks Group recently because I think it is important to try new things, be open to change, challenge yourself and of course, as the featured quote says, do something that scares you!  

I was speaking with my own coach recently (Yes, coaches have coaches – the process works! So why wouldn’t we?!?!) and was asked to rank how much I feel I challenge myself and to name something I’ve done lately that has pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was kind of interesting because at first I was being really hard on myself and then I began to think of several occasions recently when I’d stepped out of my comfort zone to take a risk, learn something new and challenge myself big time with a huge project. Doing the exercise made me feel really proud, because stepping out of my comfort zone is something that I try to challenge myself to...

“The secret of happiness is freedom... The secret of freedom is courage.” - Thucydides

Independence Day is one of the greatest American holidays, both for what we celebrate and how we celebrate it. I mean, who doesn't love a good barbecue, a festive parade and spectacular fireworks? But as our whole world knows, freedom is not something to be taken for granted. A few years ago COVID quickly taught us that lesson. And yet, I still encounter people who readily give their freedom away by being trapped within the walls of their own beliefs and fears.

What about you? Are you trapped by your own fears and limiting beliefs, or do you feel truly free to live your best life? I know one thing; our forefathers certainly didn't fight for our freedom so that we could be imprisoned by our own limitations. So do you have the courage to set yourself free?

Take some time this week and into the coming holiday weekend to reflect on why we celebrate. There are some in this world who only wish they ...

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. ~ Oprah Winfrey

November is one of my favorite months of the year! It’s fall, the holidays are getting close, and the new year is right around the corner. It also happens to be my birthday month, so for me, it’s a great time to reflect on my life and be grateful that I’ve been able to create a life worth celebrating.

I truly have so much in my life to celebrate and be thankful for... My life is filled with loving relationships and a deep sense of purpose that I get to share with others every day. I am blessed to have a life that brings me happiness and joy. But I’ve also lived through a lot of hardships, a ton of life lessons and plenty of failures. Not every day has been champagne and roses. But yet as I reflect, what I see most are the moments to celebrate. The successes from working hard to reach goals. The growth from stepping out of the comfort zone. The triumphs over the difficult times. ...

“Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.” ~ Mandy Hale

Halloween is just around the corner so what better time to talk about fear than now? But this isn't about ghosts and goblins, this is about something so much scarier... The fears that keep you from living to your full potential and creating the life of your dreams!  

We all have fears. Even the most successful people in the world have fears but they also have great courage too. Those who perform at a high level are aware of their fears and instead of trying to become completely fearless, they actively anticipate and manage their fears so they can move beyond them. Which is how they are able to develop so much courage.

The more you can conquer your fear, the greater courage you can develop too. But first, it’s helpful to know what you’re really afraid of. So get out your journal and take a few moments to answer the questions below:

• What do you fea
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