Masterful Mindsets

"Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t." ~ Rikki Rogers

We’ve all experienced events in our lives when we just didn’t think we would possibly have the strength to get through, and yet we did. I look back on the eight years my husband and I dealt with infertility and I can remember many times thinking I didn’t have the strength to endure another unsuccessful treatment or heartbreaking negative pregnancy test. Yet, month after month and year after year, we found the strength to keep trying. And now here we are, twenty-one years later, having just celebrated our oldest daughter's birthday and preparing to send our youngest daughter off to college in the fall. (Funny how all those years went a lot faster than the other 8!)

Anyway, if you really think about it...

You can probably recall times when you’ve overcome an obstacle or reached a goal you weren’t sure you...

“Always be yourself, unless you can be a ninja, then always be a ninja.” ~unknown

As I was preparing to write this week’s blog post, I was feeling a bit stuck for an idea. So, I did what I sometimes do when stuck, and that is read old articles I’ve written in order to find a subject for inspiration. (I could honestly fill a book with all I’ve written in the last 15+ years of delivering weekly articles/blog posts to you.) In addition to ideas for topics, sometimes it’s just fun to read through them again because many include stories of what was going on in my life at the time. Ummm… yes, I realize this is possibly borderlining on procrastination because I’m stuck. But that’s not the point of today’s post. LOL - Instead, what I want to tell you about is a post I wrote clear back in 2009. (And yes, this one involved a personal example.)

See, since it’s October and Halloween is just around the corner, I was thinking...

“Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay.” ~ Maya Angelou

In my last Masterful Mindset, I wrote about choosing courage over comfort. So now, I want to focus on another choice we have. This is the choice between hope and fear. So before you read on, ask yourself, if hope or fear is dictating the path you’re taking to your future? Which one do you want guiding you into the next chapter of your life?

With each passing year, both of my daughters consistently and joyfully embark on new chapters in their lives. (This year, my oldest will be leaving for college and my youngest will be driving!) It is so bittersweet for me. Watching them grow up and be strong, independent young women is exactly what I want for them but at the same time, letting them go… not so easy.

I have such great hope for their futures. And yet, if I’m not careful, I can easily find myself overcome with fear about their futures too. The...