Change Wishing Into Doing

On any given Wednesday at noon you can find me on BlogTalkRadio with my Co-Host Mary Anne Cipressy of ITSC Coaching and What's Up SWFL. Our show is called C.O.R.E. ~ Creating Opportunities For Real Empowerment! If you didn't get a chance to listen to the show live, all of our shows are recorded and archived for you to listen On-Demand at your convenience!

I am sharing this particular show "Use the Power of Self to live your Best Year Ever" mainly because of its very powerful topic. It's a topic that relates to all of us regardless of where we are on our journey! It is particularly important for those very early in their road to empowerment. 

Do you know what it feels like to have something constantly surface in your life and every time it does, you think of the same thing? Well, that "thing" for me is "The Four Agreements". I read this book as part of my curriculum when I was in training with iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching) and eight years later, it is still a very big part of my life, my coaching, my personal journey, as well as my overall philosophy on life! So why the long lasting connection? This book offers four simple agreements and I am here to tell you, they have been life changing. 

 The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz  

Last night Pete & I watched  ”New Girl”  definitely not a PG! family type of show, nevertheless it was funny and I did Laugh out Loud!

So there’s one male character who’s a wannabe and he tries to hook up with every girl who breathes! What I liked was how they bash him for his crude behavior and more so, how his guy roommates keep him accountable for it with what they’ve dubbed a “Dou... B..” Jar. Every time he makes a “DB” comment or displays “DB” behavior,  he has to pay up and contribute to the Jar!  For example, the “New Girl” was crying her eyes out over a breakup and he proceeds to take his shirt off to show off his pecks, I would imagine to take her mind off things…lol

I recently read a blog post on leadership and some quotes that reminded me about the infinite power we all have to be the best we can be! One of my favorite quotes is:

“We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.  If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

I was honored to be invited to be one of the Coaches who took part in the “Above Board” Chamber of Florida‘s panel discussion “How to be a Better You in Business.”  

One of the questions asked related to how the word “integrity” is being used so loosely and has become a “buzz word” in business and networking.  My response ended with, “when your actions and behaviors are consistent, ultimately those “acts” will tell the story, for better or for worse.”

In our darkest moments, we could never imagine ever having another happy day; can you relate to that?  It’s that feeling of the walls crashing in on you and all you can think of is how will I ever get past this, beyond this?

On such a day, my Coach, Fredi Baker said to me, “Elle, in the midst of all this, there is a gift.” I thought the woman lost her mind. I left the session feeling confused, angry, and very discouraged. How is it possible for me to see “a gift” in all this when I feel as though my heart has crashed, my life has lost its zeal…

I posted a quote yesterday about Life’s Purpose and read it to a group of women as I Co-Facilitated a Powerful You! meeting last night. Only to come home and find Sue Urda’s article (Co-Founder of Powerful You!) in the current newsletter, highlighting the same subject. Talk about purpose! Was it a coincidence or truly intended to be in my mailbox when I got home? I guess Sue and I were on the same path when she drafted the second edition of the Powerful You! newsletter, see below!

We are all familiar with the debate of whether “leaders are made, not born” or “leaders are born, not made.” What we do know is, great leadership, of any kind, begins with exceptional personal leadership.