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On Tuesday, I met with Smart Woman and Success Circle member Julie at the Channel Road Inn B&B. The Inn is a peaceful retreat that is perfect for supporting women to their next Big Idea. Julie took full advantage of it’s location by the beach—she rode her bicycle to meet me there! I love it when I see women using their bodies to transport them to the places they need to go.

When women come to work with me at the Inn at Playa del Rey B&B, the reaction is always the same: “Joy, this place is so peaceful and relaxing.” I chose this location nearly 5 years ago because I knew it was the perfect place for women to hit the pause button on their life and take the time to decide what they really want to have in their life. Women have been begging me to offer a service that allows them more time at this oasis where they can work with me and move their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals along faster! Check out my post called “Smart Woman’s One-Day Private Retreat Coaching Package with Joy.”

Next week, I’ll be writing to you from Utah—it’s a peaceful mountain retreat where I can enjoy family, have some peaceful quiet time for self-care, and make creative plans for Smart Women!

If you are curious about Smart Women, Adventure Books and the movie “Up”, don’t miss my article today!

Be well,

Joy Chudacoff, ICF  PCC
Professional Certified Coach
Smart Women Smart Solutions
310-454-2005

Join me:
Twitter : http://twitter.com/JoyChudacoff
Facebook: http://profile.to/JoyChudacoff
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joychudacoff

“Helping women create an extraordinary life.”

Join Joy’s 1,000 plus subscribers and sign up for her weekly ezine, Reflections, so you can receive Free tips and solutions to enrich women’s lives.

Go to www.SmartWomenSolutions.com/ezine, to sign up.

The kids are having fun catching up with friends and going to a few camps.  This week they’re at UCLA Baseball camp.  You walk into the Jackie Robinson stadium and feel overwhelmed by the size and magic of it all.  The kids are really enjoying being in that space playing a sport they love.  Secretly, I wish I were there myself!

Last night, I had a “date night” with my 8-year-old son, Jack.  When we got in the car to leave the house, he looked at me and said, “Mom, I can tell this is going to be a great night!”  We went to a restaurant in Santa Monica that has wall-to-wall flat screen TV’s where you can watch just about any sport that holds your interest.  Of course, we watched the Dodgers play against the Cincinnati Reds.  Hamburger for Jack, salad for me.  As we left the restaurant, he even held my hand, which rarely happens anymore since he’s a “big boy” now.  This is what it’s all about…

I’ve got some exciting news to share with you:  A few weeks ago, I was selected from more than 100 people to become a Platinum Mastermind Leader for Ali International, LLC.  Ali International has qualified to be considered for the Inc. 500 list as one of  the fastest growing companies in 2009.  Ali Brown, www.AliBrown.com,  has created a multi-million dollar enterprise and has been one of my coaches over the last few years.  I’m honored  to be chosen as a Mastermind Leader for her company.
I’m loving the work I’m doing with women this summer.  Although I’m enjoying lots of “downtime” with family and friends, I feel so fortunate to have such great women who are taking their lives and their businesses to the next level—and I get to play a part in their journey.

I’m working on some very exciting ideas for you, Smart Women.  I’ll have many more details very soon, so stay tuned!  You can be sure that everything I’m planning will stay true to my core vision and purpose:  To support women in achieving their Big Ideas, Goals, and Dreams.

And if you want to know more about how Smart Women find their “flow”, don’t miss my article today!

Be well,

Joy

Joy Chudacoff, ICF  PCC
Professional Certified Coach
Smart Women Smart Solutions
310-454-2005

Join me:
Twitter : http://twitter.com/JoyChudacoff
Facebook: http://profile.to/JoyChudacoff
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joychudacoff

“Helping women create an extraordinary life.”

Join Joy’s 1,000 plus subscribers and sign up for her weekly ezine, Reflections, so you can receive Free tips and solutions to enrich women’s lives.

Go to www.SmartWomenSolutions.com/ezine, to sign up.

As we strolled through the crowd, I noticed a very long line of children waiting outside a rather large gingerbread house. As my children and I peeked through the windows, we could see old St. Nick sitting inside with a child on his lap. You could see the look of excitement and intent on each child’s face. These children believe that they will meet Santa. They believe that he has come from the North Pole just for them and he will hear each one of their wish lists and make their dreams come true. I sure do remember what that felt like when I was a little girl.

This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to believe in their dreams with a lot of excitement and intention in order to make them happen.

The first step to realizing your dream is to Believe that you can and will turn it into a reality. Believe in yourself. Believe that you are worthy of the goal. This mindset is the seed that must first be planted before any other plan of action can be taken. Remember: Mindset first, details later. In order for you to accomplish something new in your life, you must first Believe.

Many times, we take some sort of action on a dream or goal. If our first attempt does not work, we can be quick to give up or begin to think that it was not a great idea after all. We “hoped” it might happen. We did not fully “believe” that it would, without a doubt, happen. Rarely does anything work out perfectly the first time–remember your first kiss?

Here are a few examples of “hope” instead of “belief”:

“I hope it will happen.”
“I will give it a try.”
“I hope it works.”

Do you feel moved by these statements? Do they sound like statements filled with courage and conviction? It is you who must first believe in your idea or dream before anyone else will believe. You are the messenger, the spokesperson for your idea. Your attitude or belief about your idea will be the reason that others will follow you. Whatever it is, before any plan of action can be taken, you must believe and have a clear vision that it will happen.

I have a plaque on my desk that reads in big bold letters: “It Can Be Done.” It serves as a reminder to me about the power of Belief.

How about you? Do you have a Big Idea or dream that you want to accomplish? Are you excited about 2009 and all of the possibilities it holds for you? Here are a few solutions to help you Believe:

1. Surround yourself with “nutritious” people who Believe in you. People who are positive that are also accomplishing their dreams. You want to be with people who champion you. I would not be where I am today without my coaches, mentors, and all of the positive people in my life.
2. Write down all of the great compliments and rave reviews you have had from other people and place them where you can see them daily. You need to remember just how wonderful you are! This will help you continue to Believe in yourself and your idea.
3. Celebrate your progress along the way. Treat yourself to something you enjoy when you cross a milestone.

There is a great book that I always enjoy reading to my children at this time of year, “The Polar Express.” It’s a magical story that I recommend for both children and adults. In the story, it is those who believe that have the most enjoyment and excitement along the way. Success comes to those who Believe. Start believing in yourself today. When you do, others will too.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a
Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more
articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops,
teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website,
www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at
Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

This got me thinking about how Smart Women take the leap into realizing their Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals.

We all have passions and dreams inside of us.  There may be times in our life when those passions and dreams can take a “back seat” to other areas in our lives, but they are still there—they never disappear or go away.  They wait patiently for us to acknowledge them and take some sort of action—a leap toward them.  As we begin to fantasize about those unfulfilled passions and dreams, we can sometimes fall into a trap of believing that they may never come true.  Why?  Because these dreams usually require change that’s really “big.”  Change would need to occur in our lives. 

Change brings about uncertainty and being “uncomfortable.” Do you think I might be writing from experience?

Many of you know my story.  I founded and ran an international marketing company for 12 years.  It started as a part-time business because I needed to earn extra income.  Over time (and a lot of hard work!), it became an international company that was very successful.  This allowed me the opportunity to travel to wonderful places all over the world to do my work.  When I became a mom, I realized that this was no longer the right path for me.  After much soul-searching, I felt a calling to work with women to help them realize their own passions and dreams.  Was it easy?  No way!  Was it challenging to make such a bold change in my life with two young children?  You bet.

Every time I have taken the leap to my next Big Idea, Dream or Goal, it has never been easy.  One of my mentors said, “Change does not always mean success, but success always means change.” If I think about each “leap” that I have taken, change was always present once I made the decision to do something new or different.  I became a little uncomfortable each time and then after awhile, the “uncomfortable” became comfortable.  It became my new way of being in the world.  I did not always like being “uncomfortable” or taking the leap initially, but I knew if I didn’t take the leap, it meant staying exactly where I was and that was not an acceptable place for me.

How about you?  Are you thinking that you need to make a change in some area of you life?  Do you want to do something different?  Are you ready to take the leap? I know that I am at the edge of something and I’m getting ready to take the leap into new areas of my life.  For me, it’s about believing in myself and having faith in my decision.  It’s about connecting with my passion and then making a solid plan to support it.

I invite you to think about what you want to take a leap towards.  Sit down in a quiet place with some paper and colorful pens and begin to write down what it looks like.  Sometimes, it’s just a matter of giving yourself permission to look at your life in a different way.  You will need a good support system when you take the leap.  Who will that be?  Can you visualize those people?  What resources or new information will you need to make it happen?  You are 41 days away from 2009.  Now is the ideal time for you to begin thinking about what you want to leap into in the New Year.

Sometimes the only feasible method of transportation is to take the leap.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a
Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more
articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops,
teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website,
www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at
Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

His excitement and enthusiasm got me thinking about how Smart Women are life-long learners.

Discovery of a new concept, idea, or perspective is powerful and also serves as a confidence builder.  Take a moment and reflect on the last time you learned something new.  Were you excited?  Did you feel a certain spring in your step that day?  As children, we begin with elementary school, continue our journey through high school, college, and then sometimes on to a specialized field of study.  And then what?  At that point, we may believe that we are finished with learning.  You get that feeling of “I’ve arrived!”  But have you?

I make a commitment each year to discover new learning environments.  I explore places where I can continue to grow and learn both personally and professionally.  I do this for two reasons.  One, I want to learn about new ideas so I can be at my best for the women I serve.  Second, (and most importantly) I value being a woman who is a life-long learner.  My children know that “mom still goes to school” because I value learning.  I have found interactive adult learning environments to be fun and interesting.  For example, I continue to deepen my coaching skills through the Hudson Institute where I received my professional certification.  I also look for spiritual retreats—a place to be with others who value the renewing of the soul.  And, as an entrepreneur, I’m always attracted to new ways of marketing and growing my business in order to take it to the next level.

The other great benefit from these adult learning communities is the people enrolled.  It is an environment of positive thinking people who have an energy and desire to “grow” themselves.   It becomes a creative space for a room full of people who are life-long learners.  I see this in my Women’s Success Circles.  Everyone is so excited to be together, to offer support, and to share what has worked for them and what hasn’t.  I have met some life-long friends in these environments.

How about you?  Have you been in any new learning environments recently?  Have you made any new “discoveries?”  Think about hobbies or areas that hold interest for you.  I have a client that is enrolled in a professional cooking school one full day per week.  Go online and search your areas of interest.  I bet you will find many resources for discovering something new that’s in your local community.

As a busy woman, you may be thinking that time and money are obstacles to your continued learning.  It’s essential for you to create the space for something new in your life.  I invite you to think about what you must let go of in order to make it happen.  If money is a challenge, think about all of the ways learning can become affordable.  Local community colleges are typically inexpensive.  The public library costs you nothing and it is full of new ideas!  On the time challenge, there will never be a “perfect” time to enroll in a course so… just do it!

I’m leaving today for a 3-day conference on new marketing tools for business.  I’m very excited to “discover” new concepts and ideas; not only for myself but also for the women I serve.  I know that I will meet new people who will inspire me.  Think about what holds an interest for you right now in your life.  Consider how you might feel when you begin to make your own new “discovery.”

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a
Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more
articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops,
teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website,
www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at
Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

Sometimes, our lives are moving at such a fast pace, we can become disconnected from what’s truly meaningful in both our personal and professional lives.  We are so busy “doing” everything for everyone around us that we lose touch with that part of us that knows what we should be making time for.  Your authentic self is like an old friend.  She is secure in knowing exactly who you are and what you are passionate about.  She knows every gift you possess and can help you access them.  The challenge, of course, is staying connected to this old friend.  Life, with its many twists and turns, brings about such “busyness” that we often find ourselves too tired at the end of the day to stay connected to our authentic self.

If you are a woman in business, the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey is about realizing a Big Idea with passion and purpose.  You begin to navigate a course to accomplish your goals.  There is a lot of excitement and anticipation.  Somewhere along the way, you can get off course in your business by working “in” your business rather than working “on” your business.  If you are always working the day to day tasks and never giving yourself the creative space to vision the future of your business, the chances of optimal growth are minimal.  In my Women’s Success Circles, the space for possibility thinking and a plan to support women in their vision is created so that they can realize their Big Idea.

In your personal life – as a woman, mom, wife, partner, entrepreneur, community volunteer –it’s easy to see how you can lose touch with this old friend… your authentic self.  She is the most important friend that you have.  She loves and cares for you, she will be completely honest with you, and she makes no judgment about you—she sounds perfect, doesn’t she?  The key is to create the space and time to reconnect.  Your authentic self holds the answers to all of your burning life questions. 

This is where coaching can be helpful.  It offers a scheduled time with someone who can support you.  It’s having someone there to ask the right questions so that you can get the right answers from your old friend about what’s truly meaningful to you and what might be next for you in your journey.

I invite you to spend some time reconnecting with your old friend.  It may feel like the very first time the two of you have met.  It’s a busy life you have been leading up to now.  It takes courage to create the space for you to sit with your authentic self and “hear” what might be next for you.  Take some quiet time to reconnect or possibly meet for the very first time.  It’s a friendship that you don’t want to miss out on.

It was a gorgeous, warm day at Disneyland.  We had a terrific time.  Everyone there was happy, helpful, and waiting patiently to make sure our day was special—just like an old, authentic friend.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

I think most women would prefer a “calling” rather than a job.  Why?  Because jobs are too small for us.  We are destined to do something more meaningful with our lives, our gifts.  So why do we resist?  Well, jobs are critical.  We do need to “earn a living.”  And “earning a living” gets in the way of the exploration to look for and reveal our “calling.”

We hesitate to answer the call from our authentic self, especially as we move into midlife.  We become torn by the realities of being mothers and daughters—of taking care of our children and possibly our aging parents.  We also become susceptible to accepting comfort and predictability.  Predictability is typically the choice we make because, well, it’s predictable.  We have a guarantee.  Making a new or different choice creates an unknown, a mystery of sorts.  Many women will ask the question, “Is it possible that I do not have a calling”?  The truth is, we are all chosen.  We all get the call.  The challenge is making a decision to embrace your “calling” once you make this marvelous discovery.

Sometimes the call comes in and we are so busy navigating our lives—our jobs, families, community involvement—that we miss the call.  Or we delete it by accident, not realizing how important it is.  I want to share something with you: In my work, I find women who feel they are wasting time, as they have not found their call yet, and they become frustrated.  They do not feel that they are offering their unique gifts to the world.  Let me assure you that everything you have done in your life up until now has been a part of your “calling.”  You have not lost or wasted any time.  All of the life lessons, skills, talent, and gifts that you possess (and you have many!) will be with you always.

The key is to create the time and space in your life to discover your “calling”—your gifts to the world.  Time is the elusive lover—one that we never seem to have enough of and yet, time is the tool that you must have in your backpack on your journey to the discovery of your authentic self—your “calling.”  You must be courageous and make a firm commitment to time and space where you can explore what might be next for you.

In my Women’s Success Circles, time and space are created so that exploration and discovery of your “call” can happen.  It’s a place where “callings” can be heard in a safe environment.  It’s a place where you can dream about what’s possible for you and construct a plan to make it happen.  I remember a time in my life when I felt empty.  I kept searching for something to fill me up.  I had lost my energy and passion for my work.  It was not until I created the time and safe space in my life that I began to discover what was truly next for me.  Being courageous enough to do this has made all the difference.  I invite you to be courageous as well.  I’m going to leave you today with a favorite quote from one of my great mentors, Buddha:

“Your work is to discover your work and then will all your heart to give yourself to it.”

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Joy’s website Smart Women Smart Solutions.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website, www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

I can honestly say that after I turned 40 (I’m now 48), I began to feel quite comfortable with who I am.  I’m secure emotionally, mentally, and physically.   Am I perfect?  Whoa, I don’t think I will ever reach “perfection” (and these peri-menopausal symptoms are annoying!), but I sure do like what I think, feel, and see today.  However, that was not always the case.  When I was in my 20’s and early 30’s, I would question my own ideas frequently.  I also cared a lot more about what other people thought.  And, while I’m comfortable in my decisions, I make sure to keep my trusted coaches, advisors, and mentors close when I need them.

We’ve come a long way, baby! Just a short time ago, after age 50, many women were encouraged to move into the retirement process.  From 1925-1942, adult women were coined “the silent generation.”  Women stayed home, gave birth to babies, cooked, and cleaned. That was the “societal expectation.”  As we know, World War ll changed that course of thinking.

Today, in my work with women, it’s pretty darned exciting to see what women at age 40 and beyond are doing in their lives.  I have a theory about this.  In our early 20’s and 30’s, many of us go to college and obtain a degree in something that interests us at that moment in time.  We pursue our careers, and in some cases, we become involved in relationships and begin our families.  We either continue our career path and combine that with Motherhood or take a break to focus solely on family.  Whether you are a working inside the home or outside the home (or both!), a woman’s life becomes consumed with the effort of integrating home life with a work and personal life. Somewhere beyond our mid-30’s, we begin to ask ourselves the questions, “What’s next?”, “Is this it for me?”, “Could there possibly be something else for me in my future when my children are off to school?”  The questions begin rather quietly and sometimes with all of the noise coming from everything else in our lives—family, friends, career, we don’t hear them right away.  We begin to feel that something is not quite right.  As we see the age of 40 on the horizon, the voice becomes louder until we can no longer ignore it.

This is when women begin to create the space in their lives to take a deeper look and uncover what’s next for them as they move into their 40’s, 50’s, and beyond.  We are much wiser at this stage of life and a new adventure creates an incredible energy source as we begin to follow a new dream or idea.

How about you?  Are you a woman in your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s or beyond that’s looking at what’s next?  Do you have a creative idea that’s just bubbling inside of you waiting to come out?  What are you passionate about?  What do you daydream about?

It’s the perfect time to realize a Big idea, dream or goal. When I was in my late 30’s, I began to daydream about working with women to help them move their lives to the next level—whatever that might be for them.  And in my early 40’s, I found the right teachers, coaches, and mentors that would help me to achieve my passion and dream.

I invite you to think about what might be next for you as you move into this phase of your life—this glorious phase called the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Joy’s website Smart Women Smart Solutions.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website, www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

We struggle with decisions each and every day about so many aspects of our lives.  Some are crucial and some are not.  We struggle with where to eat, where to live, where to send our children to school, ending relationships that are no longer healthy for us, career decisions like going back to work or starting our own business. 

Why do we struggle?  Well, I think it’s because we want to make a decision that has that “lifetime” warranty.  We want to make sure it’s the right decision.  We want it to be the right one for the rest of our lives.  As I write this sentence, it’s a bit scary to me.  The right decision for the rest of my life!  But what if I change my mind?  What if circumstances change and I want to do something different?

I have been involved in a community effort recently that involves a decision that would make a big change in that community.  It’s a change that I think is necessary to keep moving forward.  There are those that are ready for the change knowing that, over time, even more change and new ways of thinking will need to be present.  There are others who are very uncomfortable with this.  They want the decision to hold that “lifetime” warranty for them.  They want this decision to be the right one forever.  Forever is a long time.  Forever rarely exists.  There are not many decisions that can last forever.

I experience this in my work with women as well.  Sometimes they want a guarantee that the decisions they make today will carry a “lifetime” warranty.  Vicki Flaugher, owner of Smart Woman Publishing, interviewed me last week, and one of the questions was, “Do you feel female entrepreneurs have any unique opportunities vs. men?”  My answer was yes!  Women have the opportunity to re-invent themselves several times in the course of their lifetime.  In order for this to happen, women must be looking for that “limited lifetime” warranty so that change, growth, and re-invention can occur when the time is right.  

How about you?  Do you enjoy the “limited lifetime” warranty or are you always looking for the “lifetime” warranty?  Do you enjoy a new challenge, a new way of thinking?  Or do you want to stay in your comfort zone day after day with the assurance that nothing will ever change?  I can tell you with a lot of excitement creeping up from my inner core that I love the fact that I have a “limited lifetime” warranty on the decisions in my life.  Of course, there are things that I wish had a “lifetime” warranty.  My health, my husband’s health, my children’s health and safety, but I know this is impossible.  These aspects carry a “limited” warranty. 

With everything else, the thought of having to live with something that is guaranteed to last forever would dampen my creative thought process.  I had a mentor once, who used to say that success was a never-ending journey.  It’s exciting, that along the journey, we have the opportunity to explore new paths and find new ways of being.  What could be more exciting than a life filled with energy, passion, and purpose?

Anything is possible.  Everything is waiting for you.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Joy’s website Smart Women Smart Solutions.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions and a Certified Professional Coach. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops and teleseminars, please visit her website, www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

This got me thinking about women in the world who are carrying their big ideas, dreams, and goals with them — have you planted them so they will grow, or do you continue to carry them around—possibly in recycled paper, or maybe in your mind?

There are ideas and dreams that we all get excited about, but we never plant the seed or grow the idea. Why? What happens? Life happens. We get busy doing our “to do” list in life. Some of the “to do” list is vital and important and some of it is just plain filler that keeps us from living a life full of energy, passion, and purpose where we are realizing our big ideas and dreams.

How do I know this? My daughter Jenna carefully carried her seeds wrapped loosely in paper all afternoon through the event and then home. She put it on the kitchen counter and asked me, “Mom, when will we plant the pumpkin seeds so I can grow a pumpkin?” Do you notice how she said that? She was already realizing her idea before it had occurred. Not only will she plant the seed but it will grow!

This is what happens to you when you have enthusiasm for something. Guess what? I procrastinated on Friday evening as we had plans as a family. Then on Saturday, we had sporting events for both Jack and Jenna. So here we were on Sunday morning and the pumpkin seeds sat wrapped in their recycled paper on the kitchen counter. What do you think my daughter asked me before she had fully opened her eyes Sunday morning? Yep. You got it.

We all have our reasons why we never get around to realizing what’s most important to us. A wise mentor once shared a simple question that could always get me back on track. “Are you committed to your goals or your excuses?” Well said.

How about you? Are you carrying a big idea, dream, or goal around in recycled paper? Is it stored somewhere in your mind? Have you packed it away so well that you don’t even know where it is? Is there something that you were once so focused and excited about that somehow slipped away or sat on the kitchen counter? There is something. There always is. I invite you to take some time and think about what it is. Connect with your biggest vision of what that idea, dream, or goal might be. And then take action on it. Make it happen.

Jenna and I did plant her pumpkin seed yesterday. Then she stood firmly in front of it and began singing (someone told her plants like songs). She is confident that her seed will grow into a big pumpkin.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.