Smart Women Believe

December 4, 2008 By Joy Chudacoff

Last night, our family went to The Grove here in Los Angeles. The Grove is a large retail shopping center that really goes above and beyond decorating for the holidays. They have a beautifully decorated tree larger than the one at Rockefeller Center in New York. They “create” falling snow every evening. For children who live in So. California, this is a delight!

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.

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Filed Under: Big Ideas & Goals, Inspirational Messages, Possibility Thinking, Smart Women Articles Tagged With: , , ,

Smart Women Are Like Christopher Columbus

November 13, 2008 By Joy Chudacoff

“Mom, when we get home I need to show you something really cool!” exclaimed my 8-year-old son Jack when I picked him up from school the other day.  When we got home, he opened his backpack, pulled out his Social Studies book, opened it up to the last few pages and said—“Look, isn’t this cool?”  Jack had discovered the “index” section of books.  Very animated, he explained how you could look up any word in the index and find out exactly what page it was on in the book.  His eyes were as big as beach balls. His excitement was off the charts as he was full of delight over this new discovery. 

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?

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Smart Women Have An Attitude

June 12, 2008 By Joy Chudacoff

Last week, the Women’s Club in my community celebrated men and women over the age of 90 by hosting a dinner and entertainment event in their honor. I read about this event in the local paper and was struck by one interview with a woman who was born in 1912 (she’s 96!). Her photo depicted a woman who was attractive, energetic, and happy. When asked what the secret is to living a life of good health, longevity, and happiness, she replied with one simple word: Attitude.

Attitude. It’s a simple word that can take on many meanings. We have all heard the phrase, “she’s got a good attitude about life.” We have also heard the phrases, “she’s got a bad attitude”, or “she needs an attitude adjustment.” The word is thrown out loosely. It’s true that a positive attitude can make a big difference in the outcome of our lives. I happen to think that it takes something more than this to live a life full of energy, passion, and purpose.

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Smart Women Plant Their Seeds

June 5, 2008 By Joy Chudacoff

Last Friday, my children and I went to an Eco-Fest at my son’s school. It offered creative ways to think about living organically and sustaining our planet. At one point my 5 year old daughter Jenna wandered to a booth a few feet away from me, and I noticed that she became very focused on what they were doing. Minutes later, she appeared with something wrapped inside recycled paper that she was carrying very carefully. “Look Mom, I’ve made a pumpkin plant. All we have to do is plant it when we get home and it will grow a pumpkin.” Jenna carried that recycled paper containing dirt and pumpkin seeds with such care for the rest of the afternoon. She was so proud and excited about what she had created, as well as the future when the seeds grow into an actual pumpkin.

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?

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Filed Under: Inspirational Messages, Possibility Thinking, Realizing Your Dream, Smart Women Articles Tagged With: , , ,

Smart Women are Possibility Thinkers

April 18, 2008 By Joy Chudacoff

One morning not long ago, I was driving to the Inn at Playa del Rey for one of my Women’s Success Circles. It was a beautiful day in Pacific Palisades—blue skies, sun shining—glorious. What a great day this was going to be! My mind turned to possibilities for the day. As I made my way down to the beach and through Santa Monica, the weather began to change. It became quite foggy. I could barely see the car in front of me. I had to turn my headlights on. I noticed that my thinking had shifted a bit. Some of the possibility thinking had diminished. The “possibilities for the day” began to fade. Why? What had changed?

Two things: The climate and my attitude. It occurred to me that the outcome of my day, and really on a larger scale my life, is directly related to my environment and my own attitude. When I was a young girl, my grandfather, “Pop” as we used to call him, would say, “No matter where you go, there you are.” I was reminded of this as I began to navigate the foggy streets to arrive at my Women’s Success Circle. In essence, you are in charge of how your day, and how your life will unfold. This can be good news for some and bad news for others. If you are a positive woman who always sees the glass is half full, you are smiling and nodding right now. If you are a woman who finds herself sometimes seeing the glass as half-empty and unable to find the “possibilities for the day,” you may not agree just yet.

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