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

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Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions, a
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www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at
Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

After awhile, I realized that the people running the booths with the highest energy and excitement levels drew the most people. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know that it’s not the service or the product that will make you successful in life. The key is You, the person behind the product or service.

Every day we are met with lots of choices about different products or services that we can use to benefit us in some way. I’m always curious to learn why people choose one product or service over another. Time and again, I learn that people choose to purchase products and services from people that they Believe, Like, and Trust—the BLT Factor.

We want to choose situations in life where we can be with people we Believe have our best interests at heart. We believe that they have the expert knowledge on this product or service. We want to Like the person we do business with. I have been in business for over 20 years and there have been many times that I did not purchase based on price. I base almost all of my purchasing decisions on my relationship with someone. If I Like you, I want to purchase your product or service. Better yet, if I Like you, I want to refer you to as many people as I can.

Lastly, but certainly not least, people want to Trust the person they do business with. Trust is essential in any relationship. People want to Trust that you will take care of them, that you will stand by them and advise them in a trusting way. If the Trust factor is not there, it’s likely that you will not create the kind of success you might otherwise have. The BLT Factor holds true both in our personal and professional.

This is a big part of my work with women. I create the BLT factor in my Women’s Success Circles as well as with my individual clients. It’s essential to your business and your relationships in the community. The people in the world who understand the BLT Factor are everywhere. It’s Joseph at the coffee shop who makes your experience so wonderful at 6:00 am; it’s the teacher who lights up your child’s face every time your child sees them; it’s your coach or mentor who seems to be able to always bring out the best in you. I had a mentor who told me, “It’s not what you say. It’s how you feel about what you say.” Well said. It’s the energy and enthusiasm that you put forth on anything and everything that you do.

How about you? Do you understand the BLT factor? Do people Believe in You? Do people Like to be with You? Do you create that Trust factor? Being Believeable, Likable, and Trusting are the keys to true success in all of your relationships. I invite you to spend some time reflecting on these three attributes. You have the ability to create Belief, Likeability, and Trust—we all do. The world around you is an easier place to navigate and opportunities open up to you both personally and professionally in ways that you cannot imagine.

I went by a few of the booths later that afternoon that had been less crowded earlier in the day and, sure enough, one of those booths had a long line of children. What changed? Not the activity. Not the location. What had changed was the person running the booth. She was full of energy, cheering each child on as they tried their luck, and I heard her encouraging each child by saying “I know you can do it!” And you know what? They did. She was a woman who understands the BLT Factor. I’m going to leave you with a quote today that seems to capture it all:

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” –Ghandi

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff