How NOT to Fail

I came across this piece on Forbes.com entitled "Ten Reasons Why We Fail." It's a must-read in my book. And one of the most interesting things I took away from this piece is that a common thread ran through many of the ten listed reasons that can explain a lack of success.

What is that thread?  It's our own limiting beliefs.

By using the term "limiting beliefs," I mean that we often are our own worst enemies because we don't believe that we can achieve what we want to do for various reasons. And our own mindset often becomes our reality.....which is why cultivating the right mindset can really be the key to our success.

Photo from www.gcsd.k12.nj.us

It's In The Way That You Use It

No, this isn't just one of my favorite Eric Clapton songs. It's something I'm trying to work on in my own life when I try to turn lemons into lemonade. It's advice I would give to a friend, it's something I need to remember for myself, and it's something I need to model for my daughter.

Life throws us a lot of curve balls, and that's putting it mildly. Some of us have more than our fair share of challenges and sorrow. But, no matter what kind of issues we may have - some decidedly beyond our control - the one thing that is NOT beyond our control is the way that we react to them, manage them, accept them, cope with them and maybe, just maybe, better our lives, not in spite of them, but because of them.

It really is in the way that you use it.

Beautiful rainbow (taken 7/1/12)

Finding Me

Yesterday, I discussed some of the reasons behind my decision to start working with a life coach. The question then becomes, how is it going? (After all, it is a work in progress, as are most things.)  The answer?

It's awesome.

I've only been coaching for roughly a couple of months, and in that time, I've noticed some BIG changes in myself.

You Gotta Have Faith

Yes, it's a George Michael lyric. And someone else's lyric too, I'm sure. It's probably been restated over and over again in many inspirational publications, discussed in churches, you get my drift. But what I'm learning right about now is that it's one thing to remind yourself to have faith; it's quite another to actually feel and possess faith.

Taking a leap of faith can be very scary. I recently decided to do some contract legal work for a new company started by a friend, and I'm excited about that. I thought this would be a great way to supplement my income and help provide for my family, while still having the safety net of my salaried part-time job.

That was the plan, anyway, until my employer decided that I should go to contract status there too, effectively making me self-employed. In just one week.

I feel sort of like the baby bird who's pushed out of the nest just before she's really ready.

Photo from exploitsofmommyhood.blogspot.com