Keep Reinventing Yourself

In a world where competition is high, as individuals, it is imperative to not become complacent. Now don't get me wrong, this in no way implies that you need to go after after flaw you think you have or become the person someone else wants you to be - no, no, no. I mean embrace what you are really good at, what moves you, what excites you and keep telling yourself to push your own envelope and be gritty about you. In the midst of all that, still be there for others and continue to do good in your community and in the world. 

The last few months have been super duper interesting and instead honing in on all the unanswered questions, I stay true to my happy place. In that, I have found opportunities to reinvent myself and to intentionally shift my thoughts and my actions in certain areas of life. I will always profess to be a work in progress and I would not have it any other way because that means there is always room to do something different or even strive for better results. That's pretty darn exciting!  

Think about areas that you could reinvent yourself and or become unstuck and make it happen! Life is a verb. 

Know Your Limits

I know...it has been a while since my last blog post but know that I am keeping the spirit of writing alive in more ways than one. As I wind down a very busy year, please know that I will soon be back into the swing of things with blog updates and that regardless of what may seem to be a pause just by looking at the date of my last blog post, I am still Leading With Purpose. Bottom line, sometimes "life happens" and one thing that we all have to embrace is knowing our limits. I'd rather pause than give 50%! Stay tuned.

The Moment "Y" Went Away

So I was having a light hearted conversation with a good friend this week.  As always, the topic of our children came up and evolved into talking about the moment the “Y” went away.

Before I continue, please know that the moral of this story is not about being a mom. It’s about acceptance.

Now, back to the moment the “Y” went away. As my daughter grew up, I recognized one day that the “Y” went away and now I was MOM. I actually felt some kind of way about that. I said, oh no, what is really happening and is this “that” moment everyone has warned me about as we were headed into the teen years. I truly had to “accept” that my daughter was growing up and maturing and that it was her time to remove the “Y”.  

Sometimes it can be hard to accept the change of others based on comfort and simply because you are used to the way things have always been. One can easily get stuck in where another person was versus where a person chooses to be in the present and where the person is trying to go. Change is a beautiful thing...we all learn, grow and evolve and we all yearn for the past to be the past. For me, the moment “Y” went away symbolized growth. While tough at first, I quickly moved on and embraced the absence of “Y”.

When I finished the conversation with my friend...which was actually quite hysterical by the way, my friend Karen said, you should write about that!   

Let It Go

I have taken my yoga practice more seriously since my Ragnar experience a few months ago. However, the last month has been a time that I really connected deeply with the power of yoga and meditation. I went to yoga class tonight and by far, this was probably one of the hardest hot yoga classes to date. I told myself, hard is what you make it. Get it together, push on and stay grounded...breathe, breathe, breathe. For tonight, breathing was the aha moment I needed regardless of how many other times I have heard it. In yoga, during discomfort, you learn to bring yourself back to your breath. This applies to life too. No doubt, discomfort builds strength and breathing reminds you to stay in control during the discomfort.

As we concluded tonight's practice, three words resonated with me loud and clear - Let It Go!

Namaste.

The Perfect Time...hmmm

I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as a "perfect time". I also firmly believe that if not now, WHEN? You see, the word NOW is a powerful word. It makes me think of ...action, big step, starting, goals, achievement, results, impact, change, etc. I could go on and on. Today's message is simple, NOW may not be the perfect time but NOW creates the shift that is needed to accomplish whatever goal that needs to be accomplished no matter how big or how small. This applies to all areas of our life, including how we choose to wake up each day!

I Woke Up Like This

Your best self starts as soon as your feet hit the floor! Make it count every single day!

Neverland

Have you ever been to a place you never thought you'd love? Come along with me briefly to a place I refer to as, Neverland...

By the time I arrived to high school, I realized I how much I loved math. In fact, you could have kept all of the other subjects at that time (smile). I recall loving the challenge in figuring out any problem that was put in front of me. Even when I went to college, statistics was a class I actually enjoyed going to.

Then there was this other world I will refer to as, Neverland.  Now in my world of Neverland, the thought of writing a paper was NOT so exciting. The work got done but there was no passion or love behind it. I did what I needed to do to pass...I'm sure I'm talking to someone out there who can relate in some shape or fashion with a different example.

Fast forward many years later and my Neverland (of writing) has now turned into a beautiful destination for me. In fact, it is not just a destination but a journey that I embrace and continue to love traveling to over and over again. Keeping an open mind and curious spirit to explore a destination I never thought I'd love has helped me to evolve.

What was once your Neverland?

The Big One

I don't know about you, but I was a big fan of Sanford and Son growing up. Well, do you recall the line when Fred would say, Elizabeth, I am coming to join you?  This week for me will go down as one of the toughest weeks I've had to endure in my adult life. In fact, I can't help but call it, The Big One! All the while, the rest of life, the need to meet deadlines and commitments, etc. were continuing to go on around me. Let me just say, it was the hardest weight lifting to date and you know what, "still I rise". Have you ever had a life moment(s) like that?

Here are some of the things that have gotten me through:

Faith

The Bible

Remembering that things happen for a reason, even when you don't understand why

Remembering that tough times don't last, tough people do

The importance of a strong village when raising children

The amazing support of small group leaders 

Meditation

Yoga

You will never know when to expect The Big One. Nonetheless, always remember that it is not what happens to you as a result of The Big One but who you become as a result of how you react to The Big One!

Life...Bring It On!!!!

On this somewhat cloudy Sunday in Atlanta, I decided to spend additional time documenting my life on paper. Yes, I am using this time to update my plans for retirement and to ensure everything is in good order for my eventual transition so that my daughter and her future are in great hands. I know, sounds a little gloomy but hey, it's life :-).

I remember when I took the first step to leverage a financial planner. I was in a tough place in life and had experienced yet another set back that hit my heart and soul in a way that I can't describe. But regardless of my circumstances, I knew I had to dust my shoulders off, get myself together and be strong. That time forced me to shift in so many different ways and while it has been almost ten years, I have taken the experiences from that place in life to focus and continue to hone in on the life I knew I deserved.

It's been since that time that I established a trusted relationship with my financial planner,Wendy. She has helped me to think differently and never gave up on continuing to set the vision in front of me so that I could make the best decisions on how to move forward to achieve my financial goals. As a result, I am much further along than where I started and I am more confident about my retirement future and the legacy I will leave behind for my daughter. If you don't have a financial planner and your story is the story I once had...where you are just doing the basics, making excuses that you'll "get to it" and not putting much focus on the the realities we will all face, I am happy to share my financial planners contact information with you. Trust, teamwork, listening and acting has moved my dream light years ahead of where I was.

Special thanks to my wealth management advisor, Wendy Thompson of Northwestern Mutual.

The Dash

2015 has served as a great reminder of "the dash" between life and death. While we all know that tomorrow is not promised, the reality rings loud and clear when death happens to those you love ...even more-so when it is unexpected. Life is about giving and about serving and being a force for good. That is what I think of when I think about my "dash" and what I consider to be a part of my foundation.

I share this with you and say all that to say that the first quarter of the year has shaken me a bit and has forced me to pause, reflect and check in with myself  and my "dash". Self awareness and course correction is so vital in all that we do! How we lean in and lead our lives...personally, professionally, etc!.

How do you want to be remembered?
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
What are the top 3 words you would expect to hear as someone describes you?
Does my list of actions outweigh my list of coulda shoulda woulda's?

I'm sure you have your own set of questions...these are just some of mine.

Embrace YOUR dash!

#LWP #BeTheVerb

Y.O.U's

YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made
YOU drive your destiny
YOU define your purpose

These Y.O.U's combined with faith are without a doubt, a force for good!

~TMinor, Creator and author of Leading With Purpose, the Blog


#BeTheVerb #LWP

Moments That Make You Pause

I have truly been blessed! Many times, I reflect on where I started, my personal journey in life and how far I've come. It sometimes doesn't even feel real. Ever feel that way? Through it all, I have always remained grounded in my roots and my very humble beginnings.

As I was out this weekend, I made a purchase and the lady that rang me up was very kind and I certainly didn't expect to walk away and feel touched by what seemed like a very basic transaction. As she smiled at me and passed my receipt, she looked at my black Tory Burch bag and said, if I had that bag, I wouldn't need another purse in my life. It made me pause and take notice to the message within the statement she just made. I walked away and her statement played over and over again in my head. To me, the bag is just a bag that I got at a great price at an outlet and happens to be one of my most versatile and favorite bags. Not for the name, simply because I like it. To someone else, it certainly meant something else... at that moment, I too realized that it's truly the only bag I need.

Prepare and Prepare Some More!

As I have evolved as a leader, one of the essential ingredients to my success has been preparation. Let's face it, leadership is not always easy and we all have moments where we get bogged down with unexpected tasks, emergencies, life, etc. However, when you keep preparation top of mind on what is planned and or in your control such as your goals, meetings, 1:1's, speaking engagements, projects, conflict situations...the list could certainly go on and on - you will find that despite it all, you will still handle whatever task(s) at hand with confidence and with poise because you did not compromise the necessity of being on your game and being prepared. Will it be easy? No! Will you have to get out of your comfort zone often? Yes! Will you feel like putting it off until tomorrow sometimes? Sure! I call that being human. Don't give up, stay focused and prepare, prepare, prepare.

Preparation yields results!

Leading into 2015

Like most, I am sure you have set your mind to achieve certain goals in 2015. In fact, setting a goal(s) is a key first step in actually achieving results. Despite how busy you get and how hard it can and will feel along the way, stay true to what you set out to achieve and crush it!  Remember, we are all leaders and when you accomplish your goals, you shine a light on others and actually spark inspiration even when you don't know it. Lead, lead, lead in 2015 and celebrate your successes along the way. One last thing, as you lead....GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT!

Breathing Space

It has been over a month since my last post and I have absolutely no excuses.  What I can tell you is that I have learned that when the cup begins to run over, it is necessary to create breathing space. As leaders, well being is something that we often times push to the side and it is important to remember that there is nothing healthy about lack of balance in our lives.   

Since my last post, I have experienced the loss of a sorority sister to suicide, a jury trial that involved a murder of a 21 year old female and her 5 month old unborn child, completed my first triathlon, continued living the "Soccer Mom" dream and executed 2 very critical meetings that required acute attention to detail.  Not to mention the countless number of additional meetings and commitments.

For me, my breathing space typically comes by way of family time, yoga, meditation, running and cycling....as well as, off phone/computer time by a certain time at night just to name a few. As my schedule continues to swell (with good things of course), it has helped me...or shall I say, forced me to look again at how my life is structured and re-prioritize where necessary. I would not trade my breathing space for anything and neither should you!

Before you leave, ask yourself...
How do I "intentionally" create breathing space?
Do I spend enough time with balancing my "whole life" or do I find moreso than not that I am focusing on everyone but not including myself in that equation?
If I could do at least 1 thing differently to create balance, what would it be?

The final question and possibly the hardest...
What is stopping me from achieving better balance?

Until next time.....BREATHE :-).

Blessing Those Who Blessed Others

You may recall the Live Your Dreams Out Loud post from a few weeks ago.  I asked readers to think about sharing their stories with hopes that it would inspire someone who may need to hear their story.  Originally I was going to pay it forward with one $50 Amazon gift card to the story that generated the most likes.  The opportunity for the gift card is now over but I have decided that each story submitted has "likes" beyond measure in my book. Therefore, the 3 brave authors who submitted stories will all receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card.  It's my pleasure to do this and I hope someone is equally touched and inspired as I was from the Live Your Dreams Out Loud stories submitted.

THANK YOU for sharing a piece of your life with the world!

Sincerely,

TMinor
Creator and author of Leading With Purpose, the Blog
#BeTheVerb

Reactions Matter

When you think about how to react or respond, remind yourself that reactions matter.  In fact, your reaction will leave a bigger impact than intent if not handled appropriately. You could quickly trump a good thing and or damage a relationship you have been working really hard to turn around.  Always remember that others are watching and often times learning from how you respond.

Memories of past experiences are not easily forgotten so make sure that you make interactions count and never forget that every reaction matters!

The Little Things

There was a tid-bit I picked up from a leader who I recently met through a conference.  I was totally amazed by his energy and his way of engaging a very large crowd and I said to myself, I have to introduce myself.  Fast forward almost 2 months later and we actually have an opportunity to catch up face to face.  We had a great time getting to know each other and discussing opportunities and as we were wrapping up he said to me, when is your birthday and for my office address?  You may say, so what…but the beauty in cultivating relationships really starts by also being conscience of the little things. Who doesn't love a birthday card or an email recognizing you on your born day?  Personally, I took a page out of his book immediately.

#LWP #BeTheVerb

Saturday's Nugget of Wisdom

Live Your Dreams Out Loud

You will never know the impact you can have on others without action.  I have seen countless lives touched and transformed because someone decided to be bold and live their dreams out loud. Whether you have a personal goal or simply a passion....at this moment, consider yourself pushed off of any ledge of fear or hesitation you may be on and turn them into forward progress.  Watch what happens when you pour your heart, your passion and your gifts and talents into your dreams!

If you have a story and can relate to this post, please share by commenting on this post. The best story by fan vote will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Stories must be shared no later than midnight, August 20th.  #BeTheVerb #LWP