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 :-).