Authentic Success How to's

I spend a lot of time thinking about success and what that means to different people. With a business called "Authentic Success," it makes sense that it would be on my mind all day. I named my life coaching/writing/speaking business Authentic Success because I found that many women don't seem to have an understanding of what they truly want out of life and I want to help change that.

We are wired to be successful, but often we don't take the time to question what that success should look like. Most of us know that true success is not measured by how much money we have, although when we use it wisely having money lets us do things that make the world a better place. But how can we decide what we really want to do with our lives?

Here are some questions that can help--
  What are you passionate about?
  What problem keeps you awake at night?
  How would you like to improve your world?
  What do you love to do (when you're doing it, time seems to fly)?
  What are you good at?
  What does the world need more of?

What else? Leave a comment telling us how you decide what to do with your life.

Perspective

So much has been said, written, scrutinized, lamented, etc. about the present economy, but it's interesting to see different perspectives on the times we live in.

We know this is a difficult time for many business owners, yet several business gurus (especially for online businesses) are saying this is the perfect opportunity for starting a new business. Perspective.

Living in the NM high desert has given me a different way of looking at life than when I lived in the emerald forests of Atlanta. When things look bleak on the ground here (brown has never been a favorite color for me), I choose to look to the skies which are a brilliant blue about 360 days of the year.

It's not just a Pollyanna approach to life, it's a way of clearing my mind so I can think more clearly about what I need to do. A depressed mind hijacks creativity and solution finding.

So look around you, look up, look far and near for the next step you can take to make your life all it can be.

What's your take on perspective? Leave your comments and join the conversation!

It's Available!

My book, The Authentic You: Becoming the Woman You Were Created to Be is now available!

Written to help women understand who they are and become even more than they thought they could be, it challenges readers to live intentionally, step up to big thinking, and make a positive difference in the world.

This faith-based book makes a great study for book clubs or for individuals to read on their own. Questions and activities at the end of each chapter help you in your journey of self-discovery.

Check it out on Amazon.com or contact me for more information. And if you like what you see, I'd love for you to write a review on Amazon.

Go out and do great things!

Creating Your Own Life Story

(Photo of Arizona petroglyphs by Anita Lee)

I was reading some materials the other day from Dr. Dave Krueger (mentorpath.com) on creating a New Life Story, and I was reminded of how many times I've heard my coaching clients and others talking about wanting to do something beyond their grasp, knowing they couldn't do it. When I ask why they think they couldn't do it they admit to being stopped by voices emerging from the past telling them they aren't good enough.

I call this, "letting someone else write your autobiography." An autobiography is supposed to be written by the person who lived that life. (Yes, I know, many celebrities have had ghost writers step in to do the actual writing. I once heard a famous football player tell a reporter that he was misquoted in a recent book--which was an autobiography of the player! Oops.)

When it comes to deciding what our lives should look like, we have many choices. We can continue to live the way we always have, we can look around us and wish we could live like someone we admire, or we can take steps to become the person we were created to be.

It is our responsibility to create a masterpiece of our lives. We've been given all the right materials, but too often we're afraid to imagine who we could be and what we could do for others in the process. We're afraid to take even the first step toward becoming that masterpiece. "What if I fail?" "What if I look foolish in the process?" "What if..." There's no end to the "What if's."

How about asking, "What do I really want to do at this stage of my life?" "What are my gifts, abilities, and interests that can make a positive difference?"

A world of opportunities awaits us when we ask the right questions.

I'd love to hear what your aspirations are. By your sharing, you will impact the lives of others.

What's New with Me

Wow, time sure flies, whether you're having fun or not. Actually, I have been having fun, but it's been wayyyyy too long since I blogged. So much to do, so little time--or is it that I don't use my time as wisely as I should? I'm sure I'm the only one who has that problem.

So, I'm trying to be true to my own teachings. It seems like the authentic thing to do--and I'm all about authenticity. I will soon launch my new website that will tell more about what I do to help women solo-preneurs and other professionals get out of their own way to attain success--their Authentic Success. By going to my website and signing up for my newsletter, you will soon get the added benefit of an overview of my "7 Keys to Authentic Success" system. I'm developing the various parts of this system to address different learning styles as well as time and financial capabilities of those who might be interested. Stay tuned!

Also, I'm closer to getting my book published. As some of you know, I had a contract with a traditional publisher for The Authentic You: Becoming the Woman You Were Created to Be. Unfortunately, when the economy tanked, my project (along with others) was dropped. Since then I have been exploring other options and am proud to say I expect this book to be out by January 2011. I am ready, willing and able to speak to groups of any size to get the word out that every woman is created to do great things with her life. Some will do it quietly and others will shout out loud. But when we are true to who we've been created to be, we will make a positive difference in the world and we will recognize our true worth.

I hope you've taken some time to pause and reflect on where you are in life and where you're headed. I do that best in places like the one pictured here. What about you?

GUEST ARTICLE: Stolen Identity by Kay Marshall Strom

Enormous eyes in a bony-thin face, and a baggy green dress that dragged the ground. Because of all the cast-off children at the village school in India, the raggedy girl stood closest to our translator, he gently asked her, "What is your name?"

The girl stared.

"Your name. What is it?" the translator asked again.

The girl whispered her answer: "I have no name."

A child with no name. A little girl abandoned so young she could not even remember what her parents had called her. She grew up begging at the train platform, snatching up the scraps harried passengers dropped, watching other children picked off by traffickers. Now that she was seven or eight--perhaps even a scrawny nine--the traffickers had come for her. But the girl screamed and kicked and clawed so ferociously that someone called the police. Someone with clout, evidently, because the police came and pulled her away from the traffickers. Somebody in the crowd suggested that instead of putting the child in jail, the police might take her to the village school, which they did. They dropped her at the door and left.

Human trafficking, especially sex trafficking, is rampant around the world. We think of it as an eastern European problem, or Indian or Nepalese or Thai. It is. But it's also a Western problem. The U.S. State Department estimates between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the Untied States each year, but concede that the real number is far higher. According to the U.S. Justice Department's head of the new human trafficking unit, there is now at least one case of trafficking in every state.

The little girl with no name was fortunate that someone responded to her screaming pleas. What would you do if you heard a child shriek for help? Of course, if she were a trafficking victim in this country, she wouldn't likely scream or kick. She would probably shrink away in terror, or act submissively. You might see wounds--cuts, bruises, burns. Perhaps what would catch your attention would be the constant work: babysitting, cooking, washing dishes, scrubbing floors--never just being a child. Or maybe you couldn't say exactly what was wrong--only that something about the child's situation made you profoundly uneasy.

Please, please, if you suspect a person is being trafficked, call 911 and report it. Yes, it is okay. Yes, even it you are mistaken. In fact, eighteen states require citizens to report possible child abuse or neglect of any kind.

In the 1700s, Quakers led the fight against the African slave trade. In 1885, the Salvation Army took up the abolition banner, and since then it has led the fight against a different kind of slavery. More and more, 21st century abolitionists are followers of Christ determined to see slavery of all kinds ended in our day.

Oh yes... Before I left the school in India, I asked if we might give the little girl a name. She is now Grace.


About the Author:

Author Kay Marshall Strom has two great loves: writing and helping others achieve their own writing potential. Kay has written thirty-six published books including Daughters of Hope: Stories of Witness and Courage in the Face of Persecution and In the Presence of the Poor. She's also authored numerous magazine articles, and two screenplays. While mostly a nonfiction writer, the first book of her historical novel trilogy Grace in Africa has met with acclaim. Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, writers' conferences, and special events throughout the country and around the world. She is in wide demand as an instructor and keynote speaker at major writing conferences. She also enjoys speaking aboard cruise ships in exchange for exotic cruise destinations.

Schedule Kay for an interview or request her book for review by contacting Kathy Carlton Willis Communications at WillisWay@aol.com or call 956-642-6319.

Interview with Elisa Morgan, author of She Did What She Could

Elisa Morgan is a nationally recognized speaker and the author of more than fifteen books, including the best–selling What Every Mom Needs and Mom's Devotional Bible. Elisa has served as CEO of MOPS International since 1989. She is also the publisher of MomSense and FullFill magazines and is a frequent contributor to Christianity Today. Elisa is married to Evan (vice president of strategic development for RBC Ministries, known internationally for Our Daily Bread, and founder of christiancourses.com). They have two grown children and one grandchild and live in Centennial, Colorado.

What is the premise behind your new book, She Did What She Could?
Most of us care deeply about the needs around us – poverty, injustice, everyday concerns of those in our families and in our offices and in our neighborhoods. But faced with the challenges of getting food on the table and children to and from activities and keeping up with our jobs etc, we feel more than a little overwhelmed. Who has the time or the energy to start another nonprofit or to participate in yet another celebrity-help-the-world-athon? We conclude we have to do something BIG to make a difference. Not true. We don’t have to do something BIG to make a difference. In a Bible story where Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus with a beautiful gift of perfume before his death, Jesus applauds her action saying, “She did what she could.” We can make a difference every day by simply doing what we could in the given moment before us.

When did the idea for this book/movement come to you?
I’d been reading what I call the “Girl Stories” in the gospels – stories where a woman is the main character. I was stopped in my tracks by Mary’s acting out her love for Jesus and by his pairing her action with the gospel. Mary lived loved. She acted out her faith by doing something with who she was and what she had in a moment that mattered. At the same time I was reading that story, I was suddenly overwhelmed by issues in our world like the HIV-AIDS pandemic and poverty and needs everywhere I turned. I began to think about the power of one of us acting and then another and another. I began to prayerfully wonder – what if I did what I could – just like Mary did? And then each of us did what we could? The whole world could be changed!

What percentage of church members are active in ministry?
It’s reported that 20% of the people do 80% of the work.

What reasons do you think members have for not serving?
Lots of folks don’t participate due to the busyness of life and the perception that unless we do something BIG it won’t make a difference. We feel guilty that we can’t do MORE. We feel inadequate because we aren’t more godly - or because of something hidden in our past. We feel incompetent because we aren’t trained. We’re tired and overwhelmed. And then there’s the fact that lots of us aren’t even “members” of a church. We’re not sure what to do with church – even though we love Jesus. We have a million struggles that keep us from “doing”. SDWSC gives a bite-size offering to everyone to participate in living out our faith and making a difference.

Do you feel that many church members are intimidated by those who are very involved at church?
You bet. If you’re not in the “in crowd” or gifted with public gifts like teaching or are marginalized in some way, it’s WAY intimidating to step up and say, "Hey, I’d like to help." SDWSC welcomes ALL to join in and act. It refreshes those who are weary in well-doing as well.

In the book, you point out that this message of everyone doing what they can is Biblical. What story are you referring to specifically?
The story is told in Mark 14 but is also told in Matthew and John as well. Just before Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of all humankind, Mary of Bethany took a jar of nard, a very expensive perfume, and poured it on Jesus – as a symbol of anointing his body before his death. In a moment when the gesture would mean the most to him. You get the impression that Mary hadn’t really planned out this action. It seems more spontaneous. And while the nard was expensive, that wasn’t the main point. Mary acted out of her understanding that Jesus really was the Christ and he really loved her. She wanted to give back. She took what she had – nard – and acted with it in a moment that mattered to Jesus and to the world. She did what she could.

You’ve shared your message with the MOPS organization. What has the response been so far to the SDWSC (She Did What She Could) movement?
Moms are passionate about being the best moms they can be. They’re also passionate to make a difference in their world. They know that they may not be able to do something GIANT in the day to day of raising children. SDWSC gives them a methodology for acting in a way that matters in their daily lives. With a neighbor or a coworker. With a child. To care for the earth. To reach out to someone who has less and needs more. Moms have pasted the SDWSC flare on their Facebook pages and are telling the SDWSC stories, encouraging others to do what they can as well.

How do you hope churches and ministries will use your message to mobilize their members?
Those who’ve never served can be invited to join in with the practical – doable – message of SDWSC. And those who are weary in well-doing can be encouraged that Jesus doesn’t ask us to do EVERYTHING or ALL but rather WHAT we could do.

How do you hope readers can change their lives with your message?
She did what she could (SDWSC) is a mantra that rules my days as opportunities come before me. I run each through the grid of SDWSC. Is it something that I can uniquely handle? Is it a moment that matters NOW? Will I make a difference if I do WHAT I could – not ALL or EVERYTHING I could? I hope and pray that readers will do the same. She did what she could. When I do what I could and you do what you could and we do what we could – we can change the world. We can be the body of Christ in action, on the earth, demonstrating individually and together what it means to live loved.

Tricia Goyer's Sunflower Serenade

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty books, including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted and the children’s book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mount Hermon Writer’s Conference in 2003. Tricia’s book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana.

For more information about Tricia and to learn of her availability for speaking, go to www.triciagoyer.com.

"Home to Heather Creek" is a new fiction series from Guideposts written by various authors. Tricia Goyer has penned the twelfth in the series, Sunflower Serenade. This charming book about life on a farm in Nebraska chronicles the lives of Bob and Charlotte Stevenson who are rearing three of their grandchildren after the death of their daughter. Life on the farm is vastly different from the kids' previous experiences living in San Diego and they struggle to fit in.

When the fair comes to town, all the inhabitants of Bedford gear up for the most exciting event of the year. The usual activities are interrupted by the arrival of country music star, Shae Lynne, who films a music video at Heather Creek Farm. This juxtaposition of small town life with Nashville glamour threatens to disrupt many lives.

To learn more about Sunflower Serenade and the other books in the "Home to Heather Creek" series, go to www.guideposts.org/heathercreek. Or to order Tricia's book, call 1-800-431-2344.