“Decided I would post the DOSE here at THE STATION today. Tricky way to get you to drop by; read & maybe leave a thought or 2!

Yesterday I addressed the habit we often have of quitting about the time our success is coming around the corner.  Some things take time. And sometimes much longer than we want. Something interesting about us humans – we want what we want; and we want it NOW!  Yet it is rare that we get what we want NOW. Most often we must wait. And learn the art of PATIENCE which is not an easy art form to acquire.

If you’re somewhat on the ’ragged edge’ and thinking of giving up. . . let me suggest the following:. Give in to that feeling without actually carrying through.  Take a break – it’s okay!  Walk away from whatever it is you so strongly desire; have worked so hard for so long to achieve.  Turn your attention elsewhere. 

There’s an old and famous saying that I paraphrase: commit your desires to PAPA; do all you can do as a woman – then wait.  And if the w-a-i-t-i-n-g has gone on too long; then take a break! Don’t give up; but give in to letting divinity work where us humans have no business interfering!

Warmly,”

I have to admit I’ve found myself on the “ ragged edge” of giving up quite a few times, and I’ve taken a step back  and/or step away from whatever it is I’ve been working on to work on something total different, i.e. my quilting, etc. This allowes me to see things from a different perspective and/or wait and listen to what direction I should take or go.

I would love for you to share your views on this issue and what is it that you do when you’re on the verge of giving up? Please post comments below and if you are on google+ – click button to the right to +1 to your site

ABOUT LINDA

My background is in counseling education & organizational development. Most of the work I’ve done over the years has been in O.D. – program & project development & management, including fund raising as a development officer & a consultant. For a few years, after moving back to home territory to be close to daughters and adorable g’children, I engaged in private practice professional therapeutic intervention. I gave that up after only a few years & now consider myself to be a “recovering professional therapist!” Quite frankly, coaching & mentoring are a whole lot more fun & less stressful as well!

Now at the ripe age of (I’ll never tell) – I know what PAPA is asking of me. He gave me a vision for A Women’s Place & Affiliated Women that included building an online community for ‘chronologically maturing women’ (isn’t that EVERY woman?), but most of all I want to be a source of encouragement, enrichment & empowerment for women who will then turn around and “pass that knowledge & wisdom” to other women who are just entering the 2nd half path!

Follow on Twitter @lindaAWI

Connect on FB @ https://www.facebook.com/AWInorthamerica

A setback is nothing but a setup for a comeback

~ Dennis Kimbro

I read this book when it was first published in the early 90s. I remember it clearly because it’s release date was on my birthday and it was a gift to myself and I figured it had to be a good omen . Plus after reading Napoleon Hill’s book, I knew that this book would be a great follow-up!

I enjoyed reading about those whom I had heard about. I saw them on television and/or in print. They came from the same ethnic background as myself, and I had admired for some time how they rose up to the level that they were at that time. I was and am always fascinated about those who started from nothing or very little and how they manage to stay focused, determined in spite of the downs, and let no one take their dream away because of a simple no.

I appreciate reading and learning about those who are just like me who are climbing their ladder to success and realizing that if they can do it so can I, especially now since the economy is not in the best shape. In reading their stories, I understood that sometimes the timing might not be perfect to start your entrepreneurial dreams, but it’s always filled with great potential to start.

Even when you find yourself in the middle of no motivation, no drive, no desire to go on, when you read  Think and Grow Rich: a Black Choice, you will find all that coming back to you, because you will be inspired by the stories of  these entrepreneurs that you read in Dennis Kimbro’s book!

Success in highest and noblest form calls for 
peace of mind and enjoyment and happiness 
which comes only to the man who has found 
the work he likes best.

~ Napoleon Hill

Napoleon wrote the book Think and Grow Rich. Again this is another book that I read years ago and it had an eye opening impact on me. This is when I realized my dreams to one day own my own business is a possibility and real. According to Wikipedia, the book was first published in 1937 during the Great Depression. This book is listed in John C. Maxwell’s A Lifetime “Must Read” Book List! I’m happy to know that one of the books on my book list is also on John Maxwell’s List I’m in great company.

You will find this 235 page book easy to read, but packs a powerful punch. As you are moving to realize your entrepreneurship dream you can read about others that was able to achieve their goal, by being persistent, motivated, taking no prison attitude! If you read this book with an open mind you’ll find yourself moving with lighten speed and ready to start living your entrepreneur dream!

We, as women, are so use to doing it all on our own, fitting it all in, and feel if we have to ask for help something has to be wrong or broken in us. Well, it’s not, we all need help every now and then and we need to learn to ask for it! We need to learn that asking for help doesn’t make us weak, doesn’t mean we lack knowledge, and doesn’t mean we don’t know what we are doing!

As I’ve stated in another blog, we’re all destined for greatness, it’s how we choose to embrace that greatness within us! Everything we need is in us and I believe some of us are in the process of learning how to express that greatness. So when we hit a snag we start questioning whether we are doing what we need to do? My answer to that is “Yes, you are!” You just have to go to that place/person that validates you in your womaniness, the whole you and every role that you fulfill. Once you do that and get re-energized, re-motivated, re-validated, and revived then you are ready to tackle whatever is set before you.

Once I put it out there that I had a creative block, the words started flowing through me and hence you’re now reading the renewed creativity that came out of me.

What is it that you do to get back focus or re-new your creativity? Your comments are always welcomed!

ABOUT KAREN: Karen, is a Creative Career Expert and owner of Give Yourself Power. She has helped others find their true calling to work at what they love and love what they do. She love it when the light bulb goes off for a client when they realize that with hard work, belief, and the willingness to do their part they CAN do what they love and make an income from it!

If you’re serious about laying the foundation to starting your own business go to www.giveyourselfpower.com/contact.html to sign up for your free 30 minute strategy session.

Karen Heck
Military Transition Strategist and Owner of Give Yourself Power
Helping You to Live Your Passion
www.giveyourselfpower.com
karen@giveyourselfpower.com

Questions to consider when choosing a networking group

• Why am I networking? Are you looking to hone in on your speaking skills, looking to build your contact list, etc? Maybe you work from home like I do and you are networking to make yourself get out of the house to communicate with like minded people or to break the mundane of your day/week.
• What does this networking group bring to the table for me, my business, and my profession? Because, when you set goals you make sure you receive the best value for your time, dues, and this can help you pick the right group for you.
• What am I bringing to the group and how can I be more active? Because, when you are more active you and your business/profession receive more exposure and you get more benefits from the group. The caveat to this is don’t get too overwhelmed by taking on too much!
• When is a good time for me to network? Because there are thousands of networking groups in this country at various time of day and times. You have to choose what groups and events best suits your style and business needs. If you work from your home, an evening group might not be more beneficial to/for you. If you work in an office, you might not be able to make a networking group during lunch, or maybe an online networking group will work better for you. Look at the options and see which one will be a good fit for you.
• How will this networking group add value to my life, business, and/or profession? When you think about networking consider what the purpose of networking is and how it can support and improve your business/profession and your life.

ABOUT KAREN: Karen, is a Creative Career Expert and owner of Give Yourself Power. She has helped others find their true calling to work at what they love and love what they do. She love it when the light bulb goes off for a client when they realize that with hard work, belief, and the willingness to do their part they CAN do what they love and make an income from it!

If you’re serious about laying the foundation to starting your own business go to www.giveyourselfpower.com/contact.html to sign up for your free 30 minute strategy session.

Karen Heck
Military Transition Strategist and Owner of Give Yourself Power
Helping You to Live Your Passion
www.giveyourselfpower.com
karen@giveyourselfpower.com

Allison of Great Small Business Advice gives another great way to handle being overwhelmed. As business owners we will find ourselves at some point or time in an overwhelmed position in our business. I know there are many ways of dealing with being overwhelmed and this is one video that will help you deal with the issue.

I’m now in the process of trying this suggestion for myself and I already see and feel a difference. I would also like to suggest if you don’t want to put post-it notes all over your wall, try putting up poster board the kind we use to use for school projects, you know the ones I’m talking about, as another place to put your post-it notes on.

ABOUT KAREN: Karen, is a Creative Career Expert and owner of Give Yourself Power. She has helped others find their true calling to work at what they love and love what they do. She love it when the light bulb goes off for a client when they realize that with hard work, belief, and the willingness to do their part they CAN do what they love and make an income from it!

If you’re serious about laying the foundation to starting your own business go to www.giveyourselfpower.com/contact.html to sign up for your free 30 minute strategy session.

Karen Heck
Military Transition Strategist and Owner of Give Yourself Power
Helping You to Live Your Passion
www.giveyourselfpower.com
karen@giveyourselfpower.com

10 Spiritual Principles of Successful Women, Discovering Your Purpose, Vision, and Blessings
by Victoria Lowe

This is one of those books I found on my journey to creating and transitioning to work that I love and being able to work from home. I still find myself referring back to this book, because it has a lot of valuable information that is useful even in 2012. Know that you probably won’t get through this book within the month, but in my opinion it’s a book worth having in your book arsenal!

Victoria gives you her personal story of how God lead her transition from corporate America to creating work that she loves and starting her own business, which she built into a $100 million dollar business. She writes about success in beginning in the section titled “What Is Real Success?” At the end of each of her 10 Spiritual Principle chapters she gives you a Principle Prayer and Principle in Practice section, where you not only read about them, but you also get to put those principles in action for yourself.

This book is for those who are serious about taking the necessary steps to creating work that you love and those who will take the time to work towards transitioning from their current position to working at what you love. Even if you are not looking to transition from your current position, but you want to read about what principles can help you succeed in what you are looking for in life as well as work this is a book worth having.

Victoria Lowe is the founder and president/CEO of Alert Staffing a company she started in her living room that turned into a $100-million-dollar corporation in less than five years. Victoria now shares her experience and vision through Victoria Lowe Ministries. As a speaker, mentor, and corporate leader, Victoria’s passion is to motivate men and women to fulfill their God-given purpose.

ABOUT KAREN: Karen, is a Creative Career Expert and owner of Give Yourself Power. She has helped others find their true calling to work at what they love and love what they do. She love it when the light bulb goes off for a client when they realize that with hard work, belief, and the willingness to do their part they CAN do what they love and make an income from it!

If you’re serious about laying the foundation to starting your own business go to www.giveyourselfpower.com/contact.html to sign up for your free 30 minute strategy session.

Karen Heck
Military Transition Strategist and Owner of Give Yourself Power
Helping You to Live Your Passion
www.giveyourselfpower.com
karen@giveyourselfpower.com

In receiving this list it’s suggested that this is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! 

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.

Here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Change the way you think.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. Release your children when they become adults, its their life now

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.

16. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Just because you believe you are right, doesn’t mean you are. Keep an open mind.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. Your job is to love your children, not choose who they should love.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come… (Can’t wait to find out what! )

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield..

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

If you’re like me, when you think about quitting your job and being on your own, you get a few anxiety pangs. What if you fail? How much would it cost? Can I really do this? It’s all normal. I realized that a lot of that anxiety would have been reduced if I had a really clear picture of what my exit strategy would be.

I was working with my own coach when I created my exit strategy, but to be honest, my exit strategy was not as thorough as it could have been. So here are some tips to help you with that aspect of your transition.

Count up the costs: There are a few things you need to consider on the financial side of things. But don’t get too overwhelmed by that. The finances seem to the be the greatest fearfor most people and with good reason. But if you have a clear plan, you don’t have to worry needlessly.

Go ahead and start: A lot of people think about quitting then starting a new life as an entrepreneur. My own advice is start your business while you are employed. I started my first business while I was a manager and my income funded the start of my business. If your income cannot stretch that far, then starting while you work is a way to create additional income to move your business forward. There are SO many inexpensive ways to create an income from your business. Often people think far too narrowly about the possibilities. I was able to do start my business as a single parent working full time and working at both was not the impossible feat I was often led to believe it would be.

Plan your time: If you are committed to making the transition from employee to entrepreneur, you will need to also commit a certain amount of time per day/week/month to accomplishing that goal. That plan becomes part of your exit strategy. What you will accomplish in those hours is also a part of your exit strategy.

Get support: I repeat this often as it is so critical to your success as an entrepreneur. Get into a group of entrepreneurs or get a coach. Whatever you decide, part of your exit strategy must be to have some support to help you accomplish your entrepreneurial goals which often includes learning all there is to learn about business ownership.

Known as “America’s Paycheck Addiction Therapist”, Allison Babb is recognized as a leading authority on entrepreneurship for new or aspiring entrepreneurs. She teaches easy yet lucrative strategies for success in her proven 7-step Employee to Entrepreneur Blueprint(TM)

And now I’d like to offer you the FREE one-hour audio seminar for solo entrepreneurs on “How to Create a Steady Stream of Clients And Cash For Your Small Business” at: http://www.GreatSmallBusinessAdvice.com. From Allison Babb-Phillips, author, speaker and Small Business Coach to solo entrepreneurs. Allison is also the creator of http://www.TheSmallBusinessSuccessMovie.com.

~ Joan Baez

Are you always searching for answers and getting frustrated with not finding the answer you have been looking for? Understand you are not alone. I’ve found myself in this position a time or two, but what I’ve learned is that as long as we keep searching, the answers do come. In fact a lot of the time we already have the answers we just don’t think that we do.

If we allow ourselves to keep searching we find not only the answers we are looking for, but we can also find other hidden gems that will allow us to move forward in our decisions to create work that we love doing.

3 things I’ve learned through consistent searching:

I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I ever thought and through that strength I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to
I’ve learned that I have everything that I need to make my business the success I want to achieve.
I’ve learned that  no one can take what’s mine unless I choose to give it up.

I’ve also learned during my searching, to take a folder or a notebook, title it “Searching Learning File”, because not ALL of the lessons that I learned during my search quest was for right then, but for a future date! When I needed that lesson then all I had to do was pull it out at the appropriate time.

As you are preparing to exit from your current position, either by choice or by strong encouragement due to lay-offs and cut backs, or being fired you’re in the process of searching for your next career move and you don’t feel that the answers are coming fast enough for you. Be conscious that you just might have the answer within, but can’t hear it because, you’re so concerned and focus on what’s going on in your life right now. I would like to encourage you to take a step back, take a deep breath, relax, and truly listen to what is going on around you and you just might find you can hear your answers.

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ABOUT KAREN: Karen, is a Creative Career Expert and owner of Give Yourself Power. She has helped others find their true calling to work at what they love and love what they do. She love it when the light bulb goes off for a client when they realize that with hard work, belief, and the willingness to do their part they CAN do what they love and make an income from it!

If you’re serious about laying the foundation to starting your own business go to www.giveyourselfpower.com/contact.html to sign up for your free 30 minute strategy session.

Karen Heck
Military Transition Strategist and Owner of Give Yourself Power
Helping You to Live Your Passion
www.giveyourselfpower.com
karen@giveyourselfpower.com