Balancing the Winds of Change

What Would I Do If I Only Had One Month to Live?

In church this morning, the pastor's sermon title was, "What Would You Do If You only Had One Month to Live? Pretty profound question. This question could also be posed in a situation when something difficult comes into our lives like being laid off or having a serious illness or a variety of  catastrophic winds of change blowing through our lives. It gives me pause...., it strips away all the frivolous things we might be doing to keep us busy.

 Are you living your passion? or are you saying, "someday...one day...I'll do ....." Do you even know what your passion is? Pay attention to what makes your heart beat faster, gives you energy, breathes fire into your belly.  You have been shaped with a very unique gift that turns you on. Maybe you are in a job that isn't exactly what you want, but is there something that you could be doing that would fulfill part of that passion? I've always loved to speak, so I began as an educator but later after I was home raising my children, I continued as a leader in my church teaching others how to lead, then later in Corporate America, I found ways to teach through doing inservices. Today I have my own company speaking and coaching people to find their passion and learning ways to bounce back from difficult situation and have found a way to live my dream-My way. Are you surviving or thriving and living your dream. If not now, when?

What Should I Be When I Grow Up Now That I've Survived Mid-Life?

Have you ever asked yourself that question? What Should I Be When I Grow Up now that I'm past 40? Year after year, I have continuously asked myself that. Better yet, what does God want me to be when I grow up?

Many of you don't know that I started my professional life as a high school business and physical education teacher and coach. It seemed at that time there were only a couple of  directions a person could go - teaching, nursing, never as adventuresome as a doctor (just for guys) or, God forbid, a woman entrepreneur!! Seems like so long ago, but now I am living my dream job. I'm a woman entrepreneur. I have my own business with four divisions-medical marketing, speaking, writing (my latest book is "Laid Off? Don't Stress! How to Get from Mad to Glad!") cosmetics and now I've come full circle and am coaching people on "What Should I Be When I Grow Up" in their first and second half of their lives. Life has a way of bringing us back to our strengths. What age we discover this really doesn't matter. What does matter is that you and I are doing what we love to do - life is short - why go through each day disliking working or disliking not working.

The true secret is finding your real ingredients  that you need to make you happier and healthier from this day forward. We each have very specific patterns and passions that are unique to us. It is possible, but harder to discover them on your own. That's why an objective coach makes the journey easier. I have always found it difficult to concentrate on me and what I need. It's just so much more fun to focus on "you" and be the catalyst to help "you" be the very best "you" can be.

There are very purposeful questions that you can use to get started on that journey today. My suggestion is to get a journal and be your own historian so that you can look back on it next month, six months or a year down the way. It's amazing to me that when you look back at your answers you see how you change - we're usually too close to the forest to see the trees. Try this just for you Today!

• Describe the perfect career and lifestyle for you and your family. It doesn't matter if it seems unreal, just let your mind wander and write it down in your journal. What does it feel like? What does it look like? Tell the details of this life.
• What has been one of your greatest accomplishments so far in your life? Any time in your life - it doesn't even have to be as a grownup. Just scan your years and write it down. How did it make you feel? Who made you feel that way or what made you feel that way?

• What was the highlight of your life today? Patricia Drain, as many of us did, sat at the table with her family and answered that same question. What a great way to get to know your family. Actually ask them that question and ask them their opinions.

Oprah says, "If you don't know what your passion is, realize that one reason for your existence on earth is to find it." Why not start that journey today no matter what your age.