Folks, do you have fears that show up right when you’re on the brink of a major transformation and break through in your work, or personal life?

Maybe you wonder, “Why is this happening to me yet again? WTF?”

Bob Newhart has the answer for releasing your fears in Two Simple Words…..

Be sure to write them down!!!! 

Overcome Your Fears in Two Simple Words

Folks, is any part of this “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman scenario familiar to you?

Do you wake up, just like me, full of vim, vigor and enthusiasm for life, ready to make your mark on the world, to socialize and play at this game called life? Only to have, without warning someone or something come along and BURST YOUR BUBBLE?

Dumping expectations on you, burdening you with their rules and roles, they suck every ounce of joy and aliveness from your spirit. You wonder, “Where did the happy-go-lucky child of the Universe just go?”

I’m here to share what I do when I have days like this. I lighten up! I find that “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman and I remind her of something very important – REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! And, Lighten up!

LIGHTEN UP!

L – Live full out and on your terms!
I – Ignite your joy (boldly I might add)
G – Go forth with passion, purpose and play!
H – Happily create YOUR life.
T – Trust YOU.
E – Enthuse (Inflate) your juicy spirit.
N - NOW
U – YOU are a…
P – Playful Child of the Universe!!

Be exuberant. Go forth, socialize and play. And …REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE – a “Fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” fabulous young woman.
 

You did not come to this physical time and place to prove anything to anyone – to prove yourself worthy or to make your mark on the chart. You came forth out of sheer exuberance for life.
                                                          ~ Abraham - Hicks

Once upon a time there was a “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman living a cheerful life. Not a care in the world, full of vim, vigor and enthusiasm she bounced out the door calling, “I’m going to Chrissy’s house. She’s having a bunch of us over for a pool party. Be back later.”

A BOOMING response immediately came back startling the “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman, stopping her in her tracks.

“Not so fast young lady. Let me remind you of something very important before you walk out that door. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! Remember that how you behave today and every day, reflects not only on yourself, but also on me, your father, your brother and your sisters. Now…go forth with your sheer exuberance, and have a great time.”

WHAM! Like a pin suddenly popping an enormously inflated balloon the “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman instantly deflates. POOF! Her free spirit is gone. Her fun loving attitude is now one of frustration, anxiety and resolve.

“OMG!” she sighs, I’ve got to drag the entire family with me, again?” Burdened with what feels like 100 pounds of baggage dumped on her back, the once “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman surrenders her joy. Her once cheerfully inflated bubble now burst, she cries out….

“Why can’t I just be me? Why can’t I just have fun? Why do I have to carry everyone’s expectations with me everywhere I go?”

LIGHTEN UP everybody, for God’s sakes, just lighten up!

Folks, is any part of this scenario familiar to you? Stay tuned and discover what this “fun loving, free spirit, ready to go socialize and play” young woman does to Lighten Up!

I recently had the joy of interviewing a group of southern women. Here are a few AMAZING TRUTHS they shared and revealed:

• Every Southern woman desires to love and be loved for who she is. To love and serve others juices her spirit. To be accepted for who she is expands her possibilities, fuels her spirit, and rocks her world.

• Every Southern woman desires to fully and powerfully express her uniqueness and speak her truth. It is innate within her, to do otherwise will dim her light and diminish her spirit.

• Every Southern woman feels her calling to make a difference. Innate within her is the desire to serve, nurture, teach and empower herself, others, and the world with her mission.

• Every Southern woman has a desire for a sisterhood. She searches for other women of like mind, women who will accept and acknowledge her for who she is. She is juiced by women who share her enthusiasm for life, and by those who listen to and champion her dreams.

• Every Southern woman has a desire for fun. She knows when to work and she knows when to play. She loves to laugh. Kickin’ her skirt up and letting her hair down, she’s poised to rock the world with her juicy and joyful spirit.

In fact, after interviewing women from the south, I moved on to the north, east and west. And, you know what? WE’RE ALL FRICKIN’ AMAZING.

I discovered we all have the same desires to love, serve, express our uniqueness and share our playfulness with the world. I discovered …..

Every Southern woman is EVERY WOMAN. She shares the same hopes, fears and dreams of living the life she desires – boldly expressing her voice to the world, full out and on her terms!

Women are always being tested…but ultimately, each of us has to define who we are individually and then do the very best job we can to grow in to.
~ Hillary Rodham Clinton                                                 
                                                                        
Did you ever want to be your Mom or the trusted group of women in her circle of friends? Did you imitate, emulate and practice “being” them? I did. Perhaps because I had enormous respect for who they were and how they lived their lives.

 As a young girl, my girlfriends and I would dress up in our mom’s clothes, shoes, jewelry, scarves and earrings and pretend to be these fabulous women. We’d host tea parties, bridge clubs, and other social gatherings. Just as we’d seen our mom’s do, we would daintily drink our cups of tea and coffee (totally sugared) and smoke our cigarettes (candy of course).

We’d socialize, share our frustrations, tell secrets, and talk about our deepest desires. We’d seen our     Mom’s embrace these moments of their ya-ya sisterhood, where they were free to pamper themselves,  let their hair down, laugh and play. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Here are my Top 8 Reasons Southern Women Stay Small. Don’t let these reasons stunt your growth! (Download the article here)

A Southern Woman…                         

1. Keeps her gifts a secret.
She’s waiting for others to do what she must do for herself - celebrate her freedom and toot her own horn.

2. Plays by the rules she was given.
She’s been handed her list of rules and roles all her life. Stay in your place, look pretty, be gracious, don’t argue, don’t show up your husband…

3. Gives up her dreams and settles for what she has.
She has adopted the false truth that the life of her dreams is out of her reach. She’s squashed her spirit and inner passion deep down inside.

4. Boxes herself in with limits.
She’s afraid to step outside the boundaries of what is “normal” for a Southern woman. What will people think?

5. Is out of alignment with her power.
She feels guilt and shame when she lets her mind drift to questions about who she is and what she wants.

6. Chooses based on fear and conditioning.
Faced with a choice, she feels anxious, worried, confused, angry and frustrated. She’s not used to choosing for herself.

7. Is out of touch with her women’s intuition.
As a Southern woman, she was taught to hide her power, stay small, stuff her emotions and ignore her soul – her inner guide and compass. How can she know how she feels when she was trained that her body’s own wisdom can’t be trusted?

8. Isolates herself from her sources of support.
She feels guilty and not worthy of asking for help. She feels ashamed and weak for needing it. The truth is that every woman needs and deserves a coach, guide, mentor or teacher, a confidante to tell her the truth, someone to believe in her until she can believe in herself.

Sound familiar? Do any of these descriptions ring true for you? If so, it’s time to do some “real housekeeping.” Throw out the rules and roles that keep you small and find a NEW GUIDE (a-hem).

Today’s women, Southern or otherwise, is here to be bold, play big and make a difference in the world. She can learn to rise up, seize her inner power, and become a bold voice for self-expression. Empowerment is hers for the taking.

So… are you ready to discover your freedom, make your mark on the world, live your outrageous life… PLAYING BIG - full out and on your terms?

I’m waitin’ on ya…