If you were to rate yourself on the level of joy you consistently experience, what number would you give yourself on a scale of 1-10? “1″ means no consistency and rarely finding joy, and “10″ means each and every day, I find joy in my life. Where do you find yourself today in relationship to joy?

In my work over the years as a professional coach, many people find joy based on what they are doing so it’s often an inconsistent and/or a fleeting experience. Why? Because our external circumstances are always changing and with this unpredictability it can be difficult to sustain joy.

But I want you to experience”joy” as your “inner” experience no matter what you are doing or what’s happening around you! You might be wondering, “Is that possible?” I say “Absolutely!” as long as you put attention and intention toward being “joy filled”.

I really appreciate what Becky Mason, Director of Marketing at Compass has to say about “joy”:

“Choose joy today. Right now, make a choice to receive joy and let it flow through you – not based on what’s going on around you, but based on the fact that you are loved and that you have a purpose that is bigger than yourself. We have no control over many of the things that happen to us, but we do have control over how we respond and how we think about those situations. You might think there is no way you can respond positively or joyfully to a particular circumstance. I am here to tell you that you can choose to allow joy to flow through you.  We have control over one thing: our attitude. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond.

A good friend of ours was diagnosed with cancer one year ago.  After lots of chemo, radiation, surgery, pain and suffering, he received a clean bill of health. He said one thing recently that really stuck with me. He said, ‘I will not allow cancer to define me.’ His response to a circumstance he could not control was to choose joy. To find the joy in the situation. Our circumstances can be pretty ugly, but do you allow them to define you – or will you choose to rewrite your definition? Will you choose to respond with joy?”

After reading this, what will you choose?

If you need a little encouragement or some next steps, I have two immediate solutions for you that will cost you nothing but a little bit of your time:

1. Listen to the first three days of the Compass MAP on the topic of “Find your Joy”. Visit my Compass website and click on the picture box that says “Find your Joy”. It takes you to the page of the MAP where you can access the first three days of audio recording (these are the ones in blue).
2. Join me for a FREE Compass Group Coaching Call this Thursday, 12/15/11. I will facilitate the Compass Action System using the theme of “Celebrate Life”. For more information visit the event page at Facebook.

I know this is a busy time of year so you might decide you don’t have the time. But if not now, when?

It’s counter intuitive but it’s true that if you make the time to find your joy, you will experience it more often and consistently. So make the time…you’re worth it!

You’ve probably heard the phrase “stop shoulding on yourself.” Intellectually you get that should’s, have to’s and ought to’s just drain your energy and leave you feeling heavy and unfulfilled. Yet regardless of this knowledge you find yourself “shoulding” more often than not.

So what do you do? How do you change the cycle from “should” to “want”?

Let me paint the picture of what’s happening behind the scenes for me. I’ve been in an intense transition season, on a mission to reclaim my “want to’s” as I eliminate the “should’s” in my life. It’s literally impacting every facet of my life, including my work, my relationships with myself and others, and even basic things like how I schedule my time. As I go through this process, I’m amazed at what I’m learning.

I have allowed “should’s” to drive my life…often! Mostly because I didn’t realize that many behaviors and beliefs that drive me aren’t core to who I really am. Through my discovery , I’ve tapped into what’s true for me so I have stopped several things cold turkey, like writing my blog. I haven’t written a post in over a month and half because it wasn’t a “want to”. I found I was writing because I thought I “should” based on others’ opinions, expertise and beliefs so I decided to take a break for awhile to get clear for myself.

So what about you? Where do you need to stop the “should’s” in your life?

I invite you to explore the question as you create awareness around where you are run by “should’s”. Without judgment, decide what you need to do with that “should”.

Here’s a system I use called the “Three D” system that will help you choose:

1. Dump it. If it’s not necessary or life giving do you really need to keep the should?
2. Delegate it. Maybe this is something that you can hire out or you can get help from someone else?
3. Defer it. Take a break from it. See what happens and decide when you want to pick it back up or if you even want to. This is what I did with the blog writing.

As for me, I’m not convinced that I’m ready to re-engage in blogging. I know I wanted to begin with this post as I continue to explore what blogging looks like for me. I am committed to staying connected to community in a way that is life giving and allows me to use my wisdom and inspiration creatively. I want to support a win-win and I’m not quite sure what that looks like, yet.

The key here is to focus not on “should’s” but on what you really want paying special attention to where you come alive. Choose powerfully to do those things that “light you up”, because this is the place  you will be energized, filled up and on purpose as you give to others.

What do you think? Share your thoughts and comments at the blog.

Bottom line: Stop the Should’s! It could be the most life transforming decision you’ll ever make as you free more of authentic self to positively impact the world!

Photo Courtesy of Photoxpress © musk

So often it is the simple wonders that fall in the shadows of the steep expectations we hold for our self and the way we think the world should work.

I am sure not to be the only one who experiences that whatever task I undertake or project I agree to, it consistently takes two to three times as long as I anticipate to accomplish my intended goal.

You think we would get smart enough to do better at time management by planning for these certain realities, accepting that it always takes longer. But no, instead we judge ourselves and compress life, not wanting to ‘drop a ball’ or say ‘no’ to anything.

Can we be happy even at these times? Expanding compassion and patience, not for the outer world or others, but for ourselves seems to be the key to happiness until we can adjust our perception of time and surrender to and trust in Divine Order.

It is important not to miss the simple wonders in our hurry to force life along. So today, amidst looming project due dates (I refuse to call them dead-lines) and having more on my plate than I have allowed time for, I choose to take the time to notice that the sun is out for the first time in days, delight that I heard my grandson giggle over the phone, and show gratitude for the simple wonders, big and small, that reconnect me to the perfection in mis-perfection today.

WHAT DO YOU PERCEIVE AS THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD? 
by Author Unknown

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were
the present ‘Seven Wonders of the World.’ Though there were
some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids 
2. Taj Mahal 
3. Grand Canyon 
4. Panama Canal 
5. Empire State Building 
6. St. Peter’s Basilica 
7. China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noticed that one quiet student hadn’t turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, ‘Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind  because there were so many.’

The teacher said, ‘Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.’

The girl hesitated, then read, ‘I think the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ are:

1. to see 
2. to hear 
3. to touch 
4. to taste 
5. to feel 
6. to laugh 
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!  Be grateful for simple things!

Special credit for this blog post goes to Rhonda Hall, founder of The Center for Happiness. Be sure to learn more about Rhonda and her work at www.driveyourselfhappy.com.

Whoa, what a ride………. Last week was my first week as a MOMpreneur. Being the mom of a 10 week old and running a full fledged business, the concept of time management presents a whole new set of challenges.  “Going back to work” brought up many different emotions; sadness, joy, fatigue, gratitude, and most of all overwhelm.

Here are some tips that I am embracing and I invite you to join me.

1.    Become the CEO of your business. When a good CEO starts her day, she has a plan. She moves with purpose, methodically devoting her full attention to each objective. She has results in mind. Does she answer every call that comes in? Does she let other people determine when to meet, and for how long? Does she run around putting out fires and saving the day? Not a chance. You are the boss of your company, and it’s okay to act like it. You get to decide where to invest your time, and that means you don’t necessarily respond to every little thing right away. Go ahead, let that call go to voicemail!

2.    You won’t get it all done – and that’s okay. It’s the dark side of ambition that driving need to get everything handled. It haunts our nights and eats into our personal time. Many of us believe that in order to be successful, we have to get everything done. It’s not true! Handle your biggest priorities (like your marketing activities) every day and let the small stuff take care of itself. It is OK if you don’t get it all done – really! Getting to the next level is about doing what’s most important – always.

3.    Perfectionism isn’t profitable. Remember the golden rule in business: ‘Tis better to get it done than to do it perfectly. Don’t waste time with details that don’t really matter in the end. If high standards are compromising your productivity or adding to your stress, take some time to explore whether you have an unmet personal need (such as a need for approval). If this is the case, find ways to meet your needs outside of work. (We’ll talk about needs in a future article, as I have found that unmet needs are one the biggest reasons we become out of balance – more later). Remember, your job is to make sure things get done – one priority at a time.

4.    Contain your business: declare office hours. When you’re self employed, and especially when you work from home, your professional life and your personal life tend to blend together. You conduct high-powered meetings over the phone in your pajamas (come on ……I know I am not the only one your faxes end up with salsa smudges; you stop shopping for the kids back to school clothes to take a call from your assistant etc. But when you set up boundaries between your personal time and your work hours, you’ll start to experience some wonderful benefits:

You become much more efficient. In an effort to make the most of your work hours, you stop tending to the minor details and start tackling the bigger picture.
Your time off actually becomes “down time” so you feel much more rested.
At the end of the day, you feel satisfied instead of resentful; in control instead of chaotic; purposeful instead of panicky. Of course, you only realize these benefits if you actually honor your office hours. Take them seriously, and demand that everyone else does too.

TLC Coaches challenge:
This month, be intentional about how you spend your time. Define your office hours and stick to your priorities. Constantly ask yourself, “Which result is most important now?” Post a sign or make a note to keep you focused, and when the end of the day comes, close the door.

Begin this fall with a CEO mentality and join me in having your business serve your life rather then feeling like a servant to your business!

Reproduced with permission from Teresia LaRocque’s ‘Leverage Your Business, Love Your Life’ newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.teresia.com. Copyright 2010 Teresia.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s most important to you? And what changes do you need to make to have a CEO mentality in your business and your life? Share your comments at the blog at www.shannonbruce.com.

The longer I journey this path to true fulfillment I am reminded daily that there is no “one size fits all”. Your unique and rare blend of values, identity and mission are meant for you to discover, embrace and unleash for the benefit of the world at large. And news alert! You are also meant to understand these truths for the joy of your own fulfillment.

Yes, you get to enjoy you! You are beautiful! You are unique! And you deserve to embrace who you are and what you bring to others for the simple fact that when you do, you actually have more life and love available to share at home, in your community, your workplace and the world.

As little kids, you were probably told to stop bragging or boasting about yourself because it’s considered rude. For the most part this is true. However, as a little child with the inability to understand anything but black or white, you might have interpreted this comment to mean that it’s selfish and rude if you put any attention toward yourself and that you are meant to serve and give to others exclusively.

Carry this line of thinking forward into your adult life and now you deflect praise, are unable to receive thanks and put others needs before your own heart because it’s selfish otherwise right?

Wrong! This is such a lie and it’s worked for years in keeping you from discovering who you really are and the larger story you are meant to live out in the world.

So now what?

Renew your mind! Take captive every thought! Get rid of stinkin’ thinkin’!

And remember these poignant words shared in a speech by Nelson Mendela years ago:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be?

YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory that is within us. And as we let our light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson
Author and international lecturer on spiritual, personal and political issues.

Owning your brilliance begins with overcoming your negative self-talk. If you need help, download our free tool to Empower your Voice Within and consider partnering with one of our coaches to overcome your obstacles as you discover who you really are as you create a life of freedom and true fulfillment.

This week I am sharing my latest message at two events around what it means to “Thrive” in spite of the obstacles of life. My friend Caterina Rando, who happens to be the book publisher of my co-authored book Direct Selling Power, sent me a beautiful card at the first of the year with this theme that I wanted to share with you in my blog post this week. 

Make the choice to Thrive…Today!

Every day is the day to have a great day. You are free, smart, creative and so fortunate. Each day brings new opportunities and possibilities. Set yourself up to have your best possible day by reflecting on these powerful and uplifting ideas.

TODAY….

• Choose to be joyful

• Keep your vision in focus

• Be devoted to your dreams

• Plan for a productive day

• Take a risk and a leap of faith

• Do a good deed

• Be loud and proud about your passion

• Accentuate the positive

• Acknowledge someone from the heart

• Make yourself happy

• Be your word

• Take consistent action

• Expect success in everything

• Make this day really matter

• You have the power!

© Caterina Rando

PowerDynamics Publishing was founded by Caterina Rando, a business strategist and author of many information products, including the national best seller, Learn to Power Think. Early in Caterina’s career she was a co-author in the book, Give Stress A Rest, and a few years ago she was a contributing author to Build It Big – 101 Secrets From Top Direct Selling Experts and More Build It Big. She found that contributing to books that targeted the audiences she served gained her confidence, credibility and cachet and resulted in a significant increase in product revenue, consulting projects and speaking engagements. For more about Caterina and her publishing projects, visit www.powerdynamicspub.com.

As a solopreneur, you wear many hats as you plant a variety of seeds to keep the garden of your business thriving. These seeds are activities such as marketing, administration, serving, selling and developing, all which keep your garden flourishing.

While I’m not a gardener, I do know that weeds begin to grow if you don’t tend to it. If you aren’t careful, these weeds will slowly choke the life out of the healthy plants destroying the beauty and harvest of the garden that’s planted. The same holds true for your business and life!

As you plant these seeds and your garden grows to produce a harvest, there is one thing to remember. Each day is limited in time and because of this you must be intentional as you tend to your garden. Nurturing the seeds already planted, as you continue to seed for the future, are both important and necessary. At the same time, you must be aware of the weeds that need to be removed to avoid losing the harvest you’ve planted.

What are some of the weeds that might show up in your garden of your business?

• Activities that are no longer energizing and take away from producing a fruitful crop.
• Administrative tasks which drain you and could be done by someone other than you, the master gardener.
• Duties outside of your expertise like technology, social media, graphic design, web site maintenance, newsletters, developing promotional materials, etc.

Take a moment to look at your own garden. What are your weeds?

Once you’ve identified them, here are some next steps:

1. Hire others to help. You cannot grow the garden of your business without expanding your team. At some point, it’s essential to hire a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, accountant, technology person, and a professional certified coach to support you through the expansion. Bottom line: you cannot do it alone forever!
2. Dedicate time to plan and strategize. Block time in your calendar to evaluate and assess: What’s working? What’s not? What changes are needed? If you don’t, you risk being reactive rather than proactive.
3. Remove the “good” so the “better” and “best” have room to flourish. As you grow and narrow your focus, some of the opportunities that were one ideal and considered healthy plants in the garden of your business may actually become weeds. This is because the good plants can take up space and time in your garden and keep you from growing and harvesting the best plants that produce greater abundance.

You’ve probably heard all of this before but it warrants repeating. As the garden of your business expands, growing beyond being a solopreneur doing it alone, to becoming an entrepreneur with a support team is critical. Every business owner reaches this fork in the road and needs to decide what the garden needs to grow, otherwise you run the risk of the weeds taking it over and wreaking havoc not only in your business, but also in your life.

As you contemplate your own business (and life because this metaphor applies here too), how would you answer this question:

What next step will help the garden of your life and business thrive to produce a more abundant crop?

This month, there are several coaching programs and products available to you to help your garden grow, flourish and thrive. If you want to know what’s coming, sign up for our monthly newsletter.

What comments do you have? Share at the blog and may the harvest of your life and business be abundant!

I’ve spent the majority of my life “doing” rather than “being”. After all, there are places to go, people to see, and things to do, right?

This approach to life fell short for me over ten years ago when I made the bold and courageous decision to leave behind the security of my steady paycheck. I quit my “Corporate” job to pursue my entrepreneurial dream because I was exhausted and burnt out from all of my “doing” for the sake of what?!

Little did I know that I would find myself going through life transition upon life transition, starting with my divorce and the subsequent hurdles of my daughter’s health struggles.

Because of these changes, I was challenged to find answers to the questions of “Who am I?” and “What’s next?”

I could write a book on the topic and some day I just might! In the meantime, the key learning is that I am a “human being”, not a “human doing”. Out of this paradigm shift, I have reaped the benefits of living a heart centered life and I am committed to supporting women like you to do the same.

For those of you who are “do-ers” (which is 99.9% of the women out there), here are some practical next steps that will help you “to be”.

1. Slow down and breathe fully. Repeat multiple times during the day!
2. Go for a walk in silence. A little bit of exercise, a chance to be and not just “sitting still”.
3. Get up early in the morning before everyone else wakes up. Drink your coffee in silence and breathe some more.
4. Stop talking and listen. Pay attention to others and to your inner voices, your body, etc.
5. Read my blog article “On the Verge of a Break Through” for more insight.

Learning to “be” is essential if you want to find inner peace, joy and greater purpose. It’s a huge shift from the crazy-making world we live, yet so worth the perseverance and commitment to find it.

So what else would you add to this list? Share your comments at Facebook and the Blog…And then, breathe and “just be”!

I know this might seem really petty, but over five years ago I  began a “love-hate” relationship with the closet doors in my new home. They are the kind that slide on a track and get thrown off on occasion, which means I need help to re-align them because it’s awkward and difficult for me to fix them on my own.

Today both of the doors went off the track and it really annoyed me. I don’t think it was the doors being off the track that bothered me so much, but rather the realization that I’ve been tolerating this little nuisance for over five years! Because….Why?!

I don’t really know the answer to this question and right now I don’t think it really matters. What’s important is that I’ve made the decision to replace the doors because I’m done “settling” for this minor yet annoying inconvenience.

Today’s closet situation actually reminded me of a powerful question my very first life coach asked me. I invite you to ponder it as well.

“What are you tolerating?” Said differently, “What’s getting in the way of you being your best in your life and work?”

So what does this mean for you? How might you answer these questions? I’m curious what minor change you will make so that you can change your impact from surviving to thriving?

The decision to replace my closet doors has me energized and empowered me. It reminds me that at any given moment I am at choice, and how I think and act has one of two consequences. It either moves me toward my best self and inspired life, or it takes me further away from who I am destined to be and to achieve.

So what choice will you make today? Share your thoughts at the blog as you make the decision to stop settling. Start thriving beyond what you are are tolerating.

I recently had the chance to pause and celebrate my past year and was amazed at all that has happened in 2009. There have been huge milestones like the launch of the new website, blogging and the venture into social media. However, when I looked beyond the obvious I was pleasantly surprised that my year was sprinkled with several small and consistent wins that have made this year a huge success for me, based on what I define as being successful.

So here’s the bottom line. You must make time to celebrate and acknowledge your wins for 2009! Why? Without knowing where you’ve been and what you’ve accomplished, both inside and out, who knows where you’ll end up  in 2010. Also, be sure to review your year based on your personal definition of success, not what someone else would consider it to be.

There is a passage from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll which cleverly illustrates why it’s important to know where you are headed in life, especially in this ever changing world we live:

“Cheshire Puss,” she began rather timidly, as she did not know at all whether it would like the name. However, it only grinned a little wider. “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.

“So long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the cat, “if you only walk long enough, because if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

So in the coming days, block your time and take 60-minutes to Acknowledge 2009, using this tool as your guide.  Set your course onto the path that will lead you to what you want to create for 2010!  And, if you’re ready to overcome your limitations, discover who you are, and take action toward your inspired life vision, it’s time to schedule your 15-minute complimentary information call to see if partnering with one of our coaches is your next step in the new year!

As your new year blossoms, may the journey of your life be fragrant with new opportunities, your days be bright with new hopes and your heart be happy with love! Happy New Year!