With the holidays ending and a new year beginning, now is the time to open the door to your 2012 vision. Why is this important? The abundance you desire is on the other side awaiting you!

As part of your year end celebrations, I strongly encourage you to set intentional time aside to reflect and acknowledge 2011. This check-in process is essential as it will allow you to really embrace your accomplishments as you dream for the year ahead. It also allows you to step back and access the wisdom for the sake of doing things differently in the year to come.

To support you in this process, I’ve provided you with a resource to Celebrate 2011. Be sure to download this tool and make the time to acknowledge all that you have become!

I would also like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey this year. In 2012, you will see many changes to my work with the launch of a new business. My goal is to support you in making sustainable and positive changes that increase your productivity and profitability so you can have greater impact and influence. Stay tuned for the details to come and in the meantime, take the next step to open the door to your 2012 vision!

To your success and joy!

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
Hal Borland

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

Oxygen therapy. What’s this you might ask? According to Wikipedia it’s the administration of oxygen as a medical intervention. In the case of this blog, it pertains to this question: “Could you use a breath of fresh air?”

Take a minute right now and breathe deeply. What do you notice?

Are you alive and energized?

Or are you exhausted?

No matter where you find yourself, I have an invitation. Will you take a break for at least one and maybe two hours and join me to experience some oxygen therapy as a way to refresh renew and refuel?

This Thursday, I’m facilitating a FREE group coaching call on the theme of Celebrating Life using the Compass Action System. This will be your opportunity to experience the power of community while leaving replenished and inspired. For more details about this offering Click Here or Contact Me. You can also visit my Compass coaching website or Compass rep page.

This coming Saturday, I have the awesome opportunity to be on “live” radio with my friend and coach colleague Laurie Hardie. I’ll be co-hosting with her on the Saturday morning radio show Coffee with the Coaches on Seattle 820AM or KGNW.com. Our theme for this call is the title of this blog “Oxygen Therapy: Could you use a breath of fresh air?” If you can’t make it, be sure to listen to the archived call after the fact.

Will you take an hour to invest in and “love” on you? Grant yourself permission to take a break as you connect with your spirit. I guarantee you’ll leave replenished and renewed, filled with love and joy that will make you a better woman, wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend and business owner.

“If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out.
To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.”
Mother Teresa

Photo Courtesy of Photoxpress © Sergej Khackimullin

Where are your thoughts focused? Are you noticing what’s not working? Do you pay attention to what still needs to be done or what you still don’t have?

These are good places to look because it helps you choose your activities, supporting changes that intentionally move you in the direction of what you want. This is what will make your dreams become real.

The problem is that it’s a one-dimensional approach toward life. You are not just a “human doing” you are a “human being”. When you keep your internal focus zoned in only on the changes needed, you lose sight of what’s present here right now.

Ask yourself these questions to bring fullness to your life today:

• What’s good?
• What’s working”
• What can you celebrate?
• What strengths can you embrace?

As you consider this insight, remember that your life is like a coin. One side is about being in action while the other side is about slowing down to connect to your internal core. Both sides of the coin are essential to allow all of who you are to thrive and flourish at home, work and more.

So, it doesn’t really matter whether you have been on the doing side of the coin or you’ve been resting in the being side. Play with the coin, flip it and decide to embrace what’s here today as you let this present moment inform you of what’s next.

Your thoughts? Post your comments at the blog and share the wisdom.

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God’s gift, that’s why we call it the present.” Joan Rivers

Photo Courtesy of Photoxpress © angelo.gi

I appreciate the positive energy and hope that a new year brings. At the same time, it can be overwhelming to navigate the plethora of information about resolutions, goals, strategies and more. The transition from a year end into a new one can be harsh and abrupt adding unnecessary stress if you’re not careful.

So in this first blog post of the year, I’m keeping it simple….

It’s a new year, so instead of resolutions and a long list of to do’s, how about a new word?

Yes, that’s right. Identify just one word that will guide you throughout 2011!

Consider the impact  this one word might have as it engages your heart, connects you to what really matters and guides you in taking purposeful action. Isn’t it time to simplify and bring true and lasting fulfillment, the kind that improves your life and contributes to others in a BIG way?

I want this to be your BEST year ever. You can begin right now when you decide to visit myoneword.org. Make the time to discover your “word” for this new year and let this be your anchor that keeps you centered in your core. If you want additional resources and support, be sure to sign-up for my monthly newsletter.

My word for this year is integration. What’s yours? Post yours at the blog and join as a community so together we can find our sweet spot where we have greater impact with less effort.

Your sweet spot is that place where Frederick Buechner defines as “finding where your great joy and the world’s need intersect and that is most likely where you belong.”

Now’s the time; what are you waiting for?

Picture Source: Book Cover of One Word: Contemporary Writers on the Words They Love or Loathe, Molly McQuade asks the question all writers love to answer: what one word means the most to you, and why?

Christmas is over yet there is still one present remaining if you are willing to open it. It’s the gift of reflection time spent during this last week of the year.

There is a slight “catch” with this gift. Someone isn’t going to come to you and hand you extra hours in your day for this reflection. This is one of those presents that you must decide you will get for yourself. Even once you choose this gift, you must be intentional and disciplined to make use of it.

You might be wondering why it’s so import to experience this gift. For me, this time has become non-negotiable and I guard it with intention because:

1. Reflecting back on your year helps you identify your successes and wins achieved during the year. You can celebrate your accomplishments and own the many ways you’ve grown and become more of your true and authentic self.
2. You clear out unnecessary thoughts, paperwork and possessions you no longer need for the coming year. This frees you up to move into the new year without hindrance.
3. You identify what you want for your life and work in the coming year and can make intentional plans with action steps to get you there. This helps you begin your new year in action, being proactive toward what you want to create for 2011. This results in a thriving and fulfilling life rather than reacting to life and just surviving.

I imagine that many of you reading this blog probably still have kids at home who are on break. You’ve probably checked out from reading this post because you see this reflection time as a luxury rather than a necessity. I challenge you to take on a different perspective consider these questions:

• What if you deciding to make this time for yourself is the way you model healthy self-care to your kids?
  
• How might the future of your children be different if you choose to celebrate your year and plan intentionally for the one ahead?

As you choose to open the gift of reflection this week, use this celebration tool to guide you through the process. This is my free gift to you and for those of you that need a little extra encouragement, I’m going to sweeten the deal.  The first 4 of you who send me an e-mail with your answers to the questions will receive a FREE 15-minute laser coaching session from me. To be considered you need to e-mail me by Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 and it’s first come, first served.

As we wind down the year, I want to celebrate each of you by thanking you for being a part of my blog community. It’s been a privilege and joy to support you with wisdom, resources and encouragement this past year and I look forward to partnering with you in 2011.

Here’s to celebrating 2010 for the sake of an extraordinary and abundant new year!

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
Hal Borland

Do you want more joy in your life and revenue in your business? If your answer is “yes” you might be shocked when I tell you “how” to go after the “more”.

Just say “No!”

You’re probably thinking, “really?” Could “no” actually be the answer to “more”?

Absolutely and here’s why. If you say yes to every opportunity, invitation, possibility or activity for your life, your kids’ lives and/or your business you will eventually run out of resources and you will crash just like a computer that has too many windows open. By saying “yes” to every suggestion or request, you are letting other people’s agendas drive your life and your business. Saying “no” can put you in charge instead.

Where do you need to exercise “no”?

In your life?

Your business?

Or both?

Pursuing too many opportunities is not the true path to success or fulfillment. The “more” you desire will come when you exercise your “no” and you streamline your life to achieve greater impact with less effort.

What will you say “no” to?

What accountability and support do you need  to begin?

By making a commitment to”no” you can reclaim your life and your business. Join me by sharing your “no” by posting your comment at the blog where you can read my comment as well. And, if you need a new relationship with the word “no” contact me to find out how relationship coaching can support you in the process.

Start saying “no” and watch less become more!

Picture courtesy of Photoxpress © Robert Mobley

This week’s blog post is one that I shared as a guest blogger on the topic of building an authentic and sustainable direct sales business.  Julie Anne Jones and I have been friends and colleagues now for over 7 years and to support her while on vacation, I offered tips and insight below. Be sure to learn more about Julie Anne by visiting her website and read on for insight that will help you find internal peace and external impact whether you have a direct sales business, are a self-employed entrepreneur or a woman with a full life!

In my work as a professional certified coach, I’ve found that women in business often look outside of themselves to gain answers to their questions for their lives and businesses, which can be both a blessing and a curse.

You definitely want to gather best practices and insight from the experts who are proven successes in their field because you can learn great tips from them. This is the blessing of working with companies like Julie Anne Jones, Inc., who have resources, coaching, and training to help you and your teams grow to the next level of mastery and excellence.

At the same time, you can become too outward focused to the point where you lose sight of who you are and what you want to create. If you spend all of your time gathering information from the experts, you can become distracted, overwhelmed and lose your focus which can become a curse that diminishes your results in both your business and your life.

So what’s the answer? In my opinion, it’s about learning how to bloom where you are planted by going inward to discover the answers that live within. Once you have this insight, you can blend this knowledge with tips from the experts to catapult you to a flourishing business that is sustainable and prosperous beyond your wildest dreams.

So how do you get there?

As coaches, we use a tool called the Wheel of Life which helps you assess your level of fulfillment and satisfaction in eight different areas of life, ranging from career, fun, family and finances to your spirituality. After working with this tool for over 6 years, I began to realize it took my clients out of the heart and into the head, leading them to answers outside of themselves as they tried to “figure out” how to build prosperous businesses and balance their careers with the other areas of their lives. The end result was often overwhelm, frustration and lack luster results.

I now use a new tool called the Flower of Life to support my clients in creating thriving lives and prosperous businesses. As you’ll see by the image to the right, the center of the flower is your spirituality where the core essence of the authentic you lives. The center of this flower represents the heart of you which holds the answers to your unique values, identity, mission and purpose. With this inner wisdom, you can use these filters to make purposeful and intentional choices which produce improved results in all areas of your life as represented by the petals of the flower. Notice the impact will benefit your business, relationships and more.

The bottom line here is that knowing who you are at the core provides you with filters (i.e. your values, identity, mission and purpose) that will propel your direct sales business to a new level, allowing you to flourish in your work as you thrive in your life at the same time.

Now is the time to bloom where you’re planted. Begin today discovering who you are within so you can flourish personally and professionally during this fall selling season.

© Copyright 2010, Shannon Bruce

Shannon Bruce, PCC is a Mompreneur Success Coach, Trainer and Co-Author of the book “Direct Selling Power: Expert Advice to Accelerate your Business”. As a catalyst for life transformation, Shannon empowers self-employed women to break through their barriers to reconnect with what really matters, calling them forth to boldly go after their inspired life vision with courage, confidence and authenticity. For more information about Shannon and her work you can visit www.shannonbruce.com and www.yourgreaterpurpose.com. Receive a free audio download of Shannon’s Direct Selling Telesummit Training on her book chapter, “Ignite your Passion and Live with Purpose” when you e-mail shannon@shannonbruce.com.

This question “For the sake of what?” is one that all business owners ask at some point. It doesn’t matter whether your business is in direct sales, if you are a professional coach or some other self-employed entrepreneur. There is a time when this question will be the question whether you are fully aware of it or not.

It’s a seemingly large and provocative question. As you read it, I wonder what’s happening for you in this moment? Where does it take you? You might be pondering your answer or perhaps, you are about ready to hit delete because the question seems overwhelming or irrelevant to where you are in life/work right now.

Wherever you find yourself, I invite you to sit and stay with me. Your answer to this question is crucial to your ongoing success in your life and business.

Yesterday was a perfect “real life” example of this for me. I blocked the entire day to work on administrative projects for my business, which I’d been resisting for months. With deadlines looming I could no longer put it off. Several times throughout the day I noticed that I was drained so I got up and walked around to shift my energy.

Quite frankly the work was sucking the life out of me so my thought was “thank goodness this isn’t my daily life anymore!” I also wondered if it would actually be easier to be an employee doing only work I love rather than dealing with these non-delegatable administrative items for my business.

When I asked myself  “for the sake of what?” I was able to reconnect to my greater purpose for my business. The excitement around my deeper why gave me the energy to get back to my computer and work through “the list”. Today I am energized, celebrating and moving forward with clarity and freedom.

Not bad for six hours, huh?

So what about you. What will you do with this question?

Will you say “yes” to discovering your answer? If you need help, schedule a free information session to find out how professional coaching will support you. My book chapter in Direct Selling Power will also help you in the discovery.

Take some time to think about the question for yourself. Knowing your answer will give you clarity and guide you in a focused direction in the choices you make and the activities you engage, improving the results you achieve in your life and business.

I’d love to hear what you think. What’s next for you? Share your comments at the blog at www.shannonbruce.com.

Photo compliments of Photoxpress © Dariusz Kopestynski