In my expert call for the Direct Selling Telesummit, Sallie Meshell asked me this question: “Sometimes people listen to these calls, but then don’t take action, so what is the one action step you suggest the listeners take to incorporate your information into their businesses?” Before I share my answer to this question, I want to give some background to set the stage for my response.

My message in the book, “Direct Selling Power: Expert Advice to Accelerate your Business“ is not a traditional message. Essentially, it’s a message of “slowing down” in order to “speed up”. After coaching women in the industry for 7 years, along with being a leader in my own direct sales business, I’ve come to realize how vital it is to understand who you are in business and the unique values, mission and success you wish to create, not just for your business but also for your life.

You might be wondering why I see this as so important. Let me explain further.

At some point in your business you’ll go through a transition that requires you to reevaluate and assess where you’re headed and what you really want. These transitions could be as exciting as learning how to balance your life and business because of your team expansion and your rising up to the next level of leadership. It could also be the result of a lull in your business where you aren’t achieving the results you desire or envisioned.

Whatever the case, it becomes a crossroad point of choice inviting you to “slow down” in order to “speed up”. During this “slowing down” point, you need to look inward to gain the internal clarity and truth that is right for you, helping you make purposeful choices that will keep both your business and your life thriving.

What happens if you don’t look inward at this point? You run the risk of:

• Becoming overwhelmed and scattered which causes you to feel fragmented.
• Working harder with less impact yet expecting different results (aka “insanity”).
• Experiencing diminished results at home and in your work making you feel ineffective.

On the flip side, as you slow down and work through the exercises from my chapter “Ignite your Passion & Live with Purpose: A Guide to a Thriving Life and Prosperous Direct Sales Business”, you’ll come to understand your personal values, identity, mission, purpose and personal definition of success.

These filters provide a point of reference for making conscious, intentional and empowered choices that will bring internal peace and joy and greater results with less effort. In essence, your slowing down actually propels you beyond!

The truth is every business owner (and woman for that matter), needs to continually reevaluate and assess to make sure you’re on track to the inspired life you desire. After all, Alice in Wonderland was told, “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will get you there.” Why not be proactive, rather than reactive?

My answer to the question Sallie asked was simple:

• Block time in your calendar today by scheduling a non-negotiable appointment with yourself in the next few days.
• During this time, evaluate on a scale of 1-10 how satisfied you are in your life and business.
• Once you have your answer, decide what changes will improve the quality of your life and business? If you’re already at a 10, what more is possible? If you’re less than a 10 what action step will bring greater impact and fulfillment?

I assert that this time with yourself is not optional but rather a non-negotiable. Yesterday I actually shared, “Self care isn’t selfish; its essential to live out who you are completely.” What do you think?

We’ve all heard the quote that the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. What’s the intentional step you’ll take today? Share your comments at the blog and contact me if you’d like a recording of yesterday’s call.

Enjoy your time to yourself; may it propel you into all that you hope for and imagine!

Photo Courtesy of PhotoXpress © Gale Distler

Remember that commercial years ago where  a woman is overwhelmed and frustrated by the many demands for her attention? She finally took a stand and declared “Calgon, take me away!” This woman was really onto something that I think bears repeating. Her declaration points to the truth that we all need to step away from the chaos and demands of life to slow down, pause, breathe, check in and reassess.

So what about you? Could you use a “Calgon” break? Permission granted…Go for it! Maybe it’s not a bubble bath, but it could certainly be a ten-minute break to breathe or go for a quick walk. Or how about sitting down to eat your lunch at the table rather than “on the go” or standing up?!

At some point, you will get caught up in the “doing” and “serving” others through your business and your life that you barely have time to think, let alone feel.  Some of you might press in and push through, while others shut down and just stop all together. In either scenario, you’ll reach the point where you are ineffective and unproductive forcing you to reevaluate.

So what’s the answer?

The answer is this: give yourself permission to pause. Take a quick assessment right now and contemplate the following questions.

• What are you currently experiencing internally? Are you at rest inside? Or are you feeling chaos within? Name what you notice.

Once you tune in to what’s happening in your internal world, take a look at what’s going on externally by answering these questions.

• What’s working?
• What’s not?
• What really matters?
• What changes are needed?

Your answers to these questions will reveal some powerful truths. However, you’re just scratching the surface at this point.

There are actually deeper truths that need to be accessed.  This internal wisdom will actually help you on the front-end to be proactive in your life and business rather than reacting to the shut-down or burn-out that comes after you hit the proverbial wall.

When you give yourself permission to glean this inner wisdom, you’ll discover your true identity and life mission which reveals your purpose. With this information, you have filters for your choices and you can design a path to the life you’re intended to live. This keeps you anchored in peace while achieving greater impact and tangible results with less effort in both your life and your business.

There’s actually a coaching journey that can help you tap into these deeper truths. It’s called The Destiny Project and this week it went virtual under one website location with it’s own unique brand, identity, mission and purpose. What’s really cool about this journey is that it provides enough structure to keep you moving forward, blended with enough process that takes you deeper into the learning of who you truly are at the core.

Many say they don’t have enough time to dream because there’s too much to do.  How about you? What do you think?

What if the question isn’t how can you afford to dream, but rather the question was how can you afford not to? I invite you to contemplate this in your “Calgon” moment as you exercise your permission to pause.

Post your comments at www.shannonbruce.com; I’d love to read your thoughts and be sure to check out the new website because it’s pretty amazing! Thanks Michael Warden and Josh Tilton.

Photo Provided by www.photoxpress.com, Copyright Julia Britvich

A special thank you to to Joan C. Webb for writing this week’s blog post as I spend time with my daughter for Spring Break. This writing is adapted from Devotional #162 in Joan’s book, It’s A Wonderful Imperfect Life: Daily Encouragement for Women Who Strive Too Hard to Make It Just Right.

What do you need today?

Some of us need to stop thinking and do,
while others need to stop doing and think.

Some need to stop asking and give,
though others need to cease giving and ask.

Some of us need to stop crying and smile,
yet others need to stop smiling and cry.

Some need to stop confronting and give in,
while others need to quit compromising and confront.

Some of us need to stop waiting and run,
though others need to stop running for awhile and wait.

What do YOU need today? Share your thoughts and comments at the blog.

A special thank you to Joan for sharing her wisdom and insight. For more about Joan and her work, read on:  Joan C. Webb, a recovering workaholic and burnout victim, communicates a message of freedom and renewal. She is a free-lance writer/editor who has authored or co-authored ten books including her recent release It’s a Wonderful (Imperfect) Life. Joan has a passion to set people free to become who God gifted them to be and from what holds them back. Her work includes writing, coaching, facilitation and speaking. Joan and her husband, Richard, enjoy living in the sunshine in Chandler, Arizona near their daughter and son, their spouses, and their seven energetic grandchildren (three boys and four girls.) For more about Joan visit her blog at http://www.joancwebbblog.com/

What do these three scenarios have in common?

• Your 1^st grader comes to you and says “Mom, can I get a cell phone please?”
• Your three year old cries for cotton candy for breakfast.
• Your 14 year old assures you she can drive and begs you to drive the car by herself.

Hopefully, in all cases, you would say “Absolutely not!”  There would be no negotiating whatsoever with these situations. The limits are set for very good reasons. A six year old is too young to have a cell phone. Cotton candy is not healthy for breakfast. It is against the law to allow a 14 year old to drive a car. There are other situations, with your children, where some amount of negotiating may be allowed. You may bend the rules a little because there is no real harm in doing so. But, as the parent, you decide the limits because you know what is best for your children.

Protecting your time and energy is handled in much the same way. You decide what limits need to be put in place to protect two very valuable resources. What happens when we don’t set boundaries with our time and energy? We over commit, overwork, oversleep, run late, and ultimately, get overstressed. Putting three non-negotiable limits on your time and energy help you to honor some amount of structure in your life. These three limits are designed to help you make healthy choices for your life so you can optimize your time and energy. The three non-negotiables are never or rarely negotiated.

Some examples include:

• I will go to bed by 10:30 every night during the week.
  
• There is a limit of only 1 extracurricular activity per child per semester.
  
• I will not exceed 45 hours per week working.

Think about your time and energy. Is your time being spent on the activities that are most important to you? What robs you of your precious energy? What limits would help you get the most out of your time and energy?

Weekly Action Opportunity:

Decide your 3 non-negotiables. Write them down and post them on the refrigerator. Honor and protect them just like you would your children.

A special thank to my friend and colleague Lori Radun, who is our guest blogger while I am away from the office. Thank you Lori for the inspiration to get clear on our “non-negotiables’!

Lori is a certified life coach and founder of Momnificent! Lori’s mission is to empower moms to minimize stress, create high quality relationships, balance their many roles and take action on what’s most important to them so they can have magnificent lives, families and businesses.  To join her community of magnificent moms, visit www.momnificent.com.

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”!

OK, let’s get real. Are you overwhelmed by too much information? It’s a blessing to have readily accessible information at your fingertips 24-7. However, the curse is that there’s an overwhelming abundance of “too much”. So much so that I’m inviting you put yourself on an information diet!

Let me set the stage as to why I think this is important. Last week I had a conversation with a colleague about the impact of being plugged in to so much information. We both agreed that having access to the collective wisdom and brilliance of so many people  provides not only inspiration and practical tips, but also calls forth new directions, opportunities and possibilities.

Just like a coin however, there is a flip side. We’ve both found that too much information can become distracting, overwhelming and worst case, it can cause you to question your value, abilities and direction.

If you’re like me, you might often find yourself reacting to what shows up in your in-box feeling obligated to read all of the newsletters, blogs, daily devotions, tips, and inspiration that you’ve signed up for. The challenge is that it can become all consuming to the point you end up working more than you’d like, once again compromising what really matters. Not to mention it can totally diminish your self-worth and esteem.

If any of this resonates for you, my suggestion is that you go on an information diet. Just like you cut back on your food intake to focus on becoming physically healthy, an information diet is about reducing the volume of content you read so you become emotionally healthy and can thrive in your life and work.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting you eliminate everything. I am encouraging you to become tuned in and aware so you can decide what content to decrease as you guard your heart.

Here are some questions to ponder and some potential next steps:

1. Does this information add value to your life or work or is it a distraction? If it’s a distraction, consider opting out.
2. Are you energized and inspired by the information or do you feel drained or defeated? If you are drained and defeated, it might be time to opt out.
3. Do you read the information or do you just delete it? If you’re deleting it you aren’t reading it anyway so clear out the volume of e-mails by opting out.
4. Is it all good and yet there’s just too much? Rate what you receive on a scale of good, better and best and opt-out of the good so you have time for the better and best.

Clearing and purging information that is no longer life giving or relevant to where you are in your life and work will have massive benefit to you. It will free you up emotionally because you will have more energy available to focus on what’s truly important. It will also help to eliminate the self-sabotage and allow you to focus on who you really are, not what you think you ought to be.

So what do you think? Share your comments at the blog and share it with your friends, family and colleagues.

Here’s to living freely and lightly!

I know you’ve heard it before; it’s the poignant phrase about knowing the truth which will set you free. I believe it now more than ever before as I process on my ferry ride home from The Destiny Project Retreat. It was a life transforming weekend where the hearts, minds and spirits of 11 women (including mine) have been set free to experience more of an abundant life.

If was the first ever “live” version of The Destiny Project, held as a retreat at the beautiful Gaylord House B&B just outside of Seattle, WA. Throughout the weekend, the home was filled with laughter and tears, creating a safe and courageous space for the women to experience the truth of who they are as unique masterpieces.

I hold a new perspective around the term B&B thanks to the innkeeper who joined us for the journey. It no longer stands for Bed & Breakfast; it now means Belief & Belonging which was exemplified over and over throughout the weekend. It allowed the women to fully own and believe in their true identities as they felt a deep sense of acceptance and belonging. This sacred space allowed each of them to bring their full selves to the experience.

Throughout the weekend each woman learned to embrace her humanness, including both the light and the shadow, bringing about the compassion needed for each one of them to declare, “I like me!” What a profound statement when we live in a world so focused on what’s not working as we strive to be who we are not, meeting the have to’s, ought to’s and should’s that are placed upon us by ourselves and others. With child-like joy these women came alive to embrace the truth, which provided a clear path to the life change that has transformed each woman forever.

The impact was significant! After settling into the experience, each began to trust the organic process and the truth was awakened. Every woman now has a clearer picture of her desires, dreams, values, identity, mission and yes, even her shadow. They all left with a tool kit overflowing with truth and wisdom that will be used as personal filters for moving forward with boldness and courage toward each woman’s God-inspired destiny.

As we wrapped the weekend, we moved into the making it real phase because this journey is so much more than “feeling good” about yourself. It’s about a new way of living, a God-inspired paradigm shift that allows you to find the deeper truths of who you are so you can integrate and live out this truth and transformation in practical real world ways. I refer to this type of living as the “sweet spot” where your spirit intersects with God’s so you achieve greater impact and enhanced results with less effort because there is no more striving.

As you can imagine, the ripple effect of women living from this authentic place of being is exponential. Their lives have been transformed AND the freedom and love they bring to their homes, families, communities and the world will overflow in powerful ways to others.

One of the participants, Rhonda, described her experience this way:

“I’ve lived my life with the burning sense of knowing I was meant for so much more. I filled my life with busyness and over commitment not knowing what to say yes and no to.  I longed to really hear clearly from the Holy Spirit what he saw in me and where he wanted me to go in my life but never felt I could.

“The Destiny Project Retreat changed all that!  For the first time I heard loud & clear from the Holy Spirit, that he definitely had an identity for me and my mission became quite clear! What incredible freedom to know what to focus my life around. The world would never be the same if every woman stood in their true identity and moved forward courageously in their mission. My prayer is that every woman would get this opportunity.”

After facilitating the Destiny Project for over 2 years, I am convinced that women are hungry for this type of experience. I’m a firm believer that each and every woman is worthy and deserving of the truth and transformation that is evoked. The genuine woman that is released and the freedom that comes is no longer option, but essential.

Where are you in journey to complete freedom as you live from your true self?

Contact me if you want to explore what it means to free your genuine self so you can find meaning and purpose while leaving your legacy behind. Also contact me if you’d like to participate or coordinate a group for The Destiny Project over-the-phone course or in-person retreat. Don’t waste another minute; the time for change is now!

Imagine that you have a navigational device that guides your choices and gives you insight as to which direction to take in your life and business. What would it be worth if  you could experience inner peace, ease and joy on a consistent basis, and that your life and business were thriving with greater impact and less effort? Oh, how I want this for you!!!!

A compass points true north and helps you “stay the course” as you navigate your way outdoors. The same is true of a values compass which helps you discover your own internal “true north”. This values compass  becomes your barometer for making heart-centered decisions, actions and choices that increase your fulfillment and positively impact the world around you.

How do you  know if you’re honoring your values and following your internal compass? Think about a time in your life when you were alive, energized and your life seemed to flow with minimal effort. In this scenario, you likely have a key value that is being honored. Now think about a situation where you were irritated, angry and struggling. Chances are you have a core value that was not being considered.

Your values are the voice of your heart and give you insight into how you are wired and what matters deeply to you. If you aren’t clear about your values, you are missing a vital piece of information that will help you overcome obstacles, discover who you are and take action toward your inspired life vision.

I challenge you to make time to discover (and rediscover) your values by listening to my interview with Marcia Brixey on the topic of Transformational Goal Setting. This audio recording is a 2 for the price of 1 so to speak, because you’ll learn your values AND how to use your them to set meaningful heart-centered goals. Be sure to download the handout because this is vital to the learning.

Your values are fundamental and foundational to aligning your life with who you are created to be, and this is not a one-time activity. One of the participants in my training class last week said, “even though I’m coaching with you and have been through The Destiny Project journey, I am taking away that my values are evolving and changing as I grow and learn. I need to pay attention to this daily.”

Oh how true this is! I am so passionate about this message on values that  I am boldly asking you to share this post, my blog and our team newsletter with your friends, family and colleagues and invite them to sign-up. As Ghandi said it so eloquently, “Be the change you wish to see in this world.”

A journey to a 1,000 miles begins with a single step; what’s your next step?

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!

Christmas is a magical time for me and this year is extra special because Taylor, my 9-year old still believes in Santa Claus. Seeing her thrive during the most hectic time of year anchors me in my faith, family and purpose. Watching her anticipation and giddiness during this season is delightful and one of my most precious gifts of Christmas 2009. Seeing the pure joy overflow from her spirit connects me to those deep places in my heart, reinforcing all that really and truly matters to me.

And just yesterday, one of my clients with a 5-year old son asked me what traditions we honor as a family. As I started thinking about it, we actually have several. Here are some of the most memorable for me:

• The Advent Calendar counting down the days to Christmas Eve and Santa Claus’ arrival.
• Jessie the Elf who returns from the North Pole one week before Christmas to play with Taylor and do fun and mischievous adventures at night while we sleep.
• Watching the Polar Express as a family.
• Making Christmas treats for Taylor and Santa. This year it was graham cracker gingerbread houses.
• Driving around the county to see the sparkling Christmas lights creatively displayed on the homes in the area.
• Attending newlife church’s Christmas Eve gathering to celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

As I reflect on this list of Christmas traditions, I realize that each one of these keeps me present to the magical moments of the season and fully connected to my heart. The bigger picture is that a lasting legacy and indelible soul print is impacting our hearts and lives not just for today, but also into the future . The ripple effect is profound as we honor these traditions that are essential to living out our values as a family.

I wonder what your special traditions are for this time of year?

Have you ever thought about how your traditions can help your business thrive?

If you look underneath the surface there are recurring themes of impact these traditions have:

• Being aware of and present to the current moment.

• Connected to the heart and what truly matters.

• Staying anchored to core values which guides decisions and choices from the inside-out.

Think about this now in relation to your business. Imagine how your business can impact others with a lasting legacy and soul print when these themes are integrated in your business.

The truth is your life and business will thrive!

So what might be the some traditions you can establish to keep your business thriving all year long?

To get you started in answering this question hare are some of the essential ones for my life and business to thrive.

1. Make quiet time to reflect and meditate in the morning which centers me in my heart. This shifts my focus from my daily “to-do’s” to my “purpose list” for the day. This adds intention and keeps me fully engaged and alive in what I do.
2. Plan throughout my day by evaluating and assessing where I am and where I’m going. This keeps me present and aware of my wins with a clear sense of what’s changes are needed through out the day. I use this information to prepare for the following day.
3. Having completed Step #2, I am able to turn off my computer at night and I am free to enjoy my family and to nurture my mind, body and spirit so I can give my best to others the next day.

Be sure to identify the traditions that will help your business thrive. Practice these with consistency and watch your life blossom and your business prosper!

From our home to yours, may your Christmas be a magical time rich with connection, meaning and traditions that make you come alive!