Fighting Fear and Facing Failure to Become an Entrepreneur

You have a unique talent. Something that you were born to do and can do better than anyone else. Do you know what your special talent is? It may be something that you currently do without getting paid or something you want to do moving forward but you simply need someone to give you a chance to shoot your shot.

This week we’re looking at how to find the courage to market your talent and/or your creative ideas to become a successful entrepreneur. We hope to educate everyone that working for yourself and/or creating a new business venture may be easier than you may think. It all starts with believing (and then working to prove) that your idea meets an untapped need.

Jeff Bezos started Amazon because he wanted to create an “online bookseller” for people all over the country, particularly in middle America. He combined his talent for numbers and seeing what others could not and his simple idea into a hugely successful business. Although you may not create the next Amazon, you may have the ability to create a successful business. Finetune your talent. Reach out to others who have a need for what you can do or bring to the table. Put that simple but great idea down on paper. Finally, face your fears and the reality that you will fail at some parts of the process.

This week embrace and develop your entrepreneurial spirit and take steps towards developing your business or big idea.

How Often Do You Choose Happiness?

This week we’re bringing attention to “happiness.”  Despite what you might think, happiness develops from a series of tiny choices that you make every day, such as what you wear, how you find moments to breathe and relax, and even what you listen to or watch.  Although you do not control everything that happens -- you always have a choice to embrace happiness.

If you are wondering how to choose happiness when you are facing challenges or adversity, we suggest one simple idea.  It is possible to dislike your current circumstances while choosing to be happy about other aspects of your life. 

Here are the top (3) three ways to create and feel greater happiness.

1.    Tell yourself EVERY day that happiness is a choice. Find ways to write it into everything that you do.

2.    Smile. Spend quality time with family and friends. Share what you have, do, or know.  By simply doing these things every day, you will create a shift and feel happier.

3.    Embrace new ideas and ways to do things differently.  Seeing things from a new vantage point or perspective can sometimes open the door to appreciation and gratitude and in time happiness.  

Choose happiness if not all day – choose it every day.  Even when everything happening to and around you is falling apart – choose just one thing to be happy about.

Making Moves and Connections to Create Change

Want to create change and connect with others quickly? Start today and every day this week with a big “hello.” This one-word conversation starter will enable you to relate to and with others in any life or career setting.

As we head to social this week, we’re sharing candid advice and tips for making new connections to help boost your career readiness and advancement.

1. After greeting others with a warm hello, give others a compliment. Give others sincere words of acknowledgment or appreciation. It’s an easy way to endear yourself to someone new.

2. Take time to celebrate the tiny details about others.

3. Ask great questions — Sometimes the best way to connect with others is to ask questions. “What cause do you care about?” And, “what occupies your time?” are great conversation starters for any audience

4. Be yourself — trying something new is brave – so is being yourself. Relax and do the one thing you can’t fail at – being yourself.

5. Be kind — Remember you’ll make a greater impression with kind acts and words.

Making career moves starts with making new career connections. Find new ways to meet and engage with others in a meaningful way. Remember dreams don’t expire. They simply sometimes change for those who are brave enough to answer the “call” from others.

Motivational Words of Wisdom to Energize and Inspire

We all have “monsters” that live in our minds (and perhaps under our beds). Thoughts and memories that are scary and hard to leave behind.  The only way to face them is head-on by replacing fear and negative thoughts with positive words and confidence.  

This week we’re heading to social to share GREAT quotes to help you stay motivated and energized this week and this Spring! Here are some of the diverse quotes that will make anyone pause and hopefully embrace a new point of view.  Find strength from others’ wisdom and experience.

1.     “Whatever it is your heart desires, please go for it. It is yours to have” -- Gloria Estefan – singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman on doing what you love.

2.     “Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen.” -- Benjamin Franklin – author, inventor, and founding father of the United States on fear.

3.     “Those who are successful overcome their fears and take action. Those who aren’t submit to their fears and live with regret.” -- Jay Z – musician and businessman on success.

4.     “Instead of waiting for opportunities to be handed to us, we need to create them. We need to advocate for ourselves.” -- Sarah Thomas – American football official and the first woman to officiate an NFL game.

(3) Three Ways to Learn from the Past and Create a Brighter Future

Although you cannot change the past, we all can learn from every experience and every encounter. This week we are continuing our look at the challenges of making a successful career transition. Here are (3) three simple steps to help you embrace a new perspective on things that do not go as planned and how the past can help you create a brighter future.

Step 1 - Make a list of your (5) five biggest “mistakes” - Create a comprehensive list of (5) five things that you wish that you would not have done.  Identify at least (1) one thing that you learned from each situation AND one thing that you would do differently next time.   

Step 2 – Identify the (5) five most difficult potential challenges that you will face going forward. Use the knowledge gained from the past, think strategically of the (5) five biggest situations that you will need to successfully navigate and how you can approach them in a new way.

Step # 3 – View life as a series of experiments and not as ‘success vs. failure.’ Remind yourself that you will try numerous things in your life, career and business that will NOT work out on the first try. Remember to try and try again. Eventually you will achieve your goals one experiment at a time.

Life is 90% about how you respond to what happens. Take time this week to embrace a new way of thinking when it comes to learning and growing from the past.