Category Archives: Speaking

Passion for Life

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My Mother taught me how to live a passionate life.
Passion comes in many shapes and sizes. When you hear the word passion, you may automatically picture your relationship or a visual may be created in your mind. If you were sitting with a therapist and he or she asked you to respond through word association you might blurt out a hobby or your work. Perhaps a material item would be the first word you would utter. Passion is unique to each one of us.

Here are five questions that I would like you to give some thought to. If you grab a pen and paper and write down your answers you will be able to apply an individual message:

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word passion?
2. What do you have passion for?
3. How would passion help you achieve your goals?
4. Who is someone in your life that exudes passion and what can you learn from them?
5. What are some things you can do to help reignite passion for those areas in your life that are most important to you?

Some may believe that they are passionless, that life is a routine. I would challenge that thought and pose the question of what brings about a smile or a lightness to your heart? That is the beginning seed of passion.
I have gone through cycles in my life where I exuded more passion for something or someone. Typically I can think about what triggered that increase. When I identify that trigger I can recreate it to experience that deeper passion that I desire.

I love observing individuals who show passion for their work. I am blessed to work with such incredible human beings. I will never forget participating in a worldwide conference where I was able to observe the leaders of my organization present to a group of 20,000 individuals. They radiated an intensity and passion for life as they participated in the conference and as they listened to each other present. Such intensity or passion has been the success of these individuals.

There may be some things in your life or business that may be drudgery. However, if you can focus your energy on those things you have passion for the balance of your life will be filled with more of the things you desire. We attract those things we think about. If you are not happy with something, take the steps to change it.

The secret to life is passion and living in the moment.

Getting back on the Horse

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If you ever attempted to give exceptional service and it blew up in your face, what did you do to pick yourself back up again and make the next attempt bear a positive outcome? Do you practice self-talk?

Do you have the ability to say, “better luck next time?” As with anything in life, when you fail it provides an opportunity to succeed the next time.

If you would bear with me, I would like to share a personal experience and life lesson that my mother taught when I was about 9 years old. It made such an impact on me and has been a guiding principle for me to follow throughout my life.

In fact, the other day I was telling my brother about this article and this story I was going to share. He remembered the experience as well. So let’s begin – I was raised on a horse ranch, farm and dairy.

My mother was the driving force with regard to the horses. From as young as I can remember, horses were a very integral part of my life. One early spring on a Saturday afternoon, a couple of us younger children, there are seven children in my family, went out riding our horses in the pasture with my mother overseeing the process.
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Discipline, a refining teacher

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The word credit has many uses and refers to a variety actions. Let’s examine.

It may be used as a type of bookkeeping entry. Someone may be given credit for some piece of work such as writing or acting. In my world of providing education, credit is a system of measuring coursework. Lastly, credit may refer to finance and for purposes of this article we will focus on that medium.

If cash is king then credit must be the queen and the rest of the court. In today’s environment securing a high credit standing should be a high priority. There are ways to increase your credit score. The first step is to be educated and knowledgeable about what is on your credit report and taking action to clear any incorrect items.

Protecting your credit is paramount to financial freedom. In a time where more and more individuals consider strategic default, you must have your eyes wide open to those decisions and potential consequences. A short sale can affect your credit anywhere from 80-100 points where a foreclosure has a potential hit of 250-280 points. So making choices in your financial life has a long lasting ripple effect.

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5 Tips to a Family Business

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Being raised in several generations of family owned businesses, I have seen first-hand the opportunities and the pitfalls. In fact, in my immediate family the business generates income for seven of the family members.

One would think that with the growth of global economies and technology that big corporation would erase the family business. However, statistically 50% of the gross domestic product is generated by family business. In fact 35% of Fortune 500 companies are family companies.

With the economy changing at a rapid pace individuals may be considering additional revenue and the launch of the family business could be the answer to both the individual and family unit. Here are some things to consider when having a family business:

  1. Who does what: As you determine the role for the family member be sure to draw on their strengths and your own. That is what builds complementary teams.
  2. Strategic Planning: It is important to define what your business plan is and the intended path to achieve your goals. That way you know what you are working towards and how to measure your success or progress.
  3. Problem Solving: When problems arise the more you can put personal egos aside the better you will be able to determine solutions. By addressing the problem or what I like to call “growth opportunities,” immediately differences of opinions can be fleshed out and you can get back to your goals.
  4. Creating boundaries: It may become easy to eat, live, and breathe the family business 24/7, 365 days a year. Keeping a balance will help the overall health of all of the stakeholders. The opportunity can be a rich and rewarding experience keeping a long-time perspective.
  5. Communication: This is the building block to being successful. By constantly communicating you limit misunderstandings, disagreements and negative emotion.

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Bring it on

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Those things that we have to work the hardest for are often the most dear and appreciated.

Why do you think that is? A few weeks ago I was having dinner with a past colleague who is contemplating a major move and an advanced leadership position change with his company. As we were discussing this decision he stated that most things in his life have come easy for him such as his career and upward mobility and the income associated with it. He was describing all of the perks for taking this new position and on one hand he kept asking himself “what is the catch?” While on the other hand he was telling himself he would be crazy not to take and run with the opportunity. He confided in me that maybe it wouldn’t be a challenge and getting to this point had not really been hard. The next week he discovered what the initial challenge would be. The questions he is asking himself now is “will this challenge be strong enough and the experience fulfilling?”

Adversity comes in many forms. It is also in the eye of the beholder. What you may find as a challenge, I may see it differently. So being sensitive to others and the experiences they go through will assist you in all interpersonal relationships. Sometimes as an observer it is hard to watch as someone is going through a really hard time and you can be at a loss for words. Just being a friend and trying to understand what it is they are feeling and validating those feelings will provide comfort and balm to that friendship.

Years ago I was faced with a challenge that I could not view as an opportunity. Through the experience I was depressed, gaining weight, losing self confidence and receiving very little sleep. In speaking to one of my friends about the predicament he listened and gave some advice but the comment he made that I could really hold on to was “Linda, you have been through worse than this.” I have reflected on that observation when new challenges and adversity has reared its head.

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