Category: goals

The Dreams That Tug…

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We all have dreams, goals and aspirations that consistently tug at our hearts. Some annoyingly, some quietly. We sleep, gaze, visualize, but the ideas just won’t go away. Most often we are stuck….afraid to take the leap. Here I share the story of how one dreamer who made the move that impacted generations. May it inspire you to never ever give up.

The cheesecake Factory story begins in Detroit, Michigan in the 1940’s. Evelyn Overton found a recipe in the local newspaper that would inspire her “Original” Cheesecake. Everyone loved her recipe so much that she decided to open a small Cheesecake shop, but eventually gave up her dream of owning her own business in order to raise her two small children, David and Renee. She moved her baking equipment to a kitchen in her basement and continued to supply cakes to several of the best restaurants in town while raising her family.

In 1972, with her children grown, Evelyn and her husband Oscar decided to pack up all of her belongings and move to Los Angeles to make one last attempt at owning her own business. With the last of their savings, they opened “The Cheesecake Factory Bakery” and began selling Evelyn’s cheesecakes to restaurants throughout Los Angeles. 

Through hard work and determination their business grew to a modest size and Evelyn was soon baking more than 20 varieties of cheesecakes and other desserts.

With a great foresight and intuition, their son David decided to open a restaurant to showcase his mother’s selection of cheesecakes. Somehow he just knew that guests would enjoy a restaurant with an extensive dessert menu. It was 1978 and he opened the first The Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. The restaurant was an immediate success and today there are nearly 200 The Cheesecake Factory restaurants around the world that share the Overton’s commitment to quality and spirit of innovation and hard work.

 

May the delicious delicacy of the Cheesecake’s story ignite your passion to step out, go after your dream, and do what you have always wanted to do.

Have a dream? It’s never too late. Go get it.

Need help? Let’s connect.

Cheers!

 

I Hate My Life. I Hate My Life…

I hate my life. I hate my life. I hate my life. That’s the chant I heard her saying as I approached her. Why would anyone say that? Such negative thought.

She had lost her husband. Her job. Her house. Her children. Her sense of independence. She felt she had nothing to live for. Beautiful. Smart. Educated professional she was, life had handed her difficulties. She thought she could never overcome life’s storms.

What were the right words to say to someone such as this?

There’s Hope

  • When life throws you lemons, make lemonade.
  • Only the strong survive.
  • Hold on, never give up.
  • The tide will change. Keep going.
  • Stay positive.
  • Meditate. Pray.
  • While there’s life there’s hope.

Will she find solace in any of these? I’m sure. Your thoughts? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

I Am Meant To Do Something…

I know I am meant to something but what is it? What is it?

That statement from a young man whose heart stopped beating for over 20 minutes. He came back to life when doctors and neighbors gave him CPR after he was electrocuted.

Caused me to Reflect on how you can find your purpose. Many ask the popular question…. what am I here for? What is my purpose. Who knows? Only the almighty does. But you can read more from my past discussion on 13 Ways To Find Your Purpose. Here are a few more thoughts on the subject.

How To Find Your Purpose

  • Stop resisting the unknown.
  • Act. Try New things
  • Do what you love. Follow your passion
  • Visualize where you want to go. Jack Canfield says it very well,

Every time you express a preference for something, you are expressing an intention. A table by the window, front row seats at a conference, first-class tickets, a room with an ocean view, or a loving relationship. ~Jack Canfield

Have you found your purpose? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Your Vision, Brand And Growth…

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“That cross-trainer you’re wearing; one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who’s got you branded. That coffee travel mug you’re carrying…ah, you’re a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion “C” on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi’s rivets, your fountain pen with the maker’s symbol crafted into the end” … and we could go on, and on. So said Brand Guru, Tom Peters.

Branding

Branding is the experience that individuals have when they do business with other individuals. Now as I consider my own brand, my vision becomes clear. To motivate and inspire others to go after their dreams. The impetus is for them to believe; to achieve; and to succeed.

Even though I have studied leadership and success at the post graduate level, and subsequently published book on Success Strategies, there still needs to be beauty and style in the platform used to interact with others. That’s where my Blogging and use of social media comes to the rescue! The intention is use these medium (twitter, facebook, instagram) to fuel the traction to build trust and solidify the brand’s reputation. The goal is to enhance success to grow the following and reach those new entrepreneurs and individuals in transition.

It’s about all motivation, leadership, inspiration and success.

Cheers!

How Can You Know What Your True Dreams Are?

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A dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.

How can you know what your true dreams are? That was the question a 22-year-old asked. An interesting question that has troubled hearts for centuries.

How Can You Know It’s a Dream?

It never goes away. It stays with you. You go to the left…it’s there. You go to the right…. it’s there. It never leaves until you confront it. Until you come face to face with it. Sometimes our dreams are so big they scare us. But that’s when we need to take a step back.

Let’s think of Steve Jobs. Everything we do now can be done through a little device – the cellphone. Be it text, talk, scroll, have sleepless nights because we’re too connected; talk with a doctor; device-in-hand, head down… we walk around as if in a trance. It all became a reality because of Job’s resilience. Steve’s dream was big! But he couldn’t accomplish it without taking a step back. That opportunity came when he was fired from the very company that he started. Depressed at first… he didn’t let it last long. He examined his dream….closer. Then voila! Things changed!

Same too with the biblical Joseph. He had a dream but it wasn’t clear. Then years later the vision became real. He was able to connect the dots. Later he was then able to walk in his purpose.

What To Do When You’re Not Sure About Your Dream

  1. Meditate.
  2. Pray.
  3. Seek clarity in your quiet time.
  4. Talk to a mentor, coach or friend who’s got your best interest at heart.
  5. Be aware…track it

Some dreams are clear and concrete as in a career as a physician. There’s nothing to do but enroll on a course of studies. Follow the path; invest the time, study, graduate and start your practice. It’s the dreams like what Dr. Martin Luther King envisioned that baffles. It creates sleepless nights and can prove harmful. But still…it is a dream. A divine intent that only you can accomplish.

The Lesson

We all have dreams. But dreams take time. They should never be rushed. They need to be examined, nurtured, watered, then they will grow. Just like a new born. Growth takes time. Listen carefully. Go; follow your dream by taking it a-step-at-a-time.

Dreams will come through if we let them.

Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

Be Prepared To Stop…

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Taking Time out does not mean stopping your Goals. It means reflecting on why you started. ~Dr. Shelly Cameron

I was driving to work deep in thought about the day’s schedule and some challenges that needed attention when suddenly I saw a sign that read  “Be Prepared To Stop“. In their case they were talking about road work up ahead. In my case it meant to me that sometimes life’s goals will come with challenges. We set goals but we have to be prepared to stop, slow down, and wait until we get the GreenLight to go. At times there will be setbacks which may require us to make U-Turns or even change directions completely.

As you know, unexpected stops and delays can be annoying especially if you’re rushing somewhere that you really want to get to. You set goals and deadlines. Then suddenly something comes up causing delays. But it is all a part of the greater plan.

It’s In Time Away That We Get Clarity

You see, it’s in time away from our routine that we get clarity. Once we stop we are able to think clearly. All are necessary in life in order for us to achieve, to develop, and to grow. Sometimes we are so caught up in our life engagements that we miss the big picture. It is then that we need to de-stress. To take the time to take care of ourselves. To chill; to relax. Only then will we be able to think clearly on which direction to go.

Today, stop for a bit and reconnect with your future. Your goals depend on it. Need help? Let’s connect.

Cheers!

Goals: Be Careful What You Wish For…

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Goals:Be careful what you Wish for. You might get it.

JK Rowling wished to write a book that would be successful. She did. The Harry Potter series was amazing. Readers could hardly wait for each book to be published. But JK Rowling did not like the spotlight. She liked privacy. But that was not to be after writing her books.

That dream job you want. You go after it. You get it. Then it turns out to be your worst nightmare.

You pursue the man or woman of your dreams. Get Married. Then suddenly things change.

The point is when seeking your goals, make sure you think them through fully. Is what you are seeking what you want?

Food For Thought

Go after those Goals with fervor. But look before you leap.

Cheers!

Goals: Killing Me Softly…

Goals…There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. And there’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them. —Jim Rohn

Over the past few months we had lots of birthdays at the office. So we could all enjoy,  I bought candies! More specifically M&M’s with all the nuts and stuff. Yum! Staff was thrilled. Another liked to chew on pens when thinking. Don’t we all know someone like that? Anyway, I bought a pack of pencils in her favorite style and gave to her as a precursor appetizer to a group lunch. She found it hilarious!

Then as she was about to consume the M&Ms, she cried out omgeeee it has nuts! I’m allergic to nuts! The pencils were a trip but then she exclaimed ‘ you want me to die? I don’t chew on pencils. It has lead!

So though I meant well, those gifts were harmful.  I replied that I love you guys so much I am killing you softly with my love.

Aren’t We Like That With Our Goals?

Often we are like that with our goals. We mean well but the activities we engage in softly jeopardizes our progress …or in some cases, kills it softly. Lets today take the time to look closely. Lets examine our efforts and make sure they are headed in the right direction. Only then will we achieve. Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

Perfection Is The Killer Of Dreams…

Perfection is the killer of dreams

Perfection is the killer of dreams. Curious, one reader questioned it. I replied….

Perfection is a common factor with high performers. We try to make our tasks as ‘perfect’ as possible much to the demise of getting goals done. We do get them done but (like an Allergic reaction), after doing them over, and over, and over again; double checking and triple checking to ensure everything is in place. Our desire is to avoid a Cacophony of our work.

Meanwhile our competitors who do not care as much, often complete their tasks even with errors. The challenge is they sometimes are accepted giving excuses for ‘errors’.
My suggestion to high performers is to double-check and get it done especially when it’s an application or something where there are others vying for the same contract or position.

So stop triple-checking. Make it Viable…just get it done.

Cheers!

Who Runs Your World? Goals…

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. ~Lewis Carroll

So you’ve got goals! Yea! That’s just great! Like I have always said, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up some place else. So what runs your world? Goals… of course. But be flexible.

I was reflecting on HGTV’s Joanne Gaines and hubby Chip. Joanne shared in her year in review that they had planned on going in a different direction at the beginning of 2018. Then suddenly they discovered they were pregnant! If you are a parent you know how much pregnancy changes things. You have to think about preparing for the little one coming who (though so tiny), totally changes things! Although you and I may be excellent planners, things happen. Some things throw us off course.

Similarly, my friend’s dad went to the hospital to do surgery on his foot, only to be told that he would be losing his foot! Aging parents need help. So she gave up her job and plans and went home to care for her dad. He had to learn a new way of living.

Life does throw us curved balls. So what do we do when that happens? We must catch it and adapt. That’s the only way to survive, Oh yes… cry if you must but react quickly and move on. That’s the way with our goals. We know where we are going but getting there may be different. Sometimes things go totally awry as it did for HGTV’s Joanna Gaines and my friend. But both survived.

So as you commence working on those delightful goals, I wish you the best. But make certain that you build in flexibility. It’s the only way to react quickly whether good or bad.

Need help? Let’s connect.

Cheers!