Your Next Chapter

Today we are going to talk about my Parisian Attitude, and how it is an attitude or even a manifesto- that you can embrace wherever you live.

Paris healed me. Paris helped me to see that it wasn’t too late for my dreams. It wasn’t too late for me to be happy. And it certainly wasn’t too late to learn to love myself again.

Today we are going to talk about comparisons, and how they can be used to help us learn and grow as we navigate this crazy journey, we call life.

I intensely dislike comparisons and yet, I easily fall into comparing myself to others. Does this happen to you? I compare my work, my fitness (and I’m not even on the fit chart) the way I live, the way I invest, the way I think, you name it.

I’d like to blame it on social media, but I don’t think social media is the problem. No matter how hard I try not to, I seem to consistently make comparisons.

But what if comparing has both a light side and a dark side? We often think comparing ourselves to anyone is negative, and yet the super observant child or adult naturally compares….

Our dreams are always about something WE want to accomplish for ourselves. This is what we think about when we lay in bed at night imagining our dreams.

Your dreams are connected to YOUR purpose- the reason you are here on earth at this time. It’s WHY each and every one of you are here and your dreams honor the special and unique person that you are.

When you think about it, dreams are a luxury.  We as humans are the only living beings on the planet who can have dreams. Your dog doesn’t dream about a nice meal at the next holiday or what hole she is going to dig in the yard the next time you let her outside.

Dreams are reserved for us humans, so let’s honor this gift we have been given, which is our dreams.

The difference between pretending and not being your real self might seem a little fuzzy, but it actually isn’t.

You’re pretending to have courage. You’re pretending that you are super comfortable with the confident, curious, comfortable woman that already is inside you. Actually, if you dig deep, you’re actually not pretending …. she’s there, you just haven’t talked to her lately! That my dear ladies IS the real you.

Dream Life Readiness? Woo- hoo!! We like happy, we like possibilities, we like hope.

Maybe things have changed since covid but every single person I meet with shares that they are no longer willing to just make do …. settle for what is asked of them …. Or be comfortable with just an okay life or career.

We want to stretch; we want to be happy in all parts of our lives and we don’t want to wait for someday.

I’ve had some big accomplishments this past year, I’m sure you have too, but I’m unsettled, a bit preoccupied all because I can’t figure out what’s next in my life. Are any of you feeling that same way? Pop into the FB group and share. It’s always great to know we’re not alone, especially when we’re struggling with something.

Checking in with myself, I realized a big part of what I’m missing is my need to be with people, feel the energy of a room or a building, smell the ocean or a forest, or even food from the table next to me. I’ve decided there’s a new diagnosis out there and I have it – I’m suffering from sensory boredom.

Remember Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show? He would go along with cooking something yummy and suddenly out of the blue he would yell BAM! And with his hand held high, he’d throw some spice into the dish.

That BAM! Is sort of how life sometimes works.

Everything is going along just fine – you’re moving forward on your BIG goals in life and…. Then BAM! You get hit by someone or something that takes you totally off your path.

As you know, my passion and work are all about being real- but I’ve learned that you can’t be real unless you love the woman you are right now. Not the woman you will become when you lose the weight, eat healthier, save more money, find a fabulous partner…. you have to love and have compassion for who you are today or that future vision of what you want for yourself will never happen.

But it’s not easy to love who we are today, especially because when you embrace the real you who you are today, things are going to change. As the amazing, Jennifer Hudson sang in Dreamgirls song I’m Changing- “I’ll be better than I am, but I need a friend to help me start.”

Ladies, we all need support. Not just support to become your future self but support to have compassion for the woman you are today.

This is where Be the Real You magazine, podcast, courses, and even Facebook group can help you. No one can accomplish change alone and that’s exactly why I’ve created what I have.

Those are your clues to identify what fun is for you- and it might be very different from what you expected!

Maybe it’s trying out a new recipe, gardening, window shopping, playing with your children, watching a sunrise…. Remember though that to be truly fun- it must not have the desired outcome. Let yourself be in the moment as you do it and let everything else in your life get quiet.

Fun increases your creativity. So even if you’re an artist and you lose yourself in your creations, you’ll benefit by adding fun and play that has nothing to do with your art, into your life.

I get all sorts of ideas for my business when I have fun. When I had young children, it was through fun that I’d see them as little unique humans separate from my parenting role. Why? Because fun is like a reboot for your computer. It literally clears your mind of negative thoughts, and you start anew and often with new eyes just because of your experience of fun and play.