How do others perceive you? What first impressions do you give? The Live Your Best Life coach, Jessica Rector, helps you understand what you are saying without speaking a single word. Look at your stance, posture, confidence, energy, aura and style. What do they say about you? How can you correct them? Jessica Rector guides you to your answer.
How do you know how high you can soar, if you keep doing the same things you have always done? You are destined for greatness. So, get out of safety and risk… See the heights you can fly. The Live Your Best Life coach, JessicaRector, explains the benefits of getting out of your comfort zone.
Tweet
Get out of your routine in life and challenge yourself. See how are you can actually go and what you can achieve. Challenge your mind, creativity, body, beliefs, spirits, or all of them. The Live Your Best Life coach, JessicaRector guides you to stretch yourself and see how far you grow. Challenge, stretch and grow. Reach your potential now!
The one constant in our lives is change. Your kids are getting older, the economy goes up and down, or maybe your personal life isn’t what it used to be. How does change affect you? A better question is how are you allowing change to affect you? Jessica tells you how you can alter the effect in order to live your best life.
Do you feel stuck or in a rut? Do you wonder why your life feels stagnant? What’s holding you back? Watch the Live Your Best Life video blog for motivational tools to get out of your own way.
Ever since I found out Kristin Chenoweth was Glinda, I knew it was going to be a good one. Even though she is from my hometown Broken Arrow, there is no bias. Okay maybe a little. Either way, I wanted to see the musical Wicked.
I finally got my chance. A few months ago, my best friend asked me if I would meet him and his spouse in Nashville for the play. He said he would pay for the ticket, dinner, and hotel, if I could find a way there.
I quickly replied, “I don’t want you to pay for me.”
He said, “We’ve never done anything like that for you, and we want to. Take advantage of it.”
With his encouragement, I decided to take advantage. So Sunday, I flew out to Nashville, a city I’ve always wanted to visit. Since we were only going to be out there for a day, it was jammed packed. We did a little shopping, then dinner and the play. No time for sight seeing in Nashville, which just gives me another excuse to have to go back.
Before the play began, my friend told me to pay special attention to the number before intermission. So, I looked in my program to find out what song it was. I needed to be prepared.
When I’m really into something, I unintentionally lean forward, as if to be closer or hear better. As the play started, I found myself in this position and realized, “Jessica, you have a long way to go, sit back and relax.”
If you are unfamiliar with Wicked, it’s the back-story of the two witches from The Wizard of Oz explaining how they came to be. As the story developed, I grew fonder of the Wicked Witch and felt her pain and heartache. I longed for her to be set free…to be who she really is meant to be. I wanted her to find the strength and courage to follow her heart and know that she is doing right by herself.
Before the intermission, Elphaba, we know her as the Wicked Witch, sang Defying Gravity, and it brought me to tears, as though she was singing to me. She found her destiny, and she knew that no matter what others say, she must follow her heart. Since she is finally able to do that, she soars higher than she ever imagined, and in doing so, no one will bring her down.
We’ve all been there. I know how hard it is to take the less traveled path. You will get critics and disapprovers. People will be harsh and downright mean, but you must do what is right for you. They will be that way, because they aren’t following their own heart. Once you get the self-confidence and courage, like the Wicked Witch, you won’t allow anyone else to distract you from your heart’s desire, because you will know there is no other option for you.
Life is not about doing what others think you should do. It’s not about being who your “friends” think you should be or having a job because your parents think that’s what you should do. It’s about being true to yourself, imperfections and all. None of us are perfect. We all have our flaws and quirks. Yet when we strive to be our authentic selves, that’s when we allow ourselves to be free. Liberated from the strings that keep us back, the anchors that hold us down, and the ties that bind us. Follow your heart and you will free yourself and give yourself permission to live the life you want to live, be who you are meant to be and reach your potential. You can achieve greatness, when you stop allowing others to control you.
As the second act of Wicked drew to a close, I wondered if, unbeknownst to me, I subconsciously wanted to see this musical so much, because it would reiterate a profound lesson that reflects in my own life. Life throws obstacles at us. How are you responding? Are you giving in or fighting back? Do you keep quiet or do you speak up and out? Are you allowing your fears to control you or are you conquering them?
Wicked is more than a back-story of the witches from The Wizard of Oz. It’s a story of perseverance, tenacity, and determination. It’s about being and staying true to whom you are and not being ashamed of it. Most importantly, follow your heart. It will never lead you astray. When you do that, you will be able to reach more than you ever imagined possible and be your authentic self.
Talk about a whirlwind trip…flying to Nashville early in the morning, shopping, dinner and a play, and then flying back home early Monday morning. It was an amazing time, because not only did I get to finally see Wicked, but lessons were reiterated to me. I also spent some much needed face time with my best friend and his spouse. Now, my friend, that’s living your best life.
What do you love? Where does your passion lie? Following what burns inside of you is the only decision for some. After years of selling software, he knew there was something more out there for him…more satisfying. He knew something had been ignited, and he felt he had no choice. He did his research, took classes, and got his license. He wasn’t allowing anything to stop him from becoming a full-time broker.
Jerad started working for a National Tenant Rep Firm, where he received great experience. He says, “I was responsible for picking up my own accounts but sharing most of the revenue with the company.” There are benefits of a large real estate firm, but unfortunately most of the money goes back to the company. Jerad saw this as great potential and an opportunity.
Jerad knew it was time…his time to break off on his own. He quickly found out, he would have to juggle a multitude of unexpected tasks. It is not just about keeping the customers you already have. Along with finding new ones, he would become an IT manager, an accountant, a web designer, and a marketer. He says, “Even if you outsource any or all of them, you are heavily involved in the details of each of them. You have to be able to diversify your skill set.”
As Jerad looks back at when he started, hurdles and obstacles were an ongoing issue. He says, “You are responsible for everything.” With learning as you go on some tasks, it is easy to see how things might not go as you expect. Jerad says, “Have a plan in place. Variables will pop up, but deal with them as they do.”
With so many ways to become distracted, being dedicated is a necessity. Jerad says, “Keep a solid schedule. This makes goal setting day to day operations successful.” It also helps maintain order, especially since there really is not a typical day. You might be doing real estate transactions and new business development one day, and the next day may entail troubleshooting. Jerad says, “Everyday is different, but that’s one thing I enjoy about owning my own business.”
Whether it’s real estate or something else, what do you need to know before you start your own business? Jerad says, “You need to have confidence in yourself, your skills, and your product or service and the means in place. You also have to be willing to work hard to make it a success.” He says you might have a day to day battle, but you have to make the business happen. It all begins with passion. Without passion, it will make the work, managing, and the day to day activities that much harder.
Starting a business is never easy, especially in this economy. With the growth and success of his business, Jerad has demonstrated, with determination, motivation, and passion, it’s not only possible to survive, your business can thrive.
For more information about Jerad and his real estate broker business, go to www.CREfirm.com
She no longer wanted that lifestyle, if it could even be called that. Having been an addict since the age of 12, she had known little else. Even a couple of times in jail didn’t work. Then came prison, with wearing the same shoes day after day and sleeping on a metal cot with no pillow. As she says, “It was not my idea of fun.“ After 13 months, she had a new lease on life…a new perspective, even though she didn’t know what that entailed at the time.
Trying to find an apartment out of prison was harder than Michelle expect. People didn’t want an addict living on their property. She didn’t blame them, she thought, “Neither would I.” Yet she was in recovery.
One day, four years clean, she knew what she had to do. She didn’t know how she was going to do it, but something within her stirred, and she would find a way. She saved money and put a down payment on a house. Her idea became reality. Within 18 months, Recovery Inn had six homes.
Michelle transitioned from addict to a non-profit founder and Executive Director with no experience. She didn’t know how to start a business or the skills to run one, but that didn’t stop her. She took leadership courses, received advice from the SBDC (Small Business Development Center), and hired a life coach. An 18-year drug and alcohol addiction didn’t allow her to grow emotionally or prepare her for any type of decision making, so she needed to learn.
She grew and became less emotional and more logical. She says initially when she had to evict someone it tore her apart. She realized those hard decisions are made in order to help the inhabitants along in their journey. Her dedication and determination to make a difference has allowed her to help over 300 women.
There is hope. Michelle never thought there was, but her family helped her see it. She says, “The mind of an addict is extremely powerful. We are extremists and overachievers. We just need to channel it in the right way. We need help in doing that.” If it was possible for an addict to stop, they would. Michelle believes if you tap into the mind of an addict, you tap into unlimited resources of good. You just have to help them see it.
Michelle says, “I serve God, who is bigger than I am. When he says, ‘Move,’ I move.” You will hit hurdles and rough spots. Michelle says to just jump them, “It’s not about making the right decision, it’s about making a decision.”
Life is about taking risks. You never know how high you can soar unless you do. Michelle is the prime example how one risk, in the right direction, can pay off bigger than you imagine. She says, “This junky has done this, and I’m not unique. I’m not special. Everyone can do it.” You just have to follow your passion, whether it’s caring for someone in need or helping at a grocery store. She says it’s about being the change in the world.
An addict tends to have a victim mentality. When her this type of thinking alters, her world changes. When Michelle realized things weren’t happening to her, they were just happening, her world opened. She says, “The world will keep moving. I can be a player or I can sit on the sidelines.” She knew she had sat on the sidelines too long. It was now her time to be a star player. Ever since then she has been demonstrating how a change in perspective can alter so many lives.
Michelle’s compassion for the individuals she serves shows in her starting the Texas Association of Recovery Residences, which sets the standards for recovery homes. She understands how a lock on the refrigerator is not just about the lock itself. It’s about the emotions behind that lock. It’s about what that lock says to the women of that house and the impact of it on the women’s recovery. She sees the women…not at things or money but as people.
A desire to help seems to be embedded in Michelle and all she does. Her new project is helping teens get on track through her adolescent homes. She knows when you help people at a younger age, they can become the leaders of tomorrow. All her programs will prove to ignite leaders, empower women, and allow them to be who they are meant to be. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
If you could practice a fraction of the compassion, love, care, and passion Michelle has in your daily life, imagine the world we would live in. Imagine the world for your kids, parents, siblings, and friends. Imagine how our world would be changed, if we all decided to take a moment each day to really see people. Not for what they’ve done, their disappointments, mistakes, or failures, but who they really are….flaws and all. Imagine if people really saw you for you and loved you not in spite of but because of…Imagine how your world would change. She may be a model, a genius, a CEO or she may be a teenage mother, homeless person, or a recovering addict, but do you really see her? Take a moment to look, she will likely surprise you. Give her a chance, she may be the next Michelle waiting for a second lease on life!
For more information about the impact Michelle continues to make in women’s lives and Recovery Inn, please visit www.recoveryinn.org.
“I never used to look forward to waking up in the morning. I would dread the day ahead and wonder how many times I would fail, be judged or make a fool of myself. I am thankful those days are past.
Having lived more than 18 years with a life-threatening eating disorder, I never imagined life being anything but sickness. Today, I am thankful for my desire not to return to those days.
So, what do my days look like now? Not 100-percent struggle free, but amazingly different. I wake up to find that my disordered thoughts around food are not consuming me from the moment I open my eyes. I can get up, pick out clothes to wear, take a shower and get ready to leave for my job as a news reporter. After work, I go to my classes where I am earning a masters degree in counseling and human development.
When I first began graduate school I was not as mentally healthy. It took months of implementing skills and believing in myself enough to want to recover, while at the same time helping clients do similar things. I can’t say that the urges to engage in behaviors don’t creep in on a regular basis because they do. However, I’m more able to cope with those urges, restructure my thinking and focus on my goal of being healthy physically and mentally. I still hear the negative body image voices nagging me to be disappointed in how I have changed; yet, I ignore them or reach out for support when ignoring seems too difficult.
The biggest part of the journey, in addition to personal therapy, has been my faith in God. He has done amazing work in me and I am proud of myself for being willing to follow where He leads. When worry arises, I look up in question or kneel down in prayer knowing that my higher power is ultimately in control.”
Meredith is an inspiration to many, and she continues to help others in her blog www.thissideofthecreek.com. If we all could have a fraction of Meredith’s courage in our own lives, imagine the choices we would make. How does Meredith’s story resonate with you? How would you reach out to help another person? Would you choose to change your own life? Meredith’s final words of wisdom, “Living with an eating disorder is not living at all. Seeing the freedom I have now to be able to do what I love to do is reason enough for me to not want to return to my disordered lifestyle.”
