Bonjour! Paris is calling, and how I manifested this moment.

As you read this, I have landed in the city of lights, and it marks the first time I’ve visited Europe since my college days (ABSURD, I know).

But here’s the thing.

???? ? I spent my 20s KILLING myself to prove my worth in corporate America.

???? ? I spent my 30s KILLING myself to prove my worth on TV.

???? ? And I’ve been spending my 40s KILLING myself being a working mom.

Except for a few and too far between romantic getaways with my husband to the Caribbean, Europe was not in the cards. ??

So when my best friend of 25 years called me and said…

???? ? Want to go to Paris…

???? ? To see Taylor Swift….

???? ? Over Mother’s Day weekend…?

My first instinct was, OMG, I can’t explain how much I want to say yes, but I couldn’t do that.

???? ? How would I leave my kids over Mother’s Day?

???? ? How would I block my schedule, which is usually back-to-back each day?

???? ? How would I….

The list went on.

To which she said, “Can you think of a better gift to give yourself?” ??

That hit me deep.

Mothers and parents in general don’t often think of giving themselves a gift.? We spend our time taking care of (and buying gifts for) everyone else.

At the beginning of the year, before that call, I spent some time before the New Year mapping out everything I wanted to accomplish in 2024. ????

This was not a vision board but an action board. As I’ve shared with my Quality Quarter Method, it was a list of places, things, and actions I planned to take for this year.

I went on Pinterest and took pictures that represented each item. I went on Canva and made it into a collage. Then, I went into my computer settings and made it the background of my home page. ???

One day, a client looking at an example on my computer during a session said, “Is that Taylor Swift on your computer screen saver”???

That’s right. I am no Swiftie, but the global phenomenon that is this artist had me so dang curious about why people say this concert was the greatest of their lives. She was on the action board.

I had to see it for myself.??

I didn’t anticipate that it would involve a trip to Paris. ??

But here we are.?

This is an example of thoughts becoming actions and actions becoming outcomes. One of those actions was choosing myself over the many responsibilities I could have prioritized.

When you choose yourself, it’s not selfish; it’s sometimes just the most thoughtful form of confidence, and that can be something that you exude in your communications.

There is nothing more contagious than confidence. ??

What will you accomplish this year???

Make it so.

Favorite post of the week:

Keep pushing forward by Janice Bryant Howroyd

Tip of the week:

Step up and stand out

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