How giving can impact your business...

As we approach the end of 2021, I am now reflecting on how I began this year to see if I have been successful with my goals and intentions. I am blessed to have a great network of women and I want to acknowledge Tamara L Hunter who asked me to share on her platform what my intentions are for 2021.

It is our intentions that guide our attitude and behavior. Upon, reflecting on my year I was surprised to see how much I surpassed my goal of impacting 21,796 people. I am happy to see that I have impacted 43,188 people as of Sunday, December 5, 2021. What have your goals been this year and are you close to achieving them? There is still time to make a difference in the world. The only way that you run out of time is when you are entering the graveyard.

So how did I achieve these results? I have been fortunate to be a part of many collaborations that have allowed me to serve on various platforms. As a mother of 15 children, I have seen first hand that it is impossible to do what I do alone. I grew up as an only child with the high performing mindset. I was rewarded for high marks in school which was the basis for a strong ego and competitive mindset. That belief system made it hard for me to collaborate with others because I was afraid that they would steal my credit/or contribution for themselves. How can someone who was a high performer be victim of the scarcity mindset?

That mindset grew because I felt I was in control of ALL of my outcomes. I was clear about doing everything so that I could be responsible for enjoying all of my success. Over time I realized that all of the work was at the expense of my own joy and health. It reminded me of my childhood in which I would have a Christmas tree in the living room with presents that spanned beyond the bottom of the tree. A picture that would be a dream for many kids but for me it was a reality that with all those presents I had no one to share them with. Not one sibling hence the joy to having many friends and always surrounding myself with others who had a zeal for having fun.

"A life without excuses is a mindset for greatness." LaChelle Adkins

I am happy to have learned to no longer feel threatened by others greatness. Greatness attracts greatness. We all have something that we are great at which allows us to recognize that trait when we see it in others. It is the comparison of others that leaves us feeling inadequate because we are comparing someone's greatness to our weakness. Just like everyone doesn't have blue eyes, everyone does not have the same gifts and talents. I was busy being distracted by others which left me burnt out doing everything instead of having the capacity to see what was the best way to work smarter and not harder.

I remember having a day that would consist of waking up at 5:30 am breastfeeding a baby after having about 4 hours of sleep, preparing breakfast for the family. Preparing coffee and a plate for my husband before he would head out to work. Wake up the children, feed them, style their hair and transport them to school. Return to clean the dishes, put away left overs, load the washer (daily), then stop and breast feed again. It is no accident that I have omitted showering, I would be so focused on caring for others I would usually shower at naptime for my toddlers who were not school age. My day consisted of doctor appointments, field trips, grocery runs, and extracurricular transport. I had so much value attached to my roles and projects that I completed because of my high performance mindset. However, I grew accustomed to starting and dropping tasks so my self worth was always low. I could be doing dishes and time to breastfeed, breastfeed and the phone rings, phone rings and husband clicks in because he needs a file copied, then the washer beeps and clothes need to be in the dryer...this was daily and only a few of the scenarios that occurred.

My biggest lesson after 13 years of depression and 3 hospitalizations was that I had to realize that I was responsible for my situation and I had to eliminate the excuses of blaming my husband, children and circumstances. Control and empowerment came from facing reality and choosing how I wanted to show up in all of my areas of life. The masks that I wore with people pleasing, no boundaries, no self care came off and the real me appeared. I learned to love me regardless of my past, flaws, gifts and talents. I became committed to being the best version of me and sharing my story with other moms who could benefit from my journey. As we approach the end of 2021, I encourage you to search within and share your story with others who could benefit from your journey. I am passionate about teaching and collaborating and I look forward to impacting 86,376 people in 2022.

How do I plan to do it? I will be publishing a journal to be released early 2022. I am seeking keynote speaking engagements to speak to moms for strategies to create daily routines that consist of smiling rather than stressing. I will be in a comic book series that will consist of a virtual marketplace for sponsors/vendors.

 I will be seeking more phenomenal guests for my podcast. I will be co-hosting another Master Your Success 12 part Masterclass Series. I will be kicking off Season 2 of my Livestream TV Series - Reel Life without Excuses on the Zondra TV Network.... MY INTENTION IS TO COLLABORATE WITH OPRAH WINFREY AND JIMMY FALLON on a project to reach more women to teach them to live life daily with a SMILE: sleep, mood, inner voice, laughter and energy- instead of stress. If you have a mindset of collaboration please join me for some projects in 2022.