Earlier this year the Today’s Innovative Woman experts sat down with Cathy Alessandra for a series of interviews designed to give our audience insights into how you can turn your passions into profits in a meaningful way. It was an honor and privilege to be a part of that event and share with you. Everything about Cathy’s work and this organization is designed to bring value to everyone involved. Even though we are here to serve you, it’s important to note that as we teach, we learn.
As I reflect on where my own personal growth has flourished over the past few years, communities like this one have been a key part of it. If we are as we are taught (and I believe) the average of the five people we spend the most time with in any area of our life, it is easy to understand why it’s so important to for us to continuously seek out the best of the best.
One lesson that keeps coming home however, is that it is less about who we seek to be with than it is who we are seeking to become. When you see a leader that you admire, the key question isn’t what you have to do to have what they have. The key question is who you have to become. I recently heard Darren Hardy (publisher of Success Magazine) speak about this in terms of meeting his wife, Georgia. He started out with a list of all of the qualities he wanted in his mate. He quickly realized though that while knowing what he wanted was important, more crucial was turning his attention to what qualities he had to have in himself in order to attract such a woman! Who are we willing to become in order to realize our goals and dreams?Where do we need to be focused on our own growth in order for our companies to be able to grow?
In my conversation with Cathy at the summit, we spoke about that as it relates to us as business owners. Where do we need to be focused on our own growth in order for our companies to be able to grow? Being strategic about our personal growth is core to the success of our business. This is such an important message that I thought I would share part of it with you again here. It’s an easy formula to remember – it’s the ultimate definition of best practices for H.E.A.L.T.H. in our lives:
Habits – Our performance is driven more by our practices than it is by any singular event. For any area of your life where you want to see change, the best place to start is examining your daily habits. Sometimes even the slightest adjustment can deliver a significant difference.
Energy – How you show up in your life is how life is going to show up for you. Are you operating from a well spring of positive energy that sustains you?
Attitude – Denis Waitley tells us that “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” It is the ultimate definition for me of perspective. Attitude is just perspective. It’s your lens. Clean it, change it, do whatever it takes to see clearly enough to make good choices.
Legacy – We all want to live lives that matter. And we all want to be remembered. Sometimes we forget that it’s about who we are, not what we have that creates meaning. Our legacy is the result of the life we live, not the possessions we leave behind. Where are you investing for future generations by influencing the next generation of leaders?
Thoughts – One of the first lessons I embraced in my own personal development came from Earl Nightingale and his philosophy that “We become what we think about.” What are you thinking about? Are you focused on opportunities or obstacles? Are you mentally simmering your faith or your fear?
Heart – What and who do you care about? Where are you allowing that to come through in your life? If I asked you to share with me your top three values in life and to then see your calendar, would I see them there? If you heart isn’t on your calendar, that’s a good place to start making the shifts you need for life health.
Are you ready and willing to grow? To become?
Live today like you want tomorrow to be.
Live well.