WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I AM FLEXIBLE, FLUID & FREE

This movement continues to unfold. Again, not easy, smooth, or quick, but then again, maybe I should rethink quick. This movement was introduced in January. Its March. Wow. Things have happened a little more quickly than I realized. (I am amazed, honored, and reflective about this...)


So here's the next idea that I have been wrestling with. I knew it would involve the marriage of my career, training and development to my passion and purpose, this movement. What I thought I was going to do initially and solely was this really cool online learning program. I was so pumped about it that I set up a complimentary webinar to introduce the online experience, sent it out to about 30 friends, and only received 2 registrations! Of course, I was crushed and my little feelings were hurt. But not for long. I knew I had something to bring to the table. I knew that what I had to offer would be beneficial so I decided to regroup, push forward a little more, and try another approach.


I also continued to rethink the learning approach itself. Here are a few thoughts that I wrestled with: Maybe folks didn't understand what I meant by an online learning experience. Maybe they need face to face interaction first. Maybe they don't get the movement at all. Maybe they don't care. This dreadful conversation that I had with myself could have stopped me in my tracks, but it didn't. This movement was given to me to go and make impact. If only a few get it, are excited by it, and want to learn from it, then I am doing what I am supposed to do.


So the learning experience has to be relevant, meaningful, understandable, and affordable. It has to address the needs of a variety of women. And most importantly it has to challenge them to grow!


Looks like rethinking is a necessary part of pushing forward so that I can go. I have to be flexible, fluid, and free to listen to others and accept their advice. As a result of rethinking flexibly, fluidly, and freely, I'm ready to go with the next idea...


If you live in the Cleveland area and have a couple of hours the morning of March 24, then join me for the Challenge Me to Grow Experience: The Kick Off! It will be an introduction to the total learning experience and I will also facilitate an exciting exercise guaranteed to challenge you to grow! Details about the kick off and official registration are here:
www.gonegirlgo_cmtg.eventsbot.com. I'm still praying, pushing, rethinking, and loving every minute of it!




Peace


(typed this on my iPhone...what a challenge but I feel good about getting this one out!)


Peace some more
Z

A LIST YOU MUST POST SOMEWHERE SO YOU CAN READ IT EVERYDAY

This lil mama was the perfect character
for my book way back when.

Based on years of experience, here's a list of what not to do, if you ever have a great idea:

• Act like you never felt that tingling sensation in the bottom of your toes when that idea first popped into your head in the middle of the night
• Ignore the warning signs that you really had a purpose in life 
• Overwhelm yourself with the mundane, routine, and everyday tasks of life
• Tell somebody about that idea then never talk about it again because you never talk to them again
• Write down everything that you wanted to do and then lose the little napkin, big notebook, and Word document that you wrote it on
• Forget to pray and ask God for guidance
• Wait until you have a whole bunch of money
• Listen to someone tell you why that idea won't work, can't happen, or doesn't make sense
• Take on a hobby that you will never be passionate about
• Pretend like your 9-5 job is the only thing that can be your passion and purpose
• Ignore your gut feeling
• Never align your means to your end
• Wait until your kids grow up (some of the best ideas came when they were little and had something to do with them like The Adventures of Nia and J.R. (Conversation with self: Dang I wish I would have wrote that children's book back in 1997! She's practically grown now and J.R. (my Jack Russell Terrier brother) has been gone for years!)
• Keep talking about what you are going to do but never take even one baby step to make it happen
• Be mortified to step out of the box
• Be afraid to be different, weird, or strange
• Never ask anyone to help you

Now, here is a list of what to do, if you ever have a great idea:

• Push forward



This lil mama is still a character (she's to my left),
but I don't think she will appreciate me
writing stories about her anymore.

• Go

Peace

REAL TALK PART I

I need this balance.

This movement is definitely a consuming passion in my life right now. There isn't a moment of the day when I don't think about pushing gonegirlgo™ forward. At times I wish I could hurry up and get to the good part, whatever that is. I want to see what it is going to look like...all of it and not just this blog. (I actually do see it. I just want to hurry up and get there.) My capacity to dream about it grows everyday. I have to fight the urge not to just dream, but do. There needs to be a balance of dreaming and doing, if I am going to push forward and go. But I do have some issues that if I let them will either drive me crazy or stop me in my tracks. Pushing this movement forward is fun, but hard - exactly like I said in a previous post. Enough said, let's have some REAL TALK. 

• I am tired. All this thinking, doing, and late night blogging is wearing me out. On top of that, I have to get up early during the week and drive to Akron to work a job that I need right now. What's wrong with this picture? I'm not a morning person. I worked from home for 7 years. And I have to wrestle with Sage and Nia way tooooooo early in the morning!
• My right knee and sometimes lower back hurt, probably because of working out (There's this one move that has been affecting my back lately. Problem is, I like the move and want to keep doing it.) I'm not as spry as I used to be and want to be now. One wrong move may result in a little pain. I don't do well with pain. It makes me want to lay down and I really don't want to lay down now. I guess this is the issue with us late bloomers...that's another discussion. (I know you are probably saying to yourself, "She should stop wearing those dang high heels all the time!" Sorry y'all. I can't. Remember my high heels give me super power.)
• I am impatient. I want instant answers, results, and gratification, despite how unrealistic this thinking is. Unfortunately I can't push forward and go as fast as I want. Others working on a few items for me can't go as fast as I want them to either.
• I mentioned in an earlier post that I am planning an event. This is the first idea under my reformed identity that I am pushing forward. I am just a little nervous about it. It happens this coming Monday.
• I'm moving with trepidation pushing forward this one gonegirlgo™ idea. I recognize my fear of time and that might have something to do with why I "used" to be a procrastinator. (Becoming a reformed procrastinator is a process and it takes time to unlearn the skill and art of procrastination.) Anyway, I am dealing with an uneasiness about a few things related to time. 

1. I have to clear my plate of one project that I acquired in the  past. I know that it is intense, and because I am working a 9-5 and don't have the flexibility that I used to, I have to deliberately fit this project into my already packed schedule. 
2. I am being challenged to execute this one gonegirlgo™ idea in March...this March...the March that is only 27 days away. It's scary because I know that my creativity is wrapped up in this notion of perfection. I have to get the ideas just right, make them clear, doll them up, and prepare myself to deliver them. Not only that, there are the logistics and administrative tasks that need to be done too. 
3. My mind is relentless at reminding me of all my failures and weaknesses. And connected to these imps are my relationship with time (Or so I think. I definitely gotta dig deeper into this thought). These are the two barriers that have the potential to defeat me. 

O.K. That feels better. After all this honest conversation, I realize that I am not compelled to stop in my tracks. I am actually compelled to strategize and plan. Recently, Pastor Kevin delivered a sermon entitled, "How to Keep Advancing in Your God-Given Goals". Why was I changing purses this morning and found these sermon notes? (And I remembered how I felt sitting in church that Sunday listening to Pastor deliver this sermon and its key verses in Nehemiah. It was not the first time that I heard him teach this lesson, but this time it was directly related to my effort at pushing forward so that I can go. I wanted to run up to the front of the sanctuary and give him a great big hug! But instead, I settled for sitting and smiling.)  I think we know why these particular sermon notes resurfaced. I needed the reminder of these key points: keep praying, keep implementing practical strategies, and keep people the priority. REAL TALK is probably the first in a series of posts. REAL TALK keeps me grounded and honest with myself. REAL TALK might even benefit some other folks. I hope so.

Peace