Are you ready to visualize your dreams into action? One of the best ways to do that is with a vision board. A vision board is an awesome tool that will help give you the clarity, direction and motivation to achieve your dreams, goals and your ideal life. I love vision boards and throughout my life they have helped me achieve many goals including rocking my closing ratios when I was a sales executve and, keeping me motivated and inspired during life’s less than wonderful moments and keeping focused and brave while  starting my own company.  
By creating a vision board that displays your goals, dreams and life vision, and placing it in a space where you see it often, no matter what happens during your day, your vision board is a positive reminder of where you intend to be. Appealing to you on both conscious and subconscious levels, a vision board is a super cool way to keep you motivated, focused on your goals, and headed in the direction you have chosen.
Creating Your Vision Board Q&A
What should I place on my Vision Board?   Anything that inspires and motivates you! Think about and make a list of what your goals are in the following areas- relationships, career, finances, travel, personal growth and health. Ask yourself, what does my ideal life look like? You can use your vision board for goals and dreams in all areas of your life, or in just one specific area that you want to focus on.
I have my list, now what?  Once you have your list, go ahead and start looking through magazines or even surf the internet for inspiring images and or empowering words that reflect your goals and collect them. Once you think you are set with these images, it’s time to assemble your board.
Does size matter? The size of your vision board does not matter. I have seen and even made boards as small as notebook paper and as large as a wall size banner. The choice is yours! You may use poster board, foam board (my favorite), cork board, side of a barn, whatever! Once you decide on your board, assemble your images. Make sure your board looks and feels right to you before gluing your images down.
My board looks and feels great, now what?  Now it’s time to find a place for your vision board where you will see it every day. (They don’t really work stuffed away in the basement) By seeing your board every day, you will be reinforcing your goals, direction and motivation while helping to keep you focused, even during challenges, bringing you closer to your dreams and your ideal life!
Need help with your vision board?  Contact me today for a schedule of my upcoming Vision Board Workshops or to schedule one near you today! gsilva@raindancelife.com

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Who Am I?” Don’t worry we all have. As you live life, you can begin to move further and further away from your true self and almost feel like life is living you…Eventually, you may feel that you’ve lost a sense of who you truly are. You are not alone.
One reason why I think people feel lost in life is because they live their lives based on what other people believe to be right for them.  They model their lives based on the thoughts, beliefs and ideas that have been passed down to them by their parents, family members, teachers, friends and society in general.  Because they never took the time to question the authenticity of those beliefs, and whether they had anything to do with who they really are, they continued to build, craft, mold and shape their lives based on what other people believe to be right.
Another common denominator I have found within the “lost ones” is that many of them are ruled by fear. Fear seems to overshadow every area of their lives. Fear seems to be present in their minds, in their hearts, in the work they do, in the decisions they make, in the relationships they have- pretty much in everything they do. They live in a constant state of fear, and they feel lost, disoriented, disconnected and very unhappy while believing every toxic thought that comes into their minds. Their entire sense of self becomes so easily based on these thoughts, it becomes more and more difficult to see the forest from the trees.
Growing up, my Father would often tell me “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” How does this influence someone feeling lost? Easy. They surround themselves with people who drag them down. When you are surrounded by people who are constantly whining, blaming, criticizing, gossiping and complaining, you absorb their fears, doubts and negativity, and you are very easily derailed from your life path.
Often, negative thoughts will start a snowball effect in our minds starting an avalanche of the who am I, lost, feelings. If you feel the negativity creeping in, go for a walk, or if you can, take a “mental health” day off. Or even better yet, go on an adventure! Whether it's a day trip, a “staycation” nearby, or a long drive to the mountains, get out there and explore. Away from the distractions of everyday life, this will give you the time to focus and really reconnect with yourself again. I promise, when you come back you will have far more clarity than you had when you started.
As we grow up, it is so easy to lose sight of ourselves and how amazing life can be because we get overwhelmed by all sorts of pressures and responsibilities. We tend to let life happen to us rather than making life happen for us. In a perfect world, what would you love to be, have, or do? By reconnecting with your dreams (or maybe even coming up with new ones) and making a commitment to yourself that you will do what you love, you'll have the desire, inspiration and motivation to begin and suddenly you will be well on your way to finding yourself again.
We all get lost from time to time, it’s all part of this awesome adventure called life. We are all learning and growing and changing every day. Growth doesn't happen by staying in the bubble of your comfort zone where everything is familiar. The key is using your experiences to grow.  And with each experience, you move forward not backward.  You become stronger and wiser.  By immersing yourself fully and mindfully into every experience and every interaction , you will have  much easier time getting yourself back on your path when you feel your footing may be beginning to slip.  

Life can be extremely stressful. We all know it. Raising children, battling traffic day in and out, meeting your weekly goals whether at work or home, shopping, cleaning, cooking, socializing, the list goes on and on. Just managing your life contributes to a large amount of stress.
Most often, we handle all these situations with ease.  But once in a while something happens. Something you can’t put your finger on. Your radiant smile has lost its glimmer; the spring in your step is feeling flat. Maybe you’re more tired than normal and the usual 40 oz macchiato doesn’t seem to be doing its job. The job you love and have been doing with light and ease is feeling murky and difficult. You may ask yourself, “How did I get here?”
Are you crazy? Maybe a little. But your “good crazy” actually helps to keep you sane in this crazy world. Don’t despair, we all go through it. I have complied some tips below that will totally help you get back on track.  Not every tip will work for everyone, but if even just one of these things helps you, then this was definitely worth the read.
1.       Clear your head.  Often, negative thoughts start a snowball effect in our minds. Something like, I have 99 problems and 86 of them I have invented myself. If you feel the negativity creeping in,   go for a walk, or if you can, take a “mental health” day off.  Give yourself a “me” day simply to recharge and refresh.
2.       Read a good book. There are so many great, inspiring authors that are not only motivating  but will absolutely help to get you back on track. Oldies but goodies like John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, and of course Zig Ziglar come to mind. Newbies like Brendon Burchard, Simon Sinek and David Marquet are absolutely worth checking out.
3.       Exercise. Obviously, exercise is healthy but it also is a great way to improve your work attitude and increase your happiness because it not only enhances your energy but will improve your mood and absolutely reduce stress by releasing those warm and fuzzy endorphin's. I myself haven’t ever stepped into a gym (my husband is our daily gym rat) but we have started cycling on our days off and it really works! So take a walk, run, ride- whatever get that body moving!
4.       Lighten up! We are all guilty of being most critical of our own selves. Sometimes it is ok give yourself a break and not take things so seriously. Laughter truly is the best medicine, and as the adage says, if you can’t laugh at yourself, call me I’ll laugh at you!
5.       Meditate Of course meditate made it to my list and you’re probably saying to yourself right now “yup cross that one off- no time for that here” I gotcha, no worries. Yes, sitting quietly in a candle lit room smelling of sandalwood for an hour finding your Zen sounds awesome. If you have the time, great! There are some great tutorials to be found on YouTube to get you started. For the rest of us, meditation can be that 5 minutes you steal for yourself and find a quiet place close your eyes and just breathe. You can even tell yourself to “find my center” or find a positive phrase or mantra that works for you. Practice this when you can and believe me you will feel a difference.  Remember the key to meditation is not to control your thoughts, it is not allowing your thoughts to control you.
6.       Get Inspired. Different people are motivated in different ways by different things. Some people get motivated by loud music and others by scrolling the internet for inspirational quotes.  So find what inspires you and go do it, listen to it, read it-you get the idea.

• So, if you find yourself overwhelmed or stressing out, I hope one or more of these tips have resonated with you.  Know that you are not alone. Many people I work with that were stuck in a rut have become clearer about reaching new goals and have had great successes in our coaching sessions leading to new insights and motivation.   .

While taking a break in between prep cooking for tomorrow, sitting in the sun overlooking our beautiful farm and it occurs to me that twenty years ago today I was also prep cooking for what was then my first shot at Thanksgiving dinner. I look back on that day and I have to laugh as there I stood, I myself fat as a turkey (I was pregnant at the time) chopping, slicing, dicing and really having no idea what I was doing but loving every minute of it. Somehow the turkey and all the trimmings turned out beautifully that year (thank you, Angels) and on the heels of that success I am now embarking on my 20th Thanksgiving feast. Twenty years of turkeys. That just amazes me. Just uttering that out loud sounds strange to me. And I sit here today, between prepping, slicing and dicing as I did so long ago, my thoughts floating around like leaves on a November breeze and you know what? It’s been a good run.  
In the past twenty years, I have loved and have been loved deeply. I have suffered losses that have scarred me. I have brought a beautiful shining soul into this world, and I have also danced with death. I have made many mistakes yet have had many triumphs. I have met the most wonderful people along the way and also the most heinously awful.  I have feared, hated, forgave and cried many tears of laughter, joy, sadness and pain. I have grown.
 Right here, right now, on my porch in the sun I know I wouldn’t change a thing. Not any of it.  Every path and experience I have encountered along this “Twenty Turkey Run” has led to this very blissful moment.  And as the memories flow though me, the good, the bad and the ugly, I am so very grateful. I am grateful to have truly experienced this magnificent, terrible, amazing, awful, joyous, painful, exciting, scary, loving, hating, gorgeous, beautiful life that I have not only lived, but have learned to embrace and I am very excited to see what my next twenty turkeys will bring.

“Is there coaching on basic charisma? There are some people that just ooze charisma, seemingly naturally. But can something like that be taught?” This was a question I was presented with recently.
 
Merriam‑Webster defines charisma as. 1. a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure  2. a special magnetic charm or appeal.  Most often, we view someone who is charismatic possessing traits such as being fascinating, charming, interesting, captivating, engaging, and magnetic. But are charismatic people just naturally born with it? Can charisma be learned, cultivated?
My unwavering answer is an absolute YES and YES. While I believe some people are naturally more charismatic than others I do also know the fundamental traits that make up charisma can absolutely be  coached, learned and developed. By cultivating your charisma you will not only improve your potential for success in any endeavor, but you will also strengthen your relationships both in your personal and professional arenas.
 If you are reading this and thinking you may not have been bestowed with innate charismatic flair and are interested in developing or increasing your charisma, one way is by observing and learning from people who you think have charisma and you will soon notice some common characteristics that you can easily master.  Below are a few of these basic characteristic traits look for and how they can be developed.

• Confidence- Charismatic people are confident in a positive way, without being arrogant.
• Optimistic- Charismatic people are the encouragers who motivate with enthusiasm.
• Approachable- Charismatic people are warm and inviting
• Interested- Charismatic people are good listeners, they are interested in what people have to say.
• Interesting-Charismatic people are adept at communicating clearly and are able to keep their audience attention.
• Consistent- Charismatic people are comfortable with who they are and they are consistent.
   

So if you are looking to increase your success in your relationships, both personal and professional, developing your charisma (whether you’re a natural or you need a little fine tuning) is a great easy way to start.

Twas strolling through Costco and what did appear? Why a row full of trappings and holiday cheer! It’s just October I thought, we haven’t even carved our pumpkins yet! It seems every year the Holidays are upon us earlier and earlier and while some people I have met seem to glide through the season without a glitch, many of us find Holiday season the most wonderful stressful time of the year.  Well, I can’t promise all your stress can or will be alleviated, but, my tips below might help you navigate through some of the craziness and lead you to a more relaxing, enjoyable, and fun Holiday season.

1. Start today! Make a detailed list of all the things you need to do: for example, shopping, food, presents, decorations, or travel arrangements.  Keep you list handy and visible. Set “do by dates” and stick to them. For example, “gift shopping completed by December 12th” Remember, it is easier to achieve your goals by writing them down!
2. Sending out Holiday Cards?  Start writing your cards early too!
   Write a few cards and address envelopes each day and get them all ready for mailing in November.
3. Shop online. I was always anti online holiday shopping as I thought it seemed lazy to me. Life lesson, I was wrong!  Shopping online from the comfort of your own home helps to avoid the traffic and crowds and you’ll save time and money (online coupons, cyber sales, free shipping).
4. Don’t skip the gym. During the Holidays, your social calendar combined with everything else can seem overwhelming and exercise can be put on the back burner. Not to mention all the extra calories that may sneak up on you in the form of cookies, cakes, and confections!  Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and helps produce those fuzzy feel good endorphins which can help got you in the holiday spirit.
5. Carve out some “Me “time every day. Find 15 minutes you can dedicate to just you. Maybe go for a walk, or find a quiet place close your eyes and relax, listen to some music, meditate, read a book. Do something just for you that will be calming amidst the chaos.
6. Don't try to do too much. Invites, parties, events oh my! Fatigue, over scheduling, and taking on too many tasks will take their toll. Learn to say no and manage your time wisely. You will have more energy to enjoy the most important part of the season - friends and family.
7. Don’t forget to HAVE FUN! Remember this is your Holiday Season too. We get so caught up in making sure the Holidays are perfect for everyone around us it is so easy to forget about ourselves. Do things that make you happy, and you can share that joy with everyone around you.

 

1. If Disaster strikes…A few years ago, just about 15 minutes before my guests, including, in laws, out laws, friends, relatives and the last minute rsvp’s were to arrive at our home for Christmas dinner, I had pulled out my majestic turkey for a last minute basting. I left it on the oven rack and turned my back for a split second and BOOM. I heard the crash.  Horrified, I spun around and there on the floor was our Christmas dinner being voraciously devoured by my dogs Kingsley and Windsor. I didn’t have time for a meltdown, so with quick thinking and fast dialling I did what anyone would do, I drank a shot of bourbon and ordered Chinese food. My guests that day took it all in stride and we all had a fabulous time. Even better, the “Great Silva Turkey Incident” has gone down in infamy and it will be laughed about and bring beautiful and funny memories for many Christmases to come.
      

So here’s wishing you an amazing, stress free Holiday season!” May all your wishes be bright and may all your turkeys turn out right!”

Growing up in a tumultuous household, I was witness to and included in many a confrontational circumstance. For a long time, in my adult life, I think I was like most people and strived to avoid conflict and potentially stressful situations at all costs.  I found it easier to avoid communicating something that I thought may be controversial, and billed myself as the proverbial “Switzerland” carefully avoiding any and all difficult conversations. This was a great short term remedy as it alleviated my immediate stress but what began to happen though is I was letting myself ruminate over situations that bothered me and I began to feel even more frustrated, annoyed, anxious and stressed.
It happens all the time, in all kinds of relationships. A supervisor may hold off on telling an employee they are unhappy with their performance. A child may not tell their parents about the “F” they received on their schoolwork or you keep quiet to your partner or friend about something that is bothering you.
What I have learned, is that avoiding difficult conversations and allowing thigs to burn, boil and fester is counterproductive for everyone involved. By facing these conversations head on I have also learned that it’s true that “difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”.
If you are having to face initiating a difficult conversation with a colleague, friend, partner or parent, I believe balance and sensitivity are key. I have also put together some tips that may help you to communicate your message in these difficult situations a little easier.
Your What and Why. You definitely want to have your facts straight before you start. Knowing what you are going to say and why you are going to say it is key. You also may want to try to anticipate any questions the other person may have and think about how you will answer.
Keep Calm and Carry On. It is so much easier to communicate when we are calm.  Before you begin, take some relaxing breaths and try to maintain that air of calmness throughout the conversation. Keep focused and try not to get diverted from the reason that you are communicating.
Empathize. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think about how they will feel about what you are going to share with them and how you might  feel if the roles were reversed. You know your audience, so choose language that will resonate with you both. 
Stay the course. When you have decided that something needs to be communicated then do so. Do not let yourself back down or shrink away from the conversation.
Listen, Actively. Try to relax and listen carefully to the views, opinions and feelings of the other person. Give them time to ask questions and make comments.  Using, receive, repeat,respond techniques will demonstrate that you were listening.
Be aware of your body language. Speak clearly, give eye contact and try to sit or stand in a relaxed way. No crossed arms, pursed lips, or rolling eyes. Focus on the person you are speaking with and avoid any outside distractions.
Willingness to compromise.  Often the solution for a difficult situation can be reached by compromising.  Always try to strive for aim for a win-win outcome where everyone benefits.
So... If you have been avoiding those three little words, “we need to talk” as I was, and find yourself steering away from having difficult conversations,  I hope this article will help you navigate this road that we all find ourselves on from time to time and lead you to your beautiful destination.

Life can be extremely stressful. We all know it. Raising children, battling traffic day in and out, meeting your weekly goals whether at work or home, shopping, cleaning, cooking, socializing, the list goes on and on. Just managing your life contributes to a large amount of stress.
Most often, we handle all these situations with ease.  But once in a while something happens. Something you can’t put your finger on. Your radiant smile has lost its glimmer; the spring in your step is feeling flat. Maybe you’re more tired than normal and the usual 40 oz macchiato doesn’t seem to be doing its job. The job you love and have been doing with light and ease is feeling murky and difficult. You may ask yourself, “How did I get here?”
Are you crazy? Maybe a little. But your “good crazy” actually helps to keep you sane in this crazy world. Don’t despair, we all go through it. I have complied some tips below that will totally help you get back on track.  Not every tip will work for everyone, but if even just one of these things helps you, then this was definitely worth the read.
1.       Clear your head.  Often, negative thoughts start a snowball effect in our minds. Something like, I have 99 problems and 86 of them I have invented myself. If you feel the negativity creeping in,   go for a walk, or if you can, take a “mental health” day off.  Give yourself a “me” day simply to recharge and refresh.
2.       Read a good book. There are so many great, inspiring authors that are not only motivating  but will absolutely help to get you back on track. Oldies but goodies like John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, and of course Zig Ziglar come to mind. Newbies like Brendon Burchard, Simon Sinek and David Marquet are absolutely worth checking out.
3.       Exercise. Obviously, exercise is healthy but it also is a great way to improve your work attitude and increase your happiness because it not only enhances your energy but will improve your mood and absolutely reduce stress by releasing those warm and fuzzy endorphin's. I myself haven’t ever stepped into a gym (my husband is our daily gym rat) but we have started cycling on our days off and it really works! So take a walk, run, ride- whatever get that body moving!
4.       Lighten up! We are all guilty of being most critical of our own selves. Sometimes it is ok give yourself a break and not take things so seriously. Laughter truly is the best medicine, and as the adage says, if you can’t laugh at yourself, call me I’ll laugh at you!
5.       Meditate Of course meditate made it to my list and you’re probably saying to yourself right now “yup cross that one off- no time for that here” I gotcha, no worries. Yes, sitting quietly in a candle lit room smelling of sandalwood for an hour finding your Zen sounds awesome. If you have the time, great! There are some great tutorials to be found on YouTube to get you started. For the rest of us, meditation can be that 5 minutes you steal for yourself and find a quiet place close your eyes and just breathe. You can even tell yourself to “find my center” or find a positive phrase or mantra that works for you. Practice this when you can and believe me you will feel a difference.  Remember the key to meditation is not to control your thoughts, it is not allowing your thoughts to control you.
6.       Get Inspired. Different people are motivated in different ways by different things. Some people get motivated by loud music and others by scrolling the internet for inspirational quotes.  So find what inspires you and go do it, listen to it, read it-you get the idea.
7.       Find a Mentor. Is there someone either at work or in your personal life that you look up to? The most successful people do have the best of the best of the best as mentors. Learn as much as you possibly can from those who want to share their wisdom and are willing to lead you on your road to success.
 
So, if you find yourself overwhelmed or stressing out, I hope one or more of these tips have resonated with you.  Just remember, you are a Rock Star, the peaks and valleys of life are going to happen. So ride with the tide and shine your light!!!

Upon receiving my Life Coach Certification, I was extremely excited as it had been a goal, dream and vision of mine for most of my adult life. The curriculum was extensive and the assignments tough, and I had done it. YAY! As many super proud graduates I couldn’t wait to tell anyone and everyone of my new role, my soul profession so to speak. “I am A Life Coach!” I would beam, and usually the response was either “That’s great! Everybody needs a Life Coach!” or “You’re what? What’s a Life Coach?” So I put this together, along with some other common questions I have encountered for anyone wondering  what this “Life Coaching thing” is all about and why it’s quickly becoming the number one “counseling” of choice for so many.

Everyone has a vision of what their ideal life looks like. Maybe you've always dreamed of being a successful entrepreneur, artist, or corporate executive. Or maybe, like so many you are just stressed, overwhelmed and unfulfilled. It seems like life is passing you by and you are not one step closer to your vision, your ideal life. Enter the Life Coach. Just like the coaches who push athletes to greatness in sports or vocal coaches who launch their students into the perfect aria, life coaches push their clients to find success and satisfaction with their jobs and their lives by focusing on, and develop their clients’ strengths and abilities.

There are many reasons people have chosen to work with a Life Coach and some examples might be:

• Needing some guidance on moving forward in life/career
  
  
• Wanting to learn how to utilize personal strengths and talents
  
  
• Unsure what to do about a major life decision
  
  
• Searching to perfect a work-life balance
  
  
• Experiencing a lot of stress
  
  
• Feeling unfulfilled
  
  
• Wanting to achieve big goals
  
  
• Looking to be happier
  
  Is a Life Coach a “Shrink”? No, a Life Coach is not a psychiatrist. A Life Coach is a consultant, motivational speaker, part therapist and part friend and they have the ability to view things from the outside shedding new light on difficult situations. Many times they can be a sounding board through tough decisions and can provide their clients new insights, new motivation and accountability while assisting them to move forward into the life they envision by providing  the tools necessary to make it happen. Life Coaches focus on the present and the future with their clients.
  
  Does it work? A loud and profound YES! Life Coaching has become so very popular as more and more people are turning to coaches every day. Coaching works for several reasons including:
  
  •           Synergy between the life coach and client creates momentum and enthusiasm.
  
  •           Better goals are set - ones that naturally motivate the client.
  
  •           The client develops new skills which lead to greater successes.
  
  •           Structure and support - more is accomplished with fewer struggles and less effort.
  
  •           A Life Coach is an objective, positive supporter.
  
  These are just a few benefits of working with a Life Coach. Simply stated people that are stuck in a rut can become clearer about reaching new goals, and those who are already successful may achieve even more. The bottom line is that by working with a coach, people set better goals and reach them faster than trying to reach them by themselves.
  
  I have friends, do I need a coach? There are many people that have to a friend or family member to go to when it comes to certain life circumstances such as making big decisions or overcoming problems. But these friends may not always have the best answers or may not be truly objective about a situation to give decent advice. This is one reason life coaching has become so sought after. Coaching helps people see their life from a different, third party perspective and gives them the confidence to move forward launching them towards success.
  
  Oh, one more thing. The success of coaching really depends on people finding the right Life Coach for them. An effective coach for one person may not be a good match for another. Personal chemistry and rapport are more than important, they are vital. To find a good match, it's best to speak directly with your potential coach first so you may want to look for a coach who offers a sample session before you commit. You'll want to be sure you feel comfortable enough with your coach to develop the deep trust so necessary for successful coaching.
  
  

For the first time ever, my husband Jesse was plagued by a massive case of poison ivy this summer. Being that we are from Nevada, and luckily poison ivy does not grow in the desert, he had never had the pleasure of the experience and boy was it a horrendous few weeks for him. From the mutated blisters that took over a quarter of his body, to being kept up all night with pain and scratching, the cortisone shots that felt like lead entering his body, and the all over yuk feeling he had, suffice it to say this will hopefully be his first and last case ever as he has boycotted yardwork for the rest of our lives, and I certainly don’t blame him. Jesse is back to pretty much normal now, not a trace of the reaction on him. If there is such a thing as poison ivy P.T.S.D., I am pretty sure he has it as every itch gets him a little nervous, but for the most part I think he’s ok.

While Jesse was in agony with his affliction, I too was itching. No, this wasn’t a case of sympathy scratch - my itch was incessantly deeper and no amount of calamine could mask it.  I was itching for a change; I was itching for something different. I was itching to break free of my daily routine of wake up, down the caffeine forty, play in traffic (for what always seemed like an eternity), go to work, come home exhausted, set the alarm just to do it again for all my foreseeable tomorrows.

What did I do with the itch that wouldn’t quit? I scratched it. I scratched it and it felt good. It felt selfish, it felt scary, it felt crazy, but it felt good. I took the proverbial leap of faith and handed my boss my resignation.  “I am going solo I told her, it is time to follow my bliss, live my passion. I am going to change the world!” I was sure she thought I had lost my mind, but with a hug, she wished me well on my new adventure.

Now, not every itch should be scratched, and I do not recommend abruptly leaving your job, but for me, being fortunate enough, combined with great timing, and an amazing supportive family, I am for the first time in a very long time living my dreams, vision, and passion. I look forward to my work days now because my passion and my work have finally become one. Will I be successful? Of course I will because I am a firm believer that if you live your passion, the money will follow.

With every life changing event whether by choice or by chance even under the best of circumstances there are moments of absolute panic, stress, and maybe even a little shock as a new life before you unfolds.  I have had all of those moments and more and I offer you some tips to help you on your journey if you find yourself with the “Itch”.

1. Have a plan. Having a plan is key. For me I knew for quite some time what I would do and how I would do it when the day came. No plan? No problem, now’s your chance. Take a moment and honestly answer this question. What, if money were no object would I be doing for my life’s work? Got your answer? Good, now build on it.
   
    
   
   
2. Stick to your schedule. We are creatures of habit. If your work days have had you getting up at 5am every day, keep it going and maintain the same days “off”. Fill your work hours with meaningful activities that bring you closer to your goals.  Staying on the same schedule helps as you make the transition by keeping your “work mode” brain in focus and you will be less likely to fall into the lazies.
   
    
   
   
3. Share your vision. Get excited, get other people excited with and for you. Tell your friends, share your excitement with your family. Share your dream with everyone you meet and you will be building your own personal cheering section! The combined positive energy will help you maintain momentum and a positive attitude during this time.
   
    
   
   
4. Read, write and  ‘rithmetic. Read motivational books that apply to your vision, Take notes, write down thoughts, ideas, and ramblings or whatever. Do the math and figure out how your passion + vision = income. When you can see your goals in writing you will be more apt to realizing them.
   
    
   
   
5. F.E.A.R Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything and Rise? As the adage says “Rome wasn’t built in a day” You may and probably will have those dire “fear of failure” moments. It’s ok!  But that is all they are, just moments. The fact that there is fear is a good thing because it means what you are doing something that is meaningful to you. We don’t have fear for things we don’t care about. So let those feelings just come and go and trust yourself enough to forge ahead with your plan.
   
   

So, if like me you have decided your itch is much more than skin deep, and have already taken or thinking of taking your own leap of faith, I hope this article will help you as you make way towards your new fulfilling life! 

Yes, my husband sure had the Ivy, yet I was the one with the Itch!