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Need Clarity? Get Rid of the Clutter

When you hear someone mention how much clutter they have, you might assume they are talking about physical stuff like magazines they don’t have time to read, clothes that no longer fit or wedding gifts that they will never use. The sentimental, “what if’s”, and things you have inherited can take up precious physical space and create unnecessary clutter in your home or office. But there is also emotional clutter such as pent up hurt, disappointment, anger, and resentment. Left unexpressed, these feelings repeatedly come to the surface and will not allow you to move forward.

How long are you going to hold on to that grudge that you should have let go of days, weeks, months or YEARS ago? How long are you going to replay that argument in your head? How long are you going to blame someone else for your unhappiness? How long are you going to blame yourself for something you had no control over? How long are you going to let your flaws define you instead of strengthening you? All of that emotional clutter is keeping you from seeing the big picture. It is clouding your judgment, causing self-doubt and keeping you from being your authentic self. That ‘clutter’ is keeping you from fully articulating and demonstrating your life’s work and purpose.

What clutter do you need to let go of?

With love,

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The Journey Towards Your Purpose

Have you discovered your purpose? The question seems to be the “in” thing to ask someone and it is dangerously on the verge of being labeled as a gimmick. There are hundreds of speakers and authors out there who all claim to know how to you should discover your purpose. At the risk of insulting some very accomplished, well-paid folks…no one can tell you how to discover your purpose. By its very nature, the discovery of your purpose in life is a personal experience and no two people will experience it the same way. Some people know their purpose very early in life and I think that is amazing. Then there are some who discover it a little later in life only to realize they have been doing it all along but never put a label on what they were doing. Knowing your purpose will change the way you look at your life and everything and everyone in it.  Once you discover and embrace your purpose, you will begin to attract the people and things you need to get you closer to your goal. The “little birdie” that used to whisper to you will begin to squawk loudly whenever you veer off course. You dismiss yourself from the presence of negativity and shallow relationships with people who never have an encouraging word. And because we all can be a little hard headed, the “little birdie” will have some back up and the whispered desires of your heart will get an audible voice from someone who has been watching your journey from the sidelines and has been cheering you on since day one. The journey towards your purpose is not a marathon. It is not something that can be accomplished during a one day seminar. As I’ve said before and will say again (because I know my purpose), you already have everything you need inside of you to be extraordinary. 

I fall in the second category of people who have discovered their purpose. I smile when I think about how long I’ve been on this path and not once thinking it was my purpose. Different milestones in my life have put the spotlight on my purpose and nudged me along when I began to doubt myself. My intrinsic circles of family without DNA are getting bigger and overlapping with each downpour of blessings I receive and accomplishment I make.

I know I’m not alone in this journey and neither are you. There’s a misconception that one’s purpose has to be something that changes humanity. When in reality, your purpose may only affect those closest to you and they will pay it forward to others. Take a look at your board of directors. Are they pushing you a little further pass your comfort zone? Are they giving you the feedback you need to bounce back from challenges and setbacks? Yes? Then you are closer to your purpose than you think.

Until next time, continue to Work Your Package…

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Be Careful What You Wish For

A few weekends ago I attended the DE-MD-DC Division Spring Education & Certification Conference. On the second day, I had the fortunate luck to sit next to one of my favorite people, Kemetia Foley (check out her blog: http://adminrenegade.com/). During our conversation, I casually mentioned that I wanted practice public speaking more.  Although many people do not believe me, I suffer from stage fright. I don’t like speaking in front of people, but my passion about the message does a great job of masking my nervousness. At the end of the conference, Kemetia gave me two dates. I looked at her in utter confusion and she tells me to hold the dates because one of them will be the Fall Education Conference that will be hosted by the Old Dominion Chapter of IAAP in September. I must of looked like a deer caught in headlights because she calmly said, “You said you wanted more opportunities to speak. So here you go. You pick the topic”. Knowing Kemetia as I do, I firmly believe that she would not have offered me this opportunity if she didn’t believe that I could do it.

“Whenever my subconscious thoughts manifest themselves without outward solicitation, I become more confident the path I’ve been following is filled with purpose.” ~ Ayanna T. Castro

I verbalized the desire to do more public speaking but I never expected the opportunity to present itself almost immediately.  The old saying is true, “Be careful what you wish for because it might just come true.”

What are you asking for? Most importantly, if you receive it are you ready to meet the challenges that might come with it?