Embracing 2011 with Inspiration and Truth

This year I sit and wonder what will 2011 look like for me. A bit overwhelmed considering I went through a huge life change this past year having my first child. Alex Rey is a beautiful blessing and an incredible gift. Now I am wondering how to make it all happen and continue to fulfill myself as a human being, as a new mom, a wife and my coaching business.

I didn’t want to start off thinking about goals from a marketing plan, business strategy or even thinking about success. I wanted to start off with simplicity. What will make me happy? What I want everyone to think about is how we can be authentically true to ourselves as we look out at the upcoming year. What I mean is do things only that matter to you, spend time working on things that matter, use your valuable time as if we knew when the end would come.

This year take a different approach to the goals

Inspired actions: only participate in activates that matter, from networking, to communicating and connecting with people that inspire you or make a difference: the type of inspiration you feel in your soul when you hear your favorite song. If it doesn’t feel energizing when you think it through, don’t do it. Below are definitions of inspiration from a few spectacular people. Add action to your inspiration and you will feel physically lighter and emotionally energized about your goals

Sheila Whittington: feeling inspired is when you WANT to do something because it feels good in your heart, not because you HAVE to do it.
Susan Oglesbee Hyatt: flow that moves you
Valerie LaPenta Steiger: some thing or some one that vibrates an energy that awakens an equal or greater energy within you. What inspires us is usually a reflection of our greatest self -- our light.
Elena Cuello Collins: Inspiration: Joanna Lange on YouTube. She was a piano teacher all her life. She is in her 80's, suffered a major stroke in 1990 losing the use of her right side but still continues to practice piano everyday for at least an hour. Amazing.

Be the authentic leader: this year by being true to who you are. Speak up even if it’s not the popular thing to do but matches up with your purpose: be the authentic leader and take the lead on things that make a difference: sometimes be neither right nor wrong: be the authentic leader even if it means being vulnerable

Some of you might be thinking yes that sounds good but is it possible? And to you I say living through your own inspiration and doing activities and tasks from an inspired place will always take you to your true path……

I watched 5 people get honored at the Kennedy Center for their contribution to this world:

Oprah using her voice for good on TV
Merle Haggard using his voice to connect to working class people with his music
Paul McCartney using his historical remarkable music to create joy and history
Jerry Herman for his creative writing and music with famous Broadway plays
Bill T Jones for his ability to speak through his talents as a choreographer and dancer

All 5 of these people set out to pursue their career with their talent and I can’t help but think how inspiration must have played a huge part in it all.

Instead of just looking at next year with goals I invite you to think about this:

What would you want to be honored for? What is your gift to this world? Are you capitalizing on your strengths? Are you using your talents? Do you live with passion? Do you begin projects from an inspired place rather than a “should “place?

Sometimes being able to answer these questions will help you in aligning goals with what is most important to you in the end. Start at the end of knowing what you would want to be honored for. Why not? If it helps you see things clearer.

The last thing I will leave you with is to remember not all things will be planned out perfectly. Things will happen that you don’t expect in 2011 in your life/ career. Know it is there to teach you something so allow yourself to evolve. When confusion sets in know that answers will come not by demand but by sometimes going back to simplicity: lean on inspiration, be authentic and sometimes surrender.

I believe that your life unfolds magically when you start by listening to your heart, following inspiration, and by using your gift to contribute to this world.

I will use my time this year knowing it’s valuable by placing happiness first, which means all that I do will be aligned by connecting me with: my family, my health, and continuing to inspire people to follow careers and businesses that match up with who they truly are. That is my contribution that I know will be a start to my year.

I ask that you begin allowing your inspiration in to embrace the year.

So I ask: What would you want to be honored for? Mine is to be dedicated to human beings that want to follow their purpose and to use my voice for good through inspiration by writing, speaking and coaching.

I invite you to share your comments here.