The Big Question

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

 “The unexamined life is not worth living.” ~Socrates

Hello Fabulous Women!

What would you say if someone walked up to you in the street – with a microphone no less — and asked you, “What’s your purpose in life?”?

Please watch this video about someone who did just that – I found it fascinating. What Is Your Purpose In Life?   

Some people simply said they didn’t know, while others pushed themselves and came up with answers, sometimes surprising themselves. I found myself wondering how they spent the rest of the day, after being asked that question. How did that impact them?

As you must know by now, helping people to discover and fulfill their purpose in life is my passion and an integral part of my life and business coaching. So anything that furthers that and has people pondering why they are here, and better yet, has them declare a purpose, is music to my ears.

Please take a few minutes to watch and see what opens up for you as you ponder your own answer. What Is Your Purpose In Life?

 Want to take this a step further? As you gather with your friends and family this holiday, ask them what they think their purpose is in life, and see what they say. Who knows what amazing conversations you may have!

Enjoy, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Your coach,

–Ann

P.S. For those of you outside the US who aren’t celebrating Thanksgiving this week, go ahead and ask your friends and family anyway – why not? Have a great week, and don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back from friends or business colleagues in the US in a timely manner this week. It’s a real busy one, plus we get kind of sleepy after all the turkey and mashed potatoes! Blessings!

On Track and On Purpose Coaching, Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Woman Coach

And The Winner Is…

 

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“Love is the time and space where ‘I’ give myself the right to be extraordinary.” ~Julia Kristeva

Hello Fabulous Women!

Welcome to the You Totally Rock! Awards.  (Also known as the Most Long Overdue Awards.)

So put on your virtual tiara and have a seat.  It’s finally time…

“And the Winner is…”

A hush falls over the crowd.

Presenter Ann Hession, looking ravishing in her virtual designer gown, opens the envelope and looks inside.

She grins.

“And the winner is …. YOU!”

The audience erupts, everyone eager to show you how much they agree, you are the winner, because you, my friend and fellow fabulous woman, you TOTALLY ROCK!

And it’s about time you get acknowledged for it!

Here’s what your reviews say:

You rock because you listen.  You really listen.

You rock because you take the extra time to do it right, whether anyone notices or not.

You rock because you make the people in your life smile when they think of you.

You rock because you do the right thing even when others don’t, and that makes a difference.

You rock because you have the courage to recreate yourself, to push yourself to grow and develop every day. Or at least most days!

You rock because you won’t settle for second best for the people you love. 

You rock because you are honest, caring and kind, even when things aren’t going your way, and that is a huge gift to everyone who knows you.

You rock because you take a stand for people, even when they won’t for themselves.

You rock because, when you are with them, people know they matter.

You rock because you are YOU, the best darn you the world has ever seen, precious, irreplaceable, and long overdue for this acknowledgement.

So get up on that stage, girlfriend, and accept this YOU TOTALLY ROCK! Award.  Yes, that’s right, you with the virtual tiara on your head, walk up there now and take it, it’s yours.

Take it in.  As a friend of mine says, “Let the love in, and let the love out.”  You deserve this award, and so much more.

Have a fabulous, rocking good day, and don’t forget to pass it on and let the precious people in your life know that they totally rock, too.  Let the love in, let the love out.  What a great way to start your weekend!

Thanks, you’ve been great! (Exit music plays…)

–Ann

On Track and On Purpose Coaching, Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Woman Coach

The Power of Purpose

Entrepreneurial Quotes of the Day:

“Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.” ~Zig Ziglar

“What mankind wants is not talent; it is purpose.” ~Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton 

Hello Fabulous Women!

I am passionate and committed about the value and power of coaching, and here’s why.

One of the most common things I hear from the women who contact me about my business coaching services is that they are suffering from a lack of clarity.  And I do mean suffering – I can hear it in their voices. 

They say, “I just wish I knew what I really wanted.” 

And to make matters worse, they are usually blaming themselves for not knowing what they want – there’s this feeling that they are supposed to know what they want, and so they think there must be something wrong with them if they don’t.  (There isn’t!)

Interestingly, sometimes even those women who tell me they do know what they want are not truly any more clear.  I know that because, when I probe a bit further with them, they often can’t give me any clear details about what they want.  They say that they want more money, more success, less stress, but they can’t create a clear picture of what that would look like or what it means to them.

I strongly believe that this lack of clarity is the biggest obstacle in most people’s lives, including their business lives.  It’s the “something missing” that would make all the difference in the world if it were present.

I also believe that what creates clarity, and the only thing that creates clarity on a lasting basis, is Purpose.  Having a strong sense of personal purpose, knowing not only what you want but why you want it, feeling connected to what matters to you the most in life – that creates a clarity and power that can withstand anything that life throws at you.

Sometimes when I talk about this with prospective clients, it resonates with them immediately.  They seem to recognize that what I’m talking about is truly what has been missing for them.  Others, frankly, shy away from the idea of having a personal sense of purpose.  They say that there must be some other, better, easier way to get clear and know what they really want.

Maybe they are right, but if so, I have yet to see the evidence of it.  Everything I have experienced as a coach and in my life tells me that there is nothing more essential and foundational to having a fulfilling and successful life than having a strong sense of purpose.  It’s a declaration to yourself and to the world of why you are here on this planet. 

That is why my coaching – yes, my business coaching – involves helping each and every client create and declare a powerful and succinct personal statement of purpose.  And I promise you this: any business you create or career you pursue that is created out of that sense of personal purpose will be a business or career that will give you not only success but also joy and fulfillment in your life. 

I created my own statement of purpose nearly three years ago.  My purpose in life is to inspire and empower people to discover and fulfill their purpose in life, with passion, ease and joy! 

Now let me tell you something else:  I created that statement of purpose approximately 30 seconds before I declared that I was a coach.  After thinking about being a coach for years, that clarity of purpose is what gave me the power to declare it and make it so. 

And that clarity of purpose is the same reason why I had my first three coaching clients in less than a month after that declaration.  Nothing else changed.  I didn’t suddenly have more training or preparation, I didn’t know anything more than before.  The only difference was, I created and declared my purpose, and that transformed me from someone who was stuck thinking about something – for years – into someone who was unstoppable in making it happen.

And here’s something else for you to know.  Less than nine months later, if you typed “women’s business coach” into Google, you would have found me on the first page, at the #9 spot.  Not too shabby!  Today, by the way, I’m at #1 on Google for those keywords, and have been for over a year.  That’s the Power of Purpose, in life and in business.

So my question for each of you today is, What Is Your Purpose?  Why are you here?  No one else in the world has the right to declare an answer to that question except you.  How will you answer it?

I know that some of you have an answer to that question, because I was working with you when you created it!  Others may have a partial answer, and some may feel that they have no idea at all. 

If you, like many women I talk to, are feeling that painful lack of clarity, I hope that this has helped you to see what is missing, and to know that do you have it in your power to create it for yourself. 

If I can do it, so can you.  You can create it for yourself, but it doesn’t have to be by yourself – I know I couldn’t have created my purpose on my own.  It took someone really pushing me and coaching me, believe me!  That’s what coaching provides, and that is literally what I am here on this planet to do.  For you.

If you are feeling that “something’s missing,” then take on answering this question, “What Is My Purpose?”  Whether you do it through coaching or not, consider that your life does depend on it.  Not your existence – after all, many people exist for many years without ever knowing their purpose.  Having a life is much more than having an existence. 

And if you have ever thought about coaching but never taken action, make today the day.  Take advantage of my free 45 minute coaching call.  When you really think about it, isn’t it a bit absurd to spend a lifetime here on this earth and never declare for yourself why?

Have a fabulous, purposeful day,

–Ann

On Track and On Purpose, Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Woman Coach

Help for That Stiff Neck and Those Aching Shoulders

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to deal with them.” ~ Phyllis Battome

Hello Fabulous Women!

Spending hours in front of the computer and typing and clicking until your neck hurts, your shoulders ache and your fingers cramp up can be a reality of working in today’s world.  I want to share a couple of great stretches/exercises with you all, to help relieve strain and pain in your neck and shoulders and upper back. 

I have chronic pain in my neck and shoulders, largely as a result of having been a massage therapist myself for many years, and now exacerbated by all the time I spend on the computer.  I’m afraid that I have quite a bit of repetitive strain injury, primarily on the right side, but the left is not so great either!

Hopefully none of you has quite the level of discomfort that I do, but I expect it’s a pretty safe bet that a fair number of you have at least some pain and stiffness on a regular basis. 

There are two stretches/exercise that I highly recommend.  Now, before you ask yourself why I’m still in pain when I have these two great techniques, let me just confess a little something.  I know these two stretches work extremely well, but I can’t even remember the last time I did them. 

Yes, that’s right, another sterling example of the fact that knowing what to do and actually doing it are not the same thing. 

Today I got straight with myself about the fact that I am not taking care of myself anyway near the way I know how to, and committed to a fresh new start with these poor, much abused neck and shoulders of mine.  How about you?  Ready to make a change and provide your body with some relief?

Here are the two most effective stretches I have yet to come across:

The Eagle – Amplified:

The first is a modified version of a yoga pose usually known as the Eagle.  Standing up, bend your elbows and hold your hands in front of your face, palms facing each other, fingers pointing up.  Keeping your fingers pointing up, cross your left elbow over your right elbow.  As best you can, bring your right hand toward your body, and wrap it around your left forearm, laying your right palm on the inside of your left wrist or even partway up onto your left palm, as far as you can.  Here is a picture:

Some of you will be able to do this with some ease, others may only be able to do a small part to start – don’t worry, whatever you can do will work to begin stretching you to the next level.

Once you have gotten into the position as best you can, you can vastly increase the effectiveness of this stretch by moving around in the following ways while still holding the pose:

First, raise your hands and arms slowly toward the ceiling, keeping the post intact.  Hold for a few seconds and then return to the original position.

Second, unbend your elbows slightly, pushing your hands out away from your body, still held together in pose.  Return to original position.

Third, push elbows slowly out away from your body, pulling hands toward your face, while at the same time bending slowly forward from the waist.  You should feel a great stretch along the sides of your body from your lower spine right up to your shoulders. Return.

Fourth, swing your arms, in position, toward the right, twisting slowly at the waist, up the spine and through the shoulders.  Do the same to the left. Return.

When you are done, repeat the whole sequence beginning with getting into the pose with your right elbow crossing over on top of your left one.  Once you have done this a few times and know what you are doing, you can go through the whole sequence, once on each side, in only 2-3 minutes.

The Wall Waist Squeeze

This exercise is the best thing I know for opening up the front of your shoulders and chest, counteracting all the time we spend hunched forward.  A lot of pain and tension that you feel in the back of your shoulders is actually caused by tightness in the muscles in the front, and a particular muscle (pectoralis minor) that connects the front and back of your shoulders.

It’s very simple:

Stand with your back against a wall, with your head, shoulders and buttocks all touching the wall.  Raise your arms straight out to your sides and bend your elbows so your hands are pointing up, and press your whole arms against the wall, so that your shoulders, elbows and the back of your hands are all touching the wall.

Now, keeping your head, shoulders, arms, hands and buttocks all in continuous contact with the wall, slowly squeeze your elbows down toward your waist.  *Be sure to keep everything still touching the wall – if you are not paying attention, some parts of your body will come forward and you will lose the effectiveness of this exercise.*

Squeeze your elbows down to your waist as far as you can while still maintaining full contact with the wall, then return to the starting position. Repeat at least ten times, working up to doing fifty squeezes in a row.

Well, I had to do all of those several times to make sure I was describing them all correctly, and I do feel much better!  So will you – give them a try!  The more often you do them, the better you will feel.  I have committed to doing them at least once a day before I start work, and I have a reminder set on my computer so I won’t forget – how about you?

–Ann

On Track and On Purpose, Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Woman Coach