Like millions of people all over the world, my family watched the Academy Awards on Sunday night. 
People watch “the Oscars” for different reasons. Some people watch because they enjoy the fashion show and like to see the costume choices. Some people watch because they can’t wait to see who won which category. I watch for one reason: I like to listen to the acceptance speeches. You learn a lot about people by listening to what they say in their acceptance speech. This is a moment that may or may not ever come again and it is one of the most watched events of the year, so you have a big audience in which to share your message.
Although I don’t often go to the movies, I was fortunate enough to see the movie that won best picture, “Slum Dog Millionaire.” As I listened to the acceptance speech for this amazing film, there were some really valuable “golden nuggets” that were shared that reminded me of my work with Smart Women who are ready to re-invent themselves and take their lives to the next level:
During the acceptance speech, the director used a few key words to describe their journey to realizing their dream of making this important film:
As I was getting ready for a day of skiing on a recent family ski trip, I had one goal in mind: Stay warm! I knew it was going to be cold and windy that day, and I wanted to make sure that I kept my body heat inside. This got me thinking about how Smart Women who are living a life filled with passion and purpose do just the opposite: They give themselves permission to release their “fire” of desire and passion out into the world.
Recently, while on a family vacation in Park City, Utah, I was helping my 8-year-old son, Jack, get ready for a day of skiing. It was sunny, 35 degrees and gorgeous outside. I handed my son his face mask and he looked at me puzzled and said, “Mom, there is no way I’m going to need this today–have you looked outside?”
