I received a catalog in the mail the other day from a well-known company that provides fine cookware for the cooking enthusiast.  As I flipped through the pages, I came upon an ad for these whimsical cupcake pans that just looked like they would be fun to use.  I noticed at the end of the description that it read “Limited Lifetime” Warranty.  I laughed out loud!  My first thought was “thankfully!”  This got me thinking about how we go through life looking for that “Lifetime” Warranty and how it can cripple our decision-making and keep us a prisoner to predictability in our lives.

We struggle with decisions each and every day about so many aspects of our lives.  Some are crucial and some are not.  We struggle with where to eat, where to live, where to send our children to school, ending relationships that are no longer healthy for us, career decisions like going back to work or starting our own business.  Why do we struggle?  Well, I think it’s because we want to make a decision that has that “lifetime” warranty.  We want to make sure it’s the right decision.  We want it to be the right one for the rest of our lives.  As I write this sentence, it’s a bit scary to me.  The right decision for the rest of my life!  But what if I change my mind?  What if circumstances change and I want to do something different?  I have been involved in a community effort recently that involves a decision that would make a big change in that community.  It’s a change that I think is necessary to keep moving forward.  There are those that are ready for the change knowing that, over time, even more change and new ways of thinking will need to be present.  There are others who are very uncomfortable with this.  They want the decision to hold that “lifetime” warranty for them.  They want this decision to be the right one forever.  Forever is a long time.  Forever rarely exists.  There are not many decisions that can last forever.

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Last week, on two separate occasions, I had the topic of what I refer to as “nutritious” people come up. I was speaking at a women’s convention and I asked them to write down at least 3 “nutritious” people” they have in their life right now. I also had a conversation with a woman in my Success Circle about the difference between “nutritious” people versus those that can drain you and zap your energy level. You know the relationships I’m talking about– right?

Let me give you an example. When you are engaged in a conversation with a “nutritious” person, you feel enlightened, inspired, and energized. Compare this with people who you have relationships with in your life that I refer to as the “downward spiral” relationship. When you are in conversation with these people, it tends to spiral downward in a negative, non-productive way. No matter how many times you try to bring it back to the place of possibility thinking, the conversation tends to stay in the negative. When this happens, you always have 2 choices. One, you can take the high road and stay positive. (more…)

As I entered the Library at my son’s elementary school today my eyes immediately gravitated to a fantastic display at the entrance in honor of Women’s History Month. The bold title of the display is “Rulers and Rebels – Extraordinary Women of our Time.” Wow—powerful words. Reading those words sent a tingle through my whole body.

As I reflected on this later in the day, I became keenly aware of how true this has been in the history of women’s lives in this country (and around the world.) We must certainly be “rulers and rebels” to achieve the firm foundation that we now stand on. The women who went before us must have held on to dreams not only for their future but for the future of all women who would walk the earth after them.

Do you have a dream that you are holding on to? If so, don’t miss my article today. It’s about Smart Women Who Dare to Dream.

Be well,

Joy