😇 It is such a blessing to have people in your life that truly get you.

🤩 After submitting the manuscript for my first book (coming in June) to my publisher, one of my besties sent me this mug for my collection.

💗 I love this collection that celebrates my business name because it also reflects the quietude of witnessing an extraordinary moment.

😔 Somehow, images of people with flashy cars or dressed in luxury brands that shout, "work with me, and you can have the luxury life too," have become a thing.

🤨And to some extent, I get it. Capturing people's psychological attraction to their aspirations is a marketing tactic that stands the test of time.

🤦‍♀️ To some extent, every corporation where I worked lost their way because Wall Street kept comparing them to their competitors and pushing them to measure themselves to an external yardstick instead of sticking to their truth north guideposts of mission and values.  

💥 If you can only see your value by comparing yourself to others and measuring your success in your ability to rub shoulders on Millionaire Row, you may be on a path that leads you away from yourself.

😩 The external validation game is tiresome. 

🙌 My extraordinary is about standing firm in your mission and values and making choices that fill you with joy, pride, and prosperity. 

🤑 And if the by-product is fame and fortune, good on you.

😏 It's all about positioning—fame and fortune are not the goals but one possible aftereffect.

😎 And what I am saying works.

💪 I have a client who passed on a major joint-venture because his mission and values put his team first, and they needed space to recover. He received a new opportunity to expand his business through acquisition within the year, which tripled his income in under six months. 

🙋 Had he said yes to the first opportunity, he would not have had the capacity to consider the acquisition, which is a much stronger long-term strategy for growth.

🙂 If you are interested in my brand of extraordinary, let's connect.

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. When I lived in San Francisco, the parades and festivals celebrating the Lunar New Year were among my favorite. ​
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This is the year of the Water Tiger, the least reckless of the five types of tigers, according to karmaweather.com. Here are some interesting predictions:

Several people in my network made recent announcements about job changes. Some are just joining the #greatreshuffling, leaving their corporate positions in search of new energy and vigor, while others are returning to traditional jobs or changing companies. 

I applaud everyone overcoming their drive for safety and security to seize control of their career and pursue self-fulfillment. I equally celebrate the contented who stand firm in their current employment. 

During my time at Gap, Inc. in San Francisco, many brilliant women made brief appearances in my peer group. I was having a pinnacle moment in my career, and they celebrated it with me while also feeling vexed that the company wasn't the right fit for them. Home is personal.

I've left many jobs during my career. Often I was ready to make a change because I felt boxed in by the politics or business conditions. It always felt similar to breaking up with a boyfriend—somewhat awkward, somewhat guilt-laden, and somewhat relieving. Being welcomed back was uncertain and likely not the path to happiness.

Additionally, I've always sought change over fixedness:

• Summer before high school senior year study abroad in Japan
• College in Virginia 3 years
• Graduate School in South Carolina 2 years
• Work in North Carolina 1.5 years
• Work in Alabama (met my husband) 2.5 years
• Work in St. Louis 2.5 years
• Work in San Francisco 6 years
• Work in Louisville 3.5 years
• Freelance work 3 years
• Founded consulting business

At the two-year mark in Alabama, I was anxious to move and transform my life again. Meanwhile, my steady-eddy husband loved the sunshine and quiet life. When I decided to leave my company in St. Louis, I purposefully looked for jobs west of the Mississippi because I'd never lived there and wanted to give it a try.

A different home, fresh job, and new city and friends fed my need to grab life by the tail and live it fully. I wanted adventure and novelty. It wasn't until my children were born that I lost my energy for change every 2-3 years. 

Now I fill that need through my work. Consulting is the perfect fit for me because I welcome change with open arms. I love that every job and client is unique. No two days are the same, and the only rote things in my work have to do with bookkeeping. 

But here's the thing that is always constant—me. Just like the Water Tiger of 2022 has positive traits (kind, adventurous, and enthusiastic) and negative ones (aggressive, short-tempered, and anxious), so do we. Knowing who you are, what you want, and what you need to be successful is essential to making the perfect career move for you.

No matter where we go, there we are. While it is true that our environment may draw out specific characteristics more readily than others, we never get to escape the truth of who we are. However, the more honest and intentional we are about the way we show up, the more control we take over our satisfaction and success. 

With all the talk of Mercury in retrograde and the challenges it brings, it is nice to have a zodiac horoscope filled with optimism and ambition. If you've been waiting for a sign to make a bold move, perhaps the Water Tiger is it. If you've made a bold move, lean into it and draw strength from the energy of the Water Tiger. 

I predict that 2022 will bring more changes for the majority of us. Which reflection will you see, the kind and adventurous tiger or the anxious and aggressive one? 

In this Chinese New Year of the Water Tiger, I challenge you to choose who you want to be and SHOW UP as her to yourself and your team each day. 
Want some help? Join my #ShowUpPositive mailing list and get a new spark of positivity delivered to your inbox every Monday. No sales funnel, no pitches, just genuine support from me to you. Give it a try and just hit unsubscribe anytime you want to leave—no hard feelings, I promise.​