There are certain things in life that we know to be factual or true because we have proof or have witnessed them.

For example, we know that the sun comes up in the morning, and goes down at the end of the day. We know that when it rains in Orlando you can expect a traffic jam on I-4. We know that if we place our hand on a burning stove it is going to hurt!

We know these things because we have experienced them directly or have heard others tell us about the outcome. But, what happens when you don’t have proof? When you haven’t actually experienced the situation before? This is where having faith comes into play.

Remember when we were kids? Even though we had not actually SEEN Santa Claus, we had a tremendous amount of faith that he would pay us a visit once a year!

We have two ways to look at things. We can either chose to believe and have faith that situations will work out the way they should or we can dismiss it all together because we don’t have actual proof…the bottom line is WE DO NOT KNOW what the outcome is going to be. So, why not have a little faith?

It has been said that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Do you have faith in yourself? Do you have faith in your dreams and goals?

The end outcome may not be one that we would have anticipated, but a larger part of having faith is knowing that things do happen for a reason and that it is all part of the journey of life.

There are no mistakes, there is just life! So, let’s keep the faith

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Perseverance: Persisting in or remaining constant to a purpose, idea or task in spite of obstacles.

This week they focus on what you need after you have the determination and are now going for it…once you are in the game however; things might not be going your way and you find yourself not winning…this is when you need Perseverance to make it through.
Sometimes it isn’t about WINNING the race, but about finishing the race that counts. And, in order to finish the race you must have the perseverance to go on despite some of the challenges that you will encounter along the way. In life, we will all face challenges and obstacles that will sometimes seem overwhelming, unable to conquer…you are ready to throw in the towel.
This is when you have to Persevere.

It’s not easy to tackle this alone, and that is when having a support system in place can help you get closer to your goal. This support system can be large or small, it can be the comforting voice of your mother telling you how wonderful and special you are, it can be your child who tells you that you are the best parent in the world.
It’s someone who motivates you and gives you the strength to continue in the game. In a sense it’s like having a coach in your corner!
Do you have a coach in your corner? Someone helping you as you go through life’s challenges?
Just as important…are you that person for someone else? Be someone’s coach today and tell them they can do it…and Persevere!

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Over the next few weeks,  they will introduce you to three different characteristics that makes up the Circle of Empowerment. This week they focus on Determination!

Wait a minute…we have  all felt this way about something in our lives. How many times did we adopt the “I Can Do It” attitude, yet never really fulfilled our goal or mission? It happens all the time, be honest, it has happened to all of us more than once.

Look around you – we see real Determination every day. It’s in a child’s voice when they really, really want something. Your dog’s un-ending pulling on the leash when he sees a cat across the street. In a disabled person’s eyes, when they are struggling to be as “normal” as possible, and get that can off the shelf by themselves.

Do you have that kind of Determination? Try it out this week. Don’t stop at just having an “I Can Do It” attitude – really get determined!

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Interestingly enough, she didn’t talk all about her famous cousin; instead she told the story of her parents and how they went about making decision in their lives. She compared their decision making strategy to that of birds, yes….birds. Jen and Leah discuss this philosophy on this week’s podcast.

Have you ever had a decision to make?  A really big one?? Did you feel like you needed to make the decision quickly? Well, DON’T do that. When we need to make big decisions, we need to take time to make them.

Karen actually can be broke down the decision making process into three stages (back to the BIRDS) according to the birds!

The first step is PERCHING. This is what birds do before making any major decision. They  just sort of sit there, and THINK….they contemplate every issue of the decision….they weigh the consequences….they PONDER. And, most importantly, they take their time. We typically don’t allow ourselves enough time to perch. But, we really should! Allow yourself the time to really think about the decision you have to make, and think it through, weighing out the pros and cons of each possible action. There is no time limit, only YOURS.

Step two is when we FLAP our wings…this happens when we have determined the route we want to take.  So, when we *flap our wings* we are really creating our action plans…..figuring out what we need to do to get there. A very important step in the whole process!

The final step we take in the process is taking flight! This is when we set off to begin achieving our dreams. We have thought it through, we have our action plan, and now we are ready to soar!

Each step is very important towards the ultimate move you make. You don’t have to be the Energizer Bunny with every action you take……………remember to Perch. You must PERCH before you can FLY! Take the time to really get in tune with what it is you want to do. Relax, allow yourself the time, space and freedom that you need to determine your life plan.

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On this week’s podcast, Jen and Leah talk about how you can start to embrace il bel far niente and  learn to just be a peace with yourself. You don’t have to schedule every minute of your day with a task from the never ending “to do” list. It’s OK to just do nothing…………..and not feel GUILTY about it. By doing nothing you are actually honoring yourself and your life.

Some tips on how to enjoy il bel far niente include:

1. Schedule time in your day timer to just do nothing! Even if it is just 15 minutes per day. Use this time to relax and *turn off* your sense of urgency.

2. Meditate or practice yoga. This will help you really be in touch with your thoughts and feelings, momentarily forget about your worries.

3. Schedule time for a mini-siesta! Even if that means just closing your eyes for 10 minutes.

4. Notice your breathing patterns. Many of us actually forget to breathe! Take a deep breathe ink, hold it for 5 seconds and then slowly exhale.

5. Turn of the radio while you are driving. Use this time to let your mind wander and ponder (but do keep both eyes on the road!)

Il Bel Far Niente – make it part of your daily routine!

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On this week’s podcast show, Jen and Leah explore the concept of the *weeds* we have in our lives and share with you some gardening tips that you can incorporate into your life!

Weeds (like tolerations) are the negative things in our life. So, just as you would tend your yard or garden you need to tend your life the same way. PULL OUT THE WEEDS! If weeds are left unattended to, they will continue to grow and kill your grass. In life, we must do the same. Don’t water the weeds. In other words, focus on the positive! Rid yourself of the negative thoughts, people, and situations (the weeds) in your life!

Another landscape/gardening tip that you can incorporate into your life is to rake the dead leaves up. If you let the dead leaves stay on your grass, the new life will not be able to flourish! In our lives, this relates to letting go of the past. Get rid of the heavy weight of the past and look forward to the future. If you carry your past around with you, you won’t be able to move forward and grow.

The final gardening tip is to install an automatic sprinkler system! Grass and plants need water to grow  and flourish. And they need it on a regular basis. You don’t just wait and hope for rain, you install a sprinkler system to insure they get the water they need. In life – our automatic sprinkler system is the positive energy, people and reinforcement we surround ourselves with. Make time in your life (on a regular basis) to receive the positivity! These are the positive habits and people in our lives. What are you doing on a regular basis to water YOUR yard?

Tune in this week to hear more tips and suggestions on how to keep your life blooming! And remember, Don’t Water the Weeds!

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Kevin is the author of two popular books: The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business. In his books he shares with people how to discover their true purpose and then live it out! It all starts with discovering your purpose, why YOU actually exists. Kevin refers to this as writing your purpose statement. Once you are clear about your purpose, you can then create the vision, mission and value system to support that purpose.

As Kevin explains, when you are living your life on-purpose you know WHO you are and you are comfortable with yourself. As a result, you will experience authentic prosperity being true to yourself. And, from this position of “realness” you will be in a better position to make a difference for others.

Kevin has a FREE weekly video e-mail that shares tips on how you can get started living your life on-purpose now. You can sign up at www.onpurpose.com

To learn more about Kevin and his work, visit his website at www.kevinwmccarthy.com

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Conversely, do you know people that always seem to be grumpy or in a bad mood?  You know the type, the negative Nelly that just refuses to see the good in anything or anyone. When you are around this type of person you can almost FEEL them draining your energy!

Well, these two types of people really have a lot more in common with each other than you think! The commonality is that they both have the opportunity to CHOOSE how they want to look at life. On this week’s podcast Leah and Jen discuss the fact that we ALL have a choice each day as to what attitude we want to wear.

For example, when you are getting ready to start your day you probably look in your closet and CHOOSE which outfit you want to wear based on how you are feeling that day, or what the weather is like outside. Well, the same is true about our attitudes. We really do get to pick how we want to view our lives! We can be positive and upbeat, or we can be negative and unhappy.

In life everyone will face their own challenges, obstacles, and not so happy situations, that is inevitable. You cannot know joy if you don’t experience pain. However, you can choose how you want to deal with it! You can release the anger and sadness and move forward with a positive mindset, or you can hold on to the unhappiness and let it fester inside of you until you can’t see the forest for the trees!

So, next time you are around someone who is positive, upbeat and happy….thank them for making such a wise decision on what attitude they chose to wear!

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Have you ever wrestled an alligator? Have you swung from a trapeze? Driven a Formula 1 race car??

Well on this week’s Creating Your Masterpiece Show, Leah and Jen have to opportunity to chat with speaker, author and television correspondent Casey Wohl, who has done all this things and more!

Her book, the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home®, is the first in the series and was published in September 2007.  The second book, Girls Getaway Guide to Key West: Leave Your Baggage at Home®, hit shelves in October 2008.   These guides focus on where to stay, shop, eat and spa, as well as annual happenings and side trips for each city. She is currently working on her third Girls Getaway Guide to Nashville.

Casey shares her personal journey with Leah and Jen of how she discovered her passion in life after having gone through some difficult times. After a devastating divorce and getting fired from her job, Wohl found solace in traveling with her girlfriends and realized an unfilled niche in the travel industry as no one was writing city-specific travel guides for women.  Casey is passionate about traveling and spending time with friends. By combining these two loves, Wohl created and launched her unique and helpful city-specific travel guide series for women worldwide.

Her books (and her message) are all about empowerment and living your life to the fullest potential. Her tag line is: Leave Your Baggage At Home. And, she is doing that everyday of her life and encouraging and empowering people all over the world to do just the same.

To learn more about Casey and her Girls Getaway Guides, click here. And be sure to listen to this week’s podcast.

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When we were children, we had no problem unleashing the power of our creativity. Heck, it was practically a full time job! Playing with toys, building tree houses and forts were just some of the ways we were creative. Even in school we were encouraged to let our creative side shine! We finger painted, danced and sang as part of our educational curriculum. But, then something happens as we get older…..we get *real* jobs that require a lot of left brain thinking, and our creative outlets get smaller and smaller.

However, we have options and choices everyday to let this creativity shine through! When we are in our creative mode, we are honoring our authentic self! We are setting free the right side of our brain! Oftentimes, as adults we feel guilty when we do this, and maybe even a little silly too.

Some ways that YOU can begin to optimize YOUR creative outlet are:

1. Enroll in a dance class! Salsa, ballroom and tango dancing is very popular these days.
2. Exercise in a unique way. Yoga, ZUMBA, and pilates are create ways to get creative and get into shape.
3. Pick up a paint brush and paint a picture!
4. Pick up a pen and write in your journal

Remember, we are never too old to let our creativity shine through! If you get stuck trying to find an outlet for your creativity, spend the afternoon with a child. We guarantee you will discover many different ways to have fun and be creative. Let your imagination run wild!

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