Being a woman in leadership: Luke 1:37

Being a woman in leadership: Luke 1:37: This morning I was up unusually early. Whenever this happens, I know that God wants me to have extra special time with Him. So...I got up ...

Luke 1:37

This morning I was up unusually early.  Whenever this happens, I know that God wants me to have extra special time with Him.  So...I got up and being Christmas Eve, I decided to re-read the story of Jesus birth.  I have read this story since I could read, and yet today this verse in Luke jumped off of the page.  "For nothing is impossible with God".  The reference of course was Mary's fear at being a virgin with child.  Can you imagine her fears and doubts? 

For many loved ones I know, including myself,  2011 has been a difficult year.  In our family alone we have experienced more than enough.  We have experienced tragic death, cancer, suicide attempts, and unemployment.  We have had to cope with emotions that we never dreamed of.  Today, I thought about the verse in Luke...NOTHING is impossible with God and I gave immediate thanks for the hope that God can bring. 

As humans we can become easily discouraged, feel hopeless, and become disgruntled about life and what it brings.  We forget to be thankful for what we have and we forget any good that may have come our way.  The negative part of life just takes over.  We find ourselves in a funk.  When this happens, it is difficult to pull out.  Negativity has great power over the good in life.  However, taking time to remember just this one verse can change our attitude in the seconds it takes to read it.  We can bring light into darkness, we can be encouraged rather than discouraged.  If nothing is impossible for God, then we can bring our fears, our doubts, and our frustrations to God and HE can handle them for us.  I for one could not handle life without this truth.

How many times have I read the story of Jesus birth?  Why today did these words jump off the page?  Perhaps I need to be reminded that the hope we have in God is ever present.  I am so very grateful.  This morning I am thanking God for the good and the bad.  I am giving over to Him those things that are impossible for me.  I am making a choice to be free so that I can live in joy. 

As a woman in leadership, I am making a choice.  We all have that opportunity.   Has life been hard?  Has work been difficult?  Is life throwing you curve balls?  What choice will you make?

I choose to be grateful.  I choose to live with joy in my life.  I choose to remember in every situation that Nothing is impossible with God.  May your Christmas be blessed, may your families know His love and may your day be full of joy!

Overwhelmed

Today I cried during my massage and could not understand why my body was responding with tears. All day I felt overwhelmed but I kept excusing the feelings and thought I was just tired and I needed to handle it...Why do we as woman take it all on? Especially at Christmas? A time when we should be focused on preparing our heart for the season of celebrating the birth of our savior...Seems each year for the past years, I find myself up to my eyeballs in busy when really I should take everything OFF of the calendar and be thankful for, and humbled by God's gift to humanity.

As I have taken some time to reflect this evening, I realized that I had a right to my feelings of "overwhelmed". This day has been difficult and was full of many emotions. Today is the anniversary of my mother's death, a death  that changed my life. I have missed every day since she died 18 short years ago. I finished a large project that which involved the delivery of 65 Christmas baskets, I talked to my 35 year old daughter about genetic testing due to her breast cancer, and listened so I could offer encouragement about her upcoming chemo therapy which starts this Friday. Food was delivered for the staff Christmas party which is this Friday evening at my home and I cleaned up from the "making" of the 65 baskets. I talked to a good friend of mine whose daughter in law is having her baby one month early to prepare her body for the removal of a tumor from her lung, next week...I completed paperwork necessary for a loan on our school, and I answered several emails. In and between all of that, I forgot to eat, and so was my day.

I am ending my day with a quite moment and re-prioritizing my day tomorrow. I am going to take some "down" time, and I am going to eat. I may cry, but think that I will feel differently by making the choice to think about what is important.  I am thankful for these moments of reflection.  God has given me much comfort after having such a day.

Are you overwhelmed? Stop, take time, take a breath, and pray. I am humbled by each new day I am given to re-evaluate and start fresh.  Tonight I have moved from being overwhelmed to being thankful!  Thanks be to God!

Surrender

Being truly thankful...

Lately, I have had a lot on my plate. This summer I experienced the loss of my 25 year old nephew in a climbing accident. In July my husband and I began work on purchasing and remodeling a building for the purpose of opening a private school. To that end, we moved out of the smaller building we owned and with some re-modeling there opened an infant toddler center. We celebrated 25 years in business...then in September I found out my oldest daughter had breast cancer. She was told that the recommendation was double mastectomy. In all of that, I have experienced the joy of my youngest daughter pregnant with her first baby, only to find out she has gestational diabetes. Finally, my heart has hurt for those close to me suffering from the economy, loss of job, loss of what was...and more yet unknown.

All of these things have been too much for me to handle and I have felt a crush on my spirit like nothing I have ever felt before. I have been stressed, overwhelmed, and so sad. The good thing in all of this, is that I have found a new sense of thankfulness. Any one of these by itself would be a lot for a person to handle! Mix that with my "fix it" personality and I have problems. I immediately want to create peace and harmony for all and take away the pain, to fix the problem and to mend the hurt. I discovered that my trying to be in control simply was not working for me. My stress was increasing, my happiness was decreasing, and my ability to live peacefully was lacking. I remembered and heard in my head an old song we used to sing in church. "I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed savior, I surrender all". In the versus that follow,the song simply repeats the idea of surrendering to God.

I began daily asking God to take away from me what was not mine to fix. I began practicing removing from my spirit that which was not mine to control. Since I have been doing that, I have seen a difference in my days. My compassion has increased, my spirit is lifted, and my energy is better. By allowing God to be in control I find I can love more. I can see that all things are possible and the goal of peace and harmony are real, knowing God has taken the burden from me.

Its really no revelation, but for me it has helped me increase my faith and live in peace daily. It is believing that someone bigger than me is in control. Today when I woke up and as I always do, began writing in my journal, it became evident to me that I was trying to take care of some things I had no business with. I surrendered it all in that moment and returned to a peaceful place.

I know that there is a plan bigger than me, one better that I could never accomplish on my own, and I am blessed as a result. I can't wait for what is next. I am thankful, I am grateful, and I am experiencing new possibilities. I am thankful for my God, for my faith, and for the knowledge that I can live peacefully in a world surrounded with unrest.

May you and your family be blessed this season and choose in your own lives to surrender all!

Emotional Highs and Lows

Is it supposed to part of life that we face both highs and lows at the same time?  Recently, I have realized a dream in the opening a private school and the celebration of 25 years in business.  Against that realized dream, the news that my daughter has been diagnosed breast cancer.  How am I supposed to juggle that kind of happiness against that kind of sadness? The only way I know how to balance this is to KNOW God is in control of both. I have learned that asking why doesn't work, and resting in the knowledge that a power bigger than myself is in charge.  Today... knowing that truth gives me peace and I can be thankful.

Today I was thankful!

Today was a day to remember.  Today a dream was fulfilled, a lifetime of work was realized, and a vision that began as a dream and a drawing on a piece of paper became a reality.

Serendipity Academy, a private school, was opened for business today.  Although the children are not there yet, walking into the building this morning took my breath away.  I realized a dream...there were 40 employees ready to work, there were veteran employees and there were new employees there for their first day.  There were a group of people gathered for a common purpose! 

It was awesome, humbling, exciting and it brought immediate tears to my eyes.  Hard work, a vision for more, believing in possibilities, and never giving up flashed before me.    I was reminded of many changes that culminated to bring this day.    I never gave up, even when it was hard.  I worked through the obstacles and believed it could happen.  My husband and I worked together to risk what we both felt was "not" ours, but God's...

As a leader, I felt proud and my heart was full.  Today I was thankful. 

I wrote this poem in my quiet time the other day...

Serendipity...

It started because I knew in my heart;
that children deserved the best, right from the start.

So I took a risk that very day,
quit my job and learned how to play.

To focus on children and quality care
Learn myself how to do that; with a flare.

Long hours and work to build the dream,
and along the way built a wonderful team.

I made many mistakes in the quest,
knew from the start that the business was blessed!

Each step was hard and there was alot of change
which excited me, not at all strange!

Over and over new ideas and plans
As I began serving Serendipity fans.

The time has passed, my heart if full;
The children are now attending our "school"!

Written by Lynnette McCarty, August 2011

Being at Peace...

For the past two months, my husband and I have been working toward the possible expansion of our business.  We made an offer on a building and the offer was accepted.  During this time we have been going through the process of "due diligence" to insure that the building meets the codes necessary for our particular use.    It has been amazing that during this economy when many are out of work, and the world looks and feels like an unsettled place, that this opportunity has presented itself.  We have been looking for a building for the past five years.  We have been through this process four times.  Each time we thought the building  was right.  Each building we looked at was better each time, and every time all of the doors closed, all for different reasons.

When we made the offer on this building, immediately we were in agreement that IF this expansion was right, that God would open the doors, and IF it was not , God would close the doors.  To date, the doors have been opening...slowly and one at a time. 

Today, we received discouraging news.  It was the end of the day so phone calls to help answer questions would have to wait until Monday.  This news has been the first during this process that might end our dream of expansion.  As we worked through the feelings of disappointment and concern we realized that this might be a door closing.  As soon as we had that clarity, we were both at peace. We decided to simply continue to take the next steps, one at a time, knowing that we were comfortable with the outcome. 

Our attitude is a spirit of peace rather than conflict.   We chose to have an attitude which was positive today.  We are confident that the doors will continue to open or they will close.  It is not up to us.   We are both at peace with that decision.

We made a choice as leaders... we can allow  peace to guide us forward or end this particular journey.  We are thankful for EITHER outcome.

Move with peace in your spirit.  Remember doors will open and doors will close.  Each pathway will move you forward on  life's journey!  Be at peace!

212 Degrees

As a leader I am consistently checking myself  to insure that I am doing my best to meet the goals that I have set for myself.  I find things to read that encourage and challenge me.  I keep a small book called 212 degrees by Sam Parker and Sam Anderson on my book shelf and have referred to it many times when I want to remind myself that only one degree can make the difference to success or failure.  I  have referenced it many times as a good example in some of my leadership trainings.  Today, I read it again and it reminded me of several things that I needed to hear.  212 degrees!  Success can come knowing that just ONE degree can make a difference to success.  Water "boils" at 212 degrees.  At 211 degrees the water is just hot, but one degree more... makes it boil.  Am I doing what it takes to bring my work one degree higher or am I going to "stay" at the 211 degree mark?  I choose to move one degree ahead!

When water boils, it then creates steam which can power a locomotive.  Increase my thinking, applying more energy into everything that I am doing helps me see myself moving toward the goals that I have established for myself.  Like the steam that the boiling water creates, one more degree can "power" me forward to that point where I know I have done my very best.

I am finding a new challenge in direct sales.  I love the products, however, I am finding that it takes a different kind of energy and work to meet the sales goals I have set for myself.  I am outside my comfort zone.  I am reminded with this book that there is another degree to shoot for.  My attitude can move toward moving, talking, learning, and find ways to increase my results. 

Thomas Edison's quote reminds me I could be so...close: "Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."  Some of the greatest victories have been as small as 11 centimeters, .13 seconds...the extra degree.

I am a woman of perseverance, I know that working harder will bring success and I am excited about trying to be better each and every day.  Are you?  Do you think about that boiling water and the one degree that makes a difference?  I believe that an attitude of faith and possibilities can bring a wealth of success to all of us.

Today, I will give that extra degree and I am going to turn up the heat!  Will you?

Today's thoughts

I read alot and when I do I take notes.  I write down things that "hit" me and I use these notes to encourage me on a day when I need encouragement.   Today I found myself reading some of those notes.  You can start your own journal for your encouragement.  It doesn't take long to have pages of small stories, one liners, or quotes to use as reference.  These are some of mine!

*You are not defined by your past, you are prepared by your past!
* Nothing happens to me; it happens FOR me!
* The BEST days are ahead of you.

I love this one:  "What look like stumbling blocks can be used by God as "stepping stones" to a higher level"
and "You wouldn't be where you are today without the challenges that forced you to grow."

I remind myself that the right attitude can take you where you are supposed to go.  It is up to you...it is up to me.  I am choosing to have a right attitude, to think and dwell on those things that are good, and what wonderful possibilities are in store for me! 

Each day can be a new beginning, I am excited about the days ahead.  I am setting my goals, I am looking forward to meeting those goals, and I know that I am capable of great things!

Strategies for success...

As a new consultant with Thirty One Gifts, I have had to dig back into my archive of strategies on how to be successful in business.  As a business woman for the past twenty years, I have had a great deal of experience however, this "new" experience I am embarking on, is something a little different.  There are some foundational pieces that I see as important.  I have been thinking about some of the things I have been doing and will continue to do as I continue on this path of direct sales...

#1  Building relationships:  In any good business, once people know you, have an understanding of your integrity and your honest way in which you do business, word of mouth gets around and that heart felt understanding of the relationship grows...I can see how important this is in direct selling.  It takes time, and takes time to nurture so that the growth will be strong from the beginning.  This will be the root system of the apple tree which will bear the fruit of the labor...

#2  Educate yourself:  Reading, learning, and having a confident understanding of the product line, the company's mission statement, and the alignment of your beliefs and the company's beliefs is going to take you a long way...Never never stop learning.  This week alone, I have learned how to grow my business, what it will take, what steps to take, and that the mission fits my core belief system.  All of this is exciting and gives me energy to keep selling...

#3 Go the extra mile.  My Director, Shannon took a leadership opportunity and did a meeting which offered lots of great information, some motivating ideas, and gave all of those who attended a look at others in the field.  Sharing of ideas and celebrating rewards was motivating.  She could have just showed up, but she was prepared.  She had the tables set with care...she had a nice spread of food, she had gifts, and she showed a great deal of confidence in her business.    She went the extra mile.  She set an example. She showed awesome leadership.

#4 Motivate yourself...so you can motivate others.  I think it is critical to be able to stay motivated.  Of course, being able to motivate others adds a  dimension which will take you places.  Set goals, and work toward those goals.  I used the meeting yesterday to set goals...they may be lofty, but they are something to strive for, to share and to work toward.

#5  Reward yourself for a job well done.  I was energized that I had taken time to meet others, learn more, and enjoy this new opportunity that I have chosen.  I look forward to seeing what is ahead...

Although I have been in leadership for awhile, it is fun to re-visit the skills, use them in a new way, help others along the way, and enjoy the leadership of others.   

I am a seed planted, growing roots at this point...I look forward to the process of growth and in looking ahead see a strong and healthy apple tree which will bear much fruit!

My creative brain...

Have you seen the need for change even if there is no need?  Have you seen it a different way? Have you ever had so many ideas that you don't sleep?   That is the curse or the blessing of a creative brain.

My brain often does not sleep.  It keeps me awake thinking about the things I could do, should do, can do, and want to do...I have had to learn to manage my creative brain.  I have to write down my ideas, have to let some ideas go, and have to decide daily what my priorities are going to be.  It is part of my daily ritual to decide what part of my creativity I can use, which part to let go, and which to set aside until later.
Part of my success in business has been my willingness to seek change,  implement change, and embrace change.  I am excited daily thinking about and looking toward how change can bring new opportunities. 

If you have a creative brain...you will understand my daily dilemma. If you don't I am the kind of person who will make you very tired.   A like-minded brain will understand how exciting it can be to constantly be thinking creatively.  If your brain just can't come up with new ideas... just call me!  I have enough to share. 

I look forward to my creative brain working toward new and exciting ways to embrace change in everything that I do.  Another day, another idea!

Practicing Leadership

I was prepared for and did my first Thirty-One party last night.  It was exciting to recall all of the new information that I had been reading, ready myself to be excited about the product, and set up for the first time all of the wonderful items for sale....The party was to begin at 7:00 p.m. 

At 7:30 there was no one there.  The Hostess started apologizing, and I was feeling a little anxious
about "no" attendees.  I recalled several things that I have learned over the years, one being my attitude.
My attitude would make a difference in this instance.  So, I encouraged the hostess on how we might be able to work on some outside orders, and let her know that it was okay if no one came.  Right after that, 3 people came to the door.  Now...we had a party! 

In the end, there were sales, there was laughter, excitement, and another party was booked.  All of the goals for a consultant.  I made a choice, to have an attitude that was positive, and to allow that attitude to reflect back to the hostess.  All in all, it was a great evening, and I think that by the time we are done...she will end up with enough sales to get all the things that were on her wish list.

Attitude:  A noun.  When I think of a noun, I think of action.  Attitude with action creates GREAT THINGS.  Have a great attitude today and see what happens in your world!!!

Something new...Direct Sales

As a business woman for the past twenty years, I happened on a company that interested me.
It is called Thirty One...a company who started in the basement of the now CEO's company.  I can
relate to that because I began my first career in early education from my home in 1985.  I grew my business
to what it is today...25 years later Serendipity Children's Center, an early education center and private school through 5th grade.

Being a business woman has it's up's and downs.  I know that my growth has included much pain in understanding perseverance, making mistakes and learning from them, and knowing each day that all the work is worth it in the end.

As I begin a new journey with Thirty One Gifts, I am excited about building a team.  I am a team player, and a strong leader...as such, this is a great opportunity to take young woman who want to be at home and teach them about how to become successful.  I know that I still have alot to learn...I love to learn new things, and am challenged by the new opportunities that this company will offer me. 

As I build my Thirty One team...I look forward to new growth opportunities, having some real fun selling a product that I love, and enjoying connecting with new people.  All work together for me in my life now.
I hope that as I progress, I will be able to stay true to my mission and goal.

 

Mission Statement

To serve, lead and encourage others while providing a challenging environment that promotes personal growth to all I touch

Goal

To assist those who have chosen a profession they love, by offering training necessary that will strengthen their commitment and skill necessary for superior results!


I am excited today that I my first Thirty One goal...the Swell program.  $300.00 worth of free products for
FREE.  In today's world FREE is good!

If you are interested in being part of my team...please contact me at www.mythirtyone.com/31blesses
Have a wonderful day.

Being the best you can be...

As a business woman for the past twenty five years, I have come to understand well the role of a leader, hard worker, living and working in your passion, and what comes with wanting and striving for success.  It takes alot of time, hard work, and perseverance along with a belief that what you are doing makes a difference.

I have built a strong business in my community called Serendipity Children's Center.  It is an early care and education facility which houses a private school K-5.  I am involved daily with this business and am excited to watch those who work with me work passionately daily.  I love young children, and believe that a positive start for them will impact their entire life.

Now...as I am taking some time to pursue other interests, I have found that allowing the creative part of me to thrive is giving me something fun to take part in, and allowing me to expand myself.  I have found a company that fits well into that creative side of me called Thirty One...it allows me to sell products, meet new people, build a team of people for success, and it's fun!  Wow how lucky is that?  I look forward to what is ahead!