Brilliant and Built For Success Part 2 by Dr. Catrina Pullum

When we begin to break our barriers, we have to look as deeply inside of ourselves as we do at our circumstances and the people around us. If you are reading these words right now, you may have lived through some things, or be living in some things, some situations, that have left you hopeless. You’ve given up along the way. If you are shackled to shame from missteps and mistakes from your past, break that barrier. Become one of the faithful few that reclaims your strength, and who believes that nothing can stop you.

This is so much bigger than you—than us. We have a weighty responsibility on our shoulders to look beyond our local and reach into our global, God-given purpose. This is about our vision for our children, families, and community. Our legacies. There is no barrier that should be strong enough to hold us back.

In February of 2017, I was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury. With my family at my side, the doctors told me that based on the severity of my condition, I am not supposed to be here. I should not have my memory or the capacity to care for myself. Yet within days, I was running my business from my hospital bed.

I live a life where I don’t take “no” for an answer. Sometimes we must push into our purpose, despite the storms that are cascading around us. When we break our barriers, we understand that there is nothing, even the threat of an untimely and unexpected illness, or the most detrimental events that life can throw our way, that can derail us from purpose and what God has for us. There will always be a struggle, an adversary, something or someone else to fight. But there is no barrier that you cannot break.  

As entrepreneurs, my husband and I have made our fair share of mistakes, and we’re guaranteed to make many more. But what we’ve realized, and what we want you to know too, is that success is a journey—not a destination. There will be roadblocks along the way. There will be challenges and obstacles to overcome. We will all fall down at some point, but we keep moving. We keep pushing. We keep pressing.

What we know is that we were built for this type of success. The kind of success that comes with struggle. The kind of success that we have to fight for. We are predisposed for resiliency and faith that often surpasses understanding. We have that in us. That is our priceless inheritance. And we must recognize it, live it, and pass it on. Particularly to our children.

Develop a mind for success so that you refuse to allow anything to block your vision or create a wedge between you and your purpose. You were built for this. This fight for your success. This stretch for your next level.

Learn more about Dr. Catrina via her website www.drcatrinapullum.com (personal) www.pullcorp.com or www.coe4youth.org(business) and follow her on Twitter @drpullum (personal) and @pullcorpmedia & @centerofempower (business)

Ushering in a Fresh Start by Jena Bell

It’s the dawn of the new season, the days are longer, the sun is brighter and the air is fresher.  For kids, spending endless days adrift sprinkle their thoughts. For adults and BOSS entrepreneurs, it’s thank God, the days are longer! I hear you. The summertime is definitely a time to spring forward. June marks the beginning of the second half of the year and a time to assess where you are with your goals.  As you look over the past two quarters, are you on track? If the answer to the question is positive attribution of progression, keep going! But if not, it’s time to reassess and restart.  That’s the typical advice right? But this advice comes a little short sided. The reality is often times we find it difficult to simply restart. The advice assumes one is mentally and emotionally at the starting line ready to hit the mark.  If that were the case, wouldn’t you have progressed? There is something holding you back and until you face it, the second half, same results.

Maybe uncertainty, “comfort-zone syndrome,” confidence blockers, or “belief blinders” could be holding your back from seeing your possibilities. These are just a few prevalent abundance blockers impacting women. As women, the tendency is to self critique, better known as paralysis by critical analysis. Let’s face it, the enemy within is greater than the enemy outside. How many of you are guilty of saying, “ I know I am my own worst critic?” Sound familiar? I hear it often. Look, even I am guilty of that one. It’s the “perfectionist" syndrome blocking your own genius.

Well, it’s time to shift. I share these 5 tips to help you shift your mental blockers to trail blazing with a Fresh Start.

1. Practice Self-Awareness. Become aware of self-criticism and conscious of the stories you tell yourself. These negative stories contribute to over analysis-paralysis that stops you from stepping into your greatness.
2. Set aside emotions. Emotions shift focus to the negative aspects and impair your ability to see other perspectives. This may be a time to heal old wounds that continue to lurk beneath the surface.
3. Look to life lessons and draw on wisdom for guidance. Life’s best lessons allow you to matriculate the school of life with objectivity.
4. Focus on positive proof of your greatness. I refer to it as building your own “proof of concept’ of your magnetic greatness. Success leaves clues. Find your clues.
5. Focus on your goals and vision for the second half of the year with the perspective it’s a fresh start. Focus on what’s ahead, not what’s gone or not done.

Practice the art of shifting the mind from critical critique to objective focus and action orientation. I help women struggling to get passed challenges by turning around any situation. If you would like to Connect contact me.

Jena L Bell, Author, Mirror Affirmations, International Speaker and Founder, Purpose on the Rise and Pathways to Abundance. I can be reached at www.purposeonthrise.com or Connect with Jena, Instagram, Linked-In, Facebook.

Protect Your Peace by Corvet Williams

Have you ever considered how much peace is important to your mothering skills? Do you know what or who ruffles your feathers that causes a domino effect of frustrating actions? As businesswomen and mothers, we carry a heavy load. Finding a moment to woosah after a stressful day, conversation, encounter, etc. can come be challenging. What I do know for sure is that whatever our day consists of, children don't know and don't care. It's about them and what they need from you. Depending on how old your child is, reasoning with them that you need a minute may not even be feasible. The last thing as a mom I want to do is to take out my frustrations on my child, based on something that has nothing to do with them. Which is why as a mother and entrepreneur I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings on this, never know who needs to hear this. Thus this blog on protecting your peace.

Balance in this situation is going to be the key. Knowing who, when and where to cut it off and ground your boundaries so you can be prepared to be a mom without outside influence affecting your interaction with your children. That could mean not taking calls for an hour before you pick them up or not taking business calls when they are in the car with you. Another boundary may involve certain people. It may be necessary to cut certain people out altogether or limit your interactions with them to a time when, if needed, you can cool down before you need to interact with your children.

We have put a lot of guilt on ourselves as moms enough, I had to learn through experience how to set limitations for myself. One day I had a really stressful conversation with someone and I needed a minute to calm myself down, but my toddler had no clue or care that her mom was having a rough moment. It would have been easy to yell at her or make her go away, then I would have had to deal with her reaction to me or worse my own guilt of taking out my frustrations on her. I just laid on the bed as she was calling my name and tapping me for attention. It was the best I could do at that moment and I vowed to make a change at that moment. I had to learn how to protect my peace while mommying. Honesty and reflection will help to figure out the best plan of action for your life and family. It’s well worth it, for your sake and your relationship with your children.

Find out more about Corvet at www.corvetwilliams.com Twitter: @CorVet