BECOME THE HERO

Confidence sounds so easy but for many it is not.  

There is something about the average person that due to humbleness or lack of faith in self that confidence seems to be lacking. I believe that self worth is a big issue for many people. 

We have either never been taught or have forgotten to honour ourselves.  To believe in our potential and to embrace opportunities and see possibilities. 

The best way to get an injection of renewed confidence is to keep telling yourself how amazing you are, talented you are and worthy you are. 

Surround yourself with people who can cheerlead for you and support you as you work on building your potential. 

You're worth it!

BEING HALF BAD IS BETTER THAN BEING NO GOOD

I will never forget the moment I shared with a good friend that I had failed.  Failed at building a vision that I was so passionate about. Knowing that the climb was going to be difficult and the odds were stacked against me, I just never believed that I would fail.   The day I shared my disappointment with my friend, she cheered and congratulated me on my success.

You see, she shared that the wisdom and knowledge that I had built from my experience was so noticeable that it would no doubt change me for the better. The opportunities and the possibilities ahead were wide open now that I am able to see risk from a new lens.  

Just because you think you aren't succeeding remember that really you are. The outcomes may not be what you had hoped for... right now... however who knows what your experiences will bring in the future. 

GET A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE

Having the right outlook can make a huge difference. 

It can literally change the direction and the opportunities that life brings you.   How often do we look to the negative and when something seems like it is not going our way.  In adjusting our attitude and shifting our perspective, we may just see that gratitude and seeing the glass half full will actually afford us a completely different lens to see a situation.

The next time you find yourself slipping into a can't do attitude. Stop, take a breath, force yourself to look at it a different way and see the potential of your situation. Find good in the midst of darkness and be open to seeing the potential of what positive outcome could happen.

AT A CROSSROADS? PICK A LANE AND STRIDE CONFIDENTLY

Life can knocked you done and take you through the ringer some times can't it? When feeling weary and lost sometimes, being able to make decisions and trust those decisions can become polarizing, keeping you in a place of indecision and stagnation.

The beauty of decisions is that you can always pivot and change directions when you make the choice.  Pick a lane and go confidently toward that direction. Even when you stray on the wrong road, you will always learn something new about yourself, about what you do and don't want so that you can find the right road to be on.  

Trusting yourself to get through the process of life can be weary at times. Not knowing what God has planned or the next steps can make decision making really difficult.  That is usually the time where you start wrestling and your faith is put to the test.  Know that there is a plan and purpose set out for you.  Jeremiah 29:11 is a favourite verse for many as it promises that God has a plan and a purpose and wants to bring hope to you for your future. Lean on that understanding and appreciate the view as you live through the good times and the bad times of life as down every road there is something to experience. 

LIFE IS TO BE TREASURED

I wonder what life would be like if you you had no-one to share it with? I mean no one. 

I think it would be a very lonely place.  The richness that life offers does not come from the stuff that we amass but I truly believe it is derived by the relationships that we have.  Relationships are meant to be work.  Like a plant, they need to be tended to, watered and given sunlight and oxygen to grow.  

How much time and energy are you investing into your relationships?  What would happen if you did?   

People value the impact it makes when you talk, listen or just take time to silently be with them.  Learning to be more intentional with others is one of the single most precious gifts that you can count on will return to bless your life ten-fold.

DIVERSITY CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL THING

Diversity can be a beautiful thing. 

Learning to embrace and accept different cultures can open your eyes to the richness that we collectively bring to the world and receive from the world.  Most cities these days are multi-cultural in nature.  Cities with a mosaic of different food, music, values and beliefs.  There is no need even to travel the world to experience different nationalities as they are most likely right in your own neighbourhood.  What if you reached out, showed interest and made an effort to get to know people in your own area?  

You may just be amazed and become a better person for spending time with someone from another culture or even consider showing kindness to an immigrant from another country who is trying to settle into their new country.  

What's in it for you?  You will also build compassion and tolerance in understanding what they have been through, what their dreams are and what is important to them.

Just because someone looks different or talks different than you doesn't mean they are lesser than. It just means that you have an opportunity to be curious about who they are and increase your understanding and learn something new.  

Who knows, you might just make a new friend in the process. 

EVEN THE SMALLEST DROPS GAIN STRENGTH

It's a beautiful thing to have a big dream. 

The kind of big, out there, "Can I really do this?" type of vision.  
It is one thing to grab the dream and start the process, but at some point the speed in which it is moving might turn into frustration or exasperation with the sheer amount of things that must be accomplished.

Through the years, I have experienced both sides of the equation.   My vision, not moving along fast enough in one scenario and in another, having it move so quickly it is nearly impossible to keep up.

I have learned very clearly that the little things matter.  The summation of doing one thing at a time will always keep you inching along the way toward your dream. 

The best way to move along is to make decisions quickly, take action and even if you need to pivot to a new direction at least you are moving.   

There is always a way to keep moving!

WALKING ON THE EDGE

There are times in life when the road feels like it is too long and too difficult to bear.  Be encouaged as this is where resiliency is born. This is where persistence matters and even in those moments of uncertainly and trepidation, you just instinctively know keep going.(kicking and screaming sometimes, but you keep going)

Perspective changes everything. It really does.  One person may feel like she is walking the edge of the most serious situation and another might view it as a thrilling adventure that gets the heart pumping, passion ignited and focus pointed to the outcome.

Consider asking yourself if there is another way you could view your situation right now.  Instead of feeling your situation with negativity, change the way you speak about it to positive and affirming word to a more positive approach; reminding yourself that his temporary joinery is worth it as you are a successful person already who will be wiser and stronger at the end of it.

KEEP YOUR EYES FOCUSED

Feeling a little cluttered or unsure?

You aren't alone. Many people feel as if they are adrift in the world, seemingly drifting along and taking life as it comes to them. They work hard, but they never seem to get anywhere worthwhile.
A key reason could be, you haven't spent enough time thinking about what you want from life. How can you set any goals if you can't make a decision about what you want? That is really true for anything, isn't it? After all, would you set out on a major journey with no real road map to get you to your destination? Probably not! 

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life so you can be ultra focused to get there. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you then know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Goal setting plays an important role in:

• Saying NO to the things you don't want in your life so you can say YES to what matters.
• Separating what's important to focus on from what is a true distraction
• Building confidence and fueling passion for your vision
• Keeping organized and reducing clutter in your head and in your life

Enjoy the journey and don't forget to celebrate those milestones, even if they seem like small ones.

FEATURED PERFORMER: TIMOTHY PIDDINGTON

A Bit About Our Speaker:

Tim Piddington is an up and coming musician from London Ontario. He is a street performer and singer/songwriter who specializes in acoustic cover songs and 'feel good' music. He has a passion for spreading the message of love and peace through the music that he sings, whether the venue is a public stage at a local pub, a friends back yard or a city street corner.

Tim's story is entitled "Just Call Me Busker" 

For more info on Tim, find him on Twitter @songstertim

YOU NEVER KNOW HOW FAR YOU CAN GO UNLESS YOU TRY

Courage is born out of the deep desire and willingness to experience some sort of pain or discomfort to get there.  Are you wanting to move yourself to somewhere bigger?  Some perceived or literal huge step from where you are right now.

The reality is, it is often a combination of:
a) a leap of faith and;
b) a plan to take that leap.  

"There once was a young woman who was faced with losing her job.  In the midst of uncertainty and confusion she decided to start asking questions to see if she could solve the problem.   One option was to look for new work or the other option was to create new work.  Entrepreneurship was a term she never heard of but the biggest hurdle was believing she could try.  With one step at a time, she looked back over those six months of transition with amazement. For it is not in the day to day living of your big dream but in the willingness to try to move a little bit closer to your end goal. Within one year she not only was the overcomer of being unemployed but affected a whole community with a new way of helping people move beyond barriers and it started with her."

What are you willing to try today?  

Thoughts to ponder...

Check out Paula's other blogs at speakerpaulamorand.blogspot.ca or on Twitter @paulamorand

THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO

One of the biggest complaints in this era is the lack of focus that people give one another.  With so many distractions that pull us from actually focusing on the person in front of us who is wanting to spend time with you.

I am guilty of it as well.   Many times I have been asked a question by my team and even my family, only to be in the middle of writing and email or in the middle of texting.   Yes, guilty as charged.  I recognized it and started making changes, working on mono tasking so that I was giving any one thing my full attention. That certainly works in the right situation.

Really, I think it comes down to respect, intuition and making people a priority. As leaders there are many times where we aren't approached to solve the world's problems but rather we are respected enough that someone just wants to have a conversation, be mentored or share something of importance.

Ask yourself if you are missing moments that you shouldn't be?  Listening can bring about more change, impact and results that you may think. Give it a try and see how the relationships around you start to transform with the attention that you give it.

Thoughts to ponder.

Check out paulamorand.com for more insights or on Twitter @paulamorand.com

EXPAND YOUR MIND

Possibilities are always waiting to be uncovered and discovered. Think about that for a moment. That is so exciting! I was conversing with a client this week who shared that it is not easy for her to think out of the box as she can't be creative to think of what could actually be outside of the box.

If you have always eaten a red apple, view apples as red and expected apples as red, then how could they be any different? 
Do you actually know if apples were red to begin with or is more important that you experience with apples being red are what matters?

We should constantly be inquisitive enough to continually want to ask questions.   I have said for years that asking "What If" in most any situation can spur conversation, ideation and action.

Having trouble being creative and seeing possibility?  

Let go of what you assume what can and cannot work and just let your mind wander. Think of all of the possibilities before you strike them down as being unattainable and generally unthinkable.  For it is in the unthinkable that true innovation is born. 

Thoughts to ponder....

Check out my website 
@paulamorand.com or follow on twitter @paulamorand.

FEATURED SPEAKER: BROADCASTER, ANDREW LAWTON

Andrew Lawton to be Featured Speaker at momondays London  February 9th, 2015
The Western Fair District Carousel Room at 900 King St. London

A Bit About Our Speaker:
Andrew Lawton is the host of The Andrew Lawton Show on AM980 and a radio, television and newspaper outlets commentator. He has appeared on Fox News, BBC World, Sun News and CTV News, among other outlets. When not opining on politics and culture, Andrew is a pianist, an avid writer, and an urban explorer--one who ventures into abandoned buildings in search of excitement and the perfect photograph.

Andrew's story is entitled "A Stroke of Genius" 

Andrew Lawton held what felt like a dream job in the summer of 2009. With work as his first and only priority, it was more of a source of inconvenience than one of fear when medical issues started to surface. In August 2009, he had a stroke, losing half of his body's movement and feeling. How does a career-oriented person define meaning when they can no longer work? That became Andrew's mission.

For more info on Andrew, find him at www.andrewlawton.ca or on Twitter @andrewlawton

You meet the nicest people at MoMondays!

For Tickets:  www.momondays.com/london