Claim the space - Expert in...

My 'word" for the year is "spotlight". I've been holding back and not claiming my space. A few years back I worked with a coach who encouraged me to claim an expert space. 

I dabbled in it...

Expert in New Entrepreneurship

Small Business Expert

or ....what

This year, when we were encouraged to select a word that would capture what this year would look like, I chose "spotlight". No more shying away from the spotlight, I chose to claim my space and step into it once and for all. 

Debbie Adams - Entrepreneurship Expert

Oh, people will chafe at the thought and some may even want to challenge me. 

Expert - really? 

Let's look at what it means to be an expert in any field. 

Dictionary definition of expert is "A person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area." Yep, I have that in the area of entrepreneurship and I'm stepping into that space.  I've always resented it when people claimed the space in business just because they had the education but had never really done the grind. 

Back when I was a tradeswoman, I used to meet other women who were holding themselves out as expert on "women in trades" but they had never spent one hour on tools. They could not possibly have been an expert - they had never used toothpaste to get the grime out of their hands. How could they be expert? Expert is about learning and doing - knowledge and wisdom. 

I love it when #tradescontractors come in and ask me how to double their revenue. I love it when I get asked to develop a partnership agreement for two guys who are coming together to bid on a job. I especially enjoy it when I get asked to speak on a topic and share what I have learned where the rubber hits the road. 

Here's a question - what are you expert in? Where are you holding back and waiting for someone to invite you into the spotlight. What body of knowledge do you hold comprehensive and authoritative knowledge or skill in? Think about it - are you an expert?

What you focus on expands!!!

I've always enjoyed Dr. Wayne Dyer and his profound teachings. We miss you Dr. Dyer. 

What you focus upon expands he said. 

I've had times in my life when I have had runaway thoughts - about how crappy the day is, how bored I am or other things that were going wrong at the time. All or nothing thinking was another common favourite. Nothing is going right. Everyone is mad at me. The list goes on. 

Does any of this resonate with you?

There's a whole body of study out there that says that if we learn to visualize what we want in life, we will see more of it. If we could just drag our minds away from what isn't going well and purposefully think about what is going well - then what is going well will expand. I like to use the analogy of a spot light. Take that big old spotlight and move it away from the negative and toward what is going well. Don't ruminate on things that are not going well. There is no benefit in this. 

This week in our chapter one of Pam Grout's E Squared, we're learning to ask the universe or God or whatever you want to call that power greater than ourselves to show us that it is actually listening to little old me. Yep, you matter and he/she/it will respond if you look for that sign. 

It's tough to change your mind. Set your stopwatch/timer to nudge you at any given time during the day and check in to tell us what you are thinking about. Will you be thinking about that thing that you wish would show up or are you thinking about that thing that is pissing you off right now. 

Which is it?

What you focus upon expands - worth thinking about.