Entrepreneurship is an option for EVERYONE - only people with a fixed mindset would believe otherwise

I have had two identities in life that speak to my soul - mother and soldier. They're two core identities that I hold dear. I'll always be a mother but my career as a soldier was taken away from me and when it was, I was shaken to the core. After all, being a soldier wasn't a "job" I held, it was an identity I embraced.

Life landed me in a place where there was a title assigned to me - "disabled person living on a pension who had no purpose and who would never again find joy". Circumstances in life landed me in this place but I could not embrace the identity the way that I did with mother and soldier. After all, those roles brought me profound joy, the latter brought me anger and depression.

I'm getting excited here.....

I now wear a new title that is quickly becoming "who I am" as opposed to "what I do". I am an entrepreneur. I am in the business of educating people and more particularly I help people change their minds. After all, I have a bit of experience changing minds - I have changed my own.

I have read thousands of books since I started school at age 40. In each book, I had an ah ha moment that was core shattering.  Literally, I could see the world open up with each new lesson.

Dozen's of books have had an impact on my life but Carol Dweck's book called Mindset has become a staple. The reason I was able to move from the defeatist attitude I had in my late thirties to the attitude I hold today has to do with a change in mindset.

When the student is ready, the teacher will come.

I do wish I had known sooner the distinction between growth and fixed mindset but the teacher really does show up when you are ready. The knowledge found in this book brings hope and provides the explanation I needed for why I had made many of the choices I had made along the way; why I believed what I believed.

In the early days, I was sceptic that I would find a purpose in life but over time I came to believe that we have so much control over our lives and it all starts with our beliefs. People with growth mindsets live productive lives in spite of what happens to them.

If you're sitting there disgruntled with life - pick up this book and see if it helps you to look at things differently. I never would have believed that Entrepreneurship was for me - BUT I DO NOW!!!

Join me in Cape Breton on Nov 21 where I will be delivering my Reluctant Entrepreneur; Life Made Me Do It 

I will tell my story - perfectionism

Perfectionists do not tolerate flaws in their own work and we are very self critical and we care way too much about what others think. 

One of the benefits of being a perfectionist is that we are highly motivated to reach our goals. One of the shortcomings is that we give our power away, letting other people's opinion of us mean more than it should. 

I am a recovering perfectionist - what exactly does that mean? It means I took a big hit in life that resulted in me challenging my own assumptions about me, about my beliefs and about my own self worth - it was life altering and freeing. 

On November 12th, I will speak about this important and delicious topic. Contact me for details. 

debbie.adams08@gmail.com

Image Sofia Carvalho (Flickr.com)

Take time for play!!!

We laughed at ourselves as a group of 50+ women jumped on the trampoline and the kids looked at us like we were nuts. Can't believe how much fun we had.

When you have done all that you can do. When the last stone is turned. When you have knocked on every door possible. You have choices.

You can choose to worry or you can dance in the rain, take a hike, head to the beach. Point is, the solution won't show up until you carve out room for it. The way to make that happen is PLAY.

Make play a business strategy.

Jump in - learn as your go!!!

We both started laughing at the same time. Did you really just say that?

"I couldn't do that - I don't know how to do that."

Ya, she said it and then we started laughing because at the same time we both realized that this was a bold faced lie.

My friend and I have much in common including the habit of jumping with both feet into unfamiliar territory including jobs that are way above our pay grade. You see, we have figured out that successful people aren't afraid to do that - jump in and learn while you're going along. It's become a way of life. I encourage you to try it sometime. You'll impress yourself with your ability to learn on the fly.

I learned to swim by being thrown in the deep end - yep, that's the way my teacher liked to do it. Granted, my father was never far away but he had no qualms about being unconventional. We all jump into parenting without a frickin clue what we're doing but we manage to wing it until we get it right. That's a big job don't you think?

If you reverse engineered most jobs, they're broken down into the next step to be taken. Most often there are folks who can help you out. Sooooo, get out there and get her done. Done is better than perfect - you can learn as you go.

Not heart surgery though, if you're thinking of tackling that, maybe get that down pat first. But the rest - get crackin' - in the deep end.

The Social Media Challenge Packed a Lot of Punch

I absolutely love working with Sherri-Lee Woycik. She is that Canadian gal who manages the Badass Facebook Marketing group. I can't say enough about her challenge. It was a little tough to fit it all in what with running my own programming all week but I did manage to get most of it done.

As adult learners, we have a tendency to take away that nugget that we're ready to use next. This program had something for everyone. The more advanced FB marketing tips as well as tons of tips for beginners. She's an absolute master in her industry.

I am especially stoked because my name was drawn to attend a 6 hour boot camp intensive next week. I know that I will learn so much from that challenge.

So thanks SherriLee and if you're wanting to know more about her programs, check out her page above.

Got a Storefront? Don't network? Think again.

There was a time when you could hang up the "shingle" and wait for clients to come in by the droves. OK not quite droves but you get the drift. Hanging up your shingle was enough - people could find you now. 

A while back my daughter's car needed a bit of work. I didn't pull out the yellow pages. I didn't phone the local garage. Nope, I went on Facebook and asked my friends who they were using. That's how we shop these days. Relationship  marketing is king. 

Truth is, we're overwhelmed with the number of signs that are on the road these days. We are becoming immune to signage. We block most of them out. 

But if signs aren't working, how can we sell our products and services? We need to build relationships. Getting out and meeting people is essential to business success these days. Look for places in your community where people are gathering and go make some new friends. 

A few  years back, a group of us came together and started a business network called Plugged Into Sackville Business Network. We felt that the community needed a resource where like minded business people could come together to get to know one another. We have built amazing friendships in that little group. Not everyone who has walked through our doors have stayed - some folks didn't feel that their target market was in that group - but I beg to differ. You see even if your direct market isn't in that room, the folks who are there may know someone who is seeking just what you are selling.  

Keep in mind that if no one can find you, you don't exist  - it's as simple as that. 

After all, we do business with people we know and trust. 

Lessons I have learned this past year - there's no room for a doormat in business.

In a little over a month I will celebrate my first anniversary in my business and what a year it has been. A year filled with hard work, tough lessons and many rewards. Nothing has been more rewarding than the people who have come alongside to help make my first year pretty frickin' awesome.

Over the next month, I will share some of those lessons starting with a lesson about our own core beliefs.

Long before I opened my business I had accepted that "The things that are showing up in my life are things that are in alignment with what I believe." That can be a hard pill to swallow. When the nice things are showing up we happily take responsibility and it feels good. But when the not so nice things are showing up - we may not want to admit that we are responsible. Our core beliefs are producing the life that we are experiencing.

Keep in mind that I'm a recovering doormat and the journey to healthy relationships has been messy. Relationships are key to success in any business. Changing core beliefs is not a one time thing - it takes a tremendous amount of effort to uncover those beliefs and challenge your own assumptions.

Each time I take on a new venture, I have to deal with the residual effects of  those old doormat tendencies. These old tendencies show up like scattered dust bunnies. This past year in business has been an example of this. I really am a work in progress - it pays to be self aware.

I know that some people are into reading self help books to break cycles but I believe in fast tracking so I have enlisted the help of professionals to help me process and deal effectively with my challenges. I come from a cycle ---  generations of women doormats ----  breaking that cycle won't happen overnight. I am doing the work one day at a time.

Here's how it manifested in my life this past year. People were coming alongside of me in business which I took as a good sign. They were often looking for information of a business nature but it became evident pretty quickly that they were not willing to pay for that information.

Coaches everywhere will get this - the.lessons that we teach are a culmination of our experience, our education in a particular area as well as our coaching certification and adult education certificates that allow us to work in that field. (Some of you may not have those credentials and still be coaching but I believe in certifications. I became a much more effective coach and trainer after I was taught the proper way to educate and coach adults -- that's a topic for another day). This specialised knowledge has value and it usually unlocks potential in people. The return on investment for coaching can be in the hundreds of thousands. My own investment in coaching has impacted my business revenues in amazing ways.

When I sat down with my sage and told him about what was happening - he asked what I thought was really going on here? I love him because he knows me and the beauty of being a coach who is receiving coaching is that we cut to the chase pretty quickly.

My immediate response was "I am attracting this into my life because of something I believe." From that statement we were able to do the work that led me to unearth a core belief that was causing me to attract people who did not value my service. The reality was, I had some residual beliefs about the value that I was bringing. Isn't it funny how that works?  Thank goodness that I do not profess to have all the answers and I am big on execution - I take my business seriously and I don't mind doing the work.

Fast forward  a year and I have different people showing up - people who treat me like a professional and who are quite willing to pay. I wonder what is going on there. Could it have something to do with what I believe about me?

What is showing up in your life that could be indicative of a core belief at work? Have you given it any thought? I would love to hear your success stories on this topic.

3 Benefits of a Marketing Plan

"This little piggy went to market and this little piggy stayed home."

Why do you think that this particular little piggy was the only one that got to go to market? Was he the only one that was ready? Was there an issue with the supply chain? Were the others not quite ready? Or, was it because he was the only vegetarian in the bunch -roast beef? Yuk.

Maybe the farmer had a 'marketing plan'?? It is quite possible especially if he was a successful farmer.

There came a time when I had to admit that I liked a certain amount of control in my life. Change is never like the flicking of a switch - control feels normal to me. There There's not much to life if you're a control freak - it takes the fun out of it I believe. I've worked on that. But I'm not an all or nothing kind of gal.

There is one area where I will maintain control and that is when it comes to my business. I control the numbers - knowing how close I am to my targets at any given time. I also control my marketing. I have a marketing plan and I believe that there is a correlation between your revenues and your plan to get the goods to market. I'm a firm believer that regardless of the size of your business, investt the time (and money if that's not your thing) in a smashing marketing plan - you won't regret it.

There are many benefits in having a marketing plan. Here are my top three.

1. It saves time and time is money.  Time is precious in business especially in the early days when you are wearing so many hats. A marketing plan lets you make a plan and work the plan. Won't it take precious time to make a plan? Well ya, but the time you spend planning will give you time to work on your business later on. Without a plan, we use more valuable time. Time is money.

2. A marketing plan is a good test of how viable your business is. Usually a marketing plan goes hand in hand with your projections. If you plan to make X (revenue) and you need to sell Y (# of units) then you will need to know where you will sell those. A marketing plan maps that out for you and let's you know if you're nuts in your projections.

3. This is my favourite. The universe loves clarity. When you make a plan, you're committed. You're going for the goal. You've not only called it by name. You've made a plan to make it happen. The universe loves that kind of clarity.

And you're waiting for what? Get crackin' -- make the plan and work the plan. BAM!!!

The eBook Experience - A Great Tool for Freelance Trainers and Coaches

Why write an eBook at all? 

Lots of reasons especially if you're in the training world. It really helps to get your name out there to establish credibility. It is an excellent way to reach people and share what we know with them.

The thing is that most of us get it. There is a ton of value in an eBook but we don't want to do the work. This past month I set out to do the work.

I wrote an eBook in 30 days. It will be on Amazon in the next week or so. Definitely in time for the course that I will be teaching in Sackville at the end of August. There are a few spots left yet.

Register for the program today. Seats are limited.

I have learned a few things in the process. You need an editor who really understands the technical side of wordsmithing (is that even a word?). It is not enough to just throw some words on paper. Don't mess it all up by going cheap on this important part.

It costs money to publish an eBook but it's worth it. If you're in it for the money - not sure I'd bother. The real benefit is in expanding the list and establishing cred with potential clients.

We have a ton of information to share as trainers. Learn how on August 26th in Sackville. Hope to see you there.

How Attending University in my 40s Helped Me to Become a Better Entrepreneur

One of the things that I noticed when I arrived at university aside from the fact that I was twice the age of some of my classmates was that I had to be careful with the opinions I expressed.

The benefit of attending when I was 40 was that I had learned a ton of lessons where the rubber hits the road and for me it was while twisting wrenches in the army. No one in my social circle had ever attended university.

I pissed off my professor one day when he shared a bit of information and I honestly and naively commented that "I don't see things that way."

I got the "HOW DARE YOU" stare. Rightly so I supposed, he had been extrapolating from data for more than 11 years. I had merely been living life or acquiring data in a different way for 40.

Yes, I say that now with tongue in cheek. Some of the best gifts I have ever been given have been by people who have pissed me off. I hope he feels the same.

The university experience is not one that I would trade in a million years. It has value beyond what I could have imagined.. I feel it was a real supplement to the lessons I had learned. It helped me to make sense of my life experiences. this resulted in me doing much better in life. University is a blessing - not the only route to a job but a real benefit to me in my business. It also helped me to understand people better.

I meet people who are out there without the benefit of education and people with biases against people with degrees. I have a foot in both canoes so to speak - a tradeswoman with a degree helps me to connect to a broader range of people. It also helps me to build bridges between people where the lack of information each has is a barrier to connection.

You see, learning where the rubber hits the road has a ton of value that is often undervalued in academia. That's sad because they could be rocking if they waited to get a degree after they had a little "experiential learning" under their belts. Just sayin'

I would recommend getting a degree to anyone - I can't explain the benefit of a broader mind, a more curious mind, a mind that has been trained to look at things from a new perspective - that's the real benefit of my university degree and I would indeed do it again. It's likely I will - I do consider myself a knowledge addict with an opinion.

From the perspective of business - the S T R E T C H I N G of the mind that took place by learning a substantial amount of information in my 40s complimented by the school of hard knocks experiences have been.....words escape me - it's da bomb.

Joint Ventures With a Friend - Contract Writing - Tips From a Recovering Doormat

I believe in being generous but not to a fault. I love the concept of win/win and common sense is....well common sense.

If you're thinking of going into a joint venture with a friend, take the time to construct a contract. I'm not saying that you have a contract for a day at the beach. I'm suggesting that you have a contract where there is a certain amount of risk and you want a plan in place so that you do not get caught holding the bag.

If you feel kind of icky about the thought of a contract, you probably need one.

Yes, these are lessons I have learned the hard way. Once burnt, twice shy. It's not fun to take anyone to smalls claim court - it's downright painful.

Get the contract out of the way in the early days when you're excited and feeling good about the relationship. It's the best time for communication. After all when things go wrong, we will be feeling hurt and it's tougher to have tough communications. .

Difficult conversations are ten times more difficult for some of us.

When you have it in writing, you have thought about what  could go wrong when you are in your very generous frame of mind. What I have found when I collaborate with other generous minded folks is that we have a tendency to think of ways to protect one another when we do this exercise.

If you can't think of what can go wrong, ask other people. Sometimes they are more objective. Always choose folks you can trust. You will be so glad you did.

Pic Deep Shurchan

Want to have a great day? Try this simple morning routine that will increase the chances of that happening!!.

We all have mornings where we wake up in a funk. This is especially true when things aren't going well and even more than true we suffer from depression and anxiety. We all have our little nuances and reasons for not waking up in a great mood.

A wise sage suggested this morning routine to me and I have modified it to meet my needs. I credit that sage. It is a simple process.

As a person who loves to work, I have a tendency to want to jump out of bed and get at 'er. But I work smarter when I follow this simple but effective morning routine to kickstart my day.


10 Minutes of Movement

Be creative. Moving is such a subjective term. For some it may mean running, for you it may mean a free style dance. The idea is to move with intention and to be present.

You will find it much more beneficial if you are mindful when you move. Feel each part of the body as you engage that muscle. Follow the flow of your fingers as they move. Enjoy the release of energy as you connect with your vitality. You're about to begin a magical day - act like you appreciate that even if you're not quite there yet. Move with purpose and grace.

10 Minutes of Writing

Get a pen and paper and write. Not just any writing. Be purposeful in your writing. When I first started writing about 15 years ago, I would actually write about my worries and about the things that went wrong in my life. I don't do that any more although there is something to be said for the cathartic value.

Instead I write about the "what if". What would the world look like if what I was going through right now were solved. What will my day look like if things go the way that I want them to? Write about a best case scenario for a complicated problem you are solving.

This isn't an official document that you're going to hand in to some senior official. This is your "kickstart my day" writing. If you're not into the written work, purchase a voice recorder and vocalise your ideas.

On Fridays' I'm making my writing a blog post - like today.

10 Minutes of Reading

I keep a book handy and when I hop out of bed in the morning, it's right there ready to go. Have a bok ready for this particular purpose. I don't pick it up at any other time. It's my morning "kickstart my day" read.

Read something inspiring. Learn something new. Make it relevant, Be engaged. Maybe reading before you write is a better option for you. You choose!!!

Choose the right book - learn something new. Not sure what to read - ask around. People who live with intention can always recommend something wonderful.

Try this for a week and then let me know what happens. I really do want to hear!!!

Would you like to be profitable sooner?

The journey for PeopleCan was a journey filled with painful  moments - I kid you not. Along the way as I was morphing into what I have become (I know that I am not done morphing) I would often get asked what I did.

I'd answer with the usual  - speaker, trainer coach - provide trainng, blah, blah blah.

Recently I did an exercise with a coach and had that "ah ha moment" I help people become profitable sooner. That's it - point blank. The rest is the "how or the logic" of what I do.

When people ask what you do? How do you respond? Do you respond with a lot of useless jargon or a nice clear statement of what you actually do?  

When you figure it out - you'll become profitable sooner!!!

Do you have hidden biases that prevent you from making money?

Everyone looked up when she walked in the room. She had a certain air about her. Dressed in her white power suit with her neatly coiffed hair and a smile on her face like she had a secret that only she knew.

I disliked her from the get go. I could feel the expression on my face change as if I were looking in a mirror - eyes half closed and sarcastic lifting of the lip.

Then BAM!!! Common sense took over and I recognised my reaction for what it was. Envy!!! I was jealous of her. I'll be darned. I hadn't even met her yet and I didn't like her. Obviously I have issues but that's ok. what matters is that I enjoy challenging my own assumptions particularly when those assumptions include any misinformation about money.

My heart rests with the folks like me whose early education caused them to develop a set of flawed assumptions around money that negatively impacted them in life. Our early foundations set the course for us in life. Some folks grow up in homes where money is given the respect it deserves. Others grow up with unwarranted disdain toward money and everyone associated with it.

Social conditioning is a powerful thing.

My reaction to Ms. Power Suit wasn't based in logic, they were based in outdated and useless assumptions.

I have tools in my box to deal with these moments - moments of envy that now and again raise their ugly heads and cause me to react like this. They are the tools that anyone who has ever had to change their mind holds. They're the tools that let us challenge our assumptions and when it comes to money - it's a tool that I will keep nearby.

If you suspect that, like me, you have hidden biases against money, know this:


1. Money in and of itself has no character traits. It is neither good nor bad. It has a neutral quality. Making  money does not make you a good or bad person.

2. If you're extreme in your saving or your spending, you may want to look at your own assumptions around money. Those assumptions will get in the way of creating wealth.

3. If you're not sure how you feel, listen to the 5 people closest to you. Yep, like it or not, their beliefs usually mirror your own. That being said - as you change your mind, you will change your friends because it is difficult to be with folks who don't share your values. True dat.

Money doesn't grow on trees but it does grow. Mindset matters and mindset is not a fixed entity. You can change your mind and in my experience all success starts there.

Is shame holding you back?

The vantage point changes with time. I would call 2006 a traumatic year. It was the year I was charged with Intellectual Dishonesty at Law School, the year I lost my voice and couldn't self advocate and it was the year I asked myself the big question "Who am I?"

When I would recall that event over the next few years I would cringe. A mixture of shame and disappointment in the early days were quickly replaced with something of value. The disaster became the springboard for a new direction in life.

Shame was replaced with understanding what came before, the role of various actors and my own inability to process a disability that I had not come to terms with.

We can get stuck in these places. If a past event is nipping you in the rear, here's what worked for me.

1. Share your story with someone who will help you to process. It can be a coach or a counsellor. Believe me, processing helps to put past disappointments into perspective.

2. Surround yourself with imperfect people - they will love you in spite of.

3. Forgive yourself, the others involved. Find a way to make that happen - grudges hold you back.

Live the life you're given without regret.

When starting over after losing a job, the right mindset and a willingness to try new things will serve you well.

All I knew when I set out to find a job was that I needed to make money to feed the family - after all, I was the only bread winner. A burning desire will take you a long way but you have to be willing to be open to the possibility that the journey may be a little bit of a winding road.  

There wasn't much call for legally blind mechanics who were trained to tie steel but I had a hunger to make a living and I think that is what benefited me most. My goal was not too narrowly defined that it restricted me in any way.

I come from a long line of very hard working people. Truth is we're not much for sitting around being idle. When I started looking for work my resume looked a little skewed. I thought about adding the extra skills that I possessed such as being able to split wood or install vinyl siding but it didn't make much sense. After all, crafting the resume to fit the job description that you're applying for is a good practice. There's also the need to be open minded and to be willing to try new things. Don't limit your search too much. 

It is quite common to try and find work doing what you have always done. But when you take a long hard look at the job market, you may want to branch out a bit. I tried to stay close to my industry in the beginning. After leaving the army, I trained to tie steel for the Hibernia project. But the reality was, my vision didn't make for a safe environment. I wasn't afraid to try new things or consider living in a new location!!

You're never too old to learn. Unless of course you tell yourself that you are. I recently ran into a displaced worker who was 53 years old. He told me "No one will want to hire me." Well you best watch what you say because it might come true. After all what you believe to be true often becomes your reality. 

Contrast that attitude with the 62 year old recently laid off fish plant worker I met at university who was now studying Theology. This was a guy who was open to change and not into limiting his options. The choice is yours. 

We're all shaped by our environments. Let's  not limit ourselves by our environmental conditioning. If you grew up in a home with a piano and I didn't, chances are that you may have some skill and an appreciation for the piano. Doesn't mean that I won't be able to learn to play - I just haven't tried yet. It's the same no matter how old you are. If you're willing to keep an open mind and try new things, you may be pleased with where you end up. Had someone told me ten years ago that I would one day own a training facility and a tax business, I would have told them they were nuts.

That wasn't part of my dream. 

Or was it? I did have was a burning desire to have meaningful work where I could provide for me and the family and feel like I was contributing to the world. Lo and behold, that's just what I ended up with. It just looks a little different than what I thought it would look like in the beginning. 

What's it going to be for you? The possibilities are limitless - dare you dream a bigger dream?

The Internal Stuff They Don't Tell You: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know if They Want to Succeed

No one tells you that in the early days you feel like an imposter. This is especially true if you have always been an employee. There is a huge difference between the mindset of an employee and the mindset of the business owner. That mind shift must take place in order to be successful and it takes place gradually. When it does, the evidence is apparent immediately.

Why then do so many people who teach business transition programs focus solely on the external attributes. Yes you need a great plan and you need to work that plan. No one appreciates more than a tax specialist how important it is that your financials are in order and marketing - well it is the lifeblood of your business.

But the right mindset is the special sauce that makes it all work. Ask anyone who has made a living in this tough arena - when you make the "big shift" things start to happen.

2 Pieces of Advice From the Sages

The tax business is not a numbers business as much as it is a people business. During the season I get a chance to speak with a lot of folks and share many personal stories. I asked some of the more successful business folks what tips they could offer that were not of a business nature.  This is what they shared. (Names have been changed to protect identities and stories shared with permission.)

#1 Self Care is Key

"I didn't start taking care of myself until after I had my first heart attack." Grant says. "What a wake up call. The only thing I had in life was work."

Take time out of your busy schedule for self care. Self care means different things to different people. For some, it may mean a little pampering and primping built into a busy schedule or working out at the gym. 

For others it may be a night out on the town. 

For me it means time away from technology with a combination of pampering, nature and lots of laughs. Whatever it means for you, there is consensus that it matters more than you may think. Self care renews initiative and gives you that much needed break from business that is just what the doctor ordered. 

#2 Remember the People Who Matter

Harvey tearfully told me that his one regret was that he wasn't available when his children were small. "You don't get those days back." 

I've heard this before. You never regret not getting that big deal as much as you regret not being there when your son or daughter scored that goal. 

Carve out time for the people who matter most. Make them a priority early on. 

I love learning from the folks in my life who generously share their lessons. I will take these two suggestions to heart. 

Seriously Consider Entrepreneurship When You Lose Your Big Job in Oil

Man, when I lost my full time secure job in the early nineties, I was pissed. With the benefit of hindsight, I realize I searched for way too long in a market where there was a saturation of people just like me. 

Let's face it, I was doing the best I could - I didn't know what I didn't know. Know what I mean?

Even if you, like me, have never given entrepreneurship one single  consideration, don't rule it out as an option. You may be surprised at how lucrative that option really is. 

When no one out there will hire you, hire yourself. There is a market and with a little creativity you can access that market. 

Don't waste all of your energy bitchn' about the poor economy, become an #econosavvy chameleon-

like entrepreneur. 

3 Tips for Successfully Taking a Big Bold Step

A little bird sits in a tree and you wonder how it can be so calm. Even though the bird is tiny, the branch seems hardly big enough to support it. If you look closely you may even see the strain on the branch caused by the birds weight. But the bird does not look stressed. The bird knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that it can trust itself to do what needs to be done in a "worse case" scenario. It isn't the limb that it has faith in - she has faith in her own ability.

Deciding to raise a child on my own and plunge into uncertainty was a giant leap for me. I didn't have the financial means or resources to do it but it needed to be done. What I did have is faith - in a higher power and in myself. 

I meet many people who are disgruntled with life and yearn to take a big step. The unknown  is fearful. I get why people wait until they "must" before taking that step. But waiting until you "must" often takes a toll on internal resources. Not having the external resources to make a shift is bad enough but when you start to deteriorate the internal resources, you may be creating a deficit. It's hard to hit the road running in a deficit situation.

I'd offer these three pieces of advice for anyone thinking of making major change in their lives:

1. Learn from others. We have learned valuable lessons along the way that we will gladly share with others. Don't reinvent the wheel each time you do something.

2. Get your fear under control. Fear of being homeless is one of the biggest fears that people face - next to public speaking. When you drill it down, the fear has no real basis. The journey from where you are to being homeless is a long way off. Likely you are the type of person that will also do what it takes to ensure that doesn't happen. People who take bold action are made of pretty impressive stuff.

3. Prepare. Get ready for the big move. For example, if you're stuck in a place that you don't want to be in and income is a concern, don't overextend yourself so that you're depending on that income. That's self sabotage. Think about it. 

An extra nugget is this - there's nothing as sweet as steering your own ship.