Readers of The Woman's Field Guide to Exceptional Living are encouraged to visit the site and rate the Nomination!

The Ethan Awards

The Ethan Award™ has quickly become the most coveted business author honor in America,” said David L. Hancock, founder and president of The Ethan Awards™.  “We began the Ethans in 2006 with the mission to generate recognition of deserving business authors among the business community, the press, and the general public.  Being selected as a Nominee is an important achievement, because it means that independent judges have agreed that the Nominee is worthy of national recognition.  We congratulate all of the Nominees on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”

Some ah ha moments came this past week when I was on stage at the amazing Time for Our Power Conference. I had just a few moments on Saturday and then again on Sunday to convey to the dynamic and diverse audience a message that defines my work in the world. My challenge was how to do that with a handful of words?

My heart said, just show up, open your mouth, and trust. Stand in the spotlight and be yourself. That is just what I did.

Related to the theme of the conference it came down to this: If you want to do great things in the world, to claim your power and stand tall, if you want to have a great life, you HAVE to take great care of you! No way around it.

There are times that you are called to literally stand in the spotlight, but more likely, there are moments throughout each day that you have a choice - show up authentically or hide out. This seems the perfect time to share another chapter from my book ...

Excerpt from The Woman's Field Guide to Exceptional Living

Just imagine, the stage curtains are drawn and you are standing backstage, alone in the darkness. The house is full. Anticipation is building. You feel butterflies in your stomach. You know when the curtains open, a magnificent woman will be revealed standing center stage, in the spotlight, fully expressed. And, frankly, the thought terrifies you.

What does fully expressed really mean? A word that comes to mind is authentic. According to The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, authentic means: true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.
To live authentically means that you truly hold nothing back. You believe in who you are and the
gifts you have to share. Yet, as simple as this might sound, there are countless reasons people have difficulty living authentically, difficulty showing up in full color, difficulty being fully expressed.

Just days from now women from around the country will gather to learn and be inspired to take action towards a better life and better planet.

The speaker line-up includes:

Jane Fonda, Glenis Redmond, Grandmother Red Leaf, Debra Roberts, Asheville Major Terry Bellamy, Starhawk, Julie Butterfly Hill and more. There will even be a few words shared by the conference Self-Care Weaver - me!

If you have been thinking about it, now is time to decide to join us! The fabulous conference creators can be seen at Spotlight on Exceptional Women and you can learn more and register at: www.timeforourpower.org

A great follow up to the posting on "Who is on your team?" comes in the form of an invitation from a fabulous coach I know.

In a nutshell, coach Margie Scott is offering 100 coaching sessions around her 1-2-3 Let's Get Healthy Theme. These sessions are designed to help you identify areas of your life that may not be healthy and to design actions to make profound changes.

Here is the amazing part - she is offering up these sessions for $25! If you feel extra support might be helpful for you right now, Margie's offer is one that I hope pulls you in.

You can more about Margie at the Spotlight on Exceptional Women.Too, to get the details on her new program and offer check out: Living Bliss

Conversations with Exceptional Women
Ten Minute Interviews with Amazing Women Listen to Coach Margie!

What would it feel like to be a part of a cohesive, supportive, inspired team of people who are individually and collectively focused on each person reaching their wildest dreams and greatest joy?

Just imagine the connection you would feel, the courage that might come to stretch and grow beyond current limitations, and the success you may nurture in all facets of your life?

Not to mention - the fun!

Many people are driven by the "I can do it myself"  mantra and are incredibly reluctant to ask for help. A positive shift can happen when we ask others for support, ask them to brainstorm with us, and even ask them to be on our team!

I am a huge fan of this kind of collaborative play and that enthusiasm currently shows in two groups I am honored to be a part of:

The first is a fabulous mastermind group of like-minded coaches and dear friends in Asheville. We meet twice a month and share our dreams, our goals and our hold-backs in supportive, challenging conversations.

I am proud to share news of my teammates, my friends and women making a huge difference in my life and the world:

• Cheri Britton: www.boomthinking.com
• Barbara Brady: www.mycoachbarbara.com
• Adair Cates: www.adaircates.com
• Shelley Lieber: www.thewordywoman.com
  

The second is as a member of a group of entrepreneurs from across the globe who come together throughout the year to learn, to explore, to show up in all our brilliance. As a member of Mark Victor Hansen's Inner Circle I have an opportunity to learn from and be inspired by people like Mark and guests to our group like Steven Sadleir who are on the leading edge of publishing, environmental consciousness, health consciousness, and making a difference in the world.

Participation in each group accelerates my growth and provides a powerful vehicle for me to help others. My life is changing in profound ways as a result of my asking for support and stepping up and into these amazing groups.

Think about these questions:

• What support systems do you have in your life?
  
• In what ways can you gather your own team, your own group to play and grow with?
  
• What impact might it have on your joy and your life?
• Who might you ask to be on your team today?
  

I am just cooling my traveling shoes from attending this year's Book Expo America in LA. It is THE annual event of booksellers, book publishers, book writers, and everything in between.

I signed some books and had a featured spot at The Morgan James Publishing Booth but there was so much more!

Though I had many folks give me good tips on how to make the most of this people-packed conference, some of the most powerful experiences bubbled up organically by my simply "showing up".

Here are some lessons that come to mind that might serve you the next time you attend your next __________ event:

Step One: Hold lightly the "deals" and the "check lists of booths to make it to" and the notion of "how to compete".

Step Two: Love the diversity that is inherent in such a large gathering. People can be strange when swept up into crowd mentality and God love us all!

Step Three: Soak up each and every new person who steps into your life!

A large event is simply a large way of connecting with more amazing people in the world!

Here are a few of my new favorite friends from my BEA adventure:

John Frances, PhD - author of Planetwalker, 22 Year of Walking, 17 Years of Silence, a Nautilus Book Award Winner and now published by National Geographic.

This amazing man and fabulous writer shares a story that will touch your heart, stir your soul, and call you into action in your own life.

Mary Marshall - author of Charm School for Guys, How to Lose the Fugly and Get Some Snugly. Mary is a fabulous woman who has a gift of translating info most any guy can benefit from into edgy, funny, to-the-point good reading! This book really is a one-of-a-kind.

Nancy Hopps, author of award-winning The Relax into Healing audio series. As an expert in mind-body health, Nancy has crafted products that support the listener in the deepest, most sacred way.

Nancy Mills, founder of TheSpiritedWoman.com network. Nancy bubbles with spirit and her online community is a place to be inspired, to explore, and to learn more about how to infuse your life with a more playful spirit!

Oh, and so many more!