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.