Archives for January 2014

Values and cupcakes

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photoLook at those faces – could you just eat them up? Meet Zoe and Owen, my sister’s children who I adore. Having the freedom to travel to California and pick them up from school to feed them cupcakes is one of the best paychecks I get! And my bonus? They think Auntie Mary rocks!

As I was pondering what to write today, it occurred to me that this adorable moment was made possible because of something I did 7 years ago. I defined my values, and then made sure every business decision I made thereafter was in alignment with those values.

I’m a highly pragmatic person, so the idea of defining my values seemed like an exercise navel-gazing at the time. I was so wrong. It was by far one of the most important things I have ever done. Today my values operate like a combination of an internal compass, my DNA and oxygen. In other words, essential to a fulfilling life.

What is your experience with understanding and living in alignment with your values? Inquiring minds want to know!

Some Big Shoes to Fill

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photoLast year, I stepped out onto a much bigger stage. It was an incredibly successful, dynamic, go-go-go year in my business where I tripled my income and grew tremendously on a personal level.

It was exhilarating and nerve-wracking in equal measure. I often caught my internal and external realities at odds. Kind of like my insides would look at the chances I was taking in the outside world, and worriedly whisper in my ear, “WOW. Those are some big shoes to fill… are you sure they’re mine?”

With the New Year, I almost felt like I needed some kind of ritual to fully incorporate the bolder reality I created in 2013. But life has a funny way of giving me what I need, sometimes before I even know I need it…

Over the holidays spent with family, my sister and I snuck out of the house to do a little shopping.

After hitting Starbucks (guilty pleasure #1) and Ulta (guilty pleasure #2), we went to DSW (guilty pleasure #3). Row upon row of shoes – bliss!

Scouring the aisles for the perfect black boots, I found many contenders, and rejected others because they didn’t have my size. Nothing in my size was right. Then I went back to one especially promising pair that wasn’t available in my size, and thought, “I’ll just try a half size bigger.”

Lo and behold, they fit!

Now with my 40th birthday a few years in my rearview mirror, you might suggest that this size increase is due to gravity, fallen arches, or some other age-related factor. But this is my story, so I’m going to ignore reality and opt for prettier metaphor.

Those big shoes I created last year? The ones I thought maybe I was just borrowing?

They are all mine. I’ve stepped into them. I wear them. I own them.