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Featured for Jan - Feb 2010

Michele Fetterman-Gaughan's

DISCOVERING A HAPPY NEW YOU IN 2010!

This is a wonderful piece, filled with encouragement!

Treat yourself and read on to discover your happiness for 2010!

Elisabeth's Story

      As the daughter of single working mother, I have always embraced how impactful and inspirational my mother has been to me throughout my life. I remember as a child, my mother would work long hours and travel a lot. I would miss her terribly, but she always made time for me and sometimes I would even get to go along on her trips. I got to travel and experience new places with my mother and I thank her for that opportunity by using what she has taught me and passing it along to others. As a single mother in corporate America, I watched her struggled to prove herself and push through barriers that had rarely been pushed in the corporate world. She struggled with illness, divorce, and loss, but she never gave up. My mother through everything, found her way back to remembering what is important in life, Happiness. When I would have to write a paper for school about who my hero was, it was always my mom! She is still my hero and has helped shape me into a Happy Young Professional. My mother never forgot the importance of happiness, and she passed that important life lesson on to me.

    Since graduating college in 2006, I have worked in high profile small business, and have been inspired to change the way I think about work. Most young professionals, think being Unhappy = Being Successful. One might think “Ok, I haven’t slept or eaten today because I have worked so hard, I must have had a productive day”. I believe this is damaging to not only our bodies, but also our minds. Through collage, we learn time management skills, by making our own schedules. That is not necessarily good time management. We learn to stay up and study last minute, hoping to cram for that big exam. We did this for four long years, and for some even longer, we have to change our old behaviors into newer healthy ones in order to be a Happy Young Professional in the working world.

    Happiness = Becoming Successful is a much more healthy equation. Sometimes young professional need to reassess what success is and where our own happiness falls into play with being successful and healthy. Its not all about how much we have, how much we make and how much we do, we can measure success in happiness too. I believe Unhappy = Being Successful is an equation that if followed, will damage our sense of individuality, emotional state, and drive to be happy in the work that we do. Many young professionals have started to fall into the Unhappy = Being Successful trap and we need to start to make a change within ourselves to become part of the HYPE!

     Being a hard working professional in and out of the workplace is wonderful, expected and is looked at as being an attribute. But we need to start to pay attention to what our own boundaries and expectations of ourselves and others are, and when it’s ok to take a break, embrace what makes you happy and give ourselves some credit. It’s ok to take time for yourself and not feel guilty! As young professionals we have to learn not to be so hard on ourselves!

  Featured For Jan - Feb 2010

Michele Fetterman-Gaughan

DISCOVERING A HAPPY NEW YOU IN 2010!

We all know that change is constant, but 2009 brought more substantial change than many other years for most of us. My year probably wasn’t much different (for better or worse) than yours, but I suspect my perspective about it is.

For me, the past year truly brought about the start of a whole new life – a new job, a new home, and a renewed relationship… with myself! I leave behind an unfulfilling job, a lonely marriage, and a house that never really felt like home despite all of the renovating, decorating and nesting one woman could possibly do.

Most people would find these changes overwhelming or depressing, particularly if they knew of the circumstances in which each event played out. However, I embraced these changes and have come to see them as doors in my life that needed to be closed. Closing them securely behind me created space for reflection, allowed me to pursue new and exciting opportunities, and ultimately led me to a place of deep happiness and contentment.

So how is it that I found happiness and contentment as a result of what many saw as adversity? Perhaps it was my unwavering optimism… my genuine belief that everything happens for a reason… or maybe because I always strive for personal peace. They surely all played a part. But, moreover, I discovered and accepted the responsibility that true happiness comes from within. Other people and situations may complement or enhance our happiness, but we must own it.

I’ve also never been more certain about one thing in particular – there are no accidents in life. If we pay attention to what is happening around us, we see that our lives are filled with an abundance of information. Simple things are often cues and clues to where we’re headed. I was blessed with countless clues and some very special people last year – each was delivered into my life at exactly the right time!

So while I have achieved profound personal peace, and am comforted by a sense that I’m on exactly the right path in my life’s journey, I’m happiest when I think about the future. I just can’t wait to see what happens next! The following three concepts will help you be your happiest too, no matter what life brings…

1) FOCUS ON A HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIP... WITH YOURSELF!
Remember – or learn – what you and others love about yourself. Think about what makes you unique and create a list of your best qualities… write it down. If you've lost touch with what those great qualities are, recall compliments others have given you. Most important, you must BELIEVE what they say! If perception is reality, then what others see in you is real.

Be sure to give compliments, too, and share your positive feelings openly in the moment. Never let a silly thing like pride or fear get in the way of doing this. Being genuine and open is not only liberating for you, but also helps build meaningful connections and lasting relationships with others. Love freely and without expectations of return – let yourself be a real human with real emotions.

2) BOLDLY PURSUE HAPPINESS
Reflect on times in your life when you've been deeply happy. Recall the root causes and emotions behind your happiest memories. And recreate similar experiences in the future.

Also identify what might be standing in the way of your happiness. Think of anything and anyone that may be detracting from your life. Often it is combination of ordinary things or complacency that holds us back the most. Making conscious decisions about what you spend your time on, and with whom you spend it, should not be viewed as being selfish. If you don’t take care of yourself and your own needs first, you won’t have anything of real value left to share with others.

Remember that not everyone you meet is meant to be in your life forever. People come in and out of our lives for different reasons. We often help each other learn and grow in ways only understood in retrospect.

Equally important to understand is that healthy relationships are about give AND take – this applies to family, friends, and significant others. We all need more or less support from time to time, but it can’t be a one way street. We’re each on our own journey and we must all find our own way. Friends and loved ones are a critical part of this journey, but we can’t offer each other the answers. The best way to learn is from our own experiences, observations and mistakes. Some of us share many things in common, but each of us is still unique. Therefore, what is right for you is likely not right for anyone else. We should be careful not impose our own thoughts or beliefs on others.

3) GET EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES!
Instead of wondering why things are the way they are today, get excited about everything that can -and will- happen in the future if you allow it. Daydream. Challenge your own routines. Although no one can perfectly predict what lies ahead, look forward to your personal journey with great anticipation… and openness.

Celebrate even the smallest successes in life and find happiness in ordinary things. Find the silver lining on each of your clouds. Take deep breaths every day and find something that comforts or inspires you… writing, reading, charity work, music, a new hobby, good friends, a loyal pet.

Oh, and for goodness sakes stop trying to plan and control everything in your life. As a life-long planner, I was forced to “roll with it” through most of 2009. My tendency to stress, worry and over-architect the outcomes wouldn’t have made this leg of my journey any easier and it certainly would have detracted from a lot of the fun! Life is actually best when we accept that, “it will be what it will be!”

Although we are all destined to have tough days sprinkled in here and there, make sure your good days outnumber the bad ones. Don’t linger in sorrow or feel melancholy for too long – this is one of the best resolutions you’ll ever make! So, with great optimism about what will come, my wish for all of us in 2010 is a very happy new you!!!

            Julie Marie Carrier

Julie Marie Carrier is an Award-Winning National Speaker, Author and Positive Role Model for Tweens, Teens and Girls
Author of the acclaimed new book for girls, BeYOUtiful

(that was recently launched at the National Girl Scouts Convention)
The “Confidence Coach” for MTV’s #1 Show, MADE, a positive goal-setting show for teens
Recognized Expert in Educational Best Practices

Julie was recently featured on NBC’s Today Show as a positive role model and national speaker on positive choices for teens?
*Julie’s personal success story is featured in the new book Success Principles for Teens and Chicken Soup for the Extraordinary Teen Soul by Jack Canfield (Co-creator of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series)?
*Julie won the title of Miss Virginia USA 2002 (and Miss Congeniality) to further her reach to help girls as a national speaker and mentor?
*Julie is a recognized expert in educational best practices and was hired at age 23 as a Senior Management Consultant for the Pentagon where she designed and taught leading-edge communication and leadership workshops for top executives for four years?
*Julie is consistently one of the highest rated speakers at girls’ events and conferences and educator/youth worker education events?

To find out more about Julie please visit http://juliespeaks.com/

Doug Barry

When the lease was up on my mother’s first luxury vehicle, a 1986 burger brown BMW, a car she adored even with the prospect of a sparkling white 1991 Lexus taking its parking place in the two car garage, she took my hand and led me out to the front steps of our house to watch one of the first material fruits of her professional success roll backwards out of the driveway. “Wave good-bye, Dougie.” It never impressed me that we were saying good-bye to anything other than an old object that had outlived its purpose and I could hardly believe the sentimentality she infused into every retelling of the event.

With the clarity of hindsight, I realize that she was just beginning to peak her head through the clouds of corporate management and, at this momentous juncture, was more than likely looking back on the years of hard work that opened these more lucrative doors. After a recent dinner table conversation, during which she told the story of our farewell to the old sedan with misty eyes, I asked her why she still thought so fondly of that car. She answered deliberately, as if all these years she had been telling me a fable hoping to prompt this very question. “It’s important,” she said, “When you achieve your goals and reach a destination, to remember how you got there. That car helped ferry me into a new phase of my career and it was the first you had ever ridden in.”

My mother had, by the time the BMW left, achieved a balance between professional and personal life which I have always wished for in my own endeavors. She was there for us on every snow day (even though the new Lexus was 4-wheel drive) and shaved a few hours off of weekdays to see how a school project turned out. Work was always taken seriously, but when it was over, she was all ours. Though she enjoys the perks of a robust career, she was never eager to shed the worn-in clothes of her former positions and jump into the sleek new styles without first pausing in front of the mirror for one last look to acknowledge the places she had come from and the determination it took to move herself forward.

The Women’s Executive Leadership Summit equips women leaders with strategies and skills to drive change, improve business success and create sustainable results. Award-winning diversity programs are also explored. By providing women with essential networking opportunities and encouraging the sharing of best practices across industries, this Summit helps to further empower women to seek leadership positions and mobilize change within their organizations and the world

Elaine Turner

Click here to shop Elaine Turner

Elaine Turner, a former apparel designer and merchandiser, put her industry experience, love of accessories and passion for all things stylish to work on her first-ever handbag collection.  Elaine’s impressive fashion pedigree, coupled with a keen interest in textiles and timeless style, led to the creation of a unique, conceptually-driven debut collection that instantly stood apart from the rest.  Her collection is inspired by a destination aesthetic that integrates bold color and prints. This combination creates a fun, yet glamorous style that appeals to women of all ages.  Elaine also perceived a void in the market for luxurious accessories at an accessible price point. Ultimately, this discovery encouraged her to launch her own business in 2000.