I am the founder of 1Evalution, a boutique coaching firm, author, and a certified life coach. Being an entrepreneur is fulfilling, but it is also challenging. However, I am mindful every day of my purpose, which keeps me encouraged and inspired.

It was not my plan to become an entrepreneur. I became an entrepreneur because I was seeking my purpose in life. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and having a reoccurrence within five years, I left my corporate job of twenty-nine years. I permitted myself to take five years off before seeking other employment. During this time, I became a professional volunteer, and after the five years passed, I was stuck. I didn’t know how to move forward or what to do with the rest of my life.

Although I felt stuck, deep down inside, I knew God was not through with me. So I started searching for my life purpose, questioning what I am to do with the rest of my life? I was wandering around observing how others were living their lives while trying to understand what is the greater purpose for me. I began to lose confidence and a sense of being. I realized that without my corporate job, I had nothing to associate myself with or to be a part of, so I felt this overwhelming sense of emptiness. I began to unravel, crying out internally, desperately wanting more for my life.

Finally, I sat down and identified, prioritized, and defined my top five values. Now I had a foundation. I knew whatever I did with my life going forward would have to be aligned and satisfy my five values. Eventually, I enrolled in a coaching program. It was during my training to become a coach that I had my first emotional breakthrough and started to tap into the person within me. This breakthrough was the beginning of my transformation.

I was looking outside for the answers when all along they were within me. I started to get to know the person within. I learned that I had become an emotional prisoner and was holding myself hostage. I had to confront my fears, which had a stronghold on me. Fear had one mission; to prevent me from growing and maintaining a life of status quo. I was unfulfilled and knew there was more to my life, so I was determined to move forward. Although this was a pivotal time in my life, going through the training to become a coach and having a coach guided and helped me tap into the person within.

The more I tapped into the person within, unmasking my feelings and facing my fears, the more confidence I gained. I knew in my heart that I wanted to work with women empowering them to do the same. I had found my purpose and prayed for God to guide me. It took months before I could articulate my vision, and I questioned myself - am I good enough – who do you think you are - I finally gained the courage to admit that I wanted to help women unmasks their feelings, pursue their dreams and live the life they desire. 

This process of transformation taught me that whatever is going on inside can have a direct impact on every area of my life, including my business. So I strive to live healthy in all areas of life and be my authentic self. Although there are days more challenging than others, I am grateful that I found my purpose and am committed to living a purposeful and more fulfilling life by empowering women to do the same.

On those days that are challenging, I am mindful of my purpose and refer to my list below, which helps me stay focused, motivated, encouraged, and inspired. 

1. STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR WHY - IT IS YOUR PURPOSE

• Know WHY you started your business, the foundation - your vision

• Manage your expectations, know that it takes time to build a business

• Acknowledge you may not be where you want to be, but continue to work on your processes

• Be clear about the value you add 

2. BE INTENTIONAL - TRAIN YOUR MIND – BE FOCUSED IN HEART AND CLEAR IN MIND

• Start each day with prayer and gratitude

• Be aware of negative versus positive thoughts

• Be conscious of your behavior

• Work your plan, be flexible

3. BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF – AWARE OF OBSTACLES

• Surrender to self

• Seek out and confront your obstacles

• Do your best, show up your best, give your best

• Commit to ongoing personal and professional development

4. KNOW YOUR VALUES – THE CORE OF WHO YOU ARE - BRAND

• Make principle, value-based decisions

• Define and know the characteristics of your brand, personal and professional

• Know what is important to you

• Make decisions and choices based on what is important

5. SUPPORT - YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE

• Surround yourself with people that believe in you, positive energy

• If you need help, seek help (mentor, coach, therapist, accountability partner)

• Know that you may lose some relationships along the way

• Embrace new relationships

6. ALIGNMENT - CONNECT AND MAKE SURE ALL ASPECTS ARE IN SYNC

• Everything you do must be in alignment with what you want to achieve

• Your thoughts, words, habits, actions all must be in alignment

• Develop new behavior and habits

• Review, reevaluate and make changes to your plan, if necessary

 7. BE COMMITTED - TO YOURSELF AND YOUR CLIENTS

• Have the integrity to remain consistent with your actions

• Be disciplined, stay the course, and follow-through

• Stay strong and be courageous

• Challenge yourself, go beyond your comfort zone 

8. ACKNOWLEDGE YOURSELF - BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR TALENTS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Celebrate even the smallest wins

• Be mindful that you took a leap of faith, trust God

• Know that you are making a difference

• Believe in yourself - you can achieve what you desire

9. DOCUMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS - AT THE END OF EACH MONTH, QUARTER, YEAR

• Name one thing you accomplished

• Acknowledge how it made you feel

• Articulate what you learned

• Take positive energy into the next month, quarter, year

10. DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT’S IMPORTANT

• Embrace trials and tribulations

• Remember this is your purpose

• Start the year with a vision of a positive future

• Enjoy the journey

THE FULFILLING OF YOUR PROMISE IS A PART OF SOMEONE ELSE’S PROCESS.

Recently I spent some time reflecting on my life and started thinking about if I could only do one last thing in this lifetime what would it be? This may sound crazy, but I would sing! I would walk outside and sing so loud, hoping the birds would join in. I would sing about the sun that shines in my heart every day. I would sing about love, how God loves me and how much I love Him. I would sing about the love I have for my family, especially my mom. I would sing about how crazy, loving and special my friends are to me. I would sing joyfully about all the lessons learned every trial and tribulation. I would sing to let the universe know how much I appreciate being a part of it. I would sing because I am free!
What would you do?

TODAY IS A NEW DAY,  A DAY FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES,  A DAY FOR POSSIBILITIES.
IF YOU WANT TO LIVE A MEANINGFUL LIFE WITH A SENSE OF FULFILLMENT. COME UP HIGHER!

THREE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO COME UP HIGHER!

1.    STIR UP YOUR DREAMS.  I READ THAT THE WEALTHIEST PLACE IN THE WORLD IS THE  GRAVEYARD BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE BURIED WITH DREAMS AND DESIRES THAT NEVER CAME FORTH.
So many people are walking around today with their dreams and desires buried so deep within, yet they are living an unfulfilled life because they are not taping into what they truly want. 
The good news is that if this applies to you, It is not too late to stir up your dreams!  As long as you are on this side of the ground you can pursue your dreams.  If you want to be a writer, travel the world, teach, paint, start your own business or whatever you want, it’s not too late. 
Don’t let the study that suggests, most humans only function at about 10% capacity apply to you. If you have dreams that you are not pursuing, STIR THEM UP! 

 2.   REMOVE LIMITING BELIEFS – DON'T ALLOW LIMITING BELIEFS TO PREVENT YOU FROM MOVING FORWARD. IF YOUR DREAMS ARE  BEYOND YOUR BELIEFS, YOU WILL NOT ACHIEVE WHAT YOU DESIRE. 
We are NOT born with limitations, the only limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves. 
Expand your thinking and capacity. Visualize yourself achieving your dreams and know that your thoughts and beliefs can prevent you from living the life you want.

 3.    NAME IT: WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE IN LIFE?
 Write down your dreams and meditate on them daily. Allow your dreams to become part of your inner being.
Establish goals to achieve what you desire. Begin with small actionable steps and celebrate your accomplishments, this will keep you encouraged and inspired.
Know that working to achieve your dreams is a process, it takes time. Don't get discouraged!
 

THE CRAB MENTALITY sometimes referred to as crabs in a bucket or barrel, is a way of thinking and is best described as "IF I CAN'T........ THEN NEITHER CAN YOU" This metaphor refers to crabs that are trapped in a bucket and their focus is on saving oneself rather than working together to save or support the entire group. 

This same analogy can be applied to human behavior, as members of a group will attempt to prevent any member from moving forward from the other members. As a result, none of the members of the group are able to excel or achieve success. This behavior can be attributed to envy, spite or selfishness. 

The end result, as an individual, you become STUCK and SURROUNDED by people with the attitude of, "IF I CAN'T ...... THEN NEITHER CAN YOU". As a result, you will not be able to move forward but live a life of status quo, rather than pursuing what you want to achieve. If you are a victim of the CRAB MENTALITY, here are 3 things you can do to move forward.

1.  You must BELIEVE that you can  move forward and accomplish whatever you want. If you don't believe it you will not be able to move forward. 

2. SURROUND yourself with positive, and supportive people. This is especially important if you have doubts. Surround yourself with people that believe in you until you are centered and have the confidence to believe in yourself.

3. You must do the WORK. Have a plan, things just don't happen by chance. Seek out the tools, resources, and support you need to help you move forward.  

 Know this, when the student is ready the teacher will appear! Do not allow other people to hold you back. Go forward and live the life you want!

BE THE MOST POWERFUL YOU + LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT!

Although my life is full of experiences, one in particular, I will never forget. This particular experience stays at the forefront of my mind and helps me during the times when doubt tries to rear its ugly head, lead me down a negative path and make me question if my life has a purpose? I am grateful for this experience and remember it vividly as I was guided to safety down a dark mountain, icy road, in Vermont. 

Although I grew up in Boston, prior to being relocated with my job to New Hampshire, I was not familiar with driving in any of the states that would now be my territory -  Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.  However, I am grateful that I worked for someone who was concerned about my safety and well-being. My boss would always tell me to travel during the daylight hours and to be aware of the mountain roads, especially in Vermont. 

Driving on Interstate 89  to and from Vermont can be beautiful, scenic during the spring, summer and especially the fall.  However, Interstate 89  can be a  challenging drive during the winter months. I would sometimes drive through various weather conditions.  It could be sunny for miles, then heavy snow, sleet or ice.  I just never knew what weather conditions I would encounter. To be safe and complete the four and half hour drive, I always allowed enough time to reach my destination during the daylight hours.  However, one particular winter day, I decided to leave the office in Vermont and drive home during the late afternoon, knowing that I would have to drive for hours in the dark.  

After being on the road for about ninety minutes I drove into a snow storm. It was dark and the roads were icy. There I was driving down this mountain, icy road. I was petrified and could barely see. I slowed down to almost a crawl, gripping the steering wheel, increased the speed of the windshield wipers and because there was no place to pull over, I  had to keep going. As I continued to drive, I realized there were no other cars on the road. It was like everyone, except me, got the memo to stay off the roads. 

As I continued driving, I began to pray, asking God to protect and guide me to safety. Within minutes, a car pulled onto the highway in front of me.  Although I was glad to see another car on the road, I  reluctantly tapped my brakes, afraid of skidding on the ice,  and slowed down even more. I  stayed behind the car and followed the taillights. After a while, I realized the car in front of me was my guide and began to feel relieved that my prayers had been answered.  The car stayed in front in me all the way down  Interstate 89,  guiding me to safety. As soon as we got to the bottom of the mountains, the weather improved and the car that veered onto the highway and guided me to safety began to make his exit. As the car veered to the right to exit the highway, I continued on slowly. The driver rolled down his window, beeped his horn and waived - as to acknowledge his role in guiding me to safety. I blew my horn and smiled. I  knew without a doubt that God had sent him to guide me.

I will always hold this memory dear to my heart and know that I have a purpose. So whenever I need to shake off doubt, I close my eyes and see the taillights guiding and protecting me. It is my way of connecting to self and tapping into my faith.

I am forever thankful for His guiding light.