A Reminder…

On our last trip to BC I had the chance to go back to a place that holds a very special place in my heart – “the rap base”. It was the place I called home for six summers while fire fighting. I took my son there to see the helicopters as that’s one of his greatest loves right now.

As we were wondering around and checking out what was new and what was the same I came across a new cement stairway that had been poured. On the right hand side of each step was etched one of the above words so that as you walked up the stairs you couldn’t help but read :

“Strength does not come from physical capacity it comes from an indomitable will.”

Simple. Beautiful. Truth.

STRENGTH.

Chances are those words would have meant something very different to me at 25 than they do to me now at 35.  Then it would have definitely been about my physical self – the ability to work long and demanding days, the ability to push myself even when completely worn out.

STRENGTH. INDOMITABLE WILL.

Now? Well, it’s much more about the art of living a full life. A life with kids, a husband, a career and staying true to my own self and my own goals. Having my own goals seemed so much easier then with so much less responsibility and demands for my time.

I can still find myself completely worn out on some days but it seems like it’s so much more a mental/emotional fatigue rather than physical.  Sometimes it’s the weight of the never-ending to-do list, or laundry, or dishes that needs to be looked after that can feel draining which is why now more than ever, it’s so important for me to be committed to doing the things that make me feel like me.

This is where the “indomitable will” will piece comes in…for sure there are nights I’d rather watch re-runs of Sex in the City than go to the gym but I am committed to being the best version of me which means I need to do the things that support that goal.  Exercise is just one example but I find that I’m often digging deep to find the strength to be the kind of mom I want to be, the kind of entrepreneur I want to be, the wife I want to be – honestly, there are definitely times when it would just be easier to quit, to say “no” and to shut down.

But that would be saying NO to the experience of my life and that’s not what I’m about. I choose to have an indomitable will regarding the things that matter most.

Let me ask you – what are you going to choose to have an indomitable will for?

Modesty & Business Do Not Go Hand in Hand

Bootcamp

I’m SUPER excited!!

Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Women starts next Wednesday and I’m right in the middle of the launch for it now. Talk about a learning curve…I’m hosting preview calls , inviting people to be affiliates, sending emails to my list and hoping that I’m not annoying anyone yet.

And while all of this is new and exciting it’s also a little bit scary and nerve wracking. I’ve been trying to figure out what’s been getting to me and I finally realized it. I’m talking about this program a lot which feels like I’m talking about myself a lot. I don’t know about you but I grew up being told that it wasn’t polite to brag and that being modest was important. But if I was to follow that advice in my business…well, I’d be out of business.

I was talking with my coach the other day while I was having somewhat of a panic attack and feeling all “salesy” and uncomfortable. She asked me why I was doing this, why did I create this program and why am I running it? My answer was easy – I found starting a business to be a shitload of work. There was SO much I didn’t know and I had to learn it the hard way and it took a lot of time and a lot of energy and a lot of money. I want to help make the process easier for other women entrepreneurs who are in the exact same place I was a few years ago. I want to make their experience easier and more fun!

She then asked if I believed in my program. “Wholeheartedly,” I said. “It’s exactly what I wished I’d had when I was struggling to learn everything including the stuff I didn’t know that I needed to know”.

This conversation has allowed me to feel really proud of the program I created. Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Women rocks and although I still feel slightly uncomfortable trying to get and create so much attention around something I’m involved with, I also know it’s how I can help people. If people don’t know this program even exists then I don’t get to make a difference, I don’t get the chance to help someone out.

Sing it from the roof tops!

So if you have ever felt awkward around making a “big deal” out of something you offer, I encourage you to take a stand and remind yourself that what you do is important. You do what you do so you can make a difference for others. If people don’t know about you or your product/service then they can’t find you and you can’t help them. If you’ve got something great to offer I challenge you to sing it from the roof tops…because it is a big deal. If you don’t make a big deal out of it, who will?

Your first step can be to drop down in the comments section below and write about one awesome thing you offer (product/service).

Jen

ps. If you’re at all intrigued by EB4W join me tomorrow at 2:00pm MT for a free preview call http://jenniferpowter.com/businessbootcampnow/

What Defines You?

What Defines You?

I’m a mom to two young children (an almost 3 yr old and a 9 mo), I’m also a wife and an entrepreneur. I’m sure I could find 10 other “titles” or “roles” to define me but that’s the thing – they’re just labels.

I am more than my “roles”. I am more than my “titles”.

I believe that our whole self is greater than the sum of our parts of self (labels, titles) yet when we become mothers, whether it’s consciously or not, we tend to give up, abandon, sacrifice, lose, put on hold – choose whatever word you want, parts of our self.

We stop thinking about our own personal goals and dreams, we stop doing things for ourselves, and we stop paying attention.

It may not happen right away and we may not even care at first.

But here’s the thing – when you ignore pieces of your self that fundamentally make you feel like “you” your whole self starts to shrink and whither. And eventually if feels like you’re a shell of the woman that you were before you had kids.

I noticed this for myself after my second child was born. I’d have a window of time I could go and do something just for me like head to the gym, or go for a run and I found myself saying crazy things like, “Oh, yeah, I guess I could go but I need to get the laundry done” (or the floor washed, or make dinner or whatever other weird thing came out of my mouth). And I could feel myself starting to slip away a little bit – NOT COOL.

So, I made some changes. I signed up for my first half marathon since having kids and created a training program. Guess what – I’m running all the time now. I’ve said “no” to a few things so I could say “yes” to doing something for me.

Has anybody else out there felt this way? Is there any particular “role” in your life that feels consuming for you? Which one? What could you say “no” to in order to create some space in your life for you? Please leave me a comment below – I’d love to get this conversation started!