by Ann Evanston | Feb 3, 2018 | Self-worth, Vision Values Purpose
Have you learned to love yourself enough to find your face, hands, feet, ah…your NAKED body….beautiful? Sexy? Strong? Powerful? A temple?
Are you proud of your curves, bumps, lines and wrinkles? Your color and tone, your hair and freckles? Have you taken the time to undress, completely, in the light, and LOOK at your body with love and acceptance?
I work VERY hard on this. Being raised by a culture that thinks skinny and big boobs is beautiful, I thought that was the deal. Well, I am not that. Big boobs, yes, lol, but there’s way more to my body. I admire my sister and aunties and the culture I married into. They love their bodies, all shapes and sizes. And they show it off!
And no, a woman isn’t wounded when she shows off her body…she just loves it! And that strengthens self-love.
by Ann Evanston | Dec 8, 2017 | Vision Values Purpose
Facilitating with a team this week brought an insight about values to light. I believe in vision, mission and values statements ( if you follow me or read my blog you probably know that, lol). I see them as ways in be authentic, consistent and influential.
While working on building “team ground rules”participants were writing values instead. Things like: “respect on another” or “have integrity”.
They thought they were writing rules of engagement. But these are values. So I coached the group.
“A value (respect) guides our behavior. A rule is behavior that guides that value. So if respect is the value, how do we want the team to behave to show respect?”
They listen to each other. Everyone gets a turn. They reach consensus.
Yes! Now we have turned values into ground rules (rules of engagement) that we can reinforce and follow up with. That guides team success.
by Ann Evanston | Nov 24, 2017 | Vision Values Purpose
Remember when you were little and you were given the opportunity to make a wish? I bet, like I was, you were told to not tell anyone your wish or wouldn’t come true.
When I was a little girl I started collecting wooden nutcrackers. I’d seen the Nutcracker ballet commercials on TV, and was fascinated. I always wanted to see it. I made a wish, and a promise to myself that I would only see a live ballet. Well, at least the first time!
Fast forward many decades, and I still have not seen the Nutcracker ballet live. And guess what? I haven’t told anyone that I ever wanted to see it.
“Don’t tell anyone if you want your wish to come true.”
Earlier this year we were having dinner with friends and our birthdays came up, because my husband and I celebrate the half-century this year. Mine is just a few weeks after his. Some friends asked: “what do you want to do for your birthday?“
I said I wanted to play dress up, and go into the city and see the Nutcracker ballet. My friends bought tickets -no questions to ask! And in just a few weeks, we are going to dress up and spend the night in the city. We will have cocktails at the Top of the Mark (where we got a suite) prior to the ballet. After we will have a late dinner at The Big Four.
[Tweet “Communicate your wishes with others to make them come true”]
Wishes do come true when you ask for them. Wishes do become real when you share them with others. Stop keeping them a secret!
by Ann Evanston | Nov 3, 2017 | Business Strategy, Vision Values Purpose
I know. Every successful person you’ve ever read, watched on stage, been mentored by or coached tells you: “you must set goals in order to have what you want in life.“
Believe me, I am a goal setter and I am very driven and disciplined when it comes to my goals.
Sometimes though a goal can actually get in the way of success. Sometimes you can be so focused on achieving your goal, but you don’t see how you are dropping other important things around you that will actually improve your life, career, and happiness. Sometimes you can be so driven to get your goal done, that you do not see opportunities that make life easier and therefore more successful.
For example, I set a goal to blog three times a week this year. Since I started it I have successfully written and posted three blogs or week! I have been very focused and disciplined to achieve that goal. The reason why was to increase organic traffic to my website. And guess what? Blogging three times a week does that. It works! So I keep blogging. Also it’s so close to the end of the year, it would be horrible to fail!
But the goal got in the way. I stopped updating website content. I never got my speaker page up as well as other simple updates. I got behind on emailing my list old and new connections. Because the writing three times a week has zapped my writing energy. So who cares if I’m driving more organic traffic if the website isn’t updated! Who cares if I am list building if I never email them!
Sometimes one must look further into their goals. Are they really achieving what you want?
by Ann Evanston | Oct 27, 2017 | Vision Values Purpose
It’s not enough to “know”your vision. Making it happen is something else! And I promised I’d share a few weeks ago didn’t I? OK so let’s talk about a tradition we have in our home that has allowed our vision to come to life.
New Year’s Eve is a lock down in our home! We have a tradition, my husband starts buying growers Champagne in October so that we have plenty to drink over the holiday. I cook filet mignon, and shuck a ton of Dungeoness crab with butter and lemon. We feast and drink amazing champagne!
That night though is also committed to our vision, goals, and values. Separately, we go through magazines and books and think about what is the next level vision of our lives. Then once we feel complete individually, we share it with each other and have a conversation about how that will align as a family.
Then we create a family vision board. Not uncommon from what you might have seen other people do. Lastly though, we pick a value that we will live by throughout the year. This value is how we will make decisions towards achieving our vision. It is a daily guiding principle that ensures that we are thinking about that vision and aligning our choices to it every day.
After sharing this with many clients over the years, they’ve gone back to their lives and children and created a similar tradition and vision activity. (OK, maybe not Champagne with the kids, but you get what I mean! LOL) They have reported that they feel more connected, grounded, and aligned to what they really want in their lives.
SoMe: A powerful vision is tied to a guiding value that creates conscious change.
by Ann Evanston | Oct 6, 2017 | Vision Values Purpose
Last week I wrote about living your purpose. Then there is your vision. I explain a vision as the “visual” of your best life. What does living your life on the highest frequency mean to you? How are you creating a life that’s full, interesting, ALIVE?
For me, the vision of my best life rarely changes. I want these things:
Intimate, happy relationship that others admire;
Healthy body, mind, and spirit;
Playful, fun adventures;
Outstanding food and drink;
Gorgeous, abundant home and garden…..
These things we (we being my husband and I) have, and there is always the next level to achieve. It’s my vision because I never want to settle, or think “I’m done.” Next week I will share how we make it happen
So my vision of my best life constantly stretches me to do and be more!
[Tweet “Allow your vision of your best life to stretch you to greater success!”]
