Heather Eldred » passion

Embrace Change for Growth

Heather — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 23:11:29 +0000

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” ― C. JoyBell C. What does it mean to be successful? Many times we have a vision in our heads of having “arrived” at some poignant point in our lives where we have achieved all that we have set out to achieve. Finally, I have work-life balance, finally I am as healthy as I want to be, finally I have work that fills me with passion and I can execute with integrity and purpose. Finally I have the people in my life that I want. Finally I have financial security and I can give back. Finally. I am successful. But whether you have actually arrived at this place, called “success” or are still striving in that direction, the problem with this day dream is this – what happens to your life once you have arrived? What then? We now have all that we ever wanted, but is it enough? How often we achieve exactly what we want in life, only to find ourselves mildly content for a bit and then largely discontented. Maybe because the dream wasn’t all the reality was cracked up to be. Maybe because what we really needed in life wasn’t the success vision we had pursued, but something entirely else. Or maybe the truth is a realization that if we aren’t growing, we are dying. Bottom line; open yourself up to the next passionate scheme that ignites your soul. We need something else to strive for. The depths of our souls are endless and the possibilities of our passions are limitless. To live, we must grow. And to grow, we must change. We must take risks. We must take on new assignments, new beliefs, and new people. We will never “arrive” at a point in our lives where we won’t be uncomfortable or have to deal with difficult people or circumstances. This is because without trial and tribulation and pain, we can’t grow. This reminds me of weight lifting. If you’ve ever had a particularly intense workout, you know that your muscles will be sore the next day (or several days!). Muscles grow only through the process of repairing damage to themselves. When you lift significant weight, you are actually tearing and damaging the muscles. They grow larger and more defined through the re-building process. Without the pain and damage, there could be no growth. Even when we think we have “arrived”, we still should be open to new challenges and continue to expose ourselves to life. We will continue to suffer setbacks and damage and there will be moments of strife, grief and really hard work. But in the end, we’ll keep […]

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I deserve to be the boss! Try running your own race..

Heather — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:47:47 +0000

“I am in competition with no one. I run my own race. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone, in any way, shape or form. I just aim to improve, to be better than I was before. That’s me and I am free.” ~ Jenny G. Perry One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make in trying to get ahead in business is to have this attitude. Because I have a MBA, 20 years’ experience, my Dad owns the company, etc., I should already be running the place. This attitude won’t get you anywhere. First of all, actions speak louder than words and I don’t care how impressive your resume is, you have to prove yourself. Second, you are robbing yourself of your life because you are preoccupied with the future and what you “should” be getting. Finally, when you have this attitude, you project negativity, arrogance and do not endear yourself to those around you – which is a needed ingredient to long term success in any organization. From my experience, I certainly never had any plan to “climb the corporate ladder”. I don’t have any fancy degrees and my Dad definitely did not own the company. What I did was give everything to the current project at hand. I sought out and volunteered for opportunities that I found challenging and could be passionate about (not because I thought they’d get me ahead). I helped out and ask for help of folks in all levels of the organization that had an equal degree of passion in the project. And I did keep escalating, getting many promotions but more importantly, many more opportunities to stretch my wings and find my passions. The side effects were nice sounding titles and increasingly good salaries. So if you feel you are deserving of something that you haven’t achieved yet, try out these tips (give it a solid six months). Trust me they work. 1) First of all, get over yourself. Believe it or not, you are not the smartest person alive and God’s gift to the world. Yes, you really have been sounding that way. Every single person has a gift to share, right down to the lady answering the phone and the guy taking out the trash. More times than not, these are the folks that saved my ass. When you have a thought or feelings of superiority over anyone – in any situation – observe in yourself that your EGO induced that thought, do not judge, just watch it and let it go. There is no need to beat yourself up, instead, take a look at the person or the circumstance and try and find value in it. Not what they can do for you, just value in general. By not focusing on yourself all the time, you’ll have your eyes open for the value in others and you’ll also be looking up when an opportunity presents itself. 2) Next, start doing, quit talking. […]

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Live a Happier Life – apply 80/20 Law to Life

Heather — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 20:50:52 +0000

Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time. -Victor Hugo Check out this arctile by Billy Shall: http://billyshall.com/blog/post/paretos-principle Here are the higlights. With Pareto’s Principle you can: Accomplish More in Less Time By focusing on activities that produce the most results and eliminating or outsourcing trivial activities, you can free more of your time while accomlishing more. Reason: 20% of activities produce 80% of results. Improve your Finances Everyone’s budget is different, but most major expenses are from debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans). By attacking prior debts and not acquiring new debt, you can improve your finances dramatically. Reason: 20% of financial decisions result in 80% financial results. Make more Money With increased production resulting from more time spent on vital activities, you will have more time to focus on providing more value. The more value you produce, the more money you make. Reason: 80% of income is derived from 20% of sources. Eliminate Stress Find the small portion of activities that produce the most stress and eliminate them. Reason: 20% of stressful activities produce 80% of the stress. Purge the Clutter How many dust collectors do you really need? Try to donate or sell the possessions that you hardly use. They are contributing to 80% of the dust. Reason: 80% of the space on shelves hold clutter. Loose Weight If you cut out the small percentage of foods that contributes the most to weight gain, (fatty foods, fried foods, sweets). And exercise regularly, not only will you loose weight, you’ll have more energy and feel much better. Reason: 20% of foods contribute to 80% of weight gain. Improve Relationships Focus on nurturing the small percentage of relationships that provide the most value (spouse, family, close friends). Moments spent and memories made improve the quality of your relationships. Reason: 20% of relationships provide 80% of value. Travel Lighter Most luggage is not necessary, By traveling light, you eliminate most of the hassles of carrying extra baggage. I personally travel with extremely minimal luggage, (one carry on bag). If you think you might need it, leave it. If you can’t live without it, bring it. Reason: 80% of luggage is excess 20% is essential. Eliminate Information Overload Constant bombardment from news, emails, advertisements, and articles are taking up time and head space. Cut down on the information consumption to the small percentage that is necessary. Reason: 80% of information useless is 20% is crucial. Live a Happier Life More Free Time + Improved Finances + More Money + Eliminated Stress + Less Clutter + Weight Loss + Improved Relationships + Lighter Luggage + Information Elimination = Happier Life!

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Back yard bounty & cream of mushroom soup

Heather — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 23:11:17 +0000

Today I got my fresh air quota and a serving or two of fruits by just stepping out my door. I walked slowly around my yard and picked raspberries and high bush cranberries (only good mixed with other berries as they are very tart & maybe a bit citric in flavor). Instead of picking them to later turn into some yummy jam, jelly or wine, I just popped them in my mouth. I savored the red little gems as they burst open in my mouth. There was something deeply satisfying in partaking of the last of the season’s bounty. The last few goodies, that would likely have been swooped up by the few remaining birds or dropped to the ground. I also came across some shaggy mane mushrooms in my yard (note: many varieties of wild mushrooms are poisonous – like will cause death – so be sure you know what you are doing before picking and especially eating!). I gathered a few handfuls along with the dregs of spinach in my garden and made a wonderful mushroom and spinach soup. Here is the recipe and it works perfectly well with store bought mushrooms, any variety. Cream of Mushroom & Spinach Soup 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons butter 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 cups fresh spinach In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Combine flour and broth until smooth; stir into the mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in the cream, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in spinach, cook until just wilted.

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Soul Food – The Universe is not Stingy

Heather — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:17:18 +0000

“The Universe is not stingy. We are. Some of us have very stingy souls. Perhaps not in how we treat others – our family, friends, and those less fortunate — but in how we treat ourselves. Yet how can Spirit give more to us if our fists, hearts, and minds are clenched tight? Abundance is about finally learning how to release feelings of poverty and lack and replace them with feelings of prosperity and affluence”. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach Today be kind and patient with yourself. Do not beat yourself up. Don’t be so afraid that you will screw up or that life will get worse. Let yourself believe that you are a wonderful, worthy soul that has the best of everything headed your way. Fake it if you can’t fully believe or grasp it. Every night before you go to bed repeat, “I am a wonderful, generous & worthy person that has the best of everything headed my way.” Then visualize what “the best of everything” looks like in your life. Don’t judge yourself and if negative thoughts come your way, gently push them aside and get back to your mantra.

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Your own Lightening Bolt

Heather — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 20:58:07 +0000

I am completely inspired today after watching ‘Super Soul Sunday’ on OWN this morning and Oprah’s interview with Panache Desai. What a wonderfully inspiring man. For the last 5-6 years, I’ve heard from people frequently that I have an “aura”. Usually this was in a bar and I figured it was some kind of sexual frequency (or maybe just pickup lines). But then I’d hear it from co-workers as well as family members. I guess there must be something more to it than sexual energy. I then thought it was about self-confidence. I’ve always been blessed with self-confidence and have been told on more than one occasion that I exude this self-confident energy. Ok, then new theory, maybe that is what it is about. Then it dawned on me that this “aura” that attracts people to me like bees to a flower, came about or became more pronounced after I started becoming more spiritually aware. Also, as I mentor others at work and in life, I find myself seeing past all their “stuff” (we all have it) and seeing their “aura”. It’s funny how it is generally much easier to spot it in others than ourselves. Back to Panache – he believes we all have this beautiful “soul signature”… this vibrational energy that is perfect, unique and magnificent. He says that we don’t need fixing or need to learn to be good but at some point we have to believe that we are enough. That we are enough. You are enough. He talked about the Harry Potter series being his most inspirational books. Because we are all special, we all have that lightning bolt on our forehead. We all are magical. We just have to believe. I love that. You are enough. You are a wonderful, magnificent human being. You have a soul signature that is unique. By finally believing & knowing that you are enough, that you are special, you will become aligned to your soul signature and have your own aura. You’ll begin attracting the glorious life that is waiting for you. And in turn, you’ll help others find their own unique soul signature. I recommend watching Super Soul Sunday each week as well as checking out Panache’s website. http://www.panachedesai.com/ Heather

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Fake it Till you Make it

Heather — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 17:12:43 +0000

About 7 years ago, I went through one of the most difficult times of my life. You know those life altering events such as selling a business, starting a new job, losing a parent and getting a divorce? I had them happen all in a 6 month period. Looking back, I wonder how I survived. But that’s the thing about survival mode, you put your head down and power through it. What else are you going to do? Roll over and wallow in self-pity? Well maybe for a day. But the next morning, it’s just time to drag your ass out of bed and get on with it. Try like hell to put a smile on and if that doesn’t work, just try to keep the grimace off. That is when I really started to understand “faking it till you make it”. By having faith that it would all be ok (what other option was there?) and keep on trudging through, after a while it wasn’t so hard to smile. Before long, you’re singing along to the radio and even have moments where you are truly ecstatic. You savor it more than you ever did because you had the advantage of seeing the contrast. I was thinking about this with regards to living in the present moment. Around this time in my life, it dawned on me that I wasn’t very self-aware and although I had great kids and a very successful career, I wasn’t living my life from a place of passion. I had no idea what my life path was or even what direction to turn to get on the “path”. I was trolling for a new novel at the store one day and came across “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It was absolutlely not in my wheelhouse but something made me buy it. That booked changed my life. It was such a simple concept. Bottom line: pay attention to your life stupid. I’d always been a “go a million miles a minute” person, with five thousand thoughts going through my head at any given time. The simple act of breathing and being by myself started my shift toward self-awareness. I remember reading that book thinking, I pay attention. And then when I started paying attention to my not paying attention. You know, driving home and not remembering the drive because you were re-hashing the business meeting, listening to your kids tell you about their day with your, “uh huh” and “oh good, honey’s” without really hearing a word they had to say. I realized I really had no idea even how to start being self-aware. So I just started faking it. When I was talking to an employee, I’d move away from my computer and sit across from them and actually try to listen and stay engaged. When I went through a grocery store line, I’d actually make eye contact and engage the cashier in some minor conversation. I quit reading email on the way to work (you know you […]

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