Risk and failure are ingredients in having a more balanced approach to living. If we are living in reality, risk and failure will be a steady visitor in your life!

I was vaccinated with a Victrola needle! I’ve always been very verbal and very chatty!  I’ve gone through my entire life having a sense that I was never being listened to. I wasn’t feeling validated. It took me a long time to realize that this feeling was coming from me internally, and not from other people. When you grow up this way, you end up presenting yourself in a way that basically says “I’m not worth listening to.” The most important lesson you can learn is that there is work for you to do on yourself to step into a place where you can be heard and validated.

I was not a good listener at a point in my life. I wanted to show up as my best self, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t a good listener. I still have times where I am not a good listener. Years ago when I decided to do the work I needed to on myself, I went to a 12 step program. I learned to listen because I had no choice.

4 Things to Remember About Listening:

1. It gives you a chance to practice patience.
2. It teaches you about compassion.
3. It gives you the ability to compromise.
4. It will help you learn.

Today we are talking about the Grit habit. I love Angela Duckworth’s test to see how gritty you are! You can score from 1-5, and see where you rank on the scale.

I’ve realized over time that grit is sort of a learned behavior. I am an example of that. I have had to step up my grit over the last several years because I wanted to be happy. 

3 things come to mind to make you more gritty:

1. The never give up habit - I have to tell myself this almost every day at some point. It’s a repeated habit that is now ingrained in me.
2. Make friends - put yourself out there in your community. I have friends in unusual places and they enrich my life and make it more full.

Self-care is important.

In this series of FB live posts, I’m sharing some things that are coming up with me on a day to day basis. I had an experience with my local CVS pharmacy that resembled bullying. I’ve learned from being bullied that it is not ok, and I also determine that I need to take my power back anytime this happens and I will not be a victim. 

My advice is never to cry in front of men because we don’t want to be perceived as being weak. Many times we just need to feel heard, and when we are not being heard, our feelings get hurt.

Sometimes others have a different agenda than we do. You may not associate bullying with your finances. In a patriarchic society, that’s one of the main control mechanisms that is used against women. 

Listen to this episode as we talk about how money can be used against us in a power play. This is bullying and it’s not ok.