Welcome to Judi Moreo’s monthly e-zine, developed specifically for people who want to be the best they can be and enjoy much success in their lives! Please feel free to forward this to associates, friends, and family!
Dear
,
The second Sunday in May is the day set aside in the United States and many other countries to honor our Mothers. In other countries, it is celebrated on different dates and in some, an entirely different time of year. Whenever the celebration, the spirit is the same. It is a time to honor the love and care given by our mothers. The lessons learned from our Mothers form the foundation of our beliefs about ourselves, our world and our relationship with it. Women have traditionally held positions which require the nurturing manner of a mother – teachers, nurses, administrative assistants (every admin knows that “mothering” the boss is an unwritten part of the job description).
Patience, understanding, wisdom and love are passed down from mothers to their children.
Most of us have had a woman in our life other than our birth mother that became friend, confidant, teacher or mentor…someone who counseled, supported, cheered or just quietly listened as we grew into the person we are today.
In my own life, I especially honor my mother, who many of you know through stories in my book, for the incredible example she set for me. I also appreciate my sisters who encouraged me by believing in my ability to reach my goals and sometimes behaved as though they were my mother. I am grateful, too, to the many women I have met around the world who have been friends, mentors, attendees of my programs and sometimes seatmates on airplanes. These women have given me inspiration through their personal stories and their encouragement to keep doing what I do.
Whoever the person or people are in your life who have given you the warmth and comfort of a nurturing relationship or the shove out of the nest to fly on your own, take a few moments to call or write and thank them for caring for you.
Thank you all for being a part of my support system and allowing me to shine. I hope that what I do supports you and gives you the push you need to accomplish your goals and dreams.
Happy Mother’s Day,
Whose life are you living? |
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Today’s society places us in many different rolls. We are the friend, the spouse, the parent or child, the employer or team member. We change our behaviors and personas to fit our different and evolving rolls and responsibilities. Like changing our clothes to fit the weather or activity, we lock our true selves into patterns of behavior and speech that “fit in” to the situation of the moment.
Like politicians eating tacos in New Mexico and bagels in New York, we are constantly seeking the approval of our employer, associates and families by shifting out of ourselves to be what someone else thinks we should be …or what we THINK they want us to be. In the pursuit of acceptance, success, a raise or a few moments of happiness we lose ourselves, our peace and, ultimately, any lasting happiness. We have become so adept at wearing and changing masks that we are sometimes totally unrecognizable even to ourselves.
Putting food on the table and a roof over our head is the primary motivation for the work that we do. We do whatever it takes to provide for our families and ourselves. We have been taught to work hard, sacrifice and get on with what we ‘should’ do. We are taught that our dreams, our hearts desires and our pursuit of personal peace and happiness are selfish, and that we must accept responsibility for and the perpetuation of other peoples ideas of our success. We live the lives we are told to live and have convinced ourselves that it is what we want.
We fill our lives, our families and our communities with things...bigger cars, bigger houses, name brand clothes, the “right” cup of coffee and convince ourselves that these are the things we want. We find ourselves suffering from depression, obesity and major health issues. By denying ourselves, we close ourselves off from the health, peace and joy that we were born to live.
We must all do the things that need to be done, but we can choose to do them in a different way. By finding what makes our heart sing, by accepting ourselves and giving ourselves permission to strike a balance between what has to be done and what we enjoy doing, we can begin to find ourselves again.
We can create a new definition of the meaning of taking responsibility. We can be responsible for our lives, our families, our communities and our planet by allowing ourselves to follow our dreams, dance to the music of our heart, and share the still, small voice within with the world.
Mind Workout:
Sorting It Out |
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For the next 7 days, in your journal or on a fresh sheet of paper, make a list of all of your responsibilities. Remember to list everything you do for your family – caring for aging parents, your children, your spouse, the house, the cooking – as well as any responsibilities outside the home. Include church, work and social activities.
For each item on your list, describe how you approach the task. What are your feelings, how does your behavior or attitude change to fit the situation? Check your actions and re-actions.
Pick one or two items from your list. Over the next 21 days, consciously approach the task from a different perspective, bringing your character and personality to it. In your journal, write about how you or your feelings change.
Comments from Young Attendees of Judi’s Workshops |
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“I learned a lot from you. I’m going to quit chewing gum. I never knew how unattractive chewing gum really was until you showed us.”
“She added activities that kept our attention level up.”
“The most important thing I learned is the proper way to shake hands.”
“Group work was awesome. Enjoyed the creative work!”
“She helped us realize that you must ‘think outside the box.’”
“I feel that I am now better prepared to work with my organization. “
“You taught me a lot of things I didn’t know before. Thank you for sharing your way to interview a person. You gave me a lot of general ideas of how an interview will go. I will be more successful now.”
“You really know how to motivate people and make them feel special. I’m still poor and stuff and I intend to make my life a success like yours. Listening to you just made me want to go for it more.”
“I could sit and listen to you for hours and hours and hours and never get tired. You are just so fascinating and I’m not saying all of this to fake you out, I really mean it.”
“It hurts when I see wonderful people go through bull crap. And then to see them make it to the top like you -- it’s inspiring.”
Recommended Reading:
Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Success |
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 Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Success is a compilation of short stories about many aspects of women’s lives. It is written by 19 successful women including entertainer / songwriter Jana Stanfield, best selling author Cherie Carter-Scott, financial expert Claudia James, motivational speakers Sharon Spano, Fiona Carmichael, Candy Whirley, and of course, me. One of my favorite stories in this book is “Embrace Diversity” by Jill Wesley where she talks about being voted “the ugliest girl in the whole school” and her journey to self confidence and success. Jill is truly one of the most beautiful people I know – inside and out – and her story is one that offers many lessons to be learned.
This book is dedicated to the extraordinary women in our lives, our mothers, grandmothers and friends in celebration of who they are and who they were.
This would make a great gift for any day you choose to recognize the contribution of the women in your life to your success.
The book is available in bookstores everywhere, Amazon.com and at www.judimoreo.com for US $15.99.
We encourage you to forward this message to friends
or colleagues who want to be the best they can be and
enjoy much success in their lives!
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