I’m often asked this question: I want to become wealthy, but how do I do it?
I am tempted to respond with a line from Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus:
“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked pensively.
“You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”
In other words, you must want to soar so much, that you’re willing to give up playing small and staying safe.
Monday, August 26th we celebrated National Women’s Equality Day recognizing the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920 which gave women the right to vote.
Honestly, I know I should be celebrating this victory. But I’m having a hard time getting in the mood.
Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m beyond grateful to those gutsy, courageous suffragettes.
But recently I listened to a Ted Talk by one of my favorite actresses, read a WSJ profile of an acclaimed microbiologist and coached a high-level executive…all of whom wearily spoke of their struggles with sexism.
Clearly full equality is far from won. The Equal Rights Amendment, proposed in 1923, has yet to be ratified. Face it, we can’t rely on the government to level the playing field for us.
If we want a seat at the table, it’s our job to take it. We can start by becoming the change we want to see in the world.
Call it a grassroots effort, a personal challenge. What if we each celebrate National Women’s Equality Day by taking on this challenge with the same ferocity and fortitude demonstrated by the suffragettes?
How? Here are a few simple suggestions. And, while they may be simple, they take tremendous courage and commitment.
I truly believe, when enough women see themselves as worthy, capable, powerful individuals, there will be a notable transformation in the national landscape.
Perhaps then we’ll be celebrating National Equality Day for All.
Will you join me? Leave me a comment below.
I recently told my team, “I really need to slow down.” I’d been having a series of health problems, and it felt like my body was telling me to ease up, stop working so hard. Nothing in me wanted to listen.
I just couldn’t figure out what my problem was. Then I recalled a lesson I learned from my daughter, an organic farmer
Over 10 years ago, in a rush of adrenalin brought on by a surge of ambition, I suddenly shifted into high gear. I hired a team, restructured my website, created a new marketing campaign, purchased complicated new software, and created all sorts of new products. I was driven.
I don’t know about you, but these past months have cast a dark pall over my positive attitude. I’ve been feeling fragile, fearful, unsettled.
Finally, it dawned on me—somehow, I needed to get quiet enough and surrender in stillness to receive guidance from a higher wisdom.
Almost immediately, a lesson from A Course in Miracles came to mind—You can see peace instead of this.
I had a huge surprise when interviewing high earners for my book, Secrets of Six-Figure Women.
I expected these women to be extremely confident. And they were indeed.
What I never expected was how many of these “confident” women actually felt like a fraud and were terrified others would find out.
Their level of fear was astonishing. But their courage was inspiring. In fact, after one of those interviews, I grabbed a blank piece of paper and wrote, in red crayon: “Do What You Fear. That’s How You Succeed.” I framed it and put it on a table across from my desk where it still stands today. 
A friend, after several difficult setbacks followed by an extended period of self-improvement, finally came to a profound realization.
“My primary business in my life is taking care of me!” she declared.
That statement may, on the surface, sound appallingly selfish. But in truth, it’s admirable and wise.
You can never fully help another until you first take care of yourself.
Even if you have young kids, elderly parents, or an overgrown garden depending on you, you must put your oxygen mask on first to be in any condition to take care of them.
You’re eager to play a bigger game. You’re smart, ambitious, with a solid plan in place. But, damn it, you can’t seem to make any headway.
Want to know what’s holding you back? Those devilish how-to’s, the belief that you must have it all figured out before you even begin.
Plotting every step in advance may feel safe, even smart. But it’ll blind you to all the unexpected opportunities that will inevitably appear.
I was stuck in this mindset most of my life…until I interviewed six-figure women.
Their stellar success followed a three-step strategy:
Step 2 is the game changer. Commitment acts like a magnet, attracting opportunities that often come disguised as coincidences. If you’re not seeing coincidences, it’s likely a sign that you’re not totally committed.
She was a high-level executive who hated her job. Her boss was a bully, the work was boring at best, and despite her massive salary, she could barely cover expenses. The thought of leaving terrified her.
I could tell she didn’t expect my first question.
“What was it like for you growing up?” I asked.
She paused before replying: “My mother was abusive. My father an alcoholic. Money was a huge source of stress. I was always walking on eggshells,”
“It sounds like you’re recreating your childhood in your job,” I pointed out.
“OMG,” she gasped. “I did the same in my marriage.”
She was shocked. I wasn’t.
Is there anyone on the planet who hasn’t heard of the ‘Law of Attraction’. It’s the buzzword of the decade. I see it everywhere—books, articles, YouTube gurus—all singing its praises.
Simply put, the Law of Attraction says: you attract whatever you want into your life through your ability to feel good, think positively, and focus only on the desired outcome.
So, if you want to be rich, don’t focus on lack.
But there’s a catch: How many people—maybe you’re one—really want wealth, focus only on abundance….and yet, their bills pile up, their savings shrink?
Have you ever wondered if you might be settling for less than you truly desire? It’s a daunting question, isn’t it?
But the bigger question is, how do you even know what you genuinely want?
I bring this up because I feel like I’m hearing more women wondering if they’re in the right job, the right relationship, the right city….then inevitably asking: “But how do I even figure out what I really want?
If you’re wrestling with uncertainty, let me share a profound process I used years ago, when I was miserably unhappy and utterly confused.
I asked myself 3 questions. I’m not sure where I found those questions, but they proved to be a game changer as I sat quietly, pondering each one, allowing the answers to emerge until I had clarity:
