10:56 AM

Entitlement vs. Gratitude

Posted by Doncrack |

I have the wonderful pleasure of communicating online with women in different parts of the world. The beauty of the Internet. I have stated before that my purpose in life is to equip, empower and encourage women to be amazing spirit women living lives of passion, prosperity and peace.


I have been given many opportunities to be encouraged by fabulous women, and for this I am humbly grateful. This is what fuels my passion to encourage other women, knowing I have been given the fire for my torch to pass on. And I do pass it on. I am honored to be given opportunities to create opportunities for women to become all they were created to be. I know we are all busy. But there is not one of us who has the purpose in life to be busy. If we were truly living our purpose, busyness wouldn't enter into the equation. Be are called to be fruitful and productive, not merely busy.

So this leads to my moment of being perplexed. I hear from women over and over and over again about not having the opportunities to network, get support, talk about things relevant to living a passionate life as a woman. I can't have this argument anymore because I have been given the charge to create these moments for women. But women do not take advantage of the opportunities. Again, I know we are all busy. But we are also called to set priorities. My priority is being the best me I can be. Without that, all bets are off.

When I speak with women in Africa, there is such a deep appreciation of any small opportunity because opportunities are not just around the corner for them. So they will avail themselves of them and are extremely grateful for them. I find women in America, and of course, not all women, but there is this sense of entitlement and expectation; more so that gratitude.

Oprah was once asked why she gave to African children and not to American children. Her answer was simple, yet profound. She said American children have more opportunities here. She is creating opportunities where there were none. And because of this, the people are grateful. They don't feel like they are owed something because of their plight.

So where am I going with this? Perhaps no where. Perhaps now here. I'd love to have your comments.

Live with gratitude,
Coach Carolyn

Unless you have been away from the planet for awhile, I am sure you are aware of the green movement -- the effort to create a more eco-friendly environment. This movement has many different layers, from recycling to carpooling to growing things. This move was brought to a new level with An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore's award-winning documentary about global warming.

Living on purpose is about holistic living -- mind, body and spirit. And this involves our global home. When we do not take care of our health, parts of our bodies begin to whither. When we do not keep our minds sharp and entertained, slowly we lose our emotional and mental acumen. And so it is with our planet. Unwittingly, we are slowly destroying our global home. It is very easy to say this is not my responsibility. Ah, but you see, it is! It is ALL of our responsibility.

Some of us are complete greenies! Some of us have never heard the term. Okay, maybe I made it up, but you get my point. Ignorance does not exempt you of responsibility. So get in the know! Three little words that I have heard since I was a child: Reduce, recycle, reuse. Not difficult at all. Take one a day, like a multi-vitamin. It is like any muscle, when you do not use it, it atrophies. Frequent and constant use will strengthen and become a habit. Then it will become second nature.

Start small. Use a mug instead of Styrofoam cups. Run your dishwasher when it is full. Throw cans and bottles in proper receptacles. Use rechargeable batteries. Reuse grocery bags. We often throw things away that we think are no longer useful. Do we do that with people? Of course not. We think of other ways to be of use. Purpose has no expiration dates.

So, think of ways to reuse the things that no longer seem usable. I would be interested in your comments and ideas.

Live green on purpose,
Coach Carolyn

10:41 AM

Purposeful Thought for the Weekend

Posted by Doncrack |

Do we mindfully and purposefully practice meditation?

"We should be able to bring the practice of meditation into our daily lives. We need to discuss among ourselves how to do it.

  • Do you practice breathing between phone calls?
  • Do you practice smiling while cutting carrots?
  • Do you practice relaxation after hard hours of work?

These are practical questions. If you know how to apply meditation to dinner time, leisure time, sleeping time, it will penetrate your daily life, and it will also have a tremendous effect on social concerns."

From Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh

Live mindfully,
Coach Carolyn

“Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” ~ Helen Keller

So many women I come in contact with, clients, in workshops, in my classes, in my speaking engagements -- ask the same question: What is my purpose? The first part of the answer is I have no idea what your purpose is! However, if you really want to know, I can help you find out. So often, we think of our purpose as our careers or our jobs. This is not the case.

When I speak of purpose, I am speaking of that one divine assignment that only you came to this universe to accomplish. It doesn't matter how you live out that purpose, as long as you are fulfilling your purpose.

Author and speaker Matthew Kelly says that your purpose is to be the best version of yourself. This is certainly true. When you are truly living a life on purpose, your authentic self shines. Not the false self that we tend to show to the world when we are in people-pleasing mode. But when we are comfortable with every aspect of our lives, even when things are going crappy, we can still say, "Well done!"

My purpose is to equip, empower, and encourage women going from a life of adversity and transition to a life of peace, passion, purpose, and prosperity. This comes so naturally for me, it is effortless. I don't have to think about doing it -- I just do it, wherever I go. Somehow, the Divine Spirit puts the words that are needed into my mouth. There are various ways I choose to make that purpose manifest in my life: I coach, I counsel, I teach, I speak, I share stories, I sing, I write, the list can go on. But in all, I must live out that purpose.

When I am not living my divine purpose, I feel a sense of lack and want. If I were not allowed to do what I do, pieces of me would simply wither and die inside. I know this because before I began living out my purpose, I had the j-o-b that nearly killed me. I was miserable. I was good at the job, and my superiors loved me and my work, but I was dying because it wasn't fulfilling my divine call. Yet, when I would get the opportunity to minister to women, I was elated.

So, my purposeful question for you is: "Whose life are you living? And, "If not now, when?

Live life to the full, starting now!
Coach Carolyn

9:47 AM

On Purpose Dating

Posted by Doncrack |

I recently had an interesting conversation with a young man frustrated by his efforts to meet and date women. His approach was with the end in mind; which in some respects would be fine. However, there was no beginning. He was in for the kill and forget about the formalities. Now, I know that we live in a drive-thru, fast-food, want-it-yesterday society. I am not oblivious to this fact. Yet, when it comes to dating, I think we should take things just a little bit slower.


This young man, who is trying to arrange a date online, wondered why the woman in question was not forthcoming about her phone number. I said to him that women just don't arbitrarily give out their phone numbers to strangers, especially online. The guy could be a weirdo. Or worse, not a guy at all! But, like, some geek from another galaxy who has never even heard of an iPod. Perish the thought! I date a guy who doesn't even own a cell phone. But that's another story!

Anyway, I tried to explain about establishing a "e-relationship" first where he shows an interest in the woman and can get to know one another, as far as possible, online. Somehow, he couldn't, or wouldn't hear this. Yet, he was digging my advice. He asked if I was a marriage counselor. I said close, a grief counselor! It's all a matter of perspective!

So, ladies! My on purpose question to you is: Would you give this guy your phone number, online; and under what circumstances?

Let me know what you think about this issue. Online dating is very popular; and there are as many horror stories as there are success stories. It's all about what you bring to the party. Are you being authentic? What are you really looking for in a relationship? Are you willing to give back the same?

Hit the comment button and let me know what you think. By the way, this conversation leaks into the Meetup discussions. Well because it's a part of our whole self.

Keep on keeping on purpose!

Coach Carolyn

 
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