Who are you becoming?

This past Christmas, I received a copy of Michelle Obama’s new book called “Becoming.”

In fact, I didn’t just get ONE… I got TWO of them!! (I did return one.)

And I know I’m not the only one who got this book, because it was hard to find… It was the best selling hard-cover book of 2018 (even though it was only released in November.)

It’s the idea behind this book – which I haven’t finished reading yet – that inspired this blog post.

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You’re not the same person you were 30 years ago. Or 10 years ago. Or 2 weeks ago.

Yes, your body has changed, I hear you.

But so has the person you were.

You’ve evolved.  You’ve learned new things.  You’ve struggled.  You’ve survived.

In fact, as long as you live, you’ll change. 

Sometimes for the good, and sometimes for the not so good.

And some of the things that will change you, you’ll have no control over.

Your children growing up.  Losing a job, a relationship, or someone you love.  Winning the lottery.

But there’s a lot that you will and do have control over.

You can choose at any time to zag even though you’ve been zigging all your life up until now.

In fact, when you want to change something, you have to be WILLING to zag.

Because zigging got you to where you are. 

And zagging will get you to where you want to be.

When I wanted to become a coach I knew that I had to zag.

And zagging was super uncomfortable.

For me it looked like leaving the safety net of a salaried job; spending money on courses in fitness, nutrition, yoga, personal development, life coaching, entrepreneurship, online marketing; employing a life coach to help me make this leap; getting over my fear of public speaking and leading groups of people…

And most importantly, stop self-identifying as a shy person with very little to offer.

I’ve heard it said, “You can’t become the person you want to become, by being the person you’ve always been.”

And it’s sooooo true.

I couldn’t have become a coach by being the shy girl who didn’t believe she had anything important to say.

Just as you can’t become the fit, healthy person you want to be if you continue identifying with being overweight, prone to illness, lazy, or not worth it.

You need to shake things up.

You need fresh ideas, new routines, inspiration from encouraging people, and supportive surroundings.

Your body is the result of the decisions you made in the past.

So, if you want to change your shape, get healthier, lose the belly, then you’ve got to make (and stick to) decisions you haven’t made (or stuck to) before.

You’ve got to be willing to invest in yourself, because you’re worth it (and that’s not just in the eyes of L’Oréal.)

So many of us women get comfortable by putting ourselves down.

No wonder so many of us end up feeling worthless.

Instead, you’ve got to decide to get uncomfortable by lifting yourself up.

And doing the things that nourish your body, mind, and soul.

Because when you take care of yourself, and become the woman you are determined to become, you will inspire your sisters, your daughters, your nieces, your friends, your colleagues, and even people you would least expect, to do the same.

You are powerful.

And how you treat yourself, and what you do with your life, empowers.

(If you’re not familiar with Marianne Williamson’s famous passage from her book “A Return to Love,” then you’ve got to post it somewhere you can see it every single day…)

So begin.  Now.   

Do the things you need to do to become THAT woman.

The woman with the confidence, the energy, and the sparkle.

She’s already inside you. 

Like the genie in the bottle, you just need to let her out.

And then keep moving forward my friend,

Debbie

P.S. I’m taking on a few new Coaching clients beginning February 1st! Check out my 6-Week Coaching Program for more info.