When making a decision here are questions to ask yourself:

• How important to your business is this decision?
• How will you come to a decision?
• What is going to help you make up your mind?
• What are the benefits of your decision?
• What are the consequences of your decision?
• Who do you have to be to make a decision?
• The more information you have, the better equipped you are to make a decision.
• Mark Twain said, “You are as happy as you make your mind up to be.”  You really can DECIDE to be happy!

As I reflect back, my life has been a series of decisions (as is all of our lives), mostly unconscious, up until what I call my “Taco Moment,” it was then I consciously DECIDED to change my life. My “Taco Moment” was a moment in time that enabled me to see where all my choices had led me in my life up to that exact moment.
 
I did NOT like what I saw and it was then that I consciously made the DECISION to change my life.  And change did happen once I made that definitive DECISION.  Change continued because I was commitment to my DECISION to change my life. I feel that the successes I experience today would never have happened had I not made that DECISION!
 
I was blessed with a long and profitable career with Levi’s, over twenty-five years, and I had to make many decisions during that time.  As the years have progressed I have become more and more comfortable making decisions.  In fact, I believe one of the key functions of being a good coach is supporting people to make decisions and helping them through their decisions.

Some decisions are larger and weigh more heavily in our lives, the life altering decisions.  The two most significant decisions that I have made over the past three years have been:

1. To take an early retirement from Levi’s in January 2007.
2. To create my own company, www.BirminghamResults.com focused on helping women in business who are deeply talented to get more out of their lives, more out of their relationships, and more out of their business.  When you DECIDE that you want more you ignite the energy necessary for you to Step Up, Stand Out, and Be Recognized.

I am comfortable telling you that a major part of the reason I have been so successful over the years in both my careers, corporately and in the entrepreneurial world, as well as in my personal life is the fact that I have learned how to Step Up, Stand Out, and Be Recognized. 

• Make the DECISION that you want to Step Up – Step Up to your potential, your passion and your purpose.
• Make the DECISION that you want to Stand Out – Stand Out in life as well as a crowded market place in a way that energizes you while igniting and fueling your passion that the passion of those around you. 
• Make the DECISION to Be Recognized – Be Recognized in a way that brings you respect and dignity as well as financial rewards.

One of my favorite books, and a must have for any person who wants to create wealth and success, is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  A direct quote from Hill is “Definiteness of decision always requires courage, sometime very great courage.  Decision-making is not for the faint of heart.”  Hill goes on to say, “Those who reach decisions promptly and definitely, know what they want, and generally get it.”

Every time we have an exchange with another human being we are having a relationship.  This event may be as short as the time spent with a grocery checker or as long as in a marriage.  Every encounter is a relationship.  The key to these relationships is communication. 

How do you communicate within your relationships?

There are so many forms of communication; verbal, non-verbal and written.  No matter what form is your preference learning to communicate from what is called “I” language is the key that has opened up the treasure chest of relationships for me.  “I” language is where you express your feelings in an open dialogue without blaming the other person for what you are feeling. Example:

• “You’re making me unhappy” would be more effectively said “I’m unhappy.” Coming from this position opens a dialogue and the other person does not feel attacked or threatened.
• “Do you always yell when you’re not upset?” turned to “I” language is “I hear you saying you’re not upset, but I also hear you yelling.”  Again you have opened up the opportunity to dialogue about what’s really going on.

Learning to talk to people from this perspective took work and practice for me in the beginning.  Today I happily tell you that it is part of my communication toolbox.  This method opened up new doors and feelings within all my relationships both personally and professionally.  My work flourished and became more profitable.  My friendships grew stronger and more meaningful.  And my love life became a dream life instead of a nightmare.  I even got married (for the second time) nearly 19 years ago.
 
What does a successful relationship look like to you?
Success is a relative term having many varied definitions.  The dictionary defines success as the achievement of something planned or attempted and as the attainment of fame, wealth, or power.  I personally define success as the ability to effectively manage one’s emotions.  Many a person has been brought down by their emotions; they have missed the mark because their emotions got the better of them.

Weather it be a professional relationship or a personal love relationship the more you manage your emotions and less they manage you the better opportunity arises for having a truly successful relationship.  Once you master this art everything runs smoother in your life and falls into place.

Who are you being within your relationships?
Have you ever heard the term “self-responsibility”, it is a concept at the for front of experiencing healthy relationships.  Self-responsibility is comprised of the following:

1. This involves knowing your wants and goals
2. Considering the Long- and Short-Term results of your actions.
3. Considering the possible effect of your actions on those you care about.

1. Too often the absence of communication results in defensiveness, misunderstanding, and hurt feelings.
2. Be open with your feelings and intentions, people are much better prepared to deal with your actions and less likely to be hurt by them.

1. When you hold others responsible for your happiness, you’re hoping they will guess right about your wants and goals.
2. When they fail to guess right you make assumptions about their motives.
3. Avoid sacrificing your wants to make someone else happy; the end product is usually resentment.

1. Knowing your values is a natural part of a person’s psychological makeup.
2. The clearer you are on your values the more you are able to respect someone else’s values even if they don’t match your own beliefs.

What could you do differently to enhance your relationships?
Review the previous three questions, take from each one of them something that you feel will improve your current relationships.  We are always evolving and growing.  The complicity of life today sometimes complicates things that are really very basic.

IN SUMMARY – What it takes to have successful relationships is summed up in one of my favorite books, “All I Really Need To Know I learned In Kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum.  Here is his credo:“All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and to be I learned in kindergarten.  Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday School.  These are the things I learned:

• Share everything
• Play fair
• Don’t hit people
• Put things back where you found them
• Clean up your own mess
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody
• Wash your hands before you eat
• Flush
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you
• Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some
• Take a nap every afternoon
• When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.”

Self-Esteem is described as confidence in your own merit as an individual person.  Synonyms are self-worth, self-respect, sense of worth and confidence.

How does having self-esteem improve your business and your life?  It is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, magical and powerful.  Everyone has self-esteem and nobody likes to talk about it.  I view it as a part of me; I call it the “esteem muscle.”

Nearly 25 years ago I had what I refer to as a moment of clarity, I truly saw where I was at in my life and I didn’t like what I saw. That moment changed my life forever and started me on a journey that led to the most astonishing discovery, the awareness that I lacked self-esteem. 

The first thing that I had to do was to discover how to develop this muscle I didn’t even know I had.  I needed a “gym for my self-esteem” — a place where I could workout and build my esteem muscle everyday.   Like a personal trainer designs a program specifically for YOU – I built a system specially designed to build esteem that is easy, effortless and fun.

My routine consists of six simple steps.

Step One – Embrace Change
The fear of the unknown is stronger than the change itself. That voice of fear is very tricky and it’s also very dynamic. So in order to change we must, 1) be willing to take a giant leap and 2) trust that this change, will change your life, you develop faith.

To really get gusto to change, you must start the process by first shifting your thinking. And once you have made that decision, and yes, I’m talking about a decision to embrace change, you start to walk through your fear, and you will watch it disappear.

Step Two – Strengthen Values
In this process look at the qualities that really define you at the core of your being. Without these things you would not be you. It is essential to know what your values are, because they can help you make choices about what you commit your life to.

If you commit your life and energy to something that really violates or even neglects one of your core values, you may start to feel resentful and frustrated. If you are not honoring your values you will most likely feel that nagging sense that something is missing in your life.

Step Three – Think Dreams
Have you ever heard the expression “What you think in your mind becomes real in time.”  Think back when you were a child and how much you loved to daydream.  In today’s world, we get so caught up in what we really need to do right now we rob ourselves of this fantastic, beautiful, gorgeous gift that was given to us, called imagination.

If we dream our dreams, we can make them become our reality.  Ask yourself, what are my dreams? And then go ahead and dream them!  Give yourself the permission to enjoy and relish all of these fabulous dreams that just lay inside of you, waiting to be awakened and made real.

Step Four – Envision Goals
In setting goals set what I call SMART goals; something that’s Specific, Measurable, Authentic, Resonate, and Thrilling.  Take the dreams that you have and create some goals to help you bring your dreams to life, make your life what you really want it to be.

It is important to remember that when you’re working with your goals, the goal itself is just a landmark or a signpost that you’re going to use as you move forward in life.  Goals are a way of measuring progress, and then evaluating the effectiveness of your actions.  It’s also important to remember that if you do not reach your goal by your “date,” it’s okay, review and revise.

Step Five – Emulate Success 
There are so many forms of success.  True success, I believe, is the ability to manage your emotions successfully.  Once you do that, so many things fall into place. 

What type of success do you want in your life?  If you want to be rich, read how wealthy people became rich, how did they make their money?  What did they do?  A great book to start with is Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.  

Work with someone that is further along the journey.  I work with two coaches, David Neagle and Suzanne Evans, both are financially successful and spirit oriented.  When I do what they tell me to do it works.  I study with them and take direction from them, a key component.  

Step Six – Motivate 
Once you go through these steps, Embrace Change, Strengthen Values, Think Dreams, Envision Goals, and Emulate Success you will end up Motivated.  You will not only motivate yourself, but all those around you.

Motivation, being a motivated person, is absolutely contagious. A positive attitude can make all the difference. It could make or break a company. It can absolutely mean the difference between a successful business and one that is not.  When you’re motivated, people around become motivated.

SUMMARY – I believe that the most important thing that you will ever put on is self-confidence along with the invaluable accessory of a smile.  Using my ESTEEM Principle® Program builds your “esteem muscle” so that you look and feel better, it affects every part of your business and life. 

Do it now, get with the program and start building your “esteem muscle” you will receive amazing results.

According to the dictionary passion is “Intense emotion: intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger.  It is also defined as “Intense enthusiasm, or an outburst of emotion.”  And emotions are further described in relation to passion as “Strong emotions, especially as distinct from reason or intellect.”
 
Even though we know the definition of passion, it still is sometimes a mystery.  How do you really describe it to someone that may have never felt passion before?  There is passion associated with love and sex, yet what I am talking about transcends sex, it is something that is so deep in your bones that you cannot help yourself. 

I have discovered over the years that there are many things that I am passionate about; in general I am a passionate person.  Three particular passions of mine are: Business. Self-Esteem, Relationships/Marriage.  Over the next three weeks I will outline each one and how it relates to passion in hopes to help you discover or re-ignite your passion.

BUSINESS…
Business is all about problems and solutions.  When you are in business you are providing solutions for someone’s problem.  An agreement occurs and money is exchanged which solidifies the sale, it is the final transaction for solving the client’s problem.  Doing business is the ability to exchange energies for resolutions and achieve end results.

Having been a successful sales and marketing executive with Levi Strauss & Co. for twenty-six years, I was able to provide a solution for the problem of what to wear.  If you have ever worn a pair of Levi’s or Dockers I may have even solved your problems at one time or another.

I learned more than a few things about decision, commitment, strategy and problem solving throughout all those years and realized that I am quite good at them.  I earned my PHD there, Problems Handled Divinely, I prayed my way through everything.

When I left Levi’s, I left a career that I enjoyed and at many times felt passionate about. I was successful in this career and it provided me with many gifts.  All of those gifts were, and are, the stepping-stones that prepared me and enabled me to really step into my passion as my next career. 

I am grateful for all those years at Levi’s and the fact that I understand the basics of business and I know how to leverage them.  This particular gift of knowledge was just what I needed to launch my own company.   My business today is one where I am able to live my passion of helping people like you get more out of their lives.

Giving you the ability to discover or re-ignite your passion is what I love to do.  This is a win-win opportunity for everyone.  There is a rhythm to business, it is quite fascinating, I get excited about it and I want to help you get excited about it too.  I enjoy being creative and helping people.  No matter if you own your own business or you work for someone else, what would it be like if you felt more passionate about it?  What would be possible?

Business and the benefits that the exchange of energy provides are rewarding and numerous.  We are always learning if we are open to it.  Everything we do is always preparing us for what’s next.  Allow your business to make you feel useful, to feel satisfaction as well as frustration, and to provide you with a greater life than you ever imagined.

In summary, discover your passion and develop it no matter where you are right now and change your life forever.  Once you start this journey you will never turn back