Taking a personal inventory....hmmm that is something that I have been grappling with for months now because it means clearing my mind of the stresses of life so that I can address MY needs and wants. In order for me to make decisions in my personal and professional life, this is critical.

I am a very busy woman and it is extremely hard to find time or energy for myself. That being said, I know that I am ready to start taking that aspect of my life very seriously. I am almost 40- let me repeat- almost 40, my children don't need me like they used to, I am inspired to move forward with my career and I am sick and tired of doing everything for everyone else! I am also aware that I can say no to volunteering and can say no to doing things that I simply don't want to do and that suck the life out of me.

The moral of the story is that as hard as it may be to do- take a few minutes of time to think seriously about what you need will help you to make different kinds of decisions. I know that some people like to write things down, create lists, journal or to talk things out with friends or family. I like to do all of those things, but I am more of a "think before I do" kind of girl. I like to give myself an idea or question to answer in my head. Then what i do is sit with it while I am waiting for the bus to arrive, while in the shower or while driving around. Perhaps I have a note pad handy and write random thoughts about it ( I am always writing notes on things, but I digress). The anfter I have given it a lot of thought and I actually have the opportunity to take some time for myself (make the time really), I will write out the question and the answer and keep it handy so I can review it.

Give it a try with something easy:   "What makes me happy?"

There are no right answers and it can be anything and everything that comes to mind. This is a great question because it starts the whole process with something positive to think about.

Change can be such a scary thing for so many people, but for me, it means that there is a new opportunity on the horizon. Quite frankly, change motivates me to stay flexible and creative.

I hope that one way I can make a difference in the world is to help people see things from a new perspective and to embrace new adventures. Especially in today's economic climate, when bad news runs rampant on the television and radio- I have to believe that something good will come from all of this. Whether it is the impetus to a much needed global effort to reduce pollution or it is simply to bring an awareness to Americans of their glutinous behavior. I truly believe that things happen for a reason and that what we do with these opportunities is up to us!

When one door closes another opens. So, take it one step at a time. Acknowledge where you have been and why the door is closed at this time. Then walk slowly or quickly - depending on the attraction- through that open door. You will never know what is out there if you remain standing in front of a closed door.

Every time I think about writing a book to add credibilty to my motivational speaking skills, I simply cannot come up with a good focus.

Should I write about what Contagious Energy  really is? Should I talk about where I have been and how my positive attitude continues to support my successes? Or should I just get out there and perhaps something will inspire a poignant topic?

I am going with the latter. Of course, I would like to write a book- several actually, but I would like to do a lot of things....  So that's that! I am going to let myself off without a book for now and revisit it in a year. What I will do- is to continue to write in this blog. Who knows, maybe something incredible will happen that lights the fire under me. In fact, I think I will ask for comments and questions.

I can't tell you how much I have learned and grown with the help of my ToastMaster's group here in Brattleboro. We have so much fun that I look forward to each and every meeting. It doesn't matter whether I am doing a speech or not, just watching the individuals go through an incredible metamorphosis is amazing!

Each person comes to the club with his/her own goals and expectations. The deliberate balance between support and encouragement in an environment that focuses on growth is what truly makes ToastMasters so nice.  I have been in our group for a little over a year and  every meeting I learn something about myself by watching others and getting feedback on how I  present myself to the group.

If you have a club near you and you want to become more comfortable in front of a group of colleagues, friends or just want to gain confidence, TM is the place to start. For more information about TM in general: http://www.toastmasters.org or about the Brattleboro Club http://brattleboro.freetoasthost.ws/. It's worth every minute!