A Cup of Caroll

October 1, 2023

“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” –Nikos Kazantzakis

I usually write about the power of positive thinking and expecting the best outcomes in terms of what it does for your mind and your spirit.  But did you know that a positive mindset also has a significant impact on your physical well-being?

Admittedly, I am a committed couch potato – except for the 2 1/2 hours (total) I spend as a volunteer every weekday morning and afternoon walking five high-energy dogs individually for our beloved local rescue, The Little Red Dog.  This keeps me active enough to maintain a healthy body and certainly contributes to my positive state of mind. Who can feel negative around dogs? They are always excited to see me, delighted to be out, and curious about everything they see, hear and (especially) smell.  I generally come home physically tired but mentally energized and grateful for the experience.

Some of my coaching clients put losing weight and/or getting fitter on their list of Big Goals, and I help them develop a realistic plan that works for them and then ask them to be accountable to stick to it consistently.  Creating the plan is easy. The sticking to it part is the challenge. Can you relate?

When I recently came across two great blogs by Debbie Powers, Assistant Professor Emerita of Wellness at Ball State University, I recognized they would be useful to share with you because she highlights the role that developing a positive mindset plays in motivating you stick to your exercise commitment so you can reach your desired health and fitness goals.

Here is Debbie Powers’ first column, which I quote here verbatim, with full attribution to her:

The Power of Positive Thinking by Debbie Powers

“Humans are evolutionally wired to focus on the negative. A negative brain kept cavemen alive. They prepared for the worst. Thus, negativity is a natural part of being human. However, research has shown that one who focuses on the negative in today’s world of endless possibilities may live a life of mental suffering and physical ill health.  By shifting perspectives from a negative bias to a positive outlook, all aspects of health can be improved. Negativity can lead to destructive habits. Positivity can lead to feelings of calm, appreciation, and well-being.

Positive thinking can significantly influence exercise adherence. It can shape individuals’ attitudes, motivations, and behaviors toward physical activity. Here’s how a positive mindset can impact exercise adherence:

1. Increased Motivation: Positive thinking can generate a sense of enthusiasm and motivation for exercise. When individuals focus on the potential benefits of working out, they’re more likely to feel excited and committed to their exercise routines.
2. Improved Attitude: A positive outlook can transform exercise from a chore to a rewarding and enjoyable activity.
3. Enhanced Consistency: Positive thinking can help individuals overcome mental barriers that often lead to inconsistency in exercise routines. When faced with challenges like fatigue or time constraints, a positive mindset can provide the mental fortitude to stick with the routine.
4. Stress Reduction: When people view physical activity as a means of relieving stress and improving their overall well-being, they are more likely to engage in exercise to manage stressors effectively.
5. Goal Achievement: Individuals with an optimistic perspective are more likely to set realistic goals, track their progress, and celebrate their achievements along the way, reinforcing their commitment to exercise.
6. Social Support: Positive thinking can facilitate better social interactions related to exercise. Individuals who approach group workouts or fitness classes with positivity tend to have stronger social connections and increased accountability.
7. Long-Term Adherence: Cultivating a positive mindset around exercise fosters a sustainable, long-term commitment to physical activity. Instead of viewing exercise as a short-term fix, individuals with positive thinking integrate it into their lifestyle, recognizing its enduring benefits.

It’s important to note that while positive thinking can have a powerful impact on exercise adherence, it’s not a panacea. As with everything in life, there are always challenges.”

NEXT WEEK: Debbie Powers reveals specific ways to develop positivity toward exercise that will help you maintain your commitment to exercise and enjoy the results it produces.

COACHING RESULTS

“Just like a runner trains for a marathon, Leaders need training, as well as an outlet and ability to clear their struggles, work through challenges, create solutions, practice ideas and be reminded what their passion and reason to be leading are. Caroll does all this for me. I call it a ‘recharge in my brain’ to push past what’s stopping me to be the best in supporting others to have it great. Caroll’s coaching is marathon training for the brain.” – Charity A., accounting firm owner

 If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top of the page.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

To schedule a F.R.E.E., no-obligation, ONE HOUR Breakthrough Session of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com Slots are limited so please act quickly!

September 17, 2023

“If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you.  You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.” – Mary Pickford

In the last blog, I shared how one of my clients used three key manifesting principles to triumph after suffering for years in the wrong career, only to have an opportunity she thought would become the career of her dreams fall apart too.  She “fell down” but she didn’t STAY down. Ultimately, she joined another company in the same niche that offered her much more than the one that disappointed her.

Now, I want to share with you the updated story of another client, which I first wrote about in August, 2022 (What You Were Made to Do – Blog 443).  She used the same three manifesting principles to create a jaw-dropping triumph out of what looked like a shockingly sudden setback in her ideal career.  Her story holds important lessons for all of us in how to bounce back from a loss (or multiple losses) to create something EVEN better than what we originally had.

At the beginning of her story over a year ago, my client believed she had a bright future right where she was. She and the owner of the small insurance agency where she had worked for years planned that in a couple more years, when the owner retired, my client would take over the business.

That’s why, when a bigger family-owned agency in town approached my client with a better job offer, she turned them down, partly out of loyalty to her boss, and partly because she thought she had a much bigger opportunity where she was.

Unfortunately, her boss didn’t have the same strong work ethic as my client and she began to show signs of “short-timer’s syndrome” – coming in late and leaving early, slacking off in her work and generally appearing to be coasting into retirement.  The whole agency didn’t book as much business as it could have, since my client was generating most of it by herself. Frustrated that she was missing out on monthly bonuses she could have earned, she finally had to face the truth that when it came time for her to purchase the business from her boss, it likely would be much less valuable than what she had imagined.

My client then took my advice and called the family-owned agency that had tried to recruit her months earlier to see if they still had an opening.  The position in residential insurance was filled, but a new opening had just come up on the commercial side, and they were excited to offer it to her, even though she didn’t have any experience in that area. The owners knew she was smart and a hard worker, so they committed to train her and support her in getting leads.

Her salary, commission and benefits were all much better and she was amazed at what a perfect fit her new company was in terms of corporate culture and the owners’ leadership and work ethic. It was hard for her to give notice, but even her old boss admitted the new opportunity was a great one and wished her the best.

My client could have been discouraged when her career “Plan A” didn’t work out. But instead of focusing on the unexpected obstacle, she focused on what she WANTED and humbly revisited the missed opportunity, which turned out to be perfect for her. Even the delay she caused herself turned out to be a godsend, because the new commercial position was MORE lucrative and challenging than the residential position from their original offer.  (Lesson learned: When we stay focused on our Big Goal and trust Divine Timing, we usually find that a delay simply means something EVEN better is being prepared for us.)

Now, exactly one year after joining the family-owned agency, here’s the surprising update on what happened to my client:

Like my other client in last week’s blog, this client had an unexpected medical condition come up that had to be dealt with. Her boss and co-workers were very supportive. The needed procedure wasn’t an emergency, so she planned to take three weeks off to recuperate at home at the end of August.

But her intuition nudged her to move up the procedure to “get it over with,” so she had it done at the end of July instead.  Her three-week recovery went well, and her boss assured her all was fine at the office, and they were looking forward to her return.

On her first morning back, she got a huge shock: In the few weeks she had been gone, the family owners of the agency got a surprise offer and decided to sell to a major East Coast insurance company.  The family didn’t tell any of the other staff until the day of her return that my client and all her co-workers would be laid off at the end of August.

Fortunately, she kept her cool and asked if she might apply to the new agency that was taking over the facility.  Yes, she could.  The corporate HR person they sent to do initial screening interviews was not particularly warm and welcoming, but my client used the positive mindset tools she learned in our coaching to expect the BEST and focus only on being HER best.

She then had the opportunity to interview with the female Vice President, and they hit it off well. After her year of challenging training on the much more complicated commercial side, it turned out that the new company didn’t have any openings in that department.  However, the Vice President told her they would be pleased to have her stay on with them in residential insurance, which was my client’s original area of expertise for many years.

The only sticking point was the same as for my client in last week’s blog: compensation. She had been eagerly awaiting her one-year raise review in September, which was now off the table. The salary offered her to start, while more than she had been making, was less than she believed she deserved, given her years of experience with residential insurance.

She told me she did a lot of mindset work, especially in focusing on expecting the BEST outcome, and wrote a strong email to the VP making her case for a larger starting salary. “I was at peace, using all the tools you taught me. I had confidence and sold myself.”

The Vice President didn’t hesitate to accept her counteroffer, which gave her a $15,000 raise over her current salary PLUS commissions. In fact, the whole package was more than she would have dreamed of getting from the family agency, including four weeks’ vacation, more breaks during the day, and a matching funds retirement plan.

Even though some of her former co-workers expressed concern that the new agency’s more formal corporate culture would be challenging to work for after enjoying the easy-going “family” atmosphere, my client looked only at the positive side. She told them, “I know I can make a difference.  I am going to be the change.  I will help them see things differently.”

I was SO proud of her!  She used the same three key principles for manifesting any heartfelt Big Goal as my client did in last week’s blog to transform what could have been a devastating loss into an EVEN BETTER outcome for herself (with considerable support from God/The Universe, of course).

To recap, here again are those three keys to manifesting ANYTHING you desire:

1)         First and foremost, focus on what you WANT, not on what you don’t want.  She knew she wanted to keep her job and to make the most of a difficult situation that was not of her making. She focused ONLY on the positives that the change offered her and didn’t let others’ naysaying pull her down. She expected only the BEST to come to her and she got it.

2)         Secondly, when things don’t seem to be panning out, don’t give up.  Stay patient and trust that there are forces working behind the scenes on your behalf and that everything will sort itself out in due time. She didn’t let herself be discouraged by the unexpected loss of what she thought was already the “best” and allowed Divine guidance to lead her to create something  better for herself.

3)         Finally, have the courage to ASK for what you truly believe you deserve. Even though my client very much wanted the position, she didn’t settle for the initial offer.  She knew she could provide beyond-expectations value, and after her strong email, the Vice President believed her and happily agreed.

When faced with apparent failure and disappointment, if you will follow these key principles as both my clients did, you, too, can watch God/The Universe work on your behalf to bring you something EVEN better than what you thought was possible!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The blog is taking next week off.  Look for your next fresh Cup of Caroll on Sunday, October 1.

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top of the page.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

To schedule a F.R.E.E., no-obligation, ONE HOUR Breakthrough Session of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com  Slots are limited so please act quickly!

September 10, 2023

“Many of us are afraid to follow our passions, to pursue what we want most because it means taking risks and even facing failure.  But to pursue your passion with all your heart and soul is success in itself. The greatest failure is to have never really tried.” – Robyn Allen

This past week was a very fulfilling one for me as a Personal Success Coach, because I got to see two of my wonderful clients succeed BIG in their careers. Both women received something EVEN better than they had expected because both dared to follow their passions and believe they were worthy to receive the BEST.

I have told both their stories in past blogs, but this week brought some stunning, delightful updates which none of us could have foreseen.  I wanted to share the latest twists to their stories with you because they hold important lessons for all of us who seek to manifest our Big Goals with greater speed and ease.

My first client’s story about a career change that resulted from a serious health challenge was first told in October 2022 (From Patient to Physician – Blog 450).  She came to coaching because her high-paying, high-powered career was stressing her physically, mentally and emotionally.  She needed to make a change but wasn’t clear on what she might do next. She has a lot of marketing experience and great people skills, but the only job offers she was getting from her online resume were in the same field she wanted to exit.

After using the mindset tools I taught her to overcame her fears and limiting beliefs, she began to get clarity that what she really loved was the field of health care, but she was unsure what specific capacity she could serve in.  She knew she wasn’t up for going back to school to get a nursing or other degree in a whole new field. She had always wanted to help patients, especially elderly people, who were facing daunting challenges with the complexities of the health care system because of her own past experience helping her mother navigate the medical “maze” that comes with a cancer diagnosis. She wasn’t sure what direction she should take to start.

Then one day I received a mailing from a daily devotional I subscribe to which included an advertisement that caught my eye.  It was from a home health care assistance company that helps patients (including seniors) live independently in their own homes by providing the medical and emotional support they need.  They were looking for new staff members in various capacities, and even though I suspected the pay would be far below her current position, I thought it might be something my client could look into, as a place to start.

She was intrigued and ended up interviewing with a man who owned one of the franchise offices for the company that was located just a few miles from her home.  She and the owner hit it off immediately.  As they discussed her unique marketing skills, the owner came up with the idea of creating a position they hadn’t even advertised for — a new marketing position to help them grow faster through cultivating relationships with hospitals, nursing homes and other organizations that can refer new clients. Knowing his franchise operation was still too small to pay her what she was worth, the owner said he would propose to four other franchisees in the same county area that they might share my client’s marketing services for all of their locations.

There were a lot of details that would need to be worked out with this unique “shared” approach, and he told her it would take some time. He said, “I can’t promise anything” but he really wanted her, so he would try to put it together.  Initially, that was fine with her because she had been dealing with a serious health challenge that came up unexpectedly.  The one “bright spot” was that it required her to take an extended leave of absence from her current job to rest and recuperate at home.  The owner was happy to wait until she was ready to work.

During her recuperation, she realized what a great weight had lifted from her by being away from her stressful job.  She re-connected with her family, took better care of herself physically, had time to do more spiritual and personal development, and although her body was taking a long time to heal, she was truly thriving in so many ways.

Finally, after a far longer recuperation than she or her doctors had anticipated, she re-contacted the owner of the home health care franchise to see what the status was.  He still hadn’t made much progress at bringing the other owners on board in a concrete way.  They were open to the idea, but they still had not hammered out any of the details yet.  Again, he asked her to be patient and he would “try his best” to get a job description and salary offer put together in the next few weeks.

She was understandably disappointed. This had seemed like her “dream job” – at least as an entry into the field where her heart told her she belonged.  Yet, with months to put something together, this owner she liked and wanted to work with had proven that he was fairly overwhelmed with the day-to-day functions of his business and hadn’t made hiring her a priority.  She had to get back to some kind of paid position, so she reluctantly agreed to return to her old stressful job, but only on a part-time basis while she sorted things out.

My client and I were both puzzled as to why God/The Universe had seemed to lead her directly to this new opportunity, and yet it now seemed to be unravelling. I reminded her to keep expecting The Best outcome, and to be patient while the Divine details took time to emerge.  We both trusted that whatever was happening “behind the scenes” would surely end up being for her Highest Good.

Then, I got another “out of the blue” home health care advertisement online – this time from my own provider, Kaiser.  It recommended a different franchise chain that also had offices throughout our local area.  Something nudged me to forward it to my client, even though I didn’t know if she would be open to exploring this same niche again, given her disappointing first foray.

She surprised me by jumping right on it.  She found an opening that seemed like a good fit for her in an office that was even closer to her home than the other franchise’s and uploaded her resume and a strong cover letter.  She got an immediate call from the HR person and had several great interviews, including with the owner.  It turned out that particular owner was a woman and all her staff were women.  They all loved her and she loved them from the get-go.

In a little over one week, she went from applying to having the owner come to meet her during her lunch hour and offer her the job.  My client was elated.  The benefits, the training, the support were all better than what the first franchise owner could offer her.  The only sticking point was salary, which was a little lower than she felt she deserved.  She believed in herself and believed she had been Divinely guided to this position, so she countered with what she felt was truly fair.

The owner agreed to her proposed increased salary and bonus structure, sent her a written offer immediately, and my client was able to quickly give her two-week notice to her stressful old job.  The old job’s HR person told her, “I know health care has always been where your heart is.  We will really miss you, but I am so happy for you.”

As for the franchise owner at the first company, he ended up surprised and very sorry that he had foot-dragged too long and lost her. Still, he had gotten the bright marketing idea that his company needs to grow from his discussions with my client, so he benefitted as well. When he is truly ready to hire someone, my client believes the perfect candidate will appear for him, too.

Here are some useful take-aways for all of us from my client’s experience at manifesting a heartfelt, long-shot Big Goal:

• First and foremost, focus on what you WANT, not on what you don’t want. She knew the field she wanted to be in. So, even though she didn’t have any direct experience in it, she believed that the dream in her heart was purposeful and God/the Universe would find a way to help her fulfill it.  She worked daily on building her BELIEF – in her Big Goal, in her Higher Power and in herself and her value.
• Secondly, when things don’t seem to be panning out, don’t give up. Stay patient and trust that there are forces working behind the scenes on your behalf and that everything will sort itself out in due time. Even if it’s not on OUR timetable, we must trust that the Divine Plan always unfolds at exactly the right time. When she was fully ready to go back to work, her REAL Dream Job appeared “out of the blue,” ready for HER.
• Finally, have the courage to ASK for what you truly believe you deserve. Even though my client very much wanted the position, she didn’t settle for the initial offer. She knew she could provide beyond-expectations value, and after their conversation, the owner believed her and happily agreed.

When faced with apparent failure and disappointment, if you will follow these principles as my client did, you too can watch God/The Universe work on your behalf to bring you something EVEN better than what you thought you wanted!

NEXT WEEK: In Part 2, I will tell you the jaw-dropping story of how my second client turned an apparent career tragedy into triumph for herself by following these same principles.  Stay tuned!

If you or your friends would like your own free subscription to receive this blog three Sundays a month, just go to https://practicalprosperitycoach.com and enter your name and email at the top of the page.

*************** Give Yourself the Gift of Dreams Fulfilled! ******************

To schedule a F.R.E.E., no-obligation, ONE HOUR Breakthrough Session of phone coaching that will help clarify your Big Goals and get you into ACTION to make them a reality, please email me at caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com Slots are limited so please act quickly!