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EPISODE 202 – Commit to Continuous Learning
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Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience. – Denis Waitley
#commitment #learning #continuouslearning Go to www.debrakasowski.com for your FREE e-book 21 Habits High-Achievers Kick download when you sign up for our Success Secrets Newsletter. In this video, Debra Kasowski discusses how your commitment to continuous learning can set you apart in the marketplace on The Millionaire Woman Show.
EPISODE 169 – Stop Underestimating Yourself
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“Never underestimate what you can accomplish when you believe in yourself.” (Unknown)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtLgo_ulBAw[/embedyt]
Growing up you may have heard sayings or phrases like, “Be humble.”, “Don’t brag.”, or “Don’t share your successes or accomplishments, you might make someone feel bad.” I do agree that being humble is an honorable trait. Remembering where you came from and being in awe of what you are capable of or how far you have come is important. Sharing your successes and accomplishments are important. You are only bragging when you are sharing with the intent to belittle someone or make someone feel inferior to you. Bragging is very different than celebrating. Celebrating others can share in the experience.
I am dedicating this podcast to my friend, Stephanie, who caught me in a moment of conversation and said, “Deb, you are underestimating yourself.” The comment made me pause and ask, “Was I underestimating yourself?” With some self-reflection, I decided to create this podcast as I know I am more capable and step into a higher potential and, so can you? Let’s do this together! You will no longer play small.
Here are some signs that you may be underestimating yourself:
Compare Yourself to Others. You are constantly checking out Facebook or Instagram comparing people’s outside lives to yours. You may feel that your life is not as exciting or you’re stuck. You must remember people only post the good stuff. They are not going to post themselves all snotty nosed sick with a head cold…wait a minute I know some do – but rarely. You are at a different place on your journey and have had past experiences and learning that others have not. Every person is unique so there can be no comparison. When you see someone’s joyous moment or celebration. You see one moment in time, not the hours of sacrifice or the challenges they faced to get there.
TAKE-AWAY: Focus on your story and your journey. You are the storyteller of your life. Don’t like what you are currently writing – change the story.
Value Other People’s Opinions Over Your Own. You want everyone to like you. You may have been told growing up you needed to act, behave, or do certain things to gain approval from your parents or teachers. You wanted to please them so much that you made what they think more important than what you think. Eventually, you may have placed their opinions above your own.
TAKE-AWAY: Learn to trust yourself and value your opinions and ideas. At the end of the day, you are the one who lives with your choices, not anyone else.
Surrounding Yourself with the Wrong Influencers. You are hanging out with people who do not support or encourage you. They may judgmental and negative. They always seem to rant or vent about what has happened in their lives, “Can you believe it…?” Who you surround yourself with impacts how you think and what actions you will take. Are you taking stock of who you are hanging out with? Do they nudge you to become a better version of yourself or are they like a ball and chain attached to your leg?
TAKE-AWAY: Take stock of who is in your circle of influence. You become the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most.
Listening to Negative Self-Talk. There are 50,000 to 80,000 thoughts in a day with 80% of them being negative. When you put focus and attention on a negative thought, it can become a new belief impacting your perspective on things. Even if something does fail or you make a mistake, you must learn that it is necessary to make mistakes to learn from them. These lessons represent growth – the more you grow the better off you become in all areas of life.
When a new situation or challenge comes up, you may shy away from or prevent yourself from doing anything because you think it will fail. You tell yourself, “I can’t do that. I can’t do this.”, “I am not smart enough.”, or “I am not _______ enough.” First of all who said and who made them the authority of you. And if it was you? Rethink what you said. If you plan and prepare, you can make things happen. I am a big fan of Dwayne Johnson and love watching videos of him at the Iron Paradise, he talks about “being the hardest worker in the room”. When you put in the work, you will reap rewards.
TAKE-AWAY: Challenge your negative self-talk. Is it really true? Make a list of your positive qualities and ask trusted family and friends to add in a few more. Acknowledge your successes by writing them down. Stacking success on success!
Criticizing Yourself. We are our worst critics. We can find every flaw in a photo and identify all the reasons why something will not work out the way you want. Some of this criticism is harsh and you would never say those things to your best friend or neighbor. I recently did a photo shoot. I love to be in pictures however this time it was different. I invested in a photographer that I felt was high caliber and the people he worked with were too. I had all kinds of self-talk going through my head of all the reasons I could not be at that caliber. I push through this limit anyway. I was glad I did. I am of that caliber and continue to be a work in progress at the same time. I showed one person one of the photos and they said that is exactly how we see you. Wow! I thought…that was not what I had told myself. My perspective shifted. It’s amazing how what we see in ourselves is not always aligned with how other’s see us. I was reminded that you are the compass of how everyone around you views and treats you – lead by example.
TAKE AWAY: When you start criticizing yourself, STOP and ask yourself, could I repeat or share these thoughts with another person? What do you think they would say to you? Would they be your friend? Accept compliments and offer them.
Neglecting personal self-care. You can not serve others when you do not care for yourself. It is easy to get caught up in saying yes to everything. It is important that you are fueling your body, getting enough sleep, and ensuring you get enough exercise.
TAKE-AWAY: Schedule in self-care time. Start treating yourself with the same respect and commitment you offer others.
It is time to step up and step into your game. Deep down you know you can do whatever you put your mind to and believe. People around us need a renewed sense of hope. The only limits there are is the person staring back at them in the mirror. Dig deep and through the criticism, judgment, and negativity – trust yourself you know you can do it. Bet on Yourself – You already are winning!
We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!
DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com
Episode 154 – Refuse to Make Excuses
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO9DYUten_Q[/embedyt]
Have you ever noticed that there are people who are committed to their goals and then there are people interested? The people who are committed are super focused on what they need to do and who they need to connect with. You can always pick out the people who are interested because they are the ones who find excuses or “reasons” that prevent them from reaching their goals.
Do you recognize some of these excuses for not being able to take action?
- The weather (hot, cold, windy, snowy)
- No money
- Don’t know enough.
- Not __________ enough.
- No time
- The Economy is bad. (or good)
- No education.
- No one values me.
- Self-taught.
- I don’t have the right outfit.
- Bad Childhood.
- Good childhood.
- They were there first.
- Today is not a good day…and neither is tomorrow.
I know you may be laughing to yourself because I am certain you have heard some of these excuses. You will always find excuses or rationale to support your decisions if you look for them.
“When you master the power of self-discipline, you will NEVER make excuses for making progress.” – Brian Tracy
You need to get started by taking action steps toward your goals. Self-discipline comes with putting habits in place that serve you in reaching your goals. Habits become routines. Some people get bored or frustrated with repetition but repetition is what creates consistency. Consistency leads to mastery. Mastery leads to results. What happens is people are short-sighted, they want results now. Early gratification is NOT sustainable; however, small wins along the way builds momentum.
Self-discipline and strong success habits assist you in resisting excuses. Excuses often show up because you may realize that what you wanted requires effort and determination. You get focused on the penalties or pain of doing something versus the rewards or pleasure of gaining what you say you want and more. If you put the energy you put into making excuses into putting in the effort into what you need to get done, you would be farther ahead than you are now.
Excuses tell the world – you do NOT care about your goals as much as you say you do. Drop the excuses. They are NOT serving you. Excuses prevent you from getting ahead.
What are you afraid of? Dig deeper.
Challenge your excuses…challenge the important of your goals.
What does it mean to you NOT to achieve your goal?
What will it mean to achieve it?
Remember everyone who has succeeded before you started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. The fact they can do it means you can do it too.
They didn’t let the weather stop them. They tapped into resources and found money or earned it. They learned new skills and developed them. They committed to continuous learning. They blocked time off in their schedule to work on their goals. They learned that they did not need validation from others they needed to value themselves. Their childhood was in the past and they have control of the present and they can create their future with developing a new story. And, the best day to go after your goals is TODAY!
Stop holding out on yourself!
Make your goals a reality!
NO EXCUSES! YOUR COMMITMENT NEEDS TO BE STRONGER THAN YOUR EXCUSES.
We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!
Debra Kasowski, the charismatic host of the positively, thought-provoking podcast, The Millionaire Woman Show, is committed to enriching the leadership potential of her countless, devoted clients, essentially, guiding them to go within to uncover their vast inner resources, so then, capitalizing on their true personal power, they can achieve the measurable success they desire in business, and in life.
In today’s world of impersonal electronic communication, this award-winning speaker, two-time bestselling author, and Certified Executive Coach wisely places the emphasis back on effective people skills; posing questions that promote insight and interaction, and the productive channeling of emotional energy towards problem-solving, all key to promoting superlative workplace performance, and enhanced productivity.
After graduating with distinction, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta, Debra spent many years as a clinical manager excelling in leadership development, before founding Debra Kasowski International, a world-class training, and consulting venture focused on helping aspiring business owners and solopreneurs develop the winning “success habits” that transform human potential into sustainable profits.
Passionate, herself, about continually expanding beyond the boundaries of her comfort zone, Debra, a dedicated wife, mother and avid philanthropist, has successfully finished two Olympic distance triathlons, while adding to her already impressive credentials with certifications in Emotional Intelligence, Appreciative Inquiry, and Coaching with LEADS program.
Clearly, if you’re a business owner motivated to move beyond the mediocre, an entrepreneur inspired to forge on to the forefront with a proven plan of action, there’s no doubt that the indomitable Debra Kasowski is your solution.
EPISODE 151 – Fears and Failures
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsnVBQMypWg[/embedyt]
“Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure.”
Paulo Coelho
The achievement of a dream or goal can put a smile on the face of the person who longs for it. The face of satisfaction knowing that you gave your all and you saw the vision even if no one else did. There are people who hold back on taking efforts on their dreams and goals because it seems that achieving it is so far off in the distance. Some might even say they get paralyzed with fear from taking action.
My colleague Audrey and I were working on vision boards and she shared with me that she believes some people do not take action toward their dreams and goals because then the dream is over. They would rather think about than truly live it. To me, these are the “talkers”. They do not take actions; they talk about how when the stars align that they may think about it. Someday…and someday is not actioned on the calendar.
Fear is not uncommon. Many people have fears to different degrees. There are fears of embarrassment, success, failure, rejection, criticism, uncertainty, and death. Most fears evoke worry. Worry is nothing more than wasted energy. It blocks you from being open to ideas and strategies to take action. Emotions run high and imagination runs wild. Rationale thought is not possible. Take a deep breathe. Most of what you allow you imagination to conjure up will not happen. I believe that the reason become fearful is that they feel they have a loss of control.
It is important to ask: “What am I afraid of?
Am I afraid of being rejected? Someone will disapprove of me or my behavior?
Am I afraid to fail? How will I face others?
Am I afraid of being criticized? What will people say about me?
It takes courage to do the uncomfortable. It takes courage to express your feelings. It takes courage to stand tall when people are laughing at you. It takes courage to say, “Who cares! I believe in me!”
You can handle all these things and you are IN control of how you respond or react in any situation.
People will criticize and tell you it can’t be possible. What other people think of you is NONE of your business…so what? Another person’s opinion is dependent on their lens of the world, knowledge, and experience. Most people who criticize have not done what you have done or plan to do. They hide behind their own fears.
A question you can reflect on is: “Why do you need the approval or validation?”
Rejection is one stop on the path to success. You need to keep going until the right timing and the right person align. Until then, practice…you are developing your expertise and letting people know about what you do.
Failure is nothing more than a learning opportunity. If something did not go as well as you hoped, the next question should be, “Now what?”
“What worked?”
“What didn’t work that needs to be stopped?”
“What can I do differently the next time?”
Failure is the best teacher. Leverage it!
You never swam laps the first time you jumped in the water to swim. You may have even swallowed a few mouthfuls of water. You never rode a bike to the playground the first time you got on it. You never rode off into the sunset in your family beater car the first time you pressed the gas.
We all learn…I remember when I first started in business and I was doing an interview with a well-known speaker…I forgot to press play on the recording and had to ask to start the interview again…boy was I embarrassed. She was amazingly gracious.
We get closer to achieving our goals by challenging ourselves and stepping out of our comfort zones. Facing our fears and leaning into our faith in ourselves.
What would it take for you not have the fear?
Do you need to talk to someone who is doing what you want to do? Who do you know who knows someone? Ask who you know.
Do you need to gain more knowledge? The internet is at your finger tips…make sure it is a good source.
Do you need to practice? Put yourself out there. You do not get anywhere hiding at home. Get in front of the mirror, talk to yourself, talk to family and friends – as Nike’s tagline says – “Just Do It!”
Your fears will begin to minimize. The risk of failure will minimize. Keep taking consistent action toward your goals and soon enough your goals will be realized!
We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!
DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com