I'm a believer in the idea that we are born as blank slates, that each action we take affects the picture of who we are and what will happen in our future. Like a fork in the road, each of our choices affects the journey of life. The Wowettes had the pleasure recently of meeting someone who changed all of us, someone who uplifted and encouraged and taught us how to create more happiness and joy in our lives.Carrie Flintom is the author of Heroes in Heels, Ignite Your Soul and Awaken the Hero Within. She drove hours to visit our Wow group and share with us her wisdom and we were moved and awed by her beauty, both outside and inside. Years ago, she began to realize that women had become competitive, instead of being supporting and loving and connected. She realized that she was so busy with the details and demands of her life that she felt empty and wondered how she had got to the place where she was everyone's everything, sleepwalking through life, feeling like she had it all but was living in a dark place. Like many of us, she asked herself, "Who Am I?" and embarked on a journey to find the answers, trying the advice of every self-help guru she could find.
Carrie decided her plan to improve her life and create happiness and joy must have the following criteria: 1) Be easy, 2) Be quick, and 3) Have results. So she came us with what she calls "SMARTS," and here is the plan's brief summary:
S: Share. This is a call to action for the day, making one conscious decision to make someone's life better, one act of kindness, one "heroic moment."
M: Get Motivated. Use music or a quote or think of what you were doing when you last felt moved to be motivated.
A: Affirmations. Carrie says that 70% of our self talk is negative and, in women, often 90%. You know how it is when someone says something nice about us and we push it away, like we can't accept a compliment? That negative self-talk teaches us we don't deserve it. Affirmations are short and positive statements that are true and, when said often enough, will help us to realize and belief how special we are.
R: Record and Reward. Carrie suggests that we use a notebook to write what "share" we did today so that we can go back and re-read it and acknowledge what good we've done.
T: Thankfulness. Carrie told us that gratitude opens up more space for what we feel and creates more gratitude. The simple act of counting our blessings, those little blessings in our lives that we often forget, can change our attitudes. We are often hindered by our fears, and Carrie says that we cannot feel fear and gratitude at the same time.
In following these steps, Carrie reminds us not to strive for perfection, but to be real and create meaning in every thing we do, to focus on what we are becoming, to be aware of how grand life really is in that very moment. This short evening with Carrie was magical in itself, and each and every one present said she was the best speaker ever. For me, she was like a bright light, bringing with her the joy and happiness she wanted us all to experience. You can meet her yourself by visiting her website at www.heroesinheels.com or calling her at 858-997-6305. She's a life coach and I imagine that anyone spending even one hour with her will be changed forever. Thanks, Carrie, for showing us all a path to a more meaningful and happy life. You gave generously of your spirit to a room full of strangers and we are all very grateful you did. xo