Posts by sharron

The only constant in life is change!

Even when we don’t perceive changes, recognize changes, or desire changes, changes are happening all around us and in us. Change is inevitable.  COVID-19 is a great reminder of that!

Since the world is changing and continues to be unpredictable, it is us to you and I to effectively and successfully navigate the transitions…which means that we must MOVE; we must act! We must transform our thinking, behaviors, habits, and relationships to create something sustainable for generations to come.

I know that creating something new can feel intimidating especially since there is so much uncertainty in the world. But we don’t have a choice. WE can’t get back to the good old days, and just for the record…the gold old days were not good for everyone.

We have to muster up the courage and resolve to reframe, reprioritize, and recalibrate our lives, businesses, and our government. If not,  we will suffer consequences.

 What are the consequences if we don’t change:

• We will jeopardize our dreams, goals, and advancement individually and collectively.
• We will abort our personal and professional missions to make a meaningful contribution to the world.
• We will forfeit our momentum and impede our growth and technological advancement.
• We will lose the healthy and helpful relationships and alliances we need to make global change.
• We will continue harmful habits, policies, and practices that degrade people and communities.
• We will miss trends, clues, warnings, and shifts to move to a higher level of destiny.
• We will fail to create a more equitable world so that everybody feels valued and protected.
• We will continue to destroy the planet and leave pollution issues to our children.
• The bottom line is: we will LOSE, and we lose what we value most, and we all value something.

So how do you M.O.V.E? I am glad that you asked.

There are a variety of ways to move.

MOVE UP: To navigate change, we must become more conscious of our surroundings, ourselves, and souls. We must be able to sense and assess shifts in the atmosphere, the environment, and in our own hearts so that we can elevate our lives and our communities.

Then we must move up in courage to try new things, explore viable options, and open our hearts to new possibilities. We must increase our determination to STAND up for ourselves and others even if it means that we must stand alone.

We will also need to increase our commitment to ourselves and to our endeavors so that we don’t get sidetracked by the “THE MIDDLE”, the challenging space between where we are and where we want to be. We must MOVE UP!

MOVE IN: To navigate changes, we need to move in circles that nurture us.  We must find people or environments that provide motivation, information, inspiration, and exhortation. We must find organizations and places that stretch us and provoke us to be great, excellent, and balanced in all that we do and say. We must move into places that promote progress, personal power, and personal responsibility. We must move into more justice, more equality, and more peace. We must MOVE IN!

MOVE AWAY: We must move away from haters, naysayers, dream slayers, and scandalous players. And haters are not just people. Some of the biggest naysayers are organizations that demonize, villainize, ostracize, and marginalize people. Some of the biggest dream slayers are government policies and gatekeepers who ensure that only certain people have rights, access, and privileges to resources and support. Some of the most corrupt players are businesses that exploit people for profitability, gamble with pensions for profit, contaminate the environment for cash, and exchange peace for power.

We must move away from myopia and pre-packaged ideas because change demands that we be creative, curious, and contemplative, not critical. Change is a time to remove limitations, renew our minds, and venture out of our exclusive silos. Don’t forget… change is not just about you or me; change is about WE! We must MOVE AWAY!

 MOVE AROUND: During change, we must move around people who are productive and purposeful. We must find people who have transformed their pain into power. We must find people who are committed to being held accountable and are willing to hold others accountable to do more, be more, and say more. We must move around people who understand that being alive means that we must be aware and awake to anything that threatens the health, wealth, and safety of ALL people. We must move around obstacles to forge ahead. We must MOVE AROUND!

MOVE DOWN: During change, we must move down from our high horses of superiority, self-aggrandizement, and self-sufficiency because change requires the skills, insights, and participation of all people. We must move down from our practices, perceptions, and policies of oppression, excess, and waste that portend to poison our kinships and environment. We must move down from anything that fails to honor and protect the dignity, decency, and divinity of all people. We must MOVE DOWN!

MOVE OVER: During change, we must move over our egos, our biases, and our own narrow-minded attitudes to be more diverse. We must be more inclusive of people,  more inclusive of ideas, more inclusive of challenges, and more inclusive of strategies that are innovative and creative. During change, we must be open – open headed, open-hearted, and open-handed – so that we don’t limit our options, disregard opportunities, and underestimate obstacles that must be addressed to get our country moving in a positive direction. We must MOVE OVER!

It is time to move.

Are you ready to MOVE?

I look forward to sharing more in the Dare to Soar Higher Facebook Group.  Don’t forget to join and lend your voice to help people SOAR Higher in every aspect of their lives.

Let’s Dare to Soar Higher!

SharRon

Am I the only one who has ever failed? Of course not! 

We all fail!

But….

Most people don’t want to share their fiascos, failures or flops. Most don’t want to share where and how they stumbled, stopped or self-sabotaged. Most want to hide their mistakes. They want to shine and give the impression that success, transformation, and growth were easy and stress-free.

But that’s not the truth. In fact, life is a collection of good and bad experiences.  And when we KNOW that life includes both the good and the bad, we cope better. We don’t get sidelined by adversity or discouraged by challenges.

That’s why I believe it is important to share the truth about our wins AND wounds. If you really want to help people stay encouraged, they need to know the reality of success and elevation. People need the truth, not curated highlight reels that promise instant fame and fortune. 

That’s why I believe that sharing our stars and our scars is key. People need to see that we have blessings and burdens, triumphs and tragedies, guts and goofs, successes and sorrows, highs and lows, fear and faith, and friends and foes.  People need, want and are helped by seeing and knowing it ALL, not just the part we want them to see. 

I have learned that letting people see my struggles, sacrifices and sometimes my sadness lets me connect with people in ways that transform, inform and reform me and them. Sharing it ALL helps and heals me, and it helps others who can testify and relate that my experience is their experience too.  Sharing connects and corrects.

So, when tempted to hide your failures – and nothing is a failure – what will you do?

Here are a few questions to consider:

As we all are re-building, reimagining, and re-prioritizing our lives, how are you sharing your wisdom?

How are you sharing your failures without judging yourself?

How are you providing insight so that others can avoid the same pitfalls?

How are you allowing others to see the REAL journey so they can learn?

How are you sharing your losses and the lessons so that to propel others forward?

How are you sharing your stories to support others?

What I have learned…our stories may be the stories that save lives. It may just be the story people need to heal and to stay encouraged as they journey through life. (from the upcoming book, I Have Learned A Few More Things).

If you want to get on the mailing list to learn more about my next book release, please click here.

Let’s Dare to Soar Higher Together!

Blessings!

SharRon

Are you overwhelmed, overextended, overscheduled, and “over” everything?

If you are like most people, your calendar is stuffed with commitments, lists, and appointments.  You have meetings here and dinner plans over there. There is never a free or dull moment, right?

I don’t know about you but sometimes it feels as if people have elevated being busy to a status symbol. If you are really busy, so busy that you are don’t have time to really live, you are deemed important. But if you value leisure or self-care, you are judged as being slothful or self-indulgent.

I am not sure how busyness became so valued, but somehow rushing and racing from place to place became celebrated.  In fact, if you are not squeezing something into every minute of the day, people are quick to label you as lazy, boring and not ambitious.  Yes, people judge. How did we get here?

 There are many reasons why our culture has assigned such a high value to being busy. There are tons of research and data that explain why society has evolved, if evolved is really the right word, to this busyness mindset.

But here is the BIG question: are you happy?

I have learned that happiness and fulfillment come from doing what really matters most. Both come from living our purpose in a way that gives our lives meaning. And both are a result of a healthy balance of work and rest.

So today, look at your calendar and ask yourself these questions:

• Does your schedule provide evidence of what’s important to you?
• Do your obligations align with your purpose and your dreams?
• Do your activities move your closer to your goals and dreams?
• Does your bank statement confirm your priorities?
• Does your schedule include what’s essential or is it mired in the trivial?
• Do your commitments and countless obligations align with your purpose?
• Do you allocate time for rest and restoration?
• Do you allocate time to do nothing?

If your life does not reflect what’s important to you and does not allow time for rest and restoration, what changes can you make?

Remember, you don’t earn badges, rewards or promotions for being busy. The only thing you experience from being excessively busy is mental, emotional and physical burnout.

If you are interested in restructuring your life and re-evaluating your relationships, please join me on August 30th for the “4 Levels of Relationships” Class.  You can join me from the comfort of your own home.  Let’s face it. Maybe you are busy because you are spending time with the wrong people? Click here to register.

Why not slow down and spend time with powerful people who can help you prioritize your life so that you are less busy but more productive, happier, healthier and more fulfilled in your life?

Let’s dare to soar higher as we slow down and live life more fully.

Celebrating you and your success,

SharRon

Bad Breakups…. Yuck!!

If you have ever experienced a bad personal, professional or a career break-up, you know that bad breakups are not easy. Feelings fly, accusations assault, lies label, connections collapse, and remarks ruin reputations. Severing relationships can be dicey, destructive and detrimental.

If the parties are not emotionally mature and spiritually-grounded, they expose themselves and others to undue scrutiny. They share intimate details of the break-up to make themselves right and to show the entire world that the other person is wrong. Trust is violated, secrets are disclosed, businesses are lost and what was shared in confidence gets plastered on social media. Making personal, business and intimate disclosures, of course, is not high-level emotional functioning, but we all have done it.

 Let’s face it…. when people are hurting, they lash out and some people play dirty. They tell half-truths, concoct outright lies, or share sensitive information that compromises not only their lives but also the lives of others. The full truth is rarely shared, and, when we are blinded by our pain, nobody really remembers the full truth anyway. After coaching people for over 20 years there are a few things I know for sure: pain has a way of making people pretty, pain causes amnesia and pain degrades others.

What I also know for sure is that pain or scandal is a magnet for messy people. Messy people run to scandal faster than pigs flock to slop. Messy people are like vultures who circle around wounded people waiting to stir the pot of pain so that they can to add their own special brand of venom to an already volatile situation. Of course, that makes the pain worse.

But breakups, though painful, are not the times to numb your feelings by finding another date or another bestie to fill the void. Yes, you need friends; we all need support. But we also need to feel our feelings too because breaks-up are the times for deep reflection and honest introspection.

What I know for sure is that breakups are great times for emotional check-ups and spiritual wake-ups. Post break-ups are times to get quiet and journal. It’s a great time to ask yourself some key questions to understand why the relationship started, why the relationship failed, what parts of you need healing or development and what you really desire in your “ships”.

The more you learn about you, the more information you have to support your new relationship with yourself AND to support a connection with a prospective partner.  Knowledge is power and self-awareness are key to growth, fulfillment, and satisfaction.

But above all, remember that any information you gained from relationships, should stay between the parties involved. The relationship was not a community event; it was once a special bond or agreement between the two of you.

If you are going through a break-up or if you want to learn more skills to prevent another break-up, register for the You Can Depend on You Coaching Program starting on September 21. This is the last time in 2017 that this program will be offered as a live on-line program.

If you have questions and if you are tired of choosing people who don’t align with your values, register today. https://tinyurl.com/YouCanDependonYou

Let’s dare to soar higher as we honor the sanctity of connections even after the connection is over.

***If you need some communication advice to prevent future break-ups, be sure to get my free gift here. http://daretosoarhigher.sharronjamison.com/

Blessings!

SharRon, Your Life Strategist

Most of my life I was called a misfit. Most of the groups that I so desperately wanted to join rejected me, excluded me or ridiculed me. They said that I was weird but what they didn’t realize was that I was not weird, I was severely wounded. I was hurting. Life had beat me in ways that I didn’t have the capacity to understand.

After I healed, I was still rejected, ignored and overlooked. In the eyes of the people I most wanted to accept me, I continued to be a misfit. I was labeled, and nothing would make me worthy enough to be in their cliques, or at least that is how I felt.

But I soon realized that my definition of “misfit” was not the same as their definition. And so, I re-framed the definition to honor me, to support me and to celebrate me.I changed the spelling and embraced the term, and felt powerful.I was not a misfit; I was “mis-fit”.

I accepted that I was a “mis-fit” because I realized that I was attempting to fit into places and with people who could not accept how God made me. I was a “mis-fit” because I realized that I was a circle who people wanted to fit into a square hole. I was a “mis-fit” because I was a person who demanded to live my own life without the permission, validation, or approval of others. I was a “mis-fit” because I refused to follow traditions that trapped me, norms that nullified me or stereotypes that subjugated me.

Gratefully, I accepted that I was a “mis-fit” and realized that if I kept trying to fit in that I would be a clone, an impostor and an actor who faded into their crowd.

Always remember that you are different and that God made you different to make a difference!! Do NOT fit in!  If you fit in you will fade out!

Please stand out! The world needs you to walk in all of your uniqueness so that you can demonstrate the diversity, the creativity and the divinity of a loving God.

Some still consider me a mis-fit but it doesn’t matter anymore. Why? Because I am healthy, wealthy and whole. I am SOARING to new heights as myself, the SharRon that  I LOVE. According to the words of Jill Scott, I am living my life like it’s golden.

I know you are living your life in a way that supports and sustains you too and so I celebrate you! I honor you! I thank you for being you!

If you need support helping you move and navigate more powerfully in your truth, please schedule a complimentary discovery session. I would love to meet with you and support you on your journey.

Please get my free gift. http://daretosoarhigher.sharronjamison.com

Let’s Dare to Soar Higher as we live our truth in truth!

Blessings,

SharRon

***I made a Facebook Live Video about being a “mis-fit”. I hope it encourages you to be who you are!!

Please get my free gift. http://daretosoarhigher.sharronjamison.com/

If you need support helping you move and navigate more powerfully in your truth, please single a complimentary discovery session. I would love to meet with you.

How are your “ships”? You know…. your relationships, partnerships, mentorships, companionships, friendships, sponsorships, sister ships, leaderships…. your ships?

How are they?

Our “ships” are our greatest resources. They provide support, love, acceptance, critique, collaboration and all the other things and experiences we need to be our best selves. We can never be our best selves by ourselves; we need people and people need us.

Since we need people and people need us, what can we do to help our “ships” sail more successfully?  How can we help our ships sail smoother? What can we do to ensure that our “ships” offer the greatest potential to be helpful, hopeful and healing?

I believe that our best “ships” thrive when we remember 3 important things.

The most important thing to remember is that we MUST express and acknowledge our NEEDS.

Yes, we must acknowledge and express what we need from our “ships”. So often, we don’t share what we need or say what we feel. We expect the other person to know what we need, why we need it, how we need it and when we need it. We act as if people are mind-readers who know and can anticipate our every dream and desire.

But that’s not the case.  People are wonderful beings, but they are not mind-readers. And even if people did their best to anticipate your needs, they still may not get everything right.

Let’s face it. People are different. They have different backgrounds, come from direct cultures, have different experiences and have different understandings of what “ships” mean. Heck, we are not even emotionally hard-wired the same so there is NO way that two people feel, think and believe the same even if they are reared in the same house with the same parents.

And, another thing…. people are busy too. Often, they are managing the demands of their own over-stuffed, fast-paced, and complex lives. They may not have the time or the reserves to be as thoughtful as we need them to be.  In fact, research shows that the world is changing so rapidly that it is sometimes difficult to effectively process and juggle the demands of our lives. If you add a job, young or elder dependents, spouse, self-care and other life basics to manage, it is understandable that something may be missed if not openly and clearly stated.

So, what do we do?

If we want healthy relationships, we must SAY and SHARE what we need even if it is not comfortable to say or comfortable for someone else to hear. 

 As a relationship and corporate coach, I see tons of relationships needlessly destroyed because people don’t say what needs to be said. In fact, most relationships crumble not because of arguments, but because expectations and assumptions are never voiced.

At the end of the day, it is your responsibility to get your needs met. It is your responsibility to be courageous enough to say what you feel. It is your responsibility to tell yourself the truth, and then find a way to share your truth. As my grandmother would say, “a closed mouth doesn’t get fed”.

If you want your “ships” to sail smoothly, TALK! Share! Tell your truth.

Be sure that your needs are communicated in a clear, concise and complete way.

Don’t suffer in silence and don’t ruin a great relationship because you withheld needed remarks.

I will repeat it again. You need people and people need you!

Let’s Dare to Soar higher in our “ships” by expressing our needs.

Stay tuned for part 2 as we explore another ingredient to effective ships.

Celebrating you,

SharRon

Here are some tips from a FB Live that may be helpful.

I want to see you live. Come meet me in Fort Lauderdale on Aug 12th and in Buffalo on Aug 26th.

Lessons from a 50+ woman 

Most of my life I was told that I could NOT to something. I was too old, too fat, too ugly, too inexperienced or too something else. I was told that I WAS not enough or didn’t HAVE enough.

When I started as an instructor in mid-1990s, the odds were stacked against me. According to the experts, I would not make it. But in 13 months, I not only won awards but I was in the paper doing what I knew to do. I didn’t look for conventional places to teach. I want to churches, hair salons, cancer support groups and community centers. I committed myself to be the best and to do my best. I infused church music, personal motivation, inspirational tips, a bit of a sermon with some aerobic moves. I didn’t try to mimic anybody. I was me. I yelled, danced, prayed, preached and packed the classes.

 “Just because a person is qualified for a job, does not mean that he/she is the best person for the job”.

 As a new college graduate, you can imagine how a comment like that made me feel.  For years, I have been told, but really warned, to develop my business acumen so that I could compete in corporate America. I had spent years honing my analytical skills and refining my marketing prowess. I attended every available workshop that promised to develop and mentor women to thrive in corporate America. I competed for the best mentors to develop me, I worked through my social awkwardness to dine with the movers and shakers, and I learned how to dress to exude confidence.  I was ready for success, poised for opportunities and committed to shattering glass ceilings.

But after thirty years in corporate America, I have realized that talent is NEVER enough. Even having the right connections in corner offices no longer ensures upper mobility. Being a rainmaker, of course, helps you get noticed; contributing to the bottom-line and increasing profitability always gets attention. But despite good results and increased revenue, I have learned that personal integrity matters. And the lack of personal integrity hurts organizations in ways that often goes unnoticed or maybe just unacknowledged.

Integrity, the big “I” word, is often discussed in corporate circles. It is often touted as a virtue that is needed and required for success especially in the global marketplace. Everywhere we look we see articles and books promoting the importance of good character, trust, and authenticity. There is so much talk about the need for integrity that one would believe that good character is rewarded and revered more that job performance or results.  We know that’s not true. Performace counts even if the process and policies that generated the results are questionable.

 I still believe that competence is critically important especially as the way and the speed of doing business continues to evolve. Business is happening faster than ever before. Deals are being made differently and the structures of contracts are growing more complex as the world becomes more connected and accessible to emerging markets. Life in the business world is being revolutionized.

But because of the complexity, I believe that character is something that must be and expected, not just espoused. Integrity should be something that’s not just promoted but practiced so that clients, customers, and employees can operate in the space and in the spirit of trust. As technology redefines how we do business and opens international borders, integrity must become the norm.

No, it is not enough just to perform well on your job. To me what’s important is knowing that you are doing business with people who are committed to fairness, excellence and continuous improvement. It is critical to know that cutting corners is never allowed even when there’s immense pressure to exceed revenue projections.

 Let’s be honest. Even through integrity is the buzz word of the day, there are many people who continue to engage in questionable activities and serpentine practices to succeed. Laws are not broken and their behavior, even though questionable, is not illegal. Yet there is still reason to be concerned when people tiptoe on the margins of ethics as if they are walking on a tightrope. And shouldn’t we be concerned when corporations overlook indiscretions to appease stockholders?  Aren’t the deleterious effects on employee morale, customer trust and client retention important?

After 30 years in corporate America, I now understand what my mentor meant. Being competent means nothing without character. Being talented means nothing without trust. Being intelligent means little without integrity. Yes, being qualified for a job does not mean that you are the right person for the job.

Being the right person for the job means that you are competent AND  interested and committed to doing what’s right.

Let’s Dare To Soar Higher As We Lead!

SharRon

** Do you have the Free Dare To Soar Higher Coaching Guide, if not, sign up here and it will be delivered to your email address. www.SharRonJamison.com

IT’S TIME TO SOAR!

It Is Time for YOU to LIVE A LIFE that SUPPORTS You, ENERGIZES You and HONORS who you really are!

It is YOUR TIME So Join ME FOR 4 WEEKS!

If you are tired of:

• Attracting relationships that deplete and distract you
• Putting yourself, your goals and your needs last
• Feeling stuck or feeling as if you are living your life in limbo or living a lie
• Feeling like a public success but a private failure
• Feeling like you must deny your emotional and spiritual needs to make others happy
• Feeling like managing the stories of your past is robbing you of your future

If you tired of being tired, Please JOIN ME. I know what it feels like to be tired. And, I know our 4 weeks together will change your life.

Soar in the Summer!

This 4-week on-line program includes live training with me, journaling exercises to help you capture your thoughts,  and the support of a community. An additional Q/A session will be available following the 4-week period to make sure that your questions are answered

Here are the highlights

· Combined 5-week webinar (late June 24)

· Worksheets

· Soar in the Summer FB Group Support

· Accountability

· 30 day and 90-day check-in online meeting for support post-program

Cost:

https://tinyurl.com/VirtualTea1 – $ 97 for 1 person

https://tinyurl.com/VirtualTea2 = $147 for 2 (Value – $ 495 – $1500)

***The is the lowest price that I have offered in 2 years. Only offering these prices for this session only.

 It is so easy to get stuck in our stories. It is something about focusing on our problems, pains, and pitfalls that make us forget about our purpose, our power, and our own peace.  But what if we look at our past as a training ground, launching pad or an initiation ceremony? Instead of focusing on our wounds, what if we celebrated our wins?  Instead of complaining, what if we corrected what’s broken, created what doesn’t exist and cultivated what’s available? What if?

Not saying that our past is not painful; some of us have experienced horrendous events. But what if we decided to look back on our experiences through the lenses of love, through the filters of favor or through the eyes of expectation? What if we look above, beyond and around our pain to see glory, greatness, and gratitude? What if we decided to deal with ourselves in a way that propelled us forward and upward?

In my late twenties, I didn’t handle my past well and I got stuck. Even though I had dreams of being an author, I allowed my past to haunt and hinder me. I brought feelings of insecurity, inferiority, and invisibility to every experience, and I clung to my stories of “less than” and “not good enough” as if they were the unadulterated truth. I clung so hard and for so long to those toxic thoughts that I lost opportunities, ruined relationships, lost momentum, and jeopardized my health.

Thankfully, in my early 40s, I woke up; I had a few “aha” moments. I realized that my past provided wisdom, real gems, that helped me navigate successfully in the world. I acknowledged how my past positioned and equipped me to serve humanity in significant and profound ways.  I stopped lamenting about my losses, and I started leveraging the lessons. I applied the insight that I gained to design a fulfilling life for me, and now I also support others.

No, it was not easy and my journey continues.  However, I know that I won’t “arrive” because when you are committed to growth, you never really arrive. For growth-minded, high performing people, growth is a lifestyle, not a destination.

Over the last 2 decades, I have learned an important lesson. I have learned that our past can either plague us or prepare us. But the greatest gift is that WE, you and me, get to choose. (from the upcoming book, Deciding to Soar 2).

I look forward to sharing more on the Dare to Soar Higher Coaching Guide Virtual Teal. Hope to see you on May 20^th.  Register here. 

Also, if you are stuck in your stories or plagued by your past, I would love to support you. You can schedule an appointment or just send me a message at SharRon@SharRonJamison.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Let’s dare to soar higher together!

SharRon, The Life Strategist

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