matters of the heart

October 24, 2009 By

Many of the themes in my writing are inspired by a major life transition. If you follow this blog or know me personally, you know I used to work full-time in television news. I worked my way through the ranks: college degree in journalism, intern, producer, reporter and anchor. I did what most “successful” people are taught to do. Define the goal and then map out the steps to get there.

The mistake I made was thinking that success, aka the road to happiness, was linear. I was on the fast track and never expected to get derailed. But I did. And it wrecked me. And it was the best thing that ever happened. It took me a long time to see it that way… but I learned so many universal truths and now, in this stage in my life, I feel compelled to share them.

I explore this topic further over at Hybrid Mom. Click here to read part one of my story. Click here to read part two.

The two essays in no way tell the whole story, nor are they meant to. I wrote them as a simple gesture, to encourage my readers to listen to yourself, to trust what your heart is calling you to do. For me, the heart (not to be confused with emotion) is where the deepest truths, peace and fulfillment are discovered.

If you have a story to tell, I invite you to share it with me. Thanks for reading and participating in the conversation.

Angie

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Say what you need to say

May 12, 2009 By

I’m not one to get on my soapbox (usually) and most of the time I strive to be diplomatic. I pay attention to politics, but I don’t align myself with the left or the right. My typical MO is to listen to what people have to say, try to keep an open mind and go with my gut. So this post is not about politics.

It’s about the freedom to say what we need to say.

The recent backlash against Elizabeth Edwards has really got me thinking. There’s all this controversy surrounding her book. The critics are saying, “Why air your dirty laundry? Your husband’s political career is already ruined. Why now? You have terminal cancer. Why spend your time doing interviews with Oprah and Matt Lauer?”

As Americans, we have the right to express our opinions. We have the right to disagree. But I’m concerned about the message this particular story is sending. To me it smacks a bit of oppression. It reminds me of a time when women were expected to keep everything “looking right” even when behind the scenes, things were far from perfect. That way of thinking still causes some women to struggle today– they believe they are expected to look as if they have it all together, for fear of backlash and ridicule if they are ”found out.” 

In Elizabeth Edwards’ interview with Matt Lauer, she explained she doesn’t know when she will die. She has small children and she wants them to know her story. She knows there are other women who are living with cancer. She knows she’s not the only woman who’s ever been betrayed. She wants to share that bad things happen. Even to her. And when bad things happen to any of us, we can get through it. She feels she has an important message to share, and she’s saying what she needs to say.

Some will continue to question her motives. I choose to take her words at face value.

Critics will always try to stifle our voice. They will shout from the rooftops. But just because they are shouting louder doesn’t mean they know what’s best for us.

We all have stories to tell. So today, search your heart. Examine your motives. And to quote John Mayer, “Say what you need to say.”

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Refreshing Your Professional Image

April 6, 2009 By

The Women in Business Conference was a great success! Many thanks to those who attended my breakout session, Refreshing Your Professional Image.

I believe our “image” is most powerful when it radiates from the inside- out. It starts by asking ourselves: what does success look like to me? Some other tips to remember:

~Image begins with how you see yourself. To paraphrase a quote by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or you can’t, either way, you’re right.”

~Embrace your gifts, talents and passions. What you love to do and what comes naturally to you are clues that guide you on the path to your purpose.

~Create your vision. Dare to boldly see and profess your true heart’s desires.

~Ditch the fear. What do you risk if you play it safe?

~Let your experience, wisdom and intuition serve as your guide. Women, especially, are blessed with the gift of intuition.

~Sell yourself! Think about all you’ve accomplished and experienced so far in your life. Believe it, use it, own it. Work it, girl! Turn to the left… now turn to the right. I digress.

Seek balance. Strive to be authentic.

Click here to watch a six-minute video clip, highlighting some key points in my talk. My hubby and his partner, Patrick, will think the video quality is not the best, but in a YouTube world, we can now get away with it! Maybe I should have used Go To Team?

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Quotable Quotes and the Sold Out Show

March 26, 2009 By

I’m gearing up for the Women in Business Conference and here’s where I am so far:

PowerPoint- check

Great new outfit- check

Presentation memorized- uh… I’m getting there.

I just checked the event website, and it’s SOLD OUT. Whoo hoo. That’s amazing. Apparently these women don’t know we’re in a down economy. Or perhaps they do. And they’re keeping their dreams and professional aspirations alive anyway. Kudos. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome!

And no worries about the whole “memorizing” thing… those years in TV helped me develop my ad libbing chops. Plus, I know what I want to say. I truly believe in the presentation I’ve prepared for the fantastic women who will sit in my audience. The topic is “Refreshing Your Professional Image”, and Image Consultant, Shauna Heathman and I are thankful to the Center for Women for the opportunity to share our insights.

Much of my talk (and this blog, for that matter) is centered around the concept of redefining our concept of success and embracing our authenticity. The truth is, my own resume reads like a mystery novel. The journey from TV anchor to life coach to writer, speaker and aspiring author has been a curious maze, and there have been times (many, many times) I have questioned my own path and my purpose.

But what I have learned, and what I will share with these women, is that once you commit to the journey– discovering what you’ve been put on earth to do, your authentic path will reveal itself, one step at a time. We don’t get a crystal ball to see how it will all “work out,” and that’s the point. When we get too caught up in our plans, we miss the magic.

While I was preparing my talk, I ran across some great quotes I want to share that contain the essence of what I’m saying:

“Every decision you make – every decision – is not a decision about What to do. It’s a decision about Who You Are. When you see this, when you understand it, everything changes. You begin to see life in a new way. All events, occurrences, and situations turn into opportunities to do what you came here to do.” – Neale Donald Walsch, Author of Conversations with God

Some from Eleanor Roosevelt:

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.”

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized either way.”

And a few from Henry Ford:

“If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.”

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”

And finally, I want to share this blog post, by author Katherine Center. Whether you’re a parent, or not, this post reminds us of the importance of feeling the love in everything we do. Click here to read: “Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.”

I hope this finds you feeling the love.

Angie

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Should I Stay OR Should I Go?

January 20, 2009 By

I’m a big fan of taking leaps of faith. Give me a ledge and you might have to tackle me to keep me from swan diving off the side. (Okay, I’m really holding my nose with a huge inner tube around my waist… but I’m still gonna jump.)

I give talks designed to inspire women to live authentically, to embrace their passions and make personal and professional decisions that reflect those passions. Even still, I don’t necessarily advocate they all quit their jobs, move across the country or make any other major life change without having that gut feeling, that inner knowing that whispers… It’s time.

Even when the soft echoes of fate are rooting for us to follow our hearts, it’s still not easy. We ask ourselves, “How can I really know I’m doing the right thing?” We don’t get a crystal ball or a road map detailing the new uncharted path we are about to take. When we step out on faith, we aren’t promised a path free from challenges and growing pains, but we do discover gifts and opportunities we never imagined.

If you’ve read my last blog post, you know I was feeling especially liberated after adding more memory to my aging computer. Creating more space on the hard drive inspired an all-out cleaning spree, and I marveled over the positive effects of clearing the clutter in my life.

So in the spirit of full disclosure, I think it’s important to let you know that over the holidays, my computer crashed. Again. For months I had been dealing with this technical difficulty. The computer would crash, and I would reinstall Windows, causing me to lose emails and anything else I had not backed up. The process would restore the computer to its original state– the way it was when I bought it in 2004. So I had to to upgrade Internet Explorer, Adobe, and reinstall all the video players. Each time I clicked the mouse, I’d have to download another something or other. I can’t believe I went through that process more than once. Try three times. Finally, when it crashed again, after I had plunked down a hundred bucks for more memory, I could have sworn the message on the computer screen said something like “Hey, lady, give it up. Buy a new computer.”

I think it’s a common trap we all fall into from time to time. We refuse to fail. So we do everything in our power to make our situation work. But I think there’s real courage in admitting, “I’ve tried. And tried. And tried. This just ain’t working.”

Letting go is not giving up. It’s not failing. It’s smart. If something is causing you ongoing stress, are you ready to loosen your grip? Do you have courage to listen to the voice within, when it whispers, It’s time?

If so, share your story and inspire others by commenting on this post.

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Maria and I have a lot in common

May 25, 2008 By

I love this quote from Maria Shriver from 2007, addressing the audience at California’s annual Women’s Conference:

“As long as I was trying to anticipate what you wanted from me, as long as I was trying to fulfill other people’s expectations, I was in a losing game, a game that I’d been playing since I was a kid. That’s what I want to focus on this morning … letting go of other people’s expectations of you so you can own your own life, write your own story and live your own legacy.”

Has Maria read my website? Has she peeked into my journal and my coaching marketing materials? No. Maria Shriver has no idea who I am. But I feel as if she is a kindred spirit, and I applaud her for letting down the facade and showing the world who she really is. You can see highlights from Shriver’s recent appearance on Oprah by clicking here.

The tagline for my coaching company, Angie Mizzell Life Design, is write your own story. define your own success. Maria Shriver’s quote embodies the essence of that phrase.

We are all works in progress. Each day is a new opportunity to write our own stories.

Until next time,

Angie

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