This time of year is always one of endings and beginnings.  Some may be truly excited about closing the door on 2011 because the year proved to be one of hardships and struggle.  While others are not quite ready to let go of the old year and dive into the uncertainty of a new one.

Regardless of where you are, the new year will be upon us in less than 48 hours.  You have a choice as to how you will embrace the new year.  If you enter it with resistance, resistance on many levels will be returned to you.  Yet if you embrace the unknown of a new year and let it unfold before you with excitement, faith, and peace, those will be returned to you as well. 

The only true constant in life is change, yet many of us do everything in our power to avoid it.  We want to remain in our comfort zone, but in reality, our comfort zone is really our resistance zone.

What is your vision for 2012?  How will you begin this year differently than in the past?  What accomplishments will you be able to document on December 31, 2012?

If I could watch you read this, you might actually have a puzzled look on your face.  I am not talking about New Year’s Resolutions because those are not sustaining.  A resolution is generally one vague thought with nothing to support it.   Resolutions usually begin to dissolve mid to late January. 

What I am referring to is a vision.  Something that will carry you the entire year in all aspects of your life.  So you might be asking where do I begin?  You are in the right place at the right time.  As we end the old year and begin the new one, I have put together a 6 part series called, “Six Actions To Soar Into Your Success“.  Together, we will begin the new year with the right mindset identifying our vision and carrying that vision throughout the year by learning how to overcome these hidden obstacles in our life.

This is my free gift to you because I want 2012 to be your best year ever!  Enter your information below and get started today!  This ending is just the beginning for you!

Happy New Year!

Michelle Shutter

Like

Unlike

We just finished a holiday weekend here in the United States.  Thanksgiving… turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, apple and pumpkin pie and the list goes on and on.  More importantly than the menu is the meaning behind the holiday.  The time to reflect and truly appreciate that for which we are grateful and thankful for.Unfortunately, many people need the holiday reminder to identify those things that we are grateful and thankful for.  But my question for you is, why don’t you practice this attitude of gratitude on a regular basis?  What would happen if you shifted your focus to all that you are grateful for?

Here’s a simple exercise for you to assist you with this 30 Day Attitude of Gratitude Challenge.

Soar Into The Person You Were Born To Be!

P.S.  If you are not receiving my Daily Dose delivered right to your inbox, enter your information below.

Name:

Email:

Like

Unlike

What If You Changed Your Mindset?

I came across this video that I shot last winter and realized that I never posted it.  It was a great reminder to me that the end of the year is drawing near and yet we may or may not have reached out goals.  This question entered my mind…”Is your adult mindset holding you back?

Imagine if you spent the next few days with the mindset of a child.  A child that is care free….A child that practices determination, persistence, and the “I am not quitting” attitude.  A child that has no fear….A child that does not let the distractions of everyday interfere with what he/she wants..

Just imagine…

As adults, we let a series of events and circumstances take us right out of the game.  We sit on the sidelines rather than truly play the game at the level we are capable of.  Yet, at times when we are in the game, we don’t play full out.  Why?

Some of us rebel against our own abilities and success.  Some of us attach pain to the outcome rather than pleasure.  Some of us miss the opportunity because we are lost in the sauce of life.  Some of us live in a state of being overwhelmed with the chaos that surrounds us.

My son, Brett, was certainly an inspiration to me in this video.

So today, I dare you to put all that junk aside and live in the mindset of a child.  Live the carefree..live the persistence…live the determination….live without fear.

You Deserve To Soar!

P.S.  Don’t forget to get your Daily Dose of Inspiration!  You’ll never know how your day can be changed by taking a dose of postive!

In A Drought? Grab A Shovel

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt like you were in a drought?  You know the day(s).  This went wrong, this broke, this didn’t go as planned etc. etc.  Ultimately it leads to feelings of overwhelmed and you pretty much want to just down and call it a day.

So imagine yourself in a desert desperate for water.  Do you throw in the towel and give up?  Of course not.  You start digging deep looking for water or digging wide praying for the rain clouds to fill your ditch.  If you don’t get water as quick as you want, do you give up?  Of course not!

Because what if you just needed to dig one more foot?  Or what if you those rain clouds were 60 miles away and you just needed to wait one more hour?

The truth lies in the belief you have about the outcome you want to receive.  If you believe it will happen, it  may take some extra effort and course correction.

The next time you feel like you are in a drought have no worries…just grab a shovel and start digging!

Soar Into The Person You Were Born To Be!

Like

Unlike

change

Yesterday,  I watched our dear neighbors, Ron and Marty, begin a new chapter in their life and I couldn’t be more excited for them.  The moving truck pulled up early and began the final sentences of their current chapter.  A few months ago, they had found a home on a beautiful lake…something they had always dreamed of having.  While the transition into this new place wasn’t exactly “smooth sailing”, they kept the faith and belief that if it was meant to be, it will be. 

Of course I was sad and teary to say goodbye to them because they were such wonderful neighbors.  How grateful I am for the years they spent next door.  At the same time, Ron and Marty’s situation was a good reminder to me that the only thing truly constant in life is change.  They had a dream to live on a lake someday.  While they may not have known the how, when, and where, they knew the what.  They knew their dream.  And the only way to get to their dream was to make a change.  Without a doubt, it was scary and uncertain at times and it still may be for a little while, but again their faith and belief will supercede everything else.

So this brings me to my new chapter of change that I am super excited about…my new blog.  Like Ron and Marty, I didn’t know (and still don’t at times) the how, when, where, but I focused on the what and the rest fell into place.  New chapters are like new seasons.  They are refreshing, uplifting, and inspiring, but they can also be frightening, scary and full of uncertainty.  A new chapter is about change and the great thing is we get to pick how we want to feel about the change.

What new chapter are you willing to start in your life?  If change is the only thing constant, why do we resist it?  What would it be like if we embraced it?  What if you looked beyond the fear and uncertainty and expected the end result to be your dream?  I invite you today to write down the ‘what’ of your next chapter.  Forget the how, when , and where.  Just focus on the what.  It’s the first of the month, expect great things to happen to you over the course of the next 30, 60, 90 days. 

Remember, the only thing constant in life is change….

Soar Into Your Greatness!

Like

Unlike

Be a Winner

Don’t you just love the word winner?  I associate winner with champions, medalists, achievers and success.

Winners are persistent, determined, and filled with the “I won’t be denied” attitude.  Winners are willing to sacrifice.  They fight through pain and resistance to achieve the prize – their goal, their achievement, the end result.

Is this attitude persistence and determination easy to maintain?  The majority of winners will answer no.  It takes due diligence in many areas starting with mindset.  Winners keep their mindset in check with their goals and vision.  They keep that at the forefront of their mind.

Yes, winners experience challenges.  Yes, winners may go through some GAP times – those dark times.  Yes, winners experience emotional turmoil.

The big difference is winners find a way.  Winners see those challenges as a stepping stone for something bigger.  Winners pass through the GAP as quickly as possible.

Winners practice emotional stability.  Regardless of the situation, they maintain a neutral level.  The highs are low and the lows are high. 

You deserve to win!  You are a WINNER!!!

I Dare You To Find A Way!

To Your Abundant Success,

Like

Unlike

The people you surround yourself with will have a significant impact on where you are and where you want to  go.  There are many people that are positive, empowering, and uplifting that you deserve to connect with.

Today, I want to address the negative people that come into our lives.  We all know at least one “Negative Nellie” or maybe 10.  These are the people that see the dark, rather than the light, in everything.

They don’t hesitate to bleed that darkness into your life either, despite the fact that you are not open to it.  They want to emotionally sabotage you and suck the life right out of you.

It is your responsibility to let their words and actions pass you by.  The reality of it is they are very disconnected from themselves.  These people are chickens, turkeys, and crows.

Let’s think about this for a moment.

What is the flight altitude of a chicken, turkey, or crow?

If you are reading this, I consider you an eagle!!  You soar at high altitudes!  The chickens, turkeys, and crows can not fly with you.  They know better than to attempt a flight at that altitude.  They are better off at ground level.  But not you!!!

My soaring message is this.  You are an eagle.  I dare you to bless those chickens, turkeys, and crows in your life and let them go.  You are destined to fly higher than you realize!!

I Dare You To Soar!!

Like

Unlike

Best Time To Soar

Have you ever spent time getting ready to get ready? It is the same premise as I’ve got to clean the house before the cleaning lady comes. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense does it? Let’s go back to getting ready to get ready which actually boils down to procrastination.

Procrastination is one of those conditions that will keep you grounded or at a very low altitude. It takes you out of focus and off course. Procrastination is one of the evils that will do whatever it takes to keep you stuck.

There is no perfect time to get started because there will always be an unknown factor or circumstance that will just show up. It is important to look past those and focus on the course that you have established.

In this video, I reveal the absolute best time to soar into your greatness. Warning…if you apply this, you may not come back from your flight!

Just do it!! Start immediately and let go of all that is holding you back…especially perfection!

Dare You To Soar!

Like

Unlike

CellCom Half-Marathon Green Bay, WI

There is something absolutely unique about someone that classifies himself as a winner.  Winners have that edge to them…that competitive flair.  It doesn’t have to be an athletic endeavor, but I will use that analogy in this post.

Winners require discipline on a consistent basis.  The discipline comes from the mindset of “I won’t be denied”.  Winners have habits…good habits, daily habits that lead them to the outcome they are seeking.

A few weeks ago, I ran my first half-marathon.  That was one of my biggest accomplishments of my life.  I was among 8,000 winners.  None of the athletes finished half heartedly.  We gave our all.  Yet for me, it all began 3 1/2 months earlier…

It began with a big dose of discipline.  It began with a habitual, regimented daily plan.  If I was going to succeed, it was up to me.  There were days that I certainly did not want to go out in the cold and run, but guess what?  I did it anyway.  There were days of hills and speed workouts…they were not at the top of my “favorites”, but I did it anyway.  Why you might ask?  Because winners stay in the game. Period.

You can not get to where you want to go in life without the discipline of daily habits.  You will not soar to the top in mediocrity.  Every person has that edge inside, but first you must decide that you won’t be denied.  Stay in the game and experience the feeling of accomplishment as you cross the finish line.  You are a winner!  You can SOAR!

I Dare You To Soar!

Like

Unlike

Conquer the Giant!

Resistance…good ‘ole Webster Dictionary sums up resistance as opposition.  Opposition is something that we don’t like in our life and we try, at all costs, to avoid it.  Many people perceive resistance as this giant in their life.  The giant of opposition.

We all have the ability within us to face that giant head on.  We absolutely can defeat the giant!  The best way to bring the giant down is to not call attention to it.  What exactly do I mean by this?

If you are always focused on the resistance in your life, the giant will continue to gain strength and will bring more resistance into your life.  What ever is at the forefront of your mind is exactly what comes to fruition.  If you want to weaken the giant, your focus must be on what you want and where you are going to.  If you do not fuel the giant, there is no way it can gain or muster the strength that it needs to defeat you.  You are the conqueror!!

That being said, it is not what you are going through it is what you are going to.  If you are experiencing resistance in your life, just keep on going through it.  Don’t stop to give the giant some additional energy.  Just pass it by and focus on your end results.  In the end, your focus on what you are going to will deplete the giant and you will have one the battle!

Go out there and conquer your giant today! You are amazing!

I Dare You To Soar!

Like

Unlike