Vol 1 Iss 12

So, she did it. My daughter, Anne Marie, is now in Taiwan. At least I'm trusting that she is. Last I heard from her, she was on the California Zephyr headed for San Francisco to catch her flight on June 3. What an adventure!

There were many obstacles to stop her. The Chinese authorities gave her hours of grief over her visa, and there was the agonizing wait for the passport. And of course, the shots, the shopping, the packing, the scramble for cash, the goodbyes... The list goes on. Yet, there she goes. Her dream was bigger than anything that could get in her way.

It reminds me of a saying I learned while in sales: "The size of the person is determined by the size of the obstacle that stops them."

That makes me wonder how "big" I am. What gets in my way that I let stop me? What stops you? For some more interesting stuff about creating momentum that can't be stopped, check out the lead story below.

Also, If you didn't get a chance to look at Aunt Polly's Diary, I'm keeping the link open for one more issue. There's so much in the news about the 60th anniversary of D-Day that I want to be sure you have a chance to experience it in a more intimate way. Click here for Aunt Polly's Diary.

P. S. I have to brag about my son, Jim, while I have your attention. His band, Tenpenny, recently won the regional "Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands" here in Denver. They now move onto the national level and the winner of that gets to open up for Sammy Hagar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico next October, as well as studio recording time in San Francisco and a myriad of smaller prizes.

The winning band is picked by e-mail voters. You can only vote once from one e-mail address, so if you have multiple addresses, please forward yourself the message and vote again. Also pass this along to as many people as you can.

Here is the link to cast your vote:

http://www.hardrock.com/promo/cabowabo2004/voteList.asp

If you download the MP3 to listen to them, that's my son playing the jammin' lead guitar.

He Rocks! Thanks for supporting Tenpenny!!

What can possibly withstand fierce determination? Anne Marie was fiercely determined to get overseas. Absolutely nothing could stop her - not even the Chinese authorities. I remember wondering where in the world that kind of determination comes from?

So this is what I observed. First, this whole trip, for her, was heart-centered. She wants to help people from all over the world to learn to nourish themselves well and to stay healthy. She is very clear about that life purpose, so any opportunity that fits that purpose she embraces with passion. By going to Taipei, she will see first hand how an emerging country feeds its people and the social and political factors that play into it. What learning is at hand for her!

Another thing I noticed is that she went a little blind. Things that would stop a reasonable person, she didn't even see. When the opportunity presented itself, she was 3/4 through a semester of school with papers to write and finals just around the corner, and had just started a new job at a dance studio. She didn't see that she had too much on her plate. She went blind.

It's like the story Mary Kay Ash, of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc., tells about the bumblebee. It doesn't know that engineers have determined that aerodynamically it cannot fly. It just flies anyway.

The last thing I noticed about that whole endeavor is how incredibly flexible she could be with that clarity of purpose. Staying in school to get her nursing degree is important and so is learning about cultural differences. They both play into her heart's calling. When opportunity came knocking, there was no hesitation. She adapted and hit the ground running.

For tips on "Lighting Your Fire" see the Career Tips below.

As a Career Coach, I can be your partner through this process. Please contact me at debra@forwardmomentum.com for more information!

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

It's really easy for me to sit back and tell you to discover your purpose and you too will be set on fire. It sounds so simple.

And it is simple, for your purpose is inside you. It is. Really. What complicates things is all the layers of expectations and "reality" that sits on top of it.

My purpose is to help people reconnect with their heart and their values to allow their purpose to come to the top to sing and play and be free. The more people I can help to do this, the sooner we will have a world that's free to sing and play and be free in.

In Frederic Hudson and his wife Pam McLean's book, LifeLaunch, there is a list of the six adult passions. When you connect with your passion, your purpose is not far away. Based on their list, here are some things I suggest to my clients to help them get closer to their purpose:

1. Claim yourself.

~ take good care of your body

~ be assertive and clear

~ hang out with people that are positive and encourage you

2. Prove yourself.

~ stay in training, evaluate frequently

~ connect to friends who are winners

~ set clear goals and stay focused

3. Share yourself.

~ speak from the heart

~ face conflict and seek solutions

4. Express yourself.

~ follow your feelings

~ create every day, sing, fly kites, play with clay, write a poem or journal, fingerpaint

~ walk alone in nature (close to water if at all possible)

5. Integrate yourself.

~ meditate daily in silence

~ pray - no matter what you believe

~ keep a gratitude journal

6. Give yourself.

~ do a good deed anonymously

~ volunteer your talents

~ simplify your life by giving things away

Done consistently, these things will connect you to your soul, to your heart, to your passion and mission. These are easy to overlook. You can read them and think, "Oh, that makes sense," but to actually follow through, well, you might need a little encouragement or accountability.

That's where a coach comes in. Allow me to live my mission to help you become the very best you can be. Call for a consultation to see if hiring me as your coach would make sense. And, let me know how it goes for you!

In continuing with my new focus on the career transition that is obsoletely known as "retirement,"

I am expanding my offerings of workshops and teleclasses.

If you know someone that is within 5 years of retirement, please forward this information and let them know of these classes. It could change their life.

"Instead of absorbing an obsolete view of retirement, we should consider...a flexible life plan that provides for your financial, vocational, physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Unless you look at your future holistically,

You can have a retirement that is fulfilling and meaningful, but you need to plan for it.

New Teleclass! "Un-Retirement" Specifics.

This is a 4-week exploration of Un-Retirement. Classes are held on Thursdays for one hour beginning July 8. You may opt to take the entire series or sign up for individual classes. Class Topics are:

Week 1 - Finding Meaning for your Life in Un-Retirement

Week 2 - Structuring Your Time in Un-Retirement

Week 3 - Loneliness Prevention in Un-Retirement

Week 4 - Self-Care in Un-Retirement

For the full listing of workshops, teleclasses, and coaching programs with times and costs, visit http://www.forwardmomentum.com/html/schedule_more_info.shtml

You are free to use material from Moving Forward! in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

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