The Voices You Have Not Heard

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Today I'd love to share an inspiring person with you all!

Her name is Ms. Spearman, and she's an entrepreneur, life coach, and all-around awesome person.

I met Ms. Spearman many years ago when we both worked at the same firm. We hit it off pretty quickly, and I was immediately struck by her joy, realism, and fun attitude. I left that job in 2011, but we stayed in touch over time. I'm glad we did, because she is KILLING IT. She is on message, on point, and on topic, and I love what she is offering to the world.

After losing her job unexpectedly, Ms. Spearman has done what not many people believe they can do (but all of us can): she doubled down and got working on her TRUE life path. And she is here to tell us all how we can do that, too.

If you want a swift kick in the pants to go out there and live your best life — besides getting any inspiration you get here, I mean 😁— I highly recommend you go and check out her site.

Photo by Álvaro Bernal on Unsplash

Additionally, Ms. Spearman has a podcast that I am enjoying a lot! It's called The Voices You Have Not Heard and offers inspiring content about how to get out there and live the life we are meant to be living, and she will be featuring interviews with other entrepreneurs and inspiring people along the way. Her episodes are relatively short and digestible, so they are not a huge time commitment, and I have found that after each one, I just like to sit and think about what she had to say.

Check out The Voices You Have Not Heard via iTunes or your other favorite podcast aggregator! And thank you, Ms. Spearman, for adding value to my life with your words.

Drop me a line and let me know what you think of Ms. Spearman's blog or podcast, or feel free to make recommendations of other inspiring people you read or listen to! 🐝



 ~~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!

New Beginnings

This post may contain affiliate links, by which I may be financially compensated. See Disclosures & Policies on my About page.

So, some exciting things are happening over here at positively b.e.e.!

This past Friday was my last day at my regular 9-to-5 job. I've been spending my spare time reaching for some personal goals, and I am finally at a place where I can take the leap and really go for them! I've been taking classes, developing plans, talking to people, reading a lot, and working very hard at all of it. I thought it would take me a lot longer to get to this point than it had. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, though, so I'm doing it. 

My colleagues gave me a great send-off, including a nice going away party, beautiful flowers, handwritten cards & notes, and even a really special goodbye breakfast. (You can see some of these in the above photo.) They really are the best!

Here are some of the questions I've been getting:

Where are you going?
To my couch. Or my desk at home. Or to visit my parents, other family, or friends. Or to the local coffee shop. Or to the car dealership waiting room while my car gets an oil change. The skills I have to offer and the problems I can solve are all doable from just about anywhere!

But...why would you leave your awesome job doing awesome stuff at that super-awesome place you used to work at?
Because it's time. It was a really good run, but this shift has been in progress for a long time, and several things synced up to make me realize the time is now. I am grateful for the years spent at my last job, and at various places along my career. I've learned new skills, made lasting friendships, and had awesome colleagues along the way.

So then what will you be doing?
Proofreading, copy editing, writing, and transcription. You'll note that these things are very portable. Additionally, I will be focusing on continuing to bring great content here at positively b.e.e., and have plans to expand my offerings.

How does your husband/family/whoever feel about this?
I have an amazing support system. My husband and parents have always encouraged me to aim for the stars, go for my dreams, and follow my heart. I recognize that I am very lucky to have them cheering me on, but I also recognize that I would do this even without their support. (I might not have done it *quite* as soon as I am, but I would do it anyway. I'm just built like that.) I also have friends, colleagues, and acquaintances rooting for me.

And really, most people have been incredibly supportive. Indeed, many of them said they wish they could do the same. Some of them HAVE done the same and given me some inspiration and advice. And others have told me they also plan to do the same in the future when the time is right for them.

A few people, though, reacted a little differently. Did you notice that some of the questions I got seemed just a little bit unsure? Maybe it doesn't come across in text, but in person, some people seemed almost afraid for me. Indeed, one person was a little negative about my next move, as if to dissuade me from taking the leap. But I firmly believe that if we never try, we never succeed. I cannot and will not live a fear-based life making fear-based decisions for my future. I've done that for long enough; it's time for a change.

There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask "What if I fall?"
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?
― Erin Hanson

Ok, but...why?
How many times have I said there's no better time than now to live your best life? To always strive to be yourself and do the things you want to do in life, because life is short and we are only promised this moment? That is a major reason. If I'm going to sit here and talk about how we can fulfill our lives, live our dreams, and be happy in this world, then I need to have some integrity and walk that walk, too. 

There have been a few times in my life where I have been offered opportunities that I'd had to turn down, because I didn't have the bandwidth to accept them while still working in a traditional 9-to-5 setting, and I was too afraid to leave the security of a traditional job. I have now freed myself up to say "yes" instead of "no."

Indeed, after I turned in my resignation, I was approached by several people with invitations to collaborate on projects, so while I thought I'd be taking some time to ramp up, instead I will be hitting the ground running, which is exciting for me! :)

And, just because I will be working in a nontraditional setting does not mean I'm going to sit around all day eating bonbons and watching soaps. I will still be working hard. I just won't be going to someone's office to do that.

Oh, one other question I've gotten from a few people:

Great! This is wonderful news! What can I (we) do to help?
To anyone who has asked this: THANK YOU. I appreciate your support! Tell everyone you know that I'm out here doing this. Share this blog. Tell your friends and family. If you know any writers, business owners, website developers, bloggers, ANYONE who needs a skilled proofreader, copy editor, or writer, send them my name! If you have ever wanted to write your memoir or a book but don't like typing, did you know I can type it up FOR you? Want to write a letter that sounds businesslike but don't know how to go about that? Talk to me. I can help. These are just a few examples of things I have done for people.

Additionally, I hope you will consider using my affiliate links.

For example, if you were going to order something on Amazon, anyway, it doesn't cost you any additional money to use my Amazon Affiliate link, but it does help me out. You simply click on the link and buy whatever you normally would buy, and Amazon gives me a small percentage for the referral at no additional cost to you. If the Amazon link you click on is to a specific product (such as the fortune cookies I feature on Fridays), you don't have to buy that product; you can just click on that link, search on whatever you wanted to buy, and buy it. It's that simple, and will help me in my goals of bringing better content to you here.

So that's the scoop!
I'm super-excited by the changes taking place in my life, both within me and career-wise. I look forward to the next part of the journey.

Oh! And I almost forgot: I know it's Monday (and not Fortune Cookie Friday), but I'm going to include a fortune here in this post. I got this in a fortune cookie years ago, and must have tucked it away somewhere to be forgotten forever. Last week, though, it dropped out of a notebook as I was rearranging items on a shelf:

I mean, REALLY: does it get any better than that? Talk about getting a little confirmation I'm on the right track. Do I think fortune cookies are psychic? No. Do I believe in coincidences? No, not really.

Hey, it works for me. :)

Leave a comment below: what new beginnings are you embarking on this spring? Let's inspire and celebrate each other!

🐝

 ~~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!

Quiet Your Mind And Your Heart Will Follow

This post may contain affiliate links, by which I may be financially compensated. See Disclosures & Policies on my About page.

"Quiet your mind and your heart will follow."

I woke up with that in my head on a recent morning. It was the last thing I remember from a dream I was having. I sat straight up, grabbed a pen and paper, and jotted it down. It was loud, too, as if someone in the room had said it right next to me. You don't ignore something like that!

At the time, I was struggling with some decisions I needed to make. Well, decisions we (my husband and I) were mulling over. It's a good problem to have when you have a lot of options for a situation, but for me, sometimes having too many options makes it difficult for me to see the path right in front of me.

I knew what I was being told: that I needed to quiet my mind and my heart would know and seek the true path.

I have a habit of letting things get to me, and they get all swirled up in my mind. It's like a cacophony of mental sound inside of me, every thought fighting to be heard.

Can you relate at all? If so, what do you do to quell it?

I've explored various techniques on how to deal with this over the years: pro/con lists, journaling, talking it out with people, but today I would like to share a meditation I've been doing that has been helping me with this problem.

I start by sitting quietly and comfortably, feet flat on the floor, hands in my lap. If you try this and you feel you need calming music, then play some music softly in the background. I prefer to sit in utter silence, and you'll see why, below.

Take a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly but fully. Let each breath go deeper than the one before. Let the tension of the day drop away with each breath. Stretch a little, settle into how your body feels and consciously relax each muscle, joint, and limb.

If thoughts crop up, acknowledge them, and then let them go. They will probably crop up a few times, and that's okay, just keep acknowledging them and letting them go.

Take more deep breaths, and SMILE. Did you know smiling can calm you down and raise good endorphins?

After several clearing breaths, I let my awareness extend outwards to connect with sounds around me: children playing, birds chirping, cars passing by on the road, a dog barking in the distance, that really insistent woodpecker in the backyard. It takes my mind out of myself and connects me with the outer world. (This is why I often don't use music.) The reason I do this is because by putting my awareness OUTWARDS, I stop focusing on what is INWARDS in my head.

After a few moments of being out of my own head, I am then able to bring my awareness back within, and picture myself in a place that is calm and happy. For me, it's often a quiet beach with calm waves lapping the shore, much like the beaches I grew up with in Connecticut.

Then, I let my higher 'self' connect with heaven, and I pray. I ask God to guide me down the right path.

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash

After praying, I sit silently again, just paying attention to my breathing, and continue to acknowledge and let go any confusing thoughts that crop up. I sit in a space of quiet gratitude and light, continuing to breathe. By this point, the confusing thoughts are generally gone, and I have only one or two thoughts happening. If I try to jettison them and they come back solidly, then I know those are the ones I should address.

I don't really know how I arrived at this method. It's just from a variety of things I've tried over the years and it's developed from there. One thing I know for sure is that this doesn't come from me. The letting go of my ego and connecting my awareness outward during the meditation is necessary for me to truly quiet my mind, connect above, and know the right path. That step came during another moment of intuition and message last year, and I took it to heart and started implementing it.

One more thing: I've found that there will be what Kim Chestney calls "Godwinks"—signs from above to do something—that are obvious to me if I bother to pay attention. I know for myself, whenever I ignore them, they will fight to be heard even louder, sometimes to unpleasant consequences. When I look back on my life now, I see them so clearly. I've just had another situation in which it was clear I was not in balance with who I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to do, and I'm listening up. BIG CHANGES coming in my life right now, but they're GOOD ONES. Being in balance with God and the universe has never been more important to me, and makes my decisions even easier when I listen instead of ignoring it.

Comment below or on social media and let me know: have you ever felt something similar? How do you quiet your mind so that your heart can follow? Do you have any favorite tricks for this?

🐝

Want to read Kim's book? You can find it here. And if you are local to the Pittsburgh region and get a chance to do a workshop with Kim, I highly recommend working with her. You can find out more about workshops and events she offers at her website. You may recall I attended an event she helped create back in January, and you can read what that was like here.



 ~~ positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there!

Some Sunday Thoughts

This post may contain affiliate links, by which I may be financially compensated. See Disclosures & Policies on my About page.

Have you ever read something or met someone that made a small-but-impactful difference in your life?

It could have been a chance interaction, or maybe you saw a feel-good news piece, and it made your day nicer in some way.

I was just sitting here a few minutes ago, thinking back to last year when I met an author who, in a simple and random way, positively impacted my life. Not only that, but our encounter and how we came to meet was really exceptional, to me.

Nearly a year ago, I was feeling pretty low about things. I think I was in the midst of the typical winter doldrums, and feeling a little glum and low energy. Don't get me wrong: my life is good, and I am always grateful for what I have, but I can still sometimes have a bad week. It was one of those bad weeks.

At that time, I had gotten into the habit of eating lunch at my desk, not taking a real break during the day. I might read the news headlines while scarfing down my lunch, then get right back to work.

I realized this pattern was maybe not the best for me, so I resolved to actually sitting down to lunch, taking the paper in with me, and really taking a break from the day. THAT day was the first day I did this. I got my tray, sat down, and pulled the paper out of its little plastic cocoon. I unfolded it to its full size.

I scanned the front page, didn't like what I saw, and randomly turned to somewhere else inside the paper, hoping for a light lifestyle piece or something else not too negative.

What I saw during that random turn of the page was a full-page color ad for a book whose author would be doing a signing at my local Barnes and Noble THAT NIGHT.

I looked at the title of the book: Hell Bent, Heaven Bound by Shawntá Pulliam, and had NO idea what it was about except for the ad telling me it's about a woman who went "from the drug house to the King's house", turned her life around, and became an entrepreneur who helps at-risk girls succeed in life.

I decided to clear my schedule and head down there after work for the book signing and see what it was all about.

Guys: I'm not a "clear my schedule" kind of gal. "Clear my schedule" means: not immediately going home after work, getting some exercise in, doing a few chores, and having some quality jimmy-jam time. It is NOT typical for me to hurry to a book signing of an author I've never heard of directly after work.

However, I am also fairly intuitive. If I'm really drawn to do something, I will do it without always knowing why. I'll trust in God and see what happens.

So ...

I finished work. I got in my car. I drove down to the Waterfront Barnes and Noble.

Did I mention I don't really like going to the Waterfront? Too many people, too much traffic. But I went down there, that day, anyway.

Traffic seemed to magically clear, the sun peeked out, and I made good time.

I walked into Barnes and Noble, and Ms. Pulliam and her sister were just setting up her author table. I was one of the first people there. I talked to her for a few minutes. She told me a little bit about herself, and I bought her book and asked her to sign it. Here's a pic of us at our meeting.

You can tell I really wasn't feeling well that day. I look pale and tired, to me. But I'm letting this picture stand, letting you see me that way, because before walking in that book store, I had felt SO exhausted, SO defeated, SO down about things, but that all changed. While that smile may look tired, I was very happy because Ms. Pulliam's energy and message really lit a fire under me!

I read that book so fast. It was easy to read because her voice and her story are so compelling. I just wanted to keep going!

Despite the fact that Ms. Pulliam and I come from completely different places in life, her message was SO inspirational! She talks about valuing ourselves, about staying in the good fight even when forces around us are conspiring, and about rising above! This is a situation where words have power.

So...how is it that I randomly opened a newspaper to an ad for a book written by a woman who lives several hours away from me, who just happened to be in my city, in my neighborhood, signing a book I probably would never have heard of, otherwise, because I don't typically shop in the faith-based book market?

Hmmmm?

I'll just leave that there and let you be the judge. But for me, it was a meaningful event, and I will always value what felt like a little nudge from above to get out of my comfort zone, meet a really cool person, and read her book. She and I have since connected on social media, and I find her daily posts a great addition to my day.

It is people like Shawntá Pulliam who inspire ME to be a positive influence in somebody's life, too. Reading this book was one small part in my own journey of finding my voice.

Comment below if you've read this book, have other good book suggestions, or if you want to share an example of how a chance interaction influenced you in a good way! And thanks for your support of positively b.e.e.!


~~
positively b.e.e. is on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Follow me there! 

Just Hold On and I'll Find You

This song has really touched my heart this week. The lyrics are pretty powerful, but when I saw the video, I knew I had to share it. 

How often in life have we felt like giving up, had to hang on to every shred of faith and hope we might have just to get through something? This song and video embodies all of that, to me, and the video itself is just so beautiful in support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!