Taking Responsibility For Your Life Can Change Your Life!
Taking Responsibility For Your Life Can Change Your Life!
I learned this lesson when I was around 20 years old. I was working for my mother in her search consulting business. I was her secretary responsible for opening and closing the office, answering the phones and so on.
My mom was ill at the time and had been away from the office for a few months. She didn’t know when she would be returning so she had to let her other two employees go. I was the only employee and it was very boring. The phone didn’t ring very much and no one ever dropped by. Slowly my responsibilities turned into talking to my friends on the phone, coming in late, reading books and sleeping on the couch!
Then one day my mom said, “Karen I am going to give you a raise.”
It was a $6000 per year raise and at my young age it seemed like a fortune. I immediately felt guilty. Of course I didn’t deserve a raise.
To this day I am not sure if my mom just did it so she would have a higher tax write off or if she was brilliantly deceptive knowing that I wouldn’t accept a raise without deserving it.
I pondered the idea. My first reaction was to decline the raise because my work ethic was not worthy of it. Then I had a revelation. I asked myself, “What if I accepted the raise and started taking responsibility for my position?”
It seemed like a good idea to me so I accepted the raise and took full responsibility for my role; I had renewed energy and focus. Now I came in on time, I cleaned the windows, the mirrors, I organized the files, and I read books on selling and listened to motivational tapes. I was going to be ready for my mom’s return!
When she recovered and returned to work, she saw how seriously I was taking responsibility for my job. She promoted me to assistant and then eventually to search consultant. Things were going quite well for about a year and a half until I got distracted.
I was in the drugstore dealing with a belligerent pharmacist when a lady standing next to me said, “do you model?” I said no and she said, “I like your look and the way you just dealt with that person, here is my card, please call me.” Well it turned out that she ran one of the biggest talent agencies in Canada, so I called her.
I started to model and do commercials part time. I enjoyed it, but my search consulting business was suffering. I was also spending time planning my upcoming wedding. My mother pulled me aside one day and told me that I had to make a decision.
She asked, “Do you want to be a search consultant or a model?”
I reflected on how I felt about the modeling business. Although it was fun, I realized that I didn’t like my success being dependant on my looks. I recalled the photographer who told me he couldn’t hire me because my lips weren’t symmetrical and other similar stories. I decided that I was just doing it for a lark and it was time to settle down and focus on my career.
I also came to another conclusion during the decision-making process; I decided that I wanted to take charge of my business by taking responsibility for my success or failure. I told my mom that I still wanted her guidance and training as I knew that I still had a lot to learn but I didn’t want her to be my boss anymore. I didn’t like the dynamics it was creating in our relationship and I needed to cut the umbilical cord.
I told her that if she still wanted me to work for the company, I would need my own niche to focus on. I would pay rent for my office and my share of the expenses and in return I would get full autonomy and a higher commission. She agreed and from that day onwards my business grew and grew. I became one of the top search consultants in Canada in the high technology sector and my prosperous career lasted 18 years!
I then took responsibility once again and followed my dreams of moving to a tropical island, starting a Life and Business Coaching Company and writing a book.
I now live in the Dominican Republic, my company Successful Solutions Life Coaching is going very well and the book Feeling Trapped? Free Yourself Now! is coming out in late 2008!
Taking responsibility is now a way of life for me. Not only in business but all aspects of my life; relationships, health, finances and education.
If we wait for others to do things for us or for something to magically fall into our laps, we may be waiting a long time! Taking Responsibility for your life can change your life!
The first step is having an intention of what you want.
The next step is taking the necessary and appropriate actions for the intention.
When you have done everything within your power to create your intention you take the third step.
You relinquish your responsibility to a higher force and trust in its wisdom to deliver your intention to you in the way that it is most needed.
The fourth step is accepting how your intention is delivered to you.
Taking Responsibility For Your Life Can Change Your Life - To learn more about this author, visit Karen Parsons's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
I like to call taking charge of your life, Taking Responsibility.
I learned this lesson when I was around 20 years old. I was working for my mother in her search consulting business. I was her secretary responsible for opening and closing the office, answering the phones and so on.
My mom was ill at the time and had been away from the office for a few months. She didn’t know when she would be returning so she had to let her other two employees go. I was the only employee and it was very boring. The phone didn’t ring very much and no one ever dropped by. Slowly my responsibilities turned into talking to my friends on the phone, coming in late, reading books and sleeping on the couch!
Then one day my mom said, “Karen I am going to give you a raise.”
It was a $6000 per year raise and at my young age it seemed like a fortune. I immediately felt guilty. Of course I didn’t deserve a raise.
To this day I am not sure if my mom just did it so she would have a higher tax write off or if she was brilliantly deceptive knowing that I wouldn’t accept a raise without deserving it.
I pondered the idea. My first reaction was to decline the raise because my work ethic was not worthy of it. Then I had a revelation. I asked myself, “What if I accepted the raise and started taking responsibility for my position?”
It seemed like a good idea to me so I accepted the raise and took full responsibility for my role; I had renewed energy and focus. Now I came in on time, I cleaned the windows, the mirrors, I organized the files, and I read books on selling and listened to motivational tapes. I was going to be ready for my mom’s return!
When she recovered and returned to work, she saw how seriously I was taking responsibility for my job. She promoted me to assistant and then eventually to search consultant. Things were going quite well for about a year and a half until I got distracted.
I was in the drugstore dealing with a belligerent pharmacist when a lady standing next to me said, “do you model?” I said no and she said, “I like your look and the way you just dealt with that person, here is my card, please call me.” Well it turned out that she ran one of the biggest talent agencies in Canada, so I called her.
I started to model and do commercials part time. I enjoyed it, but my search consulting business was suffering. I was also spending time planning my upcoming wedding. My mother pulled me aside one day and told me that I had to make a decision.
She asked, “Do you want to be a search consultant or a model?”
I reflected on how I felt about the modeling business. Although it was fun, I realized that I didn’t like my success being dependant on my looks. I recalled the photographer who told me he couldn’t hire me because my lips weren’t symmetrical and other similar stories. I decided that I was just doing it for a lark and it was time to settle down and focus on my career.
I also came to another conclusion during the decision-making process; I decided that I wanted to take charge of my business by taking responsibility for my success or failure. I told my mom that I still wanted her guidance and training as I knew that I still had a lot to learn but I didn’t want her to be my boss anymore. I didn’t like the dynamics it was creating in our relationship and I needed to cut the umbilical cord.
I told her that if she still wanted me to work for the company, I would need my own niche to focus on. I would pay rent for my office and my share of the expenses and in return I would get full autonomy and a higher commission. She agreed and from that day onwards my business grew and grew. I became one of the top search consultants in Canada in the high technology sector and my prosperous career lasted 18 years!
I then took responsibility once again and followed my dreams of moving to a tropical island, starting a Life and Business Coaching Company and writing a book.
I now live in the Dominican Republic, my company Successful Solutions Life Coaching is going very well and the book Feeling Trapped? Free Yourself Now! is coming out in late 2008!
Taking responsibility is now a way of life for me. Not only in business but all aspects of my life; relationships, health, finances and education.
If we wait for others to do things for us or for something to magically fall into our laps, we may be waiting a long time! Taking Responsibility for your life can change your life!
The first step is having an intention of what you want.
The next step is taking the necessary and appropriate actions for the intention.
When you have done everything within your power to create your intention you take the third step.
You relinquish your responsibility to a higher force and trust in its wisdom to deliver your intention to you in the way that it is most needed.
The fourth step is accepting how your intention is delivered to you.
Taking Responsibility For Your Life Can Change Your Life - To learn more about this author, visit Karen Parsons's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Karen's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Tips For Less Stress SEO Made Easy How To Double Your Business Instant Scripts Business Success By Design |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs | |
 |
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||