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Smart Women Know When to Let Go

Written by: Joy Chudacoff

Article Overview: This article is about realizing that in order for things to change in our life, we ourselves need to change. A wise mentor told me once, that “change does not always mean success but success always means change.” We need to let go of the things that no longer serve us and create the space for something new. New growth and learning, new relationships, new career. Whatever you want to manifest in your life, you will need to make changes along the way.

Smart Women Know When to Let Go

Every day as I leave my house, I am drawn to a large tree across the street, with beautiful branches and leaves. For awhile now, it has been shedding its leaves. Yesterday I noticed for the first time that all of the leaves have fallen off, leaving the tree bare. Nature has a way of making room for new growth.

Our family is preparing for a big transition this week. We are moving from a house that we have lived in for 10 years. It’s the home where my husband Greg and I began our life together in marriage. It’s the only home our children, Jack and Jenna have ever known, so it holds a lot of memories that are valuable to us. It also holds a lot of other things! Things we have accumulated over the years that are not part of where we are going. We have a lot of possessions that are no longer a "fit" for us. I am finding it hard to let go. It can be challenging knowing what to keep and what to let go of. I’m not alone in this dilemma it seems. I read recently that the storage unit business is soaring as people accumulate more than they have space for and they cannot bring themselves to let go.

Letting go means saying goodbye. It could be moving, leaving a relationship, transitioning from one career to another, losing a loved one or returning to the workforce. Letting go of anything that has held value to you over the years is difficult. It can be so difficult that sometimes we stay exactly where we are---we don’t make the move, or leave the relationship, or begin a new journey to realize a big idea. We begin to rationalize why we don’t need to make changes. You say to yourself "it’s not so bad." "What was I thinking?" Change is challenging. Transitions can be tough. You need to make sure that you have the right support system around you during times of transition. (Thanks Deb!) Someone that knows how much this change means to you and can support you in letting go, so you can move on to the next phase of your journey.

How about you? Are you holding on to an old way of being? Are you staying where you are because it’s comfortable? Are you in a career or relationship that feels like it’s not a good fit for you? I had a very wise mentor tell me once that in order to grow you have to get "uncomfortable" in life. Well I can tell you that I’m uncomfortable! This has been a challenging few weeks for me! Have you been thinking about a big idea or a dream or goal that you would like to accomplish? For you to realize what’s next for you, you need to create the "open space" for this to happen. You need to "let go" of some things in your life in order to realize a new way to live, a new way to be. In my Women’s Success Circles, we create a very open environment where women can let go of what’s not working and take on something new that will work as they move ahead in their journey.

Spring is just around the corner. It’s a great time to "let go" of what is not working for you right now in your life and make room for what’s next. I invite you to take a look around. Is everything still a fit for you? Is there something that you could "let go" of in order to realize a dream, big idea, or goal?

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

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Article Tags: 10 years, big idea, deb, dilemma, husband greg, jenna, leaves, losing a loved one, marriage, memories, new journey, possessions, relationship, storage unit, transition, transitioning, transitions, unit business, workforce



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Re: History of Women in Business in the United States - Yes. Women have increasingly made positive economic contributions to society and their position is being recognized more and more as seen on the Forbes List of Executive Women. In general, women can be a bit more practical in their approach as entrepreneurs too.
A ton of Great Women - You might want to profile Teresa Cascioli of LakePort Brewery. She has an amazing story! I met her at at the celebratory luncheon for the Profit/Chatelaine Top 100 Women Business Owners. The Top 100 list is also a great resource for inspirational stories of Women Entrepreneurs.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - Women are generally more organised than men. They have good instincts more than men. Women are generally aggressive when it come to business. You don't want to mess up with them.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - The issue of women being more organized than men is true, start from you home, just see how messy the boys are. Women are also very cautious, unlike men who take any risk, a woman will analyze the risk first. Women are also go getter when it comes to business, once they make their mind, then they go for it.
Re: Why aren't there more women entrepreneurs? - My opinion on this (being a women, and being disabled), is; Women in general like security. Women are the caretakers, in general. In the work environment we are the one to have children. We are the ones who leave work to do this. We deal with a stigma that we are bad mothers if we work, but we are a bad mother if we do not work. I feel there is no way a man could ever understand this. Sure they can try, and some do a good job of it, however they truly do not understand. How could they?? Being a entrepreneur is throwing cation to the wind. It takes believing in yourself. It takes a women who can have someone say no, put us down or just plan old negativity and for us to turn it around. Women who can do this are called names, while men in the business world are just expected to have a thick skin. Studies show in the work environment that women are more apt to be bullies. Women are more apt to turn on each other. We expect more out of each other. Many women also use the work environment to socialize and to find a mate. Men and women are not created equal. Once we understand this and take what we are and "run" with it; the better all of us will be. Women business owners, women entrepreneurs are still considered a minority. Since there are more women then men in this world, some day this will turn around. This too is why men need to protect themselves and keep us under some kind of control. What bothers me to no end is when women give in to the mans world using sex as a selling tool. We need strong women leaders, not those who use their bodies as a step up. This is just my opinion on this subject.


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