Tweet

Smart Women, LeBron James and the Need to Be You

Guest post by: Joy Chudacoff

Article Overview: This article is about being courageous and standing firm in what you want in your life, despite what others may think. It’s about getting creative and making a plan to achieve this dream. You need to give yourself permission to take action on your dreams and goals.

Smart Women, LeBron James and the Need to Be You

By now, everyone knows that LeBron James, one of the world's greatest basketball players, has left the Cleveland Cavaliers after 7 years. He's finally made a decision to make the Miami Heat his new home where he will continue to exercise his passion, energy and talent for the game. LeBron took a lot of "heat" for his decision to leave his home state. You may be asking yourself, "Why should I care?" As I watched the reaction to his decision, it got me thinking about how Smart Women have similar situations in their life as well. Huh?

LeBron James had a difficult decision to make. Stay in his home state and continue to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers or reach out of his comfort zone and try something new. He has publicly shared that winning a championship title is his greatest dream. He knew that he had to make decisions that were in alignment with his goals and that decision was not popular with many people around him.

I've been supporting women for over 5 years in my coaching work and one theme that continues to run through women's lives is the ability to give themselves "permission" to be who they are and pursue their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. I know women who work outside the home and want to be at home with their children and leave the workplace. There are also women who are at home and they have a strong desire to own a business and combine their love of family with business ownership. There are scores of women who have Big Ideas about what they'd like to do with their lives. And yet, many do not take the steps to make their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals a reality. Why? You may be uneasy about what others will think of you or fear you will be perceived as selfish or not loyal to those who depend on you. You may have that familiar feeling of fear that creeps up every time you have a great idea. Remember, fear is a natural partner to creativity.

When I was 29 years old and just beginning my journey as an entrepreneur, I had quite a few people who "encouraged" me to stay employed in my current job. I remember a family member saying, "Joy, don't rock the boat." This advice was out of love and caring for me but it wasn't what I needed to hear. I knew that this was the only way for me to feel happy and fulfilled.

How about you? Do you dream of doing something new or different with your life? Here are a few quick tips on how you can get started:

1. Take a Time Out - give yourself permission to take some quiet, peaceful time to reflect on what is missing from your life. Grab a pen and paper and jot down everything you feel abundant about in your life and then reflect on what would make it even more fulfilling. It hasn't always been easy for me to blend my family with my business dreams and goals; however I've found a way to have both. Instead of thinking about how it won't work, get creative and begin to think of how to make it possible.
2. Ask Yourself a Question - Am I doing what I want in my life or am I doing what other's think I should be doing in my life?
3. Find Your Courage - Create a vision about how you would feel if you could have that goal or dream come alive in your life. Breathe that in for a moment. Create a vision board about your Big Idea, Dreams and Goals. This process helps to keep the momentum alive and it's a visual reminder to those around you.

I watched the interview with LeBron James when he announced his decision to join the Miami Heat. Some will say it was all about the money and I'd be foolish to think that it wasn't a motivator. However, I noticed something different in the interview. LeBron felt a certain loyalty and sadness about leaving the Cavaliers. After all, he'd given them 7 years of his gifts and talent. He realized his dream is to be a part of something new, something bigger, something that would allow him to exercise his gifts in a bigger way. LeBron had to exercise his confidence and courage to embrace his own dream and take the steps to move closer to his vision. You have the opportunity to embrace your confidence and courage as well. You have permission to be exactly who you need to be, and make the necessary changes in order to live a life that is fueled with energy, passion and purpose.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

Related Articles
  Personal Branding: What Can We Learn From LeBron?
  \"You\'re an idiot if you don\'t start an Internet company right now\"
  8 Talent Building Lessons from the Miami Heat Coup
  3 Ways to Bolster Your Personal Branding Strategy
  Are Men Smarter Than Women
  Lesson #2: To Make the Dunk You Need to First Take the Jump
  Successful People Build Strong Relationships With Their Colleagues
  Altucher: College is "Abhorrent"
  "Don't Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy—and How To Increase Your Share Of This Crucial Market" by Lisa Johnson & Andrea Learned
  Franchise Businesses Appeal to Women Entrepreneurs
  How Smart Women Stay Connected
  Are MLM Companies For Women Only?
  1.2 Mission Objectives: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
  Standing Room Only - Should You Steer Clear of Crowded Niches?
  Stress Management: Ladies, Lose The Guilt!
  4.0 The state of women’s enterprises in Tanzania: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
  Smart Women Live into and Find the Flow
  Its Time For Women To Lead in America in Entrepreneurship
  Smart Women Practice Quality Not Quantity
  Smart Women and Their Relationship With Money

Article Tags: business, dreams, entrepreneur, goals, LeBron James, Smart, women



Related Forum Posts
Diamonds vs. squares - True True - I put on 10 pounds after eating sliced cheese that was endorsed by a wrestler when I was a kid... A diamond shreddie is a lot cheaper than LeBron James - LOL!
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.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Self Employed Business Ideas

How do I finance a franchise?

Suggestions

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.