Years ago when I was apart of a network marketing company, I had the privilege of making lots of new sister friends. Maria Dowd is an accomplished writer and entrepreneur. I am so happy that we stayed in touch. Help me welcome Maria as the new lifestyle writer for my blog! People swear we look like twins, what do you think?
Guest Post by: Maria Dowd
How often do we get lost in the meshes of thinking we know what we truly don’t know; heeding to the urgings, opinions and directives of trusted and loved ones who didn’t know what they didn’t know, then finding ourselves lost in a deep, plush forest of bewilderment or in a deserted desert somewhere, kicking tumbleweed, angry at the world for believing that it misled you.
However, there is hope and opportunity to regain our footing and walk the straighter line of passion and desire. I’m not referring to the hot, steamy kind that tangles up our locks and causes use to think of surfboards, and such.
I’m referring to the kind of passion and desire that makes us start clearing space of the havoc and havoc-makers in our lives; rearranging furniture, listening to different genres of music, eating more wholesome foods and begin wearing items of clothing we pushed into a dark crevice in our closets for some unspoken reason.
We begin assessing and earnestly attempting to truthfully answer such questions as: “Who am I…What am I doing…Where do I want to go…Whom do I want to go there with?”
My writer’s voice journey, riddled with many different versions of “Who am I” and “What am I doing,” was blessed one Friday night with a 71-question MAPP assessment which re-iterated what my heart already knew but my head had become very good at denying. My highest score was in Writing and Publishing arena. Hummmm….
I’ve added back into my life conversations with “enlightened listeners,” who can hear me without judgment, getting defensive or routinely take my side; as well as reconnections with mentors and sisterfriends – women I hadn’t spoken to in years, including our very own Rachel O, whose newsletter serendipitously arrived in my inbox. I am loving the journey and I invite you to join me! Here are my top seven way to rediscover your voice.
1. Celebrate the wins: the large and the minute ones, in large and minute ways, constantly.
2. Go lightly, VERY lightly on the upsets. Get the lesson, get new agreements and move on.
3. Take time off with loved ones (especially the ones with great senses of humor) and laugh loud and a lot.
4. Get professional support in assessing your strengths, motivations, temperament and preferences. Get a coach and/or mentors to help keep you on path and accountable.
5. Create a game plan and action steps. My greatest challenge is keeping my action plans short, sweet, simple and being consistent. A long TO DO list is a set up for falling short…every time.
6. Stop the “silent suffer” routine. Be transparent. The moment we start exposing our “stuff” (to trusted individuals) is the very moment the universe begins to shine lights on new possibilities.
7. Quiet the mind and breathe so that the heart can hear God’s whispers.
Maria Dowd, is a naturalista, former producer of African American Women on Tour empowerment conferences; and is the owner of Sol City Beauty Company, distributor of DESIGN ESSENTIALS® hair care products, including DE’s NATURAL line. Visit her online store follow on Facebook here.
