I’ve been teaching a lot in the last 6 weeks, with a class for new women entrepreneurs on how to start a business, in particular, my favorite class being ‘Closing the Confidence Gap; Getting Comfortable Selling Yourself’.
As a result, I’ve met a number of new women recently, many of them in transition. Some are starting a new business, some have lost their jobs and many are looking for inspiration in these unsettling times.
As many of us are preparing to resume our work lives post-COVID and go back to the offices, I can feel the unrest in our conversations.
Am I happy in my job?
Should I be doing something different?
How will I know if it’s time to change?
I have reinvented my career 3 times, many years in the airline industry, my own business and now Higher Education, with two short work stints in between.
My first job change was the result of a lay-off which forced me to think about what did I want to do and where did I want to live?
I found myself at a crossroads years ago when I lost my job at 42 and was living in Seattle. Should I stay in a city that I loved and try to get a job with another airline or should I return home to the Twin Cities and start over?
I decided that it was my time to come home and be back with my family and friends. I have never regretted my decision and the move home has resulted in many opportunities that I could not have for-shadowed.
When I tell my story, I also tell about the work that I did for myself to find inspiration as I was trying to figure out my next moves.
My house has quotes everywhere in my office, bedroom, bathroom and on my refrigerator.
Here are some of the inspirational quotes that made a difference for me.
“She believed she could, so she did”. – Unknown
“Feel the fear, have your doubts, but go for it anyways“. – Barbara Stanny
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think“. – Christopher Robbin
“You are not your circumstances, you are your possibilities. If you know that you can do anything“. – Oprah Winfrey
“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward“. – Isabel Allende
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any“. – Alice Walker
I don’t always have the answers for old friends and new friends about what they should do to change in their life and move in a new direction, but I can share meaningful words that moved me.
I hope that you find inspiration in conversations, reading books, spending time in nature and spending time with yourself.
Be bold in these times of uncertainty and trust that the journey you are on will lead you down the right path.
About the author;
Mary Jacobs is founder of The Women’s Excelerator. Mary is a strategist, educator and consultant who has a passion for working with women entrepreneurs. Her focus is on sales strategies for launching and building sustainable businesses for women starting professional service firms. Learn more about Mary at www.thewomensexcelerator.com.
