So, back to me.  I immediately got up and started writing.  First I wrote a post on Square Martini Media and next this one.  Seth’s content is just so good, I think might be able to write about it every day this week!

Seth gives the example of Mother Theresa who was an Atheist but used her actions to define herself.  Further, he says, “Authenticity, for me, is doing what you promise, not “being who you are”.  His post is really fabulous and discusses how we’re all filled with self doubt but our actions can easily drown out negative self talk.  You must go read it for yourself.

Happy Monday.  Now go out there and be who you want to be.  Stop listening to the Devil on your left shoulder and start acting for the Angel on your right.  Let me know how it goes…Oh, and let me know how you like Seth.  I love him…almost as much as I love Twitter!

Even if you aren’t a fan of RAP music, you’ve gotta hand it to M.I.A.’s pregnant Grammy performance last night on the Grammy’s with T.I., Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, and Kanye West.  She rocked the house in a signature couture pregnancy outfit…on, yes listen closely ladies….her due date!  Her outfit was made with polka dots and mesh fabric putting it all out there.  I just had to write about it because to me that takes real confidence and self esteem and I couldn’t have been prouder while I was watching.

There was a woman standing on stage with four men, doing what she loved, thinking outside of the box about career options for working mothers, paving new paths for future generations, keeping it real and doing it her way and shining with Self Esteem.  Just what Six Figure Moms Club is all about.  My kinda woman.  You can see more about M.I.A. in Huffington Posts’ article here.

Next time you’re feeling insecure about anything, think about Ms. M.I.A. rocking it on the stage with her 9 month pregnant belly covered in Mesh.  You just gotta love it!

You’ve officially made it through another year without popping, killing anyone, passing out or throwing in the towel.  How’s that for starting off negative?  I say those things because I know that you’ve all had days where you felt those emotions.  How do I know?  Because you’ve told me over the past three years. A working mother’s biggest enemy is often herself and the high expectations she holds herself to.  I’d like to suggest that you try to leave some of those expectations behind as we close the doors to 2008.  In my next post, I’ll be writing about one of my New Year’s traditions.  It’s a process I created about eight years ago which helps me close the year and refocus my thoughts on moving forward with a new set of plans for the new year.

The biggest thing I hear over and over again from Six Figure Moms is, “I’m not sure I should come to your meetings because I don’t know if I really have anything to contribute.”  Ladies, I’ve heard those same words from the most capable of women and I’m here to tell you, “Come, YOU do have things to contribute and the other women in the room feel just like you do”.  In fact, they need you!  Why, because their internal voice is saying the same thing and it’s soothing and helpful to know that others feel the same way.  You don’t know how many times I’ve had a woman come up to me and comment, “I can’t believe that beautiful, talented woman thinks that no one will pay her a fair salary–she’s amazing!”

So, I urge you, if you only make one resolution this year, make this one:

“I promise to give myself a break.  I’ll be nicer.  I’ll be more understanding.  I’ll be more forgiving with myself.  I’ll make more time for me.  I won’t judge myself harshly and lastly, but most importantly, I will take the time to enjoy my life and the people around me that I love.”

Until next time, my best to all.

So, Kim and I have communicated via email and phone but we hadn’t seen each other in over a year. I drive to Rancho Santa Fe to pick her up last night and she opens my car door and the first things she says, “Oh my gosh, YOU are so cute”. A super nice greeting wouldn’t you say? Now, I’d been out working since 7:00am that morning. I doubt I really looked super cute. I’m telling you this because this is about Kim and her approach to people and life not because of how I looked. She’s infectious. She’s energetic. She makes people feel good just being around her. Next, I check her out. She IS totally cute. You see, she had had a conversation with me on the phone about how she was likely underdressed. Right, Kim. (This girl hasn’t been underdressed a day in her life). Ok, yes, maybe I’m rambling a bit so I’ll get to the point. Here’s a woman who a) looks great all the time b) automatically makes people feel good about themselves and c) sells a personal service in which she helps people look and feel their personal best and d) invests money in her own personal development so that she can continue to grow and be the best she can be. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to hire her?

So, why am I choosing to write about this today? Throughout my travels since leaving my corporate job, I’ve met hundreds of moms facing self image issues. When we have babies, for some reason, something in our self esteem tool box gets derailed. It’s an interesting dilemma that I see over and over again in really strong women. I wanted to write about it because if this resonates with you, I want you to know it’s sooooo common. Also, I want you to reach out to Kim or people like Kim that can help because you don’t have to suffer through these crappy feelings alone. Your mojo hasn’t left you, it’s just sitting on the shelf patiently waiting for you to flip the on switch to rock and roll mode again. So, don’t wait too long.

In closing, I have to share a fun little story from last night with you. I’m having a glass of wine with Kim and she leaves for the ladies room. I realize she’s been gone a long time and I start to worry a bit then it comes to me….ahhh, I bet she’s shopping =-) Sure, enough, she comes back with a fabulous new jacket purchased on her way back from the ladies room. Something only a professional shopper could do. She swears she NEVER shops on the spur of the moment like that….and I teasingly swear that I don’t believe her =-)

Kim, shop for me anytime on your way back from the girls room, girlfriend.